Method and apparatus for transitioning in-process applications to remote devices

• US 10,048,923 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2016
• Issued: 08/14/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Steelseries Aps
• Original Assignee: Steelseries Aps
• Inventors: Hawver, Bruce, Wolff-Petersen, Jacob
• Primary Examiner(s): Dao, Thuy
• Application Number:
  US15/131,179
• Publication Number:
  US 20160231978A1
• Time in Patent Office: 848 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• 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 13/42 by mapping the input signals into game commands, e.g. mapping the displacement of a stylus on a touch screen to the steering angle of a virtual vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/428 involving motion or position input signals, e.g. signals representing the rotation of an input controller or a player's arm motions sensed by accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/50 Controlling the output signals based on the game progress
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/538 for performing operations on behalf of the game client, e.g. rendering
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/636 involving process of starting or resuming a game
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0238 Programmable keyboards key guide holders G06F3/0224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1454 involving copying of the display data of a local workstation or window to a remote workstation or window so that an actual copy of the data is displayed simultaneously on two or more displays, e.g. teledisplay
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/485 Task life-cycle, e.g. stopping, restarting, resuming execution G06F9/4881 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/145 : related to small screens
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/02 : Networking aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/005 : Adapting incoming signals to the display format of the display terminal
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/12 : Synchronisation between the display unit and other units, e.g. other display units, video-disc players

Abstract

A method and apparatus that incorporate teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, receiving at a mobile communication device a video stream from a computing device. The video stream is associated with images generated by a software application and is transmitted by the computing device responsive to a request to redirect control of the software application to the mobile communication device. The method may also include presenting the streamed video at the mobile communication device and transmitting to the computing device a stimulation of a remote user input function associated with the mobile communication device, where the transmitted stimulation corresponds to at least one action of a plurality of associable actions that can be executed by the software application. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

transmitting, by a processing system including a processor, a graphical user interface associated with a halted software application at a computer device to a client device, wherein the transmitting of the graphical user interface comprises transcoding, by the processing system, the graphical user interface to conform a capability of the client device to generate a transcoded graphical user interface and streaming, by the processing system, the transcoded graphical user interface to the client device;

receiving, by the processing system, from the client device a request to resume the software application;

responsive to the request to resume the software application, restarting, by the processing system, execution of the software application at the computer device;

transmitting, by the processing system, a graphical representation of the software application to the client device, wherein the graphical representation is presented at a display of the client device;

receiving, by the processing system, an indication from the client device of a stimulation of a remote user input function at the client device, wherein the stimulation is caused by a gaming control that is communicatively coupled to the client device for controlling the software application;

responsive to the stimulation that is detected, retrieving, by the processing system, an action of a plurality of associable actions, wherein the action corresponds to the stimulation; and

providing, by the processing system, the action that is retrieved to an operating system of the computer device for use in the software application.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising:

transmitting, by the processing system, a second graphical user interface to the client device, wherein the second graphical user interface comprises the plurality of associable actions and a plurality of remote accessories operable for communicative coupling to the client device and wherein the plurality of remote accessories are operable for remote navigation and control of the software application of the computer device;

receiving, by the processing system, from the client device a selection associating the action of the plurality of associable actions with the remote user input function for one accessory of the plurality of remote accessories; and

recording, by the processing system, the association of the action and the remote user input function.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising:

adapting, by the processing system, audio data associated with the software application to the capability of the client device to generate adapted audio data; and

transmitting, by the processing system, the adapted audio data to the client device.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising:

recording a sequence of remote user input function stimuli from the client device; and

associating the sequence of remote input function stimuli to a macro.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the macro corresponds to one of the plurality of associable actions.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the software application is executed by one of the processor or another computing device.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, comprising computer instructions, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

transmitting a graphical user interface associated with a halted software application at a computer device to a client device;

receiving from the client device a request to resume the software application;

responsive to the request to resume the software application, restarting execution of the software application at the computer device;

transmitting a graphical representation of the software application to the client device, wherein the graphical representation is presented at a display of the client device;

receiving an indication from the client device of a stimulation of a remote user input function at the client device, wherein the stimulation is caused by a gaming control that is communicatively coupled to the client device for controlling the software application;

responsive to the stimulation that is detected, retrieving an action of a plurality of associable actions, wherein the action corresponds to the stimulation; and

providing the action that is retrieved to an operating system of the computer device for use in the software application.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise:

responsive to a request to pause, initiating a communication link between the computer device and the client device; and

transmitting the graphical user interface associated with the software application to the client device by way of the communication link.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise:

transmitting a second graphical user interface to the client device, wherein the second graphical user interface comprises the plurality of associable actions and a plurality of remote accessories operable for communicative coupling to the client device and wherein the plurality of remote accessories are operable for remote navigation and control of the software application of the computer device;

receiving from the client device a selection associating the action of the plurality of associable actions with the remote user input function for one accessory of the plurality of remote accessories; and

recording the association of the action and the remote user input function.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the transmitting of the graphical user interface comprises:

transcoding the graphical user interface to conform a capability of the client device to generate a transcoded graphical user interface; and

streaming the transcoded graphical user interface to the client device.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise:

adapting audio data associated with the software application to a capability of the client device to generate adapted audio data; and

transmitting the adapted audio data to the client device.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the software application is a gaming application which invokes a gaming feature according to the action or an aspect of the action provided to the operating system.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise:

recording a sequence of remote user input function stimuli from the client device; and

associating the sequence of remote input function stimuli to a macro.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the macro corresponds to one of the plurality of associable actions.

15. A device, comprising:

a processing system including a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

transmitting a graphical user interface associated with a halted software application at a computer device to a client device;

receiving from the client device a request to resume the software application;

responsive to the request to resume the software application, restarting execution of the software application at the computer device;

transmitting a graphical representation of the software application to the client device, wherein the graphical representation is presented at a display of the client device;

receiving an indication from the client device of a stimulation of a remote user input function at the client device, wherein the stimulation is caused by a gaming control that is communicatively coupled to the client device for controlling the software application;

responsive to the stimulation that is detected, retrieving an action of a plurality of associable actions, wherein the action corresponds to the stimulation; and

providing the action that is retrieved to an operating system of the computer device for use in the software application, wherein the software application is a gaming application which invokes a gaming feature according to the action or an aspect of the action provided to the operating system.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the operations comprise:

transmitting a second graphical user interface to the client device, wherein the second graphical user interface comprises the plurality of associable actions and a plurality of remote accessories operable for communicative coupling to the client device and wherein the plurality of remote accessories are operable for remote navigation and control of the software application of the computer device;

receiving from the client device a selection associating the action of the plurality of associable actions with the remote user input function for one accessory of the plurality of remote accessories; and

recording the association of the action and the remote user input function.

17. The device of claim 15, wherein the operations comprise:

transcoding the graphical user interface to conform a capability of the client device to generate a transcoded graphical user interface; and

streaming the transcoded graphical user interface to the client device.

18. The device of claim 15, wherein the operations comprise:

adapting audio data associated with the software application to a capability of the client device to generate adapted audio data; and

transmitting the adapted audio data to the client device.

19. The device of claim 15, wherein the operations comprise:

recording a sequence of remote user input function stimuli from the client device; and

associating the sequence of remote input function stimuli to a macro.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the macro corresponds to one of the plurality of associable actions.