U.S. patent application number 11/079819 was filed with the patent office on 2006-09-14 for systems and methods for providing system level notifications in a multimedia console.
This patent application is currently assigned to Microsoft Corporation. Invention is credited to Erik John Arthur, Russell Glaser, Steven Ryan Gunn, James David Macauley, Paolo V. Malabuyo.
Application Number | 20060205518 11/079819 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36711056 |
Filed Date | 2006-09-14 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060205518 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Malabuyo; Paolo V. ; et
al. |
September 14, 2006 |
Systems and methods for providing system level notifications in a
multimedia console
Abstract
A system for providing system level notifications in a
multimedia console has a notification system application native to
the multimedia console which subscribes to all notification events
generated by the application manager of the multimedia console.
Through an application programming interface (API), a game
developer can easily specify the location of user notifications and
also delay the display of user notifications for the developer's
game. A user is notified that a particular notification is intended
for him or her in a multi-player environment by a visual indication
corresponding to that user's controller. The user may then press a
button on the controller to be immediately directed to further
information regarding the notification.
Inventors: |
Malabuyo; Paolo V.;
(Kirkland, WA) ; Arthur; Erik John; (Redmond,
WA) ; Glaser; Russell; (Woodinville, WA) ;
Gunn; Steven Ryan; (Bellevue, WA) ; Macauley; James
David; (Bellevue, WA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
WOODCOCK WASHBURN LLP (MICROSOFT CORPORATION)
ONE LIBERTY PLACE - 46TH FLOOR
PHILADELPHIA
PA
19103
US
|
Assignee: |
Microsoft Corporation
Redmond
WA
|
Family ID: |
36711056 |
Appl. No.: |
11/079819 |
Filed: |
March 8, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
463/43 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63F 13/63 20140902;
A63F 2300/50 20130101; A63F 13/12 20130101; A63F 13/537 20140902;
A63F 2300/407 20130101; A63F 2300/6018 20130101; A63F 2300/572
20130101; A63F 13/87 20140902; A63F 13/10 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
463/043 |
International
Class: |
A63F 9/24 20060101
A63F009/24 |
Claims
1. A method for providing system level notifications in a
multimedia console having a central processing unit, a graphics
processing unit, and a memory comprising the acts of: managing the
receipt of a notification for a user of the multimedia console with
a process running as part of the multimedia console operating
system while a separate multimedia application is running on the
multimedia console; and managing the display of a notification for
a user of the multimedia console with a process running as part of
the multimedia console operating system while the separate
multimedia application is running on the multimedia console.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising: managing the receipt
of notifications for simultaneous multiple users of the multimedia
console with the process running as part of the multimedia console
operating system while the multimedia application is running on the
multimedia console; and managing the display of notifications for
simultaneous multiple users of the multimedia console with the
process running as part of the multimedia console operating system
while the multimedia application is running on the multimedia
console.
3. The method of claim 2 further comprising: providing a mechanism
for a developer of a separate application for the multimedia
console to specify in the development of the application a delay of
the display of the notifications at certain points while the
separate application is running on the multimedia console.
4. The method of claim 2 further comprising: notifying a particular
user within a plurality of simultaneous users of the multimedia
console when a notification is received for the particular user by
displaying a visual indication that differentiates the notification
as intended for the particular user within the plurality of
simultaneous users.
5. The method of claim 4 wherein the visual indication is
associated with a multimedia console controller associated with the
particular user.
6. The method of claim 5 further comprising: providing a mechanism
for the particular user to respond to the notification received for
the particular user through an input mechanism on the controller;
and providing a mechanism for, upon the user responding to the
notification, the multimedia console operating system navigating
the particular user to a location within a user interface of the
multimedia console displaying information regarding the
notification for the particular user.
7. The method of claim 6 wherein the act of providing the
responding mechanism comprises providing a system wherein the user
pushes one time a single button on the controller that is
associated with the particular user in order to respond to the
notification.
8. A computer readable medium comprising computer executable
instructions for performing the method of claim 1.
9. A method for providing system level notifications in a computing
system comprising the acts of: managing the receipt of
notifications for simultaneous multiple users of the computing
system with a process running as part of the computing system
operating system while the a multimedia application is running on
the computing system; and managing the display of notifications for
simultaneous multiple users of the computing system with the
process running as part of the computing system operating system
while the multimedia application is running on the computing
system.
10. The method of claim 9 further comprising: providing a mechanism
for a developer of a separate application for the computing system
to specify in the development of the application a delay of the
display of the notifications at certain points while the separate
application is running on the computing system.
11. The method of claim 9 further comprising: notifying a
particular user within a plurality of simultaneous users of the
computing system when a notification is received for the particular
user by displaying a visual indication that differentiates the
notification as intended for the particular user within the
plurality of simultaneous users.
12. The method of claim 11 wherein the visual indication is
associated with a computing system controller associated with the
particular user.
13. The method of claim 12 further comprising: providing a
mechanism for the particular user to respond to the notification
received for the particular user through an input mechanism on the
controller; and providing a mechanism for, upon the user responding
to the notification, the computing system operating system
navigating the particular user to a location within a user
interface of the computing system displaying information regarding
the notification for the particular user.
