Discovery and distribution of game session information

• US 20040002384A1
• Filed: 06/28/2002
• Published: 01/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Newson, Paul E., Multerer, Boyd C., VanAntwerp, Mark D., Morais, Dinarte R., Anderson, Darren L., Koikawa, Mitsuo
• Granted Patent: US 7,803,052 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• 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 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/71 using secure communication between game devices and game servers, e.g. by encrypting game data or authenticating players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/73 Authorising game programs or game devices, e.g. checking authenticity

Abstract

Discovery and distribution of game session security information includes receiving a request to generate a new game session from a computing device and maintaining a record of a game session identifier for the new game session and a game session key for the new game session, and making the new game session available for other computing devices to join. A request for information describing one or more of a plurality of game sessions may also be received and responded to with the information describing the one or more game sessions as well as a session key that can be used to communicate with at least one of the one or more other computing devices that are part of the game session.

Claims

1. A method, implemented in a server device, the method comprising:

receiving, from a computing device, a request for information describing one or more of a plurality of game sessions that are being hosted by one or more other computing devices and that are currently available for play; and

responding to the request with the information describing the one or more game sessions as well as a session key that can be used to communicate with at least one of the one or more other computing devices that are part of the game session.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the computing device comprises a game console.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the request includes one or more parameters describing game sessions the computing device desires to receive information about.

4. A method as recited in claim 3, wherein the one or more parameters comprise a skill level of players in the game session.

5. A method as recited in claim 3, wherein the one or more parameters comprise information about where play for the game sessions occur.

6. A method as recited in claim 3, wherein the one or more parameters comprise a game session ID.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein responding to the request further comprises returning to the computing device information allowing the computing device to join the one or more game sessions, and wherein the computing device and the one or more other computing devices are each situated behind different network address translation (NAT) devices.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request for game data exchange information from the computing device;

identifying a location of the requested game data; and

sending, to the computing device, an identifier of the location.

9. One or more computer readable media having stored thereon a plurality of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to:

receive, from a computing device, a request to generate a new game session;

maintain a record of a game session identifier for the new game session and a game session key for the new game session; and

make the game session available for other computing devices to join.

10. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 9, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to delete the record when no computing devices are members of the game session.

11. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 9, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to generate the game session identifier and the game session key.

12. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 9, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to receive, from the computing device, the game session identifier and the game session key.

13. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 12, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to receive the game session identifier and the game session key as part of the request.

14. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 9, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

receive, from one of the other computing devices, a request to search current game sessions;

identify, in response to the request, the new game session; and

communicate the game session identifier and the game session key to the one of the other computing devices.

15. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 9, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

maintain a record of one or more attributes of the new game session.

16. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 15, wherein the one or more attributes comprise a skill level of each of one or more players in the game session.

17. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 15, wherein the one or more attributes comprise information about where play for the game session will occur.

18. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 9, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

maintain a record of a number of slots in the game session that can be filled by invitation only.

19. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 9, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

maintain a record of information regarding the computing device that allows other computing devices to access the computing device, wherein the computing device and each of the other computing devices are each situated behind different network address translation (NAT) devices.

20. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 9, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

receive, from the computing device, an identifier of a location where game data is stored;

maintain a record of the location; and

make the game data location available to other computing devices.

21. A method, implemented in a server device, the method comprising:

receiving, from a computing device, an acceptance of an invitation to join a game session; and

sending, to the computing device, a game session key to be used by the computing device to securely communicate data with one or more other computing devices in the game session.

22. A method as recited in claim 21, wherein neither the computing device nor the one or more other computing devices includes the server device.

23. A method as recited in claim 21, wherein receiving the acceptance of the invitation comprises receiving a session search request including, as a search parameter, a game session ID of the game session.

24. A method as recited in claim 21, further comprising:

receiving a request for game data exchange information from the computing device;

identifying a location of the requested game data; and

sending, to the computing device, an identifier of the location.

