Distributed Network Game System
First Claim
1. An expansion card comprising:
- a microprocessor configured to control operations of the expansion card;
a wireless networking module configured to wirelessly connect to a network;
a relay module configured to relay a transcoded media stream received from a network gaming server to a device with which the expansion card is associated; and
control logic configuring the expansion card to maintain a session with the network gaming server.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and systems for providing network-based games to otherwise non-networked devices are provided herein. A network server may provide video game execution and rendering capabilities in accordance with video game software on the server, and may transcode video game output into a media stream for sending to a remotely located media player in use by a user playing the video game. The transcoded media stream is in a format displayable by the media player. The media player may include an expansion card providing wireless network access to the media player for communication with the network gaming server, and may further relay the transcoded media stream received from the network gaming server to the media player, as well as relay user input from a game controller back to the network gaming server. Alternatively, the game controller may communicate directly with the network gaming server.
80 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An expansion card comprising:
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a microprocessor configured to control operations of the expansion card; a wireless networking module configured to wirelessly connect to a network; a relay module configured to relay a transcoded media stream received from a network gaming server to a device with which the expansion card is associated; and control logic configuring the expansion card to maintain a session with the network gaming server. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A network gaming server comprising:
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a processor configured to control operations of the server according to control logic stored at the gaming sever; a transcoder module configured to transcode a media stream into a format displayable by a gaming client device, based on output from a user-selected video game executing on the network gaming server; and a network interface configured to communicate with the gaming client device and a game controller; said control logic, when executed by the processor, configuring the network gaming server to perform; receiving a session initiation message from the gaming client device; transcoding the media stream based on output from the user-selected video game in accordance with received video game user input; sending the transcoded media stream to the gaming client device; and repeating the transcoding and sending steps during game play of the user-selected video game. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of playing network game media, comprising steps of:
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detecting that an expansion card executing the method has been inserted into a media player; receiving user input indicating a desire to play a networked video game; initiating a session with a network gaming server by sending a session initiation message to the network gaming server via a wireless networking module of the expansion card; receiving a transcoded media stream from the network gaming server, wherein the transcoded media stream is in a format displayable by the media player, and wherein the media stream provides audio and video output of the video game executing on the network gaming server based on user input provided by a user to the network gaming server; and relaying the transcoded media stream to the media player for output via the media player. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A system comprising:
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an expansion card comprising; a microprocessor configured to control operations of the expansion card; a wireless networking module configured to wirelessly connect to a network; a short-range wireless communication module configured to communicate with a game controller; a relay module configured to relay a transcoded media stream received from a network gaming server to a device with which the expansion card is associated, and configured to relay commands received from the game controller to the network gaming server; control logic configuring the expansion card to maintain a session with the network gaming server, and the game controller comprising a plurality of user inputs for interacting with a video game executing on the network gaming server. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification