Recording companion

• US 9,950,257 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2015
• Issued: 04/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Trombetta, Steven, Pinto, Edmund Samuel Victor, Manion, Todd Ryun, Goossen, James Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): McCulloch, Jr., William H
• Application Number:
  US14/606,871
• Publication Number:
  US 20150251093A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,183 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/49 Saving the game status; Pausing or ending the game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/497 Partially or entirely replaying previous game actions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/60 Generating or modifying game content before or while executing the game program, e.g. authoring tools specially adapted for game development or game-integrated level editor
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/86 Watching games played by other players
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4781 Games

Abstract

Active gameplay of a video game on a computer gaming device is overseen by a platform-level in-game recording companion that executes separately from any of a plurality of different video games. During active gameplay of the video game, the active gameplay is continuously and automatically buffered to a temporary storage buffer. During active gameplay the computer gaming device receives a command to save a segment of the active gameplay for subsequent viewing. Without interrupting the active gameplay, the segment of the active gameplay is saved from the temporary storage buffer to a library of the platform-level in-game recording companion.

Claims

1. A digital video recording method for video games, the method comprising:

on a computer gaming device configured to play a plurality of different video games, overseeing active gameplay of a video game of the plurality of different video games with a platform-level in-game recording companion that executes separately from any of the plurality of different video games;

during active gameplay of the video game, continuously and automatically buffering the active gameplay to a temporary storage buffer of the computer gaming device;

during active gameplay of the video game, receiving a command to save a segment of the active gameplay for subsequent viewing; and

without interrupting active gameplay of the video game, saving the segment of the active gameplay from the temporary storage buffer to a library of the platform-level in-game recording companion.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the command includes receiving a voice command via a microphone.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the command includes receiving a command sent from a companion computing device via a network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the command includes recognizing a programmatically defined trigger event within the active gameplay.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the segment of the active gameplay precedes the command.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the segment of the active gameplay follows the command.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the command includes:

receiving a first command indicating a beginning of the segment of the active gameplay; and

receiving a second command indicating an end point of the segment of the active gameplay.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying an interface for the platform-level in-game recording companion in a split screen layout with the active gameplay, the interface including one or more of:

an executable start object configured to effectuate issuance of a command indicating a beginning of the segment of the active gameplay;

an executable stop object configured to effectuate issuance of a command indicating an end point of the segment of the active gameplay;

an executable edit object configured to effectuate issuance of a command to edit the segment of the active gameplay; and

an executable display object configured to effectuate viewing of the library of the platform-level in-game recording companion.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending an interface for the platform-level in-game recording companion to a companion computing device, the interface including one or more of:

an executable start object configured to effectuate issuance of a command indicating a beginning of the segment of the active gameplay;

an executable stop object configured to effectuate issuance of a command indicating an end point of the segment of the active gameplay;

an executable edit object configured to effectuate issuance of a command to edit the segment of the active gameplay; and

an executable display object configured to effectuate viewing of the library of the platform-level in-game recording companion.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from a camera, image data of a user temporally corresponding to the segment of active gameplay;

receiving, from a microphone, audio data of a user temporally corresponding to the segment of active gameplay; and

buffering the image data and the audio data to the temporary storage buffer.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after saving a first segment of the active gameplay to the library of the platform-level in-game recording companion and during active gameplay, receiving a second command to save a second segment of the active gameplay for subsequent viewing, wherein the second segment of active gameplay includes active gameplay not included in the first segment of active gameplay; and

without any interruption in active gameplay of the video game from the first segment of active gameplay to the second segment of active gameplay, saving the second segment of the active gameplay from the temporary storage buffer to a library of the platform-level in-game recording companion independent of the first segment.

12. A digital video recording method for video games, the method comprising:

on a computer gaming device configured to play a plurality of different video games, overseeing active gameplay of a video game of the plurality of different video games with a platform-level in-game recording companion that executes separately from any of the plurality of different video games;

during active gameplay of the video game, continuously and automatically buffering the active gameplay to a temporary storage buffer of a random access memory device of the computer gaming device;

during active gameplay of the video game, receiving a command to save a segment of the active gameplay for subsequent viewing, the command sent from a companion computing device via a network; and

without interrupting active gameplay of the video game, saving the segment of the active gameplay from the temporary storage buffer of the random access memory device to a library of the platform-level in-game recording companion.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the segment of the active gameplay precedes the command.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the segment of the active gameplay follows the command.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising sending an interface for the platform-level in-game recording companion to a companion computing device, the interface including one or more of:

an executable start object configured to effectuate issuance of a command indicating a beginning of the segment of the active gameplay;

an executable stop object configured to effectuate issuance of a command indicating an end point of the segment of the active gameplay;

an executable edit object configured to effectuate issuance of a command to edit the segment of the active gameplay; and

an executable display object configured to effectuate viewing of the library of the platform-level in-game recording companion.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein receiving the command includes:

receiving a first command from the companion computing device, the first command indicating a beginning of the segment of the active gameplay; and

receiving a second command from the companion computing device indicating an end point of the segment of the active gameplay.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein buffering the active gameplay includes:

receiving, from a camera, image data of a user temporally corresponding to the segment of active gameplay;

receiving, from a microphone, audio data of a user temporally corresponding to the segment of active gameplay; and

buffering the image data and the audio data to the temporary storage buffer.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

upon saving a first segment of the active gameplay to the library of the platform-level in-game recording companion and during active gameplay, receiving a second command to save a second segment of the active gameplay for subsequent viewing, wherein the second segment of active gameplay includes active gameplay not included in the first segment of active gameplay; and

without any interruption in active gameplay of the video game from the first segment of active gameplay to the second segment of active gameplay, saving the second segment of the active gameplay from the temporary storage buffer to a library of the platform-level in-game recording companion independent of the first segment.

19. A computing device, comprising:

a logic machine; and

a storage machine holding instructions executable by the logic machine to instantiate a platform-level in-game recording companion that executes separately from any of a plurality of different video games, the platform-level in-game recording companion configured to;

oversee active gameplay of a video game of the plurality of different video games;

during active gameplay of the video game, continuously and automatically buffer the active gameplay to a temporary storage buffer of a random access memory device;

during active gameplay of the video game, receive, from a microphone, a voice command to save a segment of the active gameplay for subsequent viewing; and

without interrupting active gameplay of the video game, save the segment of the active gameplay from the temporary storage buffer of the random access memory device to a library of the platform-level in-game recording companion.

20. The storage machine of claim 19, wherein the platform-level in-game recording companion is further configured to:

upon saving a first segment of the active gameplay from the temporary storage buffer of the random access memory storage device to the library of the platform-level in-game recording companion and during active gameplay, receive a second voice command to save a second segment of the active gameplay for subsequent viewing, wherein the second segment of active gameplay includes active gameplay not included in the first segment of active gameplay; and

without any interruption in active gameplay of the video game from the first segment of active gameplay to the second segment of active gameplay, save the second segment of the active gameplay from the temporary storage buffer of the random access memory storage device to a library of the platform-level in-game recording companion independent of the first segment.