25. A system comprising:

an interface configured to receive requests regarding a plurality of game sessions each hosted by one or more of a plurality of computing devices, and to respond to the received requests with information regarding one or more of the plurality of game sessions; and

a database configured to maintain the information for each of the plurality of game sessions, wherein the information for each of the plurality of game sessions comprises a game session identifier to uniquely identify the game session and further comprises a game session key to be used by computing devices that are part of the game session to securely communicate with one another.

26. A system as recited in claim 25, wherein the information for each of the plurality of game sessions further comprises information regarding the plurality of computing devices that allows other computing devices to access each of the plurality of computing devices, wherein the each of the other computing devices and each of the plurality of computing devices are situated behind different network address translation (NAT) devices.

27. A system as recited in claim 25, wherein the interface is further configured to generate, for each of the plurality of game sessions, the game session identifier and the game session key.

28. A system as recited in claim 25, wherein the information for each of the plurality of game sessions further comprises information regarding a number of slots in the game session that can be filled by invitation only.

29. One or more computer readable media having stored thereon a plurality of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to:

receive, from a computing device, an identifier of a location where game data is stored;

maintain a record of the location and a game session key; and

make the game data location and game session key available to other computing devices.

30. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 29, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to make the game location and game session key available only to other computing devices in same game session as the computing device.

31. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 29, wherein the identifier of the location comprises an identifier of the computing device.

32. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 29, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

receive, from one of the other computing devices, a request for the identifier of the location; and

return, to the one of the other computing devices, the identifier of the location and the game session key.

33. A method comprising:

receiving a request for game data exchange information from a computing device;

identifying a location of the requested game data; and

sending, to the computing device, an identifier of the location and a game session key to be used by the computing device in obtaining the requested game data from the location.

34. A method as recited in claim 33, wherein the identifier of the location comprises an identifier of another computing device.

35. A method as recited in claim 33, wherein the computing device comprises a game console.

36. One or more computer readable media having stored thereon a plurality of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to:

send, to a server device, a request to host a game session; and

receive, from the server device, both a game session identifier that uniquely identifies the game session and a game session key to be used to securely communicate with other members of the game session.

37. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 36, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to send, as part of the request, one or more attributes of the game session.

38. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 36, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to send, as part of the request, a number of slots in the game session that can be filled by invitation only.

39. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 36, wherein the one or more processors are part of a game console.

40. One or more computer readable media having stored thereon a plurality of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to send, to a server device, a request to host a game session, wherein the request includes both a game session identifier that uniquely identifies the game session and a game session key to be used to securely communicate with other members of the game session.

41. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 40, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to send, as part of the request, one or more attributes of the game session.

42. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 40, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to send, as part of the request, a number of slots in the game session that can be filled by invitation only.

43. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 40, wherein the one or more processors are part of a game console.

44. A game console comprising:

a processing unit;

a network interface configured to allow communication with other game consoles; and

a memory configured to store instructions for execution by the processing unit, wherein the instructions cause the processing unit to receive a game session key associated with a game session and to be used to securely communicate with one or more of the other game consoles that are in the game session.

45. A method comprising:

receiving, from a requesting device, a request for information describing one or more of a plurality of game sessions currently available for play, wherein the plurality of game sessions are hosted by one or more other devices; and

returning, to the requesting device, information allowing the requesting device to join the one or more game sessions, wherein the requesting device and the one or more other devices are each situated behind different network address translation (NAT) devices.

46. A method as recited in claim 45, wherein the requesting device and the one or more other devices are each situated on a home-based local area network.

47. A method as recited in claim 45, wherein the information for a game session comprises a game session key used by the devices in the game session to securely communicate data to one another, and device network address information that allows the devices to traverse the network address translation devices.

48. A method as recited in claim 45, wherein the request includes one or more parameters describing game sessions the computing device desires to receive information about.