SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR INTERFACING VIDEO GAMES AND USER COMMUNICATIONS

• US 20150054911A1
• Filed: 10/30/2014
• Published: 02/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Steven M. Gottlieb
• Original Assignee: Steven M. Gottlieb
• Inventors: Gottlieb, Steven M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,782,675 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.08
• 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 13/215 comprising means for detecting acoustic signals, e.g. using a microphone
• 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 13/34 using peer-to-peer connections
• 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 2300/556 Player lists, e.g. online players, buddy list, black list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/572 Communication between players during game play of non game information, e.g. e-mail, chat, file transfer, streaming of audio and streaming of video
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

Improved methods, systems, and devices for managing communications are provided. A user device may display all ongoing communications so that a user can visualize the communications network or some subset thereof (e.g., a subgroup or group of users). A system may maintain the user device in an instant ready-on mode of communication with the other user devices. A user may then initiate communications with a subgroup (e.g., a pair) or group without initiating a new connection. Accordingly, a user can simultaneously and fluidly communicate at the subgroup level, at the group level, or at the inter-group level. Moreover, users can function as independent actors that can freely form and leave subgroups as well as groups.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating dynamic communications amongst multiple users, the method comprising:

receiving a first video communication, the first received communication being sent by a first transmitting device and directed to a receiving device;

receiving a second video communication, the second received communication being sent by a second transmitting device and directed to the receiving device;

generating a composite video communication based at least on the first received communication and the second received communication; and

transmitting the composite video communication to the receiving device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the size of the composite video communication is less than the aggregate size of the first video communication and the second video communication.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the receiving device'"'"'s available bandwidth, wherein the composite video communication is generated in response to determining that the available bandwidth is minimal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the composite video communication comprises a single video stream.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting different portions of the composite video communication as multiple, separate video communications to a user at the receiving device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a communication mode applicable to the transmitting device and the receiving device, wherein the composite video communication is generated based on the first received communication, the second received communication and the determined communication mode.

46. The system of claim 1, wherein the receiving user device is a third user device that comprises:

communications circuitry configured to receive the composite video communication;

a display configured to present different portions of the composite video communication as multiple, separate video communications to a user; and

a speaker configured to provide the combined audio signal to the user.

47. The system of claim 46, wherein:

the first arbitrary spatial location corresponds to a left side of the display; and

audio from the first received communication is predominately on a left channel of the combined audio signal.

48. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a third user device comprising;

a video camera; and

communications circuitry coupled with the video camera in the third user device and configured to transmit video communications,

wherein the server is further configured to;

receive third video communications from the third user device;

assign a third arbitrary spatial location to the third video communications;

create a combined audio signal which indicates to a user at a receiving device that the first received communications are occurring at the first arbitrary spatial location, the second received communications are occurring at the second arbitrary spatial location, and the third received communications are occurring at the third arbitrary spatial location; and

generate a composite video communication based at least on the first received communications, the second received communications, the third received communications, and the combined audio signal.

49. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the server is further configured to determine a communication mode applicable to the first device and the receiving user device; and

the server is configured to generate the composite video communication based also on the determined communication mode.

50. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a video game server configured to transmit video game outputs to the server, wherein;

the server is further configured to process a video game output; and

the server is configured to generate the composite video communication based also on the video game output.

51. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the server is further configured to determine the receiving user device'"'"'s available bandwidth; and

the server is configured to generate the composite video communication based also on the available bandwidth.

7-45. -45. (canceled)