Add-on management methods

• US 9,878,240 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2011
• Issued: 01/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment America LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Gault, Andrew Buchanan, Pereira, Rui Filipe Andrade, Perry, David
• Primary Examiner(s): McClellan, James S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Weatherford, Syvila
• Application Number:
  US13/231,883
• Publication Number:
  US 20120064976A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,331 Days
• Field of Search: 463 9, 463 30, 463 31, 709231, 345475
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/355 Performing operations on behalf of clients with restricted processing capabilities, e.g. servers transform changing game scene into an encoded video stream for transmitting to a mobile phone or a thin client
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/60 Generating or modifying game content before or while executing the game program, e.g. authoring tools specially adapted for game development or game-integrated level editor
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/77 involving data related to game devices or game servers, e.g. configuration data, software version or amount of memory
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/209 characterized by low level software layer, relating to hardware management, e.g. Operating System, Application Programming Interface
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/538 for performing operations on behalf of the game client, e.g. rendering
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/552 for downloading to client devices, e.g. using OS version, hardware or software profile of the client device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44521 Dynamic linking or loading; Link editing at or after load time, e.g. Java class loading
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44526 Plug-ins; Add-ons
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/241 Operating system [OS] processes, e.g. server setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25808 Management of client data terminal profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/303
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4781 Games

Abstract

A computing system is configured to execute a computer program on a server and to provide a video stream of the program output to a geographically remote client over a communication network. An add-on manager is provided to facilitate the use of add-ons to extend the functionality of the computer program. The add-on manager is responsive to commands received from the client and is configured to associate individual add-ons and add-on data with specific user accounts. The add-ons can be located on the server or some other location remote from the client.

Claims

1. A method of executing an add-on program, the method comprising:

receiving a selection from a user that identifies for installation the add-on program in association with game logic, wherein an add-on interface including a plurality of add-on programs for selection is presented to the user via a client associated with the user and delivers the selection;

installing the add-on program that is selected on a game server system configured to provide a video stream to the client, the video stream being a result of execution of the game logic, wherein the add-on program includes computing instructions executable by a processor and that augment functionality of the game logic, wherein the game logic is operable to provide the video stream before installing the add-on program, the client being geographically remote from the game server system;

generating video data for the video stream using the game logic;

generating video frames from the video data for the video stream;

receiving a game command from the client at the game logic, wherein the game command originates from the client in response to user input;

determining by the game logic if the received game command is for the game logic or for the add-on program;

executing the game command by the game logic when the game command is for the game logic;

sending the received game command via an application programming interface (API) of the game logic in communication with an API of the add-on program when the game command is for the add-on program;

adding, by executing the computing instructions of the add-on program, an overlay of add-on video frames to the video frames for the video stream based on add-on data created by the add-on program in response to the received game command;

sending the video stream to the client, the video stream including the video frames generated by the game logic including the add-on video frames for the overlay; and

storing the add-on data in a location geographically remote from the client and accessible by the add-on program, the add-on data being associated with an account of a user of the client, wherein the account includes information associating the add-on program with the game logic.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating the add-on program with the account of the user of the client.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the game logic is a client of a game server configured to support a multiplayer game.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the add-on program and the game logic execute in respective virtual machines coupled to a network to facilitate playing a web based game by the client that is geographically remote.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the add-on program and the game logic execute on different servers.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the overlay applies one or more images or one or more sounds to the video stream, wherein the overlay is one or more of a command interface, or login instructions, or video frames rendered from another game player'"'"'s point of view, or messages to a game player, or images of other game players, or video feeds of other game players, or a virtual keyboard, or a joystick, or a touch pad, or a player'"'"'s voice.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if the game command is for the game logic further includes:

invoking an API filter of the game logic to determine if the received game command is for the game logic or for the add-on program.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a first game command includes data to be processed by the add-on.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a second game command includes a request to present data in the video stream.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein a first add-on data is associated with an avatar in the video stream.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein a second add-on data adds an object to the video stream.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein an add-on environment configured for the add-on program includes a directory structure, wherein placing the add-on program in the add-on environment further includes placing the add-on program within the directory structure in a location defined for the computer program for identifying installed add-on programs.

13. A method of installing an add-on program, the method comprising:

receiving a selection from a user that identifies for installation the add-on program in association with game logic, wherein an add-on interface including a plurality of add-on programs for selection is presented to the user;

establishing an add-on environment configured for the add-on program to be accessed by a computer program, wherein an application programming interface (API) of the add-on program is defined for exchanging communications with an API of the computer program, the computer program being executed using a server geographically remote from the client, wherein the add-on program includes computing instructions that augment functionality of the computer program;

placing the add-on program in the add-on environment;

associating the add-on program with an account of a user of the client;

identifying storage for add-on data generated by the add-on program while the add-on program is being executed by a processor, wherein the storage is accessible by the add-on program;

associating the storage for the add-on data with the account, wherein the account includes information associating the add-on program with the computer program; and

adding, by the computer program, an overlay of add-on video frames to video frames generated based on video data for a video stream, the add-on video frames generated by the add-on program based on the add-on data in response to game commands, wherein the video stream sent to the client includes the video frames that include the video data generated by the computer program and the add-on video frames for the overlay, wherein determinations are made if received game commands originating from the client in response to user input are for the computer program or for the add-on program.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising retrieving the add-on program from a storage location remote from the client.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the add-on environment includes computing instructions configured to redirect communications between the add-on program and the computer program over the internet.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the add-on environment includes a directory structure, wherein placing the add-on program in the add-on environment further includes placing the add-on program within the directory structure in a location defined for the computer program for identifying installed add-on programs.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising confirming that the add-on program is on an approved add-on program list.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the add-on program and the computer program execute in respective virtual machines coupled to a network to facilitate playing a web based game by the client that is geographically remote.

19. A method of executing an add-on program, the method comprising:

receiving a selection from a user that identifies for installation the add-on program in association with game logic, wherein an add-on interface including a plurality of add-on programs for selection is presented to the user via a client associated with the user and delivers the selection;

installing the add-on program that is selected on a game server system having game logic to provide a video stream to the client, wherein the add-on program includes computing instructions executable by a processor and that augment functionality of the game logic, wherein the game logic is operable to provide the video stream before installing the add-on program, the client being geographically remote from the game server system;

associating the add-on program with the client and game logic through an account of the user;

executing the game logic after the associating;

determining using the game logic if a received game command is for the game logic or for the add-on program;

executing the game command by the game logic when the game command is for the game logic;

forwarding the game command via an application programming interface (API) of the game logic in communication with an API of the add-on program when the game command is for the add-on program;

adding, by executing the computing instructions of the add-on program, an overlay of add-on video frames to video frames generated based on video data for the video stream, the add-on video frames generated based on add-on data created by the add-on program in response to the game command; and

sending the video stream to the client, the video stream including the video frames generated by the game logic and the add-on video frames for the overlay, wherein the video stream is associated with the video data, wherein operations of the method are executed by a processor.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the add-on program and the game logic execute in respective virtual machines coupled to a network to facilitate playing a web based game by the client that is geographically remote.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein an add-on environment configured for the add-on program includes a directory structure, wherein placing the add-on program in the add-on environment further includes placing the add-on program within the directory structure in a location defined for the game logic for identifying installed add-on programs.