Uniform media portal for a gaming system

• US 20050026700A1
• Filed: 08/30/2004
• Published: 02/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Blanco, Victor K.
• Application Number:
  US10/929,246
• Publication Number:
  US 20050026700A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/43
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/23 for interfacing with the game device, e.g. specific interfaces between game controller and console
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/95 Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/206 Game information storage, e.g. cartridges, CD ROM's, DVD's, smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/308 Details of the user interface

Abstract

A uniform media portal model for a gaming system promotes a consistent user experience among various entertainment areas. The media portal model offers a convenient way to access content from multiple different media types—game data, audio data, and video data—regardless of what media type is inserted into the gaming system'"'"'s portable media drive.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

booting into a console application stored on a hard disk memory of a game console; and

presenting a user interface to facilitate access to multiple different media types.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the media types are selected from a group of media types comprising game data, audio data, and video data.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the presenting comprises presenting a graphical user interface with selectable elements for each of the media types.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising navigating to one of multiple menus, where individual menus are associated with a particular media type.

5. A method as recited in claim 4, further comprising presenting a games collection menu that identifies games currently available for playing on the game console.

6. A method as recited in claim 4, further comprising presenting a music collection menu that identifies music currently available for playing on the game console.

7. A method as recited in claim 4, further comprising presenting a movie collection menu that identifies movies currently available for playing on the game console.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising presenting a memory contents menu that identifies contents stored on the hard disk memory.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising presenting a parental control settings menu that allows a user to set various content filter levels for the various media types.

10. One or more computer-readable media comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, perform the method as recited in claim 1.

11. A game console comprising:

a memory;

a processor coupled to the memory; and

a console application stored in the memory such that the game console boots into the console application, wherein the console application presents a user interface to facilitate access to multiple different media types, and wherein each of the multiple different media types has an associated graphical element in the user interface.

12. A game console as recited in claim 11, wherein the different media types are selected from a group of media types comprising game data, audio data, and video data.

13. A game console as recited in claim 11, wherein individual menus are associated with each media type.

14. A game console as recited in claim 11, wherein the console application further presents a games collection menu that identifies games currently available for playing on the game console.

15. A game console as recited in claim 11, wherein the console application further presents a music collection menu that identifies music currently available for playing on the game console.

16. A game console as recited in claim 11, wherein the console application further presents a movie collection menu that identifies movies currently available for playing on the game console.

17. A game console as recited in claim 11, wherein the console application further presents a memory content menu that identifies content stored on the memory.

18. A game console as recited in claim 11, wherein the console application further presents a parental control settings menu that allows a user to set various content filter levels for the different media types.

19. A computer-readable medium for a game console comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, direct the game console to:

perform a set of system level checks to evaluate system parameters of the game console;

perform a set of media level checks to determine whether a recognizable media is loaded into the game console; and

load a console application that alternately presents (1) a main menu that facilitates access to multiple media-specific menus for different types of media and (2) a media-specific menu associated with the media loaded into the game console if the media is recognized.

20. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 19, further comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, direct the game console to:

evaluate whether a hard disk drive in the game console is present;

evaluate whether a language for the game console is set; and

evaluate whether a clock for the game console is set.

21. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 19, further comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, direct the game console to:

evaluate whether a hard disk drive in the game console is present;

evaluate whether a language for the game console is set;

evaluate whether a clock for the game console is set; and

evaluate whether a parental control setting for the game console is set.

22. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 19, further comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, direct the game console to:

detect whether the media in the game console is a game disc;

detect whether the media in the game console is a movie disc; and

detect whether the media in the game console is an audio disc.

23. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 19, further comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, direct the game console to:

detect whether the media in the game console is a game disc;

detect whether the media in the game console is a movie disc;

detect whether the media in the game console is an audio disc; and

detect a parental control setting associated with the game console.