Interactive digital media items with multiple storylines

• US 9,082,092 B1
• Filed: 10/01/2012
• Issued: 07/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Henry, Colleen
• Primary Examiner(s): HO, RUAY L
• Application Number:
  US13/632,927
• Time in Patent Office: 1,016 Days
• Field of Search: 715200-277, 715700-867, 700701-866, 709201-229, 705/2, 705/14.53, 705 50- 29, 345 30-111, 725/37, 386/281
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/47 involving branching, e.g. choosing one of several possible scenarios at a given point in time
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/65 automatically by game devices or servers from real world data, e.g. measurement in live racing competition
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/102 Programmed access in sequence to addressed parts of tracks of operating record carriers access by moving the head G11B3/08, G11B5/54, G11B7/085, G11B21/022; by moving the record carrier G11B15/005, G11B17/005, by driving of both record carrier and head G11B15/1816
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8541 involving branching, e.g. to different story endings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums

Abstract

A group of streaming video segments that includes a first set of streaming video segments that are associated with a first storyline is identified. The first set of streaming video segments is provided to a client device. The first set of streaming video segments includes data indicative of a set of storyline options associated with the first storyline. User input indicating a user selection of one of the storyline options is received and the group of streaming video segments is updated to include a second set of streaming video segments based on the user input. The second set of streaming video segments is provided to the client device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying, by a server computer system, a group of streaming video segments, wherein the group of streaming video segments comprises a first set of streaming video segments that are associated with a first storyline;

providing, by the server computer system, the first set of streaming video segments to a first client device, the first set of streaming video segments comprising data indicative of a set of storyline options associated with the first storyline;

receiving first user input indicating a first user selection of a first storyline option from the set of storyline options associated with the first storyline;

updating, by a processing device of the server computer system, the group of streaming video segments to include a second set of streaming video segments based on the first user input by updating a manifest file associated with the group of streaming video segments to include references to the second set of streaming video segments, wherein the second set of streaming video segments is associated with a second storyline and wherein the second set of streaming video segments was not previously included in the group of streaming video segments;

providing the second set of streaming video segments to the first client device;

receiving a second user input indicating a second user selection of a second storyline option from a second set of storyline options associated with the second storyline;

updating the updated group of streaming video segments to include a third set of streaming video segments based on the second user input indicating the second user selection of the second storyline option associated with the second storyline, wherein the third set of streaming video segments is associated with a third storyline and wherein the third set of streaming video segments was not previously included in the updated group of streaming video segments; and

providing the third set of streaming video segments to a second client device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the streaming video segments comprise pre-rendered streaming video segments.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first user input indicating the first user selection of the first storyline option comprises a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) POST message.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing storyline data in a memory, wherein the storyline data is indicative of one or more storyline options selected by a user.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

providing the storyline data to the second client device, wherein the second client device updates the third storyline for a video game on the second client device, based on the storyline data.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

updating a second group of streaming video segments to include a fourth set of streaming video segments based on the storyline data, wherein a portion of the storyline data is received from a video game on the second client device and is associated with a fourth storyline corresponding to user input on the second client device; and

providing the fourth set of streaming video segments to the first client device.

7. A system comprising:

a memory configured to store streaming video segments; and

a processing device coupled to the memory and configured to;

identify a group of streaming video segments, wherein the group of streaming video segments comprises a first set of streaming video segments that are associated with a first storyline;

provide the first set of streaming video segments to a first client device, the first set of streaming video segments comprising data indicative of a set of storyline options associated with the first storyline;

receive first user input indicating a first user selection of a first storyline option from the set of storyline options associated with the first storyline;

update the group of streaming video segments to include a second set of streaming video segments based on the first user input by updating a manifest file associated with the group of streaming video segments to include references to the second set of streaming video segments, wherein the second set of streaming video segments is associated with a second storyline and wherein the second set of streaming video segments was not previously included in the group of streaming video segments;

provide the second set of streaming video segments to the first client device;

receive a second user input indicating a second user selection of a second storyline option from a second set of storyline options associated with the second storyline;

update the updated group of streaming video segments to include a third set of streaming video segments based on the second user input indicating the second user selection of the second storyline option associated with the second storyline, wherein the third set of streaming video segments is associated with a third storyline and wherein the third set of streaming video segments was not previously included in the updated group of streaming video segments; and

provide the third set of streaming video segments to a second client device.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the streaming video segments comprise pre-rendered streaming video segments.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the first user input indicating the first user selection of the first storyline option comprises a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) POST message.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the processing device is further configured to:

store storyline data in a memory, wherein the storyline data is indicative of one or more storyline options selected by a user.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the processing device is further configured to:

provide the storyline data to the second client device, wherein the second client device updates the third storyline for a video game on the second client device, based on the storyline data.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the processing device is further configured to:

update a second group of streaming video segments to include a fourth set of streaming video segments based on the storyline data, wherein a portion of the storyline data is received from a video game on the second client device and is associated with a fourth storyline corresponding to user input on the second client device; and

provide the fourth set of streaming video segments to the first client device.

13. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having instructions that, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to perform a method comprising:

identifying a group of streaming video segments, wherein the group of streaming video segments comprises a first set of streaming video segments that are associated with a first storyline;

providing the first set of streaming video segments to a first client device, the first set of streaming video segments comprising data indicative of a set of storyline options associated with the first storyline;

receiving first user input indicating a first user selection of a first storyline option from the set of storyline options associated with the first storyline;

updating, by the processing device, the group of streaming video segments to include a second set of streaming video segments based on the first user input by updating a manifest file associated with the group of streaming video segments to include references to the second set of streaming video segments, wherein the second set of streaming video segments is associated with a second storyline and wherein the second set of streaming video segments was not previously included in the group of streaming video segments;

providing the second set of streaming video segments to the first client device;

receiving a second user input indicating a second user selection of a second storyline option from a second set of storyline options associated with the second storyline;

updating the updated group of streaming video segments to include a third set of streaming video segments based on the second user input indicating the second user selection of the second storyline option associated with the second storyline, wherein the third set of streaming video segments is associated with a third storyline and wherein the third set of streaming video segments was not previously included in the updated group of streaming video segments; and

providing the third set of streaming video segments to a second client device.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13,

wherein the method further comprises:

storing storyline data in a memory, wherein the storyline data is indicative of one or more storyline options selected by a user.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises:

providing the storyline data to the second client device, wherein the second client device updates the third storyline for a video game on the second client device, based on the storyline data.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises:

updating a second group of streaming video segments to include a fourth set of streaming video segments based on the storyline data, wherein a portion of the storyline data is received from a video game on the second client device and is associated with a fourth storyline corresponding to user input on the second client device; and

providing the fourth set of streaming video segments to the client device.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the first user input indicating the first user selection of the first storyline option comprises a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) POST message.