Code execution probability based server-to-client transfer of game code

• US 9,662,575 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 05/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment America LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Pereira, Rui Filipe Andrade, Perry, David, Gault, Andrew Buchanan
• Primary Examiner(s): McClellan, James S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Weatherford, Syvila
• Application Number:
  US13/826,956
• Publication Number:
  US 20130210528A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,538 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/33 using wide area network [WAN] connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/352 involving special game server arrangements, e.g. regional servers connected to a national server or a plurality of servers managing partitions of the game world
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/355 Performing operations on behalf of clients with restricted processing capabilities, e.g. servers transform changing game scene into an encoded video stream for transmitting to a mobile phone or a thin client
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/358 Adapting the game course according to the network or server load, e.g. for reducing latency due to different connection speeds between clients
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/77 involving data related to game devices or game servers, e.g. configuration data, software version or amount of memory
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/86 Watching games played by other players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/24 Electric games; Games using electronic circuits not otherwise provided for video games A63F13/00; computerized gaming systems G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/365 Dynamic adaptation of the packet size
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/75 Media network packet handling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality

Abstract

A computer is operated to receive a current game state of a game being executed on a client computer system from a subset of game code. A determination is made of respective probabilities for advancement from the current game state to a set of possible later game states. Game code required for the set of possible later game states is prioritized in accordance with the determined probabilities for advancement from the current game state to each of the set of possible later game states. Game code required for the set of possible later game states is transmitted from a server computer system to the client computer system in order of the prioritized game code.

Claims

1. A method for execution probability based server-to-client transmission of game code, comprising:

operating a computer to receive a current game state of a game being executed on a client computer system from a subset of game code;

determining respective probabilities for advancement from the current game state to a set of possible later game states;

prioritizing game code required for the set of possible later game states into a prioritized order in accordance with the determined probabilities for advancement from the current game state to each of the set of possible later game states;

transmitting game code required for the set of possible later game states in the prioritized order from a server computer system to the client computer system;

(a) determining that game code required for a possible later game state of higher priority will not be transmitted from the server computer system to the client computer system in time for its execution on the client computer system without interruption of the game being executed on the client computer system; and

(b) upon the determination in (a), transmitting a streaming video of the game from the server computer system to the client computer system, the streaming video of the game corresponding to execution of the game on the server computer system at the current game state in accordance with game input signals received at the server computer system from the client computer system, the streaming video of the game displayed at the client computer system in lieu of a video of the game generated at the client computer system through execution of the game on the client computer system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

upon changing from the current game state to a new game state, determining respective probabilities for advancement from the new game state to the set of possible later game states;

re-prioritizing game code required for the set of possible later game states in accordance with the determined probabilities for advancement from the new game state to each of the set of possible later game states; and

continuing transmission of game code required for the set of possible later game states, in order of the re-prioritized game code, from the server computer system to the client computer system.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

recording game path histories for a number of game players over a period of time, each game path history identifying game state transitions during game play;

statistically analyzing the recorded game path histories to generate a probability database including game state transition probability values for each possible game state that may be encountered during game play, each game state transition probability value representing a probability of transitioning from a given game state to a particular possible next game state,

wherein determining respective probabilities for advancement from the current game state to the set of possible later game states includes querying the probability database.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the statistical analysis of the recorded game path histories includes calculating each game state transition probability for a given game state as a function of prior game states through which each game path history has proceeded up to the given game state.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the statistical analysis of the recorded game path histories includes calculating a probability of a future game path progression by multiplying each game state transition probability along the future game path progression.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the statistical analysis of the recorded game path histories includes calculating each game state transition probability for a given game state as a function of avatar behavior during game play.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein avatar behavior during game play includes one or more of leaving a region, traveling a distance, crossing a boundary, and changing a level of achievement.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the recording of game path histories for the number of game players over the period of time is performed by a state monitor operating separately from a statistics engine that statistically analyzes the recorded game path histories.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the game code is divided by one or more of directories, files, and sub-parts of files, and wherein each division of game code is associated with one or more game states.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the game code includes one or more of executable code, scripts, data structures, images, textures, geographic information, character names, object shapes, user data, and game data.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

queuing the game code required for the set of possible later game states at the server computer system in accordance with the determined probabilities for advancement from the current game state to each of the set of possible later game states; and

dynamically reordering the queuing of the game code required for the set of possible later game states at the server computer system as the current game state changes and as respective probabilities for advancement from the current game state to a set of possible later game states correspondingly change.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

upon the determination in (a), increasing an available bandwidth for communication of data between the server computer system and the client computer system.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein increasing the available bandwidth for communication of data between the server computer system and the client computer system in (b), includes using one or more game content resources already present at the client computer system in lieu of transmitting one or more game content resources from the server computer system to the client computer system.

24. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(c) continuing transmission of game code required for the set of possible later game states, in order of the prioritized game code, from the server computer system to the client computer system while the streaming video of the game is transmitted from the server computer system to the client computer system and while the streaming video of the game is displayed at the client computer system.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

(d) determining that game code required for a sufficient number of possible later game states has been transmitted from the server computer system to the client computer system so as to allow for execution of the game on the client computer system without interruption of the game due to lack of game code at the client computer system; and

(e) upon the determination in (d), resuming execution of the game on the client computer system such that video of the game is generated at the client computer system, and stopping transmission of the streaming video of the game from the server computer system to the client computer system.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium having program instructions stored thereon for implementing a method for execution probability based server-to-client transmission of game code, comprising:

program instructions for receiving a current game state of a game being executed on a client computer system from a subset of game code;

program instructions for determining respective probabilities for advancement from the current game state to a set of possible later game states;

program instructions for prioritizing game code required for the set of possible later game states into a prioritized order in accordance with the determined probabilities for advancement from the current game state to each of the set of possible later game states;

program instructions for transmitting game code required for the set of possible later game states in the prioritized order from a server computer system to the client computer system;

(a) program instructions for determining that game code required for a possible later game state of higher priority will not be transmitted from the server computer system to the client computer system in time for its execution on the client computer system without interruption of the game being executed on the client computer system; and

(b) program instructions for transmitting a streaming video of the game from the server computer system to the client computer system upon the determination in (a), the streaming video of the game corresponding to execution of the game on the server computer system at the current game state in accordance with game input signals received at the server computer system from the client computer system, the streaming video of the game displayed at the client computer system in lieu of a video of the game generated at the client computer system through execution of the game on the client computer system.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, further comprising:

program instructions for, upon changing from the current game state to a new game state, determining respective probabilities for advancement from the new game state to the set of possible later game states;

program instructions for re-prioritizing game code required for the set of possible later game states in accordance with the determined probabilities for advancement from the new game state to each of the set of possible later game states; and

program instructions for continuing transmission of game code required for the set of possible later game states, in order of the re-prioritized game code, from the server computer system to the client computer system.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, further comprising:

program instructions for recording game path histories for a number of game players over a period of time, each game path history identifying game state transitions during game play;

program instructions for statistically analyzing the recorded game path histories to generate a probability database including game state transition probability values for each possible game state that may be encountered during game play, each game state transition probability value representing a probability of transitioning from a given game state to a particular possible next game state,

wherein the program instructions for determining respective probabilities for advancement from the current game state to the set of possible later game states includes program instructions for querying the probability database.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the statistical analysis of the recorded game path histories includes calculating each game state transition probability for a given game state as a function of prior game states through which each game path history has proceeded up to the given game state.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the program instructions for statistically analyzing the recorded game path histories includes program instructions for calculating a probability of a future game path progression by multiplying each game state transition probability along the future game path progression.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the program instructions for statistically analyzing the recorded game path histories includes program instructions for calculating each game state transition probability for a given game state as a function of avatar behavior during game play.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein avatar behavior during game play includes one or more of leaving a region, traveling a distance, crossing a boundary, and changing a level of achievement.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the program instructions for recording game path histories for the number of game players over the period of time are provided as part of a state monitor defined to operate separately from a statistics engine containing the program instructions for statistically analyzing the recorded game path histories.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the game code is divided by one or more of directories, files, and sub-parts of files, and wherein each division of game code is associated with one or more game states.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the game code includes one or more of executable code, scripts, data structures, images, textures, geographic information, character names, object shapes, user data, and game data.