14. The method of claim 13 wherein the act of providing the
responding mechanism comprises providing a system wherein the user
pushes one time a single button on the controller that is
associated with the particular user in order to respond to the
notification.
15. A computer readable medium comprising computer executable
instructions for performing the method of claim 9.
16. A system for providing system level notifications in a
multimedia console having a central processing unit, a graphics
processing unit, and a memory comprising: means for managing the
receipt of a notification for a user of the multimedia console with
a process running as part of the multimedia console operating
system while a separate multimedia application is running on the
multimedia console; and means, for managing the display of a
notification for a user of the multimedia console with a process
running as part of the multimedia console operating system while
the separate multimedia application is running on the multimedia
console, said notification display managing means in operable
communication with the notification receipt managing means.
17. The system of claim 16 wherein: the notification receipt
managing means further comprises: means for managing the receipt of
notifications for simultaneous multiple users of the multimedia
console with a process running as part of the multimedia console
operating system while the separate multimedia application is
running on the multimedia console; and the notification display
managing means further comprises: means for managing the display of
notifications for simultaneous multiple users of the multimedia
console with a process running as part of the multimedia console
operating system while the separate multimedia application is
running on the multimedia console.
18. The system of claim 17 further comprising: means for notifying
a particular user within a plurality of simultaneous users of the
multimedia console when a notification is received for the
particular user by displaying a visual indication that
differentiates the notification as intended for the particular user
within the plurality of simultaneous users.
19. The system of claim 18 wherein the visual indication is
associated with a multimedia console controller associated with the
particular user.
20. The method of claim 19 further comprising: means for the
particular user to respond to the notification received for the
particular user through an input mechanism on the controller; and
means for, upon the user responding to the notification, the
multimedia console operating system to navigate the particular user
to a location within a user interface of the multimedia console
displaying information regarding the notification for the
particular user.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention generally relates to the field of providing
notifications to users of a computing system. In particular, the
invention is directed to providing notifications to multiple users
of a multimedia console.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Multimedia consoles, such as video game consoles, often have
multiple simultaneous users that may receive messages and
notifications from a variety of sources. For example, if a video
game player (gamer) is playing a computer game on his or her video
game console connected to a network in which other gamers may
participate in the game being played on the console, notifications
may arrive indicating other gamers may wish to join. Traditionally
the management of these notifications is handled by the particular
game running on the console at the time. When developing games to
support these notifications for multiplayer games, game developers
must handle the receipt and display of the notifications within the
game itself. With the increasing user notifications becoming
available in multiplayer environments, this is becoming
increasingly cumbersome and time consuming for game developers to
address. Also, when multiple gamers are playing on one console,
there currently is not a streamline and efficient way to notify the
correct gamer for which the notification is intended and then
provide an easy and quick way for the particular gamer to
respond.
[0003] Thus, there is a need for systems and methods that provide a
notification for a multimedia console system that efficiently
manages incoming notifications and displays them in a meaningful
manner for multiple users on the same console, without significant
involvement of the particular multimedia application running on the
console.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The invention is directed to systems and methods for
providing system level notifications in a multimedia console. In
particular, a method is described for providing system level
notifications in a multimedia console having a central processing
unit, a graphics processing unit, and a memory. The method
comprises the acts of managing the receipt of a notification for a
user of the multimedia console with a process running as part of
the multimedia console operating system while a separate multimedia
application is running on the multimedia console. Also, the display
of a notification is managed for a user of the multimedia console
with a process running as part of the multimedia console operating
system while the separate multimedia application is running on the
multimedia console. The method may further comprise managing the
receipt of notifications for simultaneous multiple users of the
multimedia console with the process running as part of the
multimedia console operating system while the multimedia
application is running on the multimedia console. Then the display
of notifications is managed for simultaneous multiple users of the
multimedia console with the process running as part of the
multimedia console operating system while the multimedia
application is running on the multimedia console.
[0005] Also, a method is described for providing system level
notifications in a computing system as well. This method comprises
the acts of managing the receipt of notifications for simultaneous
multiple users of the computing system with a process running as
part of the computing system operating system while the multimedia
application is running on the computing system. Also, the display
of notifications is managed for simultaneous multiple users of the
computing system with the process running as part of the computing
system operating system while the multimedia application is running
on the computing system.
[0006] Additional features of the invention will be made apparent
from the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments
that proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed
description of illustrative embodiments, is better understood when
read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of
illustrating the invention, there is shown in the drawings
illustrative embodiments of the invention; however, the invention
is not limited to the specific methods and instrumentalities
disclosed. In the drawings:
[0008] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an exemplary multimedia
console, in which aspects of the invention may be implemented;
[0009] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing further details of the
exemplary multimedia console of FIG. 1, in which aspects of the
invention may be implemented;
[0010] FIG. 3a is a flowchart illustrating a method for providing
system level notifications in a multimedia console, in accordance
with an aspect of the invention;
[0011] FIG. 3b is a diagram of a user controller in accordance with
an aspect of the invention;
[0012] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the architecture for a
system for providing system level notifications in a multimedia
console, in accordance with an aspect of the invention;
[0013] FIG. 5 is a diagram of an exemplary notification and
associated icon, in accordance with an aspect of the invention;
[0014] FIG. 6 is a diagram of