Game state synchronization and restoration across multiple devices

• US 8,951,127 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2014
• Issued: 02/10/2015
• 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): Suhol, Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): LARSEN, CARL VICTOR
• Application Number:
  US14/179,744
• Publication Number:
  US 20140162793A1
• Time in Patent Office: 362 Days
• Field of Search: 463/42, 463/43
• US Class Current: 463/43
• 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 receiving, by a storage server, state data of a game application that runs on a first device, retrieving, by the storage server, a synchronization scheme defined by a user, detecting, by the storage server, a second device connected with the storage server, and sending, by the storage server, the state data of the game application to the second device according to the synchronization scheme.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, by a storage server, state data of a game application, in response to a sync event that is related to the game application, wherein the game application is executed by a user at an electronic device, wherein the storage server belongs to a cloud storage service cluster, 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, or a shut-off of the electronic device;

retrieving, by the storage server, a synchronization scheme defined by the user, wherein the synchronization scheme is stored on the storage server;

detecting, by the storage server, a second device connected with the storage server, wherein the game application is installed at the second device, wherein the user has used the second device for a predetermined number of times within a predetermined time period; and

sending, by the storage server, 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 sending includes:

receiving, by the storage server, a difference between the state data of the game application and previously transmitted state data, 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 computer-implemented method comprising:

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

identifying, by the cloud storage system, a first instance of a game application at a first electronic device of the plurality of the electronic devices;

receiving, by the cloud storage system, the application state data of the game application, in response to a backup event, 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, or a shut-off of the electronic device;

analyzing, by the cloud storage system, a user profile for a user who runs the game application at the first electronic device and other electronic devices of the plurality of the electronic devices, wherein the other electronic devices of the plurality of the electronic devices includes devices the user has used for a predetermined number of times within a predetermined time period;

determining, by the cloud storage system, a target electronic device from the other electronic devices, based on the analyzing of the user profile and the other electronic devices; and

transmitting, by the cloud storage system, 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 backup event at the target electronic device.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the step of analyzing includes:

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 computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the step of analyzing includes:

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

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the user profile is uploaded to the cloud storage system.

10. A cloud based server comprising:

a processor;

a memory storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the cloud based server to perform a process including;

receiving, by a storage server, state data of a game application, in response to a sync event that is related to the game application, wherein the game application is executed by a user at an electronic device, wherein the storage server belongs to a cloud storage service cluster, 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, or a shut-off of the electronic device;

retrieving, by the storage server, a synchronization scheme defined by the user, wherein the synchronization scheme is stored on the storage server;

detecting, by the storage server, a second device connected with the storage server, wherein the game application is installed at the second device, further wherein the user has used the second device for a predetermined number of times within a predetermined time period; and

sending, by the storage server, the state data of the game application to the second device according to the synchronization scheme.

11. The cloud based server of claim 10, wherein the network is a WiFi network or a cellular network.

12. The cloud based server of claim 10, wherein the electronic device is a smart phone.

13. The cloud based server of claim 10, wherein the memory is a non-volatile memory.

14. A cloud based server comprising:

a processor;

a memory storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the cloud based server to perform a process including;

receiving a notice of a backup event from a first electronic device, wherein the backup event suggests a backup of application state data and the application state data represent an application state of a game application running at the first electronic device at the backup event,

receiving a notice of a restore event from a second electronic device, wherein the restore event suggests a restore of the application state of the game application at the second electronic device, wherein a user associated with the first and the second electronic device has used the second device for a predetermined number of times within a predetermined time period, and

determining a priority list including a reference to the application state data, wherein the priority list regulates the order of transmitting the application state data for the game application and data for other applications based on an analysis of a user profile and a hardware profile of at least the first electronic device; and

a network component configured to receive the application state data of the game application from the first electronic device in response to the backup event, and to transmit the application state data to the second electronic device in response to second electronic device.

15. The cloud based server of claim 14, wherein the network is a WiFi network or a cellular network.

16. The cloud based server of claim 14, wherein the electronic device is a smart phone.

17. The cloud based server of claim 14, wherein the memory is a non-volatile memory.