Game state synchronization and restoration across multiple devices

• US 8,840,461 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2014
• Issued: 09/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Razer (Asia-Pacific) Pte. Ltd. (Razer Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Nextbit Systems, Inc. (Razer Incorporated)
• Inventors: Quan, Justin, Chan, Michael A., Moss, Tom, Fleming, Michael K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Laneau, Ronald
• Application Number:
  US14/179,709
• Publication Number:
  US 20140162760A1
• Time in Patent Office: 222 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 25
• US Class Current: 463/24
• 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 13/40 Processing input control signals of video game devices, e.g. signals generated by the player or derived from the environment
• 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: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/461 Saving or restoring of program or task context
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4856 resumption being on a different machine, e.g. task migration, virtual machine migration G06F9/5088 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits

Abstract

Technology for a method for backing up and restoring game application state across multiple devices is disclosed herein. The method includes running an instance of a game application at a first electronic device, determining a backup event that occurs in the first electronic device, wherein the backup event suggests a backup of application state data and the application state data represent an application state of the game application at the backup event, and transmitting the application state data of the game application to a remote storage service, in response to the backup event. A second electronic device can retrieve the application state data from the remote storage service and restore the game application state.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

running, by a computer system, an instance of a game application at an electronic device;

automatically determining, by the computer system, a sync event that occurs in the electronic device, wherein the sync event is an event from events including a closure of the game application, a pause of the game application, a continuous operation of the game application for a preconfigured period of time, a switch from the game application to an another application, a drop of a battery level of the electronic device below a preconfigured value, and a shut-off of the electronic device;

transmitting, by the computer system, state data of the game application to a storage server, in response to the sync event, wherein the electronic device is capable of transmitting the state data of the game application to the storage server via a network, wherein the storage server belongs to a cloud storage service cluster;

retrieving, by the computer system, a synchronization scheme defined by the user;

detecting, by the computer system, a second device connected with the storage system and physically close to the electronic device, wherein locations of the electronic device and the second device are determined by at least one of GPS coordinates, WiFi network locations, and/or cellular network locations; and

requesting, by the computer system, to send the state data of the game application to the second device according to the synchronization scheme.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting includes:

transmitting a difference between the state data of the game application and previously transmitted state data to the storage server, in response to the sync event.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the network is a WiFi network or a cellular network.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a smartphone.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the second device is a tablet computer.

6. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing program instructions for causing a computer to perform method, the method comprising:

identifying a plurality of electronic devices capable of synchronizing game application state data with a cloud storage system;

identifying a first instance of a game application at a first electronic device of the plurality of the electronic devices;

determining a backup event that occurs in the first electronic device, wherein the backup event is an event from events including a closure of the game application, a pause of the game application, a continuous operation of the game application for a preconfigured period of time, a switch from the game application to an another application, a drop of a battery level of the electronic device below a preconfigured value, and a shut-off of the electronic device;

transmitting the application state data of the game application to a remote storage service, in response to the backup event, wherein the first electronic device is capable of transmitting the application state data to the remote storage service via a network;

analyzing a user profile for a user who runs the game application at the first electronic device and at least a second electronic device of the plurality of the electronic devices;

determining a target electronic device from the at least one second electronic device, based on the analyzing of the user profile and the at least one second electronic device; and

transmitting the application state data to the target electronic device, wherein the application state data enable another instance of the game application to resume the application state at the sync event at the target electronic device.

7. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein the program instructions further cause the computer to perform:

identifying an electronic device other than the first electronic device, the electronic device having established a user account of the user who runs the game application at the first electronic device.

8. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein the program instructions further cause the computer to perform:

identifying an electronic device other than the first electronic device, wherein the user has used the electronic device for a predetermined number of times within a predetermined time period.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein the program instructions further cause the computer to perform:

identifying an electronic device being in proximity of the first electronic device.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein the user profile is uploaded to the cloud storage system.

11. An electronic device comprising:

a processor;

a memory storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the electronic device to perform a process including;

running a game application by the electronic device;

automatically determining a sync event that occurs in the electronic device, wherein the sync event is an event from events including a closure of the game application, a pause of the game application, a continuous operation of the game application for a preconfigured period of time, a switch from the game application to an another application, a drop of a battery level of the electronic device below a preconfigured value, and a shut-off of the electronic device;

transmitting state data of the game application to a storage server, in response to the sync event, wherein the electronic device is capable of transmitting the state data of the game application to the storage server via a network, wherein the storage server belongs to a cloud storage service cluster, wherein the state data of the game application includes application memory data, application local storage data, hardware configuration data, or user account configuration data; and

a network component configured to transmit the state data of the game application to a storage server, in response to the sync event, wherein the application state data of the game application enable another instance of the game application to resume the application state at the sync event at another electronic device.

12. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the state data of the game application includes game save data for the game application.

13. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the step of determining includes:

automatically determining a sync event that occurs in the electronic device without user intervention, wherein the sync event suggests a synchronization of the state data of the game application and the state data of the game application represents an application state of the game application at the sync event.

14. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the storage server belongs to a cloud storage service that is capable of synchronizing the application state data with another electronic device.

15. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the memory is a non-volatile memory.

16. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the network is a WiFi network or a cellular network.

17. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the electronic device is a smart phone.