METHOD AND TERMINAL FOR GAME DATA COMMUNICATION

• US 20140235357A1
• Filed: 04/29/2014
• Published: 08/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tencent Technology Company Limited (Tencent Holdings Limited)
• Original Assignee: Tencent Technology Company Limited (Tencent Holdings Limited)
• Inventors: LIAO, Haizhen
• Granted Patent: US 9,649,557 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/327 using wireless networks, e.g. Wi-Fi® or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/34 using peer-to-peer connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/77 involving data related to game devices or game servers, e.g. configuration data, software version or amount of memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1051 Group master selection mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/20 Master-slave selection or change arrangements

Abstract

A method for controlling game data communication between portable electronic devices includes receiving one or more performance parameters from multiple portable electronic devices as slave devices. The method also includes determining whether the portable electronic device satisfies performance criteria with respect to the multiple portable electronic devices. The method further includes, in accordance with a determination that the portable electronic device does not satisfy the performance criteria with respect to the multiple portable electronic devices: selecting one of the multiple portable electronic devices as a new master device; and transferring a master device status to the selected portable electronic device. The method includes, subsequent to transferring a master device status to the selected portable electronic device, communicating, as a slave device, with the selected portable electronic device.

Claims

1. A method for controlling game data communication between portable electronic devices, performed by a portable electronic device with memory and one or more processors, the method comprising:

receiving one or more performance parameters from multiple portable electronic devices as slave devices;

determining whether the portable electronic device satisfies performance criteria with respect to the multiple portable electronic devices;

in accordance with a determination that the portable electronic device does not satisfy the performance criteria with respect to the multiple portable electronic devices;

selecting one of the multiple portable electronic devices as a new master device; and

transferring a master device status to the selected portable electronic device; and

,

subsequent to transferring a master device status to the selected portable electronic device, communicating, as a slave device, with the selected portable electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more performance parameters include one or more of an energy level of a respective portable electronic device and a usage rate of a processor of the respective portable electronic device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining whether the portable electronic device satisfies the performance criteria includes:

identifying a subset of the multiple portable electronic devices that exceed a threshold energy level; and

determining whether the portable electronic device is within a predefined percentage of the subset of portable electronic devices in accordance with the usage rate of a processor for a predefined number of successive cycles.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein transferring the master device status to the selected portable electronic devices includes sending, to portable electronic devices connected as slave devices to the portable electronic device, a broadcast message indicating that the selected portable electronic device is a new master device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating, as a slave device, with the selected portable electronic device includes sending one or more performance parameters of the portable electronic device to the selected portable electronic device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a resource request from a first slave device;

in response to receiving the resource request, sending a broadcast message to one or more slave devices, connected to the portable electronic device as slave devices, other than the first slave device; and

,

in response to sending the broadcast message, receiving one or more responses from the one or more slave devices;

selecting a slave device in accordance with predefined criteria; and

sending information identifying the selected slave device to the first slave device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein selecting the slave device in accordance with the predefined criteria includes:

selecting a subset of the one or more slave devices, connected to the portable electronic device as slave devices, that have a resource requested in the resource request, and

selecting a slave device, of the subset of the one or more slave devices, based on one or more performance parameters of the slave device.

8. A portable electronic device for controlling game data communication with portable electronic devices, comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for;

receiving one or more performance parameters from multiple portable electronic devices as slave devices;

determining whether the portable electronic device satisfies performance criteria with respect to the multiple portable electronic devices;

in accordance with a determination that the portable electronic device does not satisfy the performance criteria with respect to the multiple portable electronic devices;

selecting one of the multiple portable electronic devices as a new master device; and

transferring a master device status to the selected portable electronic device; and

,

subsequent to transferring a master device status to the selected portable electronic device, communicating, as a slave device, with the selected portable electronic device.

9. The portable electronic device of claim 8, wherein the one or more performance parameters include one or more of an energy level of a respective portable electronic device and a usage rate of a processor of the respective portable electronic device.

10. The portable electronic device of claim 9, wherein determining whether the portable electronic device satisfies the performance criteria includes:

identifying a subset of the multiple portable electronic devices that exceed a threshold energy level; and

determining whether the portable electronic device is within a predefined percentage of the subset of portable electronic devices in accordance with the usage rate of a processor for a predefined number of successive cycles.

11. The portable electronic device of claim 8, wherein transferring the master device status to the selected portable electronic devices includes sending, to portable electronic devices connected as slave devices to the portable electronic device, a broadcast message indicating that the selected portable electronic device is a new master device.

12. The portable electronic device of claim 8, wherein communicating, as a slave device, with the selected portable electronic device includes sending one or more performance parameters of the portable electronic device to the selected portable electronic device.

13. The portable electronic device of claim 8, wherein the one or more programs include instructions for:

receiving a resource request from a first slave device;

in response to receiving the resource request, sending a broadcast message to one or more slave devices, connected to the portable electronic device as slave devices, other than the first slave device; and

,

in response to sending the broadcast message, receiving one or more responses from the one or more slave devices;

selecting a slave device in accordance with predefined criteria; and

sending information identifying the selected slave device to the first slave device.

14. The portable electronic device of claim 13, wherein selecting the slave device in accordance with the predefined criteria includes:

selecting a subset of the one or more slave devices, connected to the portable electronic device as slave devices, that have a resource requested in the resource request, and,

selecting a slave device, of the subset of the one or more slave devices, based on one or more performance parameters of the slave device.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs for execution by one or more processors of a portable electronic device, the one or more programs including instructions for:

receiving one or more performance parameters from multiple portable electronic devices as slave devices;

determining whether the portable electronic device satisfies performance criteria with respect to the multiple portable electronic devices;

in accordance with a determination that the portable electronic device does not satisfy the performance criteria with respect to the multiple portable electronic devices;

selecting one of the multiple portable electronic devices as a new master device; and

transferring a master device status to the selected portable electronic device; and

,

subsequent to transferring a master device status to the selected portable electronic device, communicating, as a slave device, with the selected portable electronic device.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the one or more performance parameters include one or more of an energy level of a respective portable electronic device and a usage rate of a processor of the respective portable electronic device.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein determining whether the portable electronic device satisfies the performance criteria includes:

identifying a subset of the multiple portable electronic devices that exceed a threshold energy level; and

determining whether the portable electronic device is within a predefined percentage of the subset of portable electronic devices in accordance with the usage rate of a processor for a predefined number of successive cycles.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein transferring the master device status to the selected portable electronic devices includes sending, to portable electronic devices connected as slave devices to the portable electronic device, a broadcast message indicating that the selected portable electronic device is a new master device.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein communicating, as a slave device, with the selected portable electronic device includes sending one or more performance parameters of the portable electronic device to the selected portable electronic device.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the one or more programs include instructions for:

receiving a resource request from a first slave device;

in response to receiving the resource request, sending a broadcast message to one or more slave devices, connected to the portable electronic device as slave devices, other than the first slave device; and

,

in response to sending the broadcast message, receiving one or more responses from the one or more slave devices;

selecting a slave device in accordance with predefined criteria; and

sending information identifying the selected slave device to the first slave device.