US-12623156-B2 - Online video game service with split clients

US12623156B2US 12623156 B2US12623156 B2US 12623156B2US-12623156-B2

Abstract

A method for an online video game or application service system includes running a video game or application on an application host server at a data center, an uncompressed video stream being produced therefrom. The uncompressed video stream is encoded into compressed video stream, which is then transmitted over the Internet to an output client device of a user. The output client device decompresses the compressed video stream and displays live video on a screen. User control input transmitted from an input client device is delivered to the application host server. The user control input includes game or application commands. The input client device is associated with the user and is separate from the output client device. Responsive to receiving the game or application commands, the application host server generates a new uncompressed video stream.

Inventors

Tim Cotter

Assignees

Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20230410

Claims (20)

1 . A method comprising: establishing, by a server, a game session with an output display device; sending, from the server, an authentication code via a computer network to the output display device; receiving, by the server, a response to the authentication code via the computer network from an input device to be bound to the output display device; and synchronizing, by the server and based on the response from the input device, the output display device and the input device, wherein the synchronizing includes applying a binding between the input device and the output display device for the game session.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the game session is established when the output display device communicates with a game service provided by an online game service.
3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the output display device communicates with the online game service in response to an initiation received from a user or in response to a power up of the output display device.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said sending the authentication code includes sending the authentication code for display of the authentication code on the output display device, wherein the input device includes a camera, wherein the response to the authentication code includes an image of the authentication code, wherein the image is captured by the camera, the method further comprising: authenticating the image of the authentication code, wherein the input device is bound with the game session in response to said authenticating the image of the authentication code.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the output display device includes a speaker, wherein said sending the authentication code includes sending the authentication code for output as sounds via the speaker, wherein the input device is configured to record the sounds, wherein the response includes a pattern of the sounds, the method further comprising: authenticating the pattern of the sounds, wherein the input device is bound with the game session in response to said authenticating the pattern of the sounds.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said sending the authentication code includes sending the authentication code for display of the authentication code on the output display device, wherein the input device includes a plurality of buttons, wherein the response to the authentication code includes indications of selections of the plurality of buttons, the method further comprising: authenticating the selections of the plurality of buttons, wherein the input device is bound with the game session in response to said authenticating the selections of the plurality of buttons.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the output display device presents output to a user and wherein the input device receives input from the user.
8 . A server comprising: a processor configured to: establish a game session with an output display device; send an authentication code via a computer network to the output display device; receive a response to the authentication code via the computer network from an input device to be bound to the output display device; and synchronize based on the response from the input device, the output display device and the input device, wherein the synchronization includes applying a binding between the input device and the output display device for the game session; and a memory device coupled to the processor.
9 . The server of claim 8 , wherein the game session is established when the output display device communicates with a game service provided by the processor.
10 . The server of claim 9 , wherein the output display device communicates with the game service in response to an initiation received from a user or in response to a power up of the output display device.
11 . The server of claim 8 , wherein the authentication code is a QR code.
12 . The server of claim 8 , wherein to send the authentication code, the processor is configured to send the authentication code for display of the authentication code on the output display device, wherein the input device includes a camera, wherein the response to the authentication code includes an image of the authentication code, wherein the image is captured by the camera, wherein the processor is configured to: authenticate the image of the authentication code, wherein the input device is bound to the game session in response to the authentication of the image of the authentication code.
13 . The server of claim 8 , wherein the output display device includes a speaker, wherein to send the authentication code, the processor is configured to send the authentication code for output as sounds via the speaker, wherein the input device is configured to record the sounds, wherein the response includes a pattern of the sounds, wherein the processor is configured to: authenticate the pattern of the sounds, wherein the input device is bound to the game session in response to the authentication of the pattern.
14 . The server of claim 8 , wherein to send the authentication code, the processor is configured to send the authentication code for display of the authentication code on the output display device, wherein the input device includes a plurality of buttons, wherein the response to the authentication code includes indications of selections of the plurality of buttons, wherein the processor is configured to: authenticate the selections of the plurality of buttons, wherein the input device is bound to the game session in response to the authentication of the selections of the plurality of buttons.
15 . A system comprising: an output display device configured to establish a game session with a server, wherein the output display device is configured to receive an authentication code via a computer network from the server; and an input device, wherein the input device is configured to send a response to the authentication code via the computer network to the server to be bound to the output display device, wherein the output display device and the input device are synchronized based on the response, wherein synchronization includes facilitate application of a binding between the output display device and the input device for the game session.
16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the game session is established when the output display device communicates with a game service provided by the server.
17 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the output display device communicates with the game service in response to an initiation received from a user or in response to a power up of the output display device and wherein the input device is in a same room as the output display device.
18 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the output display device is configured to display the authentication code, wherein the input device includes a camera, wherein the response to the authentication code is an image of the authentication code, wherein the camera is configured to capture the image of the authentication code, wherein to send the response, the input device is configured to send the image of the authentication code via the computer network to the server to facilitate authentication of the authentication code, wherein the input device is bound to the game session when the image of the authentication code is authenticated.
19 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the output display device includes a speaker, wherein the speaker is configured to output sounds when the authentication code is received, wherein the input device is configured to record the sounds, wherein the response includes a pattern of the sounds, wherein to send the response, the input device is configured to send the pattern of the sounds via the computer network to the server to facilitate authentication of the authentication code, wherein the input device is bound to the game session when the pattern of the sounds is authenticated.
20 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the output display device is configured to display the authentication code, wherein the input device includes a plurality of buttons, wherein the input device is configured to generate indications of selections of the plurality of buttons, wherein to send the response, the input device is configured to send the indications of selections of the plurality of buttons via the computer network to the server to facilitate authentication of the authentication code, wherein the input device is bound to the game session when the selections of the plurality of buttons is authenticated.

Description

CLAIM OF PRIORITY The present patent application is a continuation of and claims the benefit of and priority, under 35 U.S.C. § 120, to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/808,313, filed on Mar. 3, 2020, and titled “Online Video Game Service with Split Clients”, which is a continuation of and claims the benefit of and priority, under 35 U.S.C. § 120, to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/981,143, filed on May 16, 2018, titled “Online Video Game Service with Split Clients”, and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,583,366, which is a continuation of and claims the benefit of and priority, under 35 U.S.C. § 120, to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/145,727, filed on May 3, 2016, titled “Online Video Game Service with Split Clients”, and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 9,987,562, which is a continuation of and claims the benefit of and priority, under 35 U.S.C. § 120, to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/172,069, filed on Feb. 4, 2014, titled “Online Video Game Service with Split Clients”, and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 9,333,433, all of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety for all purposes. TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates generally to online video game services; more specifically to cloud computing or cloud gaming services that run video games on servers from remote data or hosting service centers in the cloud to a wide range of user devices. BACKGROUND Online or cloud video game services, also called video gaming on-demand, is a type of remotely-hosted video gaming that allows direct, on-demand streaming of video games and applications to players using a wide variety of computers, consoles, and mobile devices to display the game and input commands. In a typical online video gaming architecture, the actual video game or application program is executed remotely on one or more game servers, with a compressed interactive video stream being delivered over the Internet or other network directly to computers accessing the server through the user's client device. This type of architecture obviates the need for the user to purchase an expensive console or high-end client device having substantial processing power. Essentially, the user's client device (console, computer, etc.) is unimportant, as the remote server has the processing power to actually run the video game or application. The user only needs a relatively simple or “thin” client device to decompress the incoming video stream sent directly from the server, and transmit input commands/controls back to the server. The server then sends back the game's response to the user's input commands/controls. The architectural components and configurations of remotely-hosted online game services have typically been costly and complex. For example, when hosting multi-player, fast-action (i.e., “twitch”) video games and applications, or when providing spectating services for such games, past approaches have utilized a large number of components and complex hosting service and streaming systems. Additionally, changes made to the look-and-feel of an online gaming service and programs has often necessitated changes or upgrades also be made to the user client device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present disclosure will be understood more fully from the detailed description that follows and from the accompanying drawings, which however, should not be taken to limit the invention to the specific embodiments shown, but are for explanation and understanding only. FIG. 1 is an example architectural diagram illustrating an online video gaming service. FIG. 2 is an example block diagram illustrating components of an application host. FIG. 3 illustrates various example block diagrams showing how different system components utilized for different hosting or user activities. FIG. 4 is an example block diagram illustrating a single gateway device communicating with multiple different instances of a game service. FIG. 5 is an example block diagram with one portion illustrating an outgoing data packet flow from the service toward the Internet, and another portion showing an incoming data packet flow on the client device side. FIG. 6 is an example block diagram illustrating components of a gaming streaming service. FIG. 7 is an example block diagram illustrating components of a client device. FIG. 8a-8c show block diagrams that illustrate various example methods of operation for an online video gaming service configured to communicate with split clients. FIG. 8d is a block diagram showing another example method of operation for an online video gaming service configured to communicate with split client devices in a scenario wherein two players are located at the same room viewing the same output device. FIG. 8e is a block diagram showing another example method of operation for an online video gaming service configured to communicate with split client devices in a scenario wherein two players are located in different places, or viewing different output devices