Game state synchronization and restoration across multiple devices

• US 9,606,782 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2014
• Issued: 03/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Razer (Asia-Pacific) Pte. Ltd. (Razer Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Nextbit Systems, Inc. (Razer Incorporated)
• Inventors: Chan, Michael A., Quan, Justin, Bornstein, Daniel R., Moss, Tom, Tong, Linda
• Primary Examiner(s): Rashid, Wissam
• Application Number:
  US14/221,161
• Publication Number:
  US 20140289194A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,104 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1451 by selection of backup contents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1469 Backup restoration techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/113 Details of archiving lifecycle management in storage systems G06F3/0649; backup systems G06F11/1446
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/116 Details of conversion of file system types or formats
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/122 using management policies backup systems G06F11/1446; file migration policies for HSM systems G06F16/185
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/16 File or folder operations, e.g. details of user interfaces specifically adapted to file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/168 Details of user interfaces specifically adapted to file systems, e.g. browsing and visualisation, 2d or 3d GUIs query results presentation G06F16/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1734 Details of monitoring file system events, e.g. by the use of hooks, filter drivers, logs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/178 Techniques for file synchronisation in file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1787 Details of non-transparently synchronising file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/182 Distributed file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• 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 8/44 Encoding
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0816 the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/78 Architectures of resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 : specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 : in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• 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: H04L 67/1097 : for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 : User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 : Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/04 : Protocols for data compression, e.g. ROHC
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 : Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 : Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

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, by a distributed system, 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 distributed system, a first instance of an application at a first device;

determining, by the distributed system, a backup event that occurs in the first device, wherein the backup event comprises any of a closure of the application, a pause of the application, continuous operation of the application for a preconfigured period of time, and a switch from the application to an another application;

storing, by the distributed system, state data of the first instance of the application;

detecting, by the distributed system, a second device upon which the application is installed;

sending, by the distributed system, the state data to the second device;

launching, by the distributed system, a second instance of the application at the second device; and

synchronizing, by the distributed system, the second instance of the application at the second device with the state data received, wherein the second instance of the application is paused during the synchronizing,

wherein the step of storing includes;

transmitting, by the distributed system, a difference between the state data of the first instance of the application and previously transmitted state data, in response to the sync event.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

resuming, by the distributed system, the second instance of the application at the second device after the synchronizing is completed.

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

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

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the state data of the first instance of the application is stored in a cloud storage server.

6. A computer-implemented method comprising:

identifying, by a distributed system, a plurality of electronic devices capable of synchronizing application state data;

running, by the distributed system, a first instance of an application at a first device of the plurality of the electronic devices;

running, by the distributed system, a second instance of the application at a second device of the plurality of the electronic devices;

determining, by the distributed system, a first sync event that occurs in the first device, wherein the first sync event comprises any of a closure of the application at the first device, a pause of the application at the first device, continuous operation of the application for a preconfigured period of time at the first device, and a switch from the application to an another application at the first device;

storing, by the distributed system, a first state data of the first instance of the application;

determining, by the distributed system, a second sync event that occurs in the second device, wherein the second sync event comprises any of a closure of the application at the second device, a pause of the application at the second device, a continuous operation of the application for a preconfigured period of time at the second device, and a switch from the application to an another application at the second device;

storing, by the distributed system, a second state data of the second instance of the application;

notifying, by the distributed system, a user that the first state data and the second state data are stored;

prompting, by the distributed system, for the user selection of one of the first state data and the second state data as final state data;

detecting, by the distributed system, a third device upon which the application is installed; and

sending, by the distributed system, the final state data of the application to the third device.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the first device is a smartphone.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the second device is a tablet computer.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the state data of the first instance of the application is stored in a cloud storage server.

10. A computer-implemented method comprising:

running, by a distributed system, a first instance of an application at a first device;

determining, by the distributed system, a sync event that occurs in the first device, wherein the sync event comprises any of a closure of the application, a pause of the application, continuous operation of the application for a preconfigured period of time, and a switch from the application to an another application;

storing, by the distributed system, state data of the first instance of the application;

detecting, by the distributed system, a second device upon which the application is installed, wherein a second instance of the application is running at the second device;

sending, by the distributed system, the state data to the second device;

closing, by the distributed system, the second instance of the application at the second device;

starting, by the distributed system, a third instance of the application at the second device; and

synchronizing, by the distributed system, the third instance of the application at the second device with the state data received, wherein the third instance of the application is paused during the synchronizing.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the first device is a smartphone.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the second device is a tablet computer.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the state data of the first instance of the application is stored in a cloud storage server.

14. A distributed system comprising:

a processor;

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

identifying, by a distributed system, a plurality of electronic devices capable of synchronizing application state data;

running, by the distributed system, a first instance of an application at a first device of the plurality of the electronic devices;

running, by the distributed system, a second instance of the application at a second device of the plurality of the electronic devices;

determining, by the distributed system, a first sync event that occurs in the first device, wherein the first sync event comprises any of a closure of the application at the first device, a pause of the application at the first device, continuous operation of the application for a preconfigured period of time at the first device, and a switch from the application to an another application at the first device;

storing, by the distributed system, a first state data of the first instance of the application;

determining, by the distributed system, a second sync event that occurs in the second device, wherein the second sync event comprises any of a closure of the application at the second device, a pause of the application at the second device, a continuous operation of the application for a preconfigured period of time at the second device, and a switch from the application to an another application at the second device;

storing, by the distributed system, a second state data of the second instance of the application;

notifying, by the distributed system, a user that the first state data and the second state data are stored;

prompting, by the distributed system, for the user selection of one of the first state data and the second state data as final state data;

detecting, by the distributed system, a third device upon which the application is installed; and

sending, by the distributed system, the final state data of the application to the third device.

15. The distributed system of claim 14, wherein the first device is a smartphone.

16. The distributed system of claim 14, wherein the second device is a tablet computer.

17. The distributed system of claim 14, wherein the state data of the first instance of the application is stored in a cloud storage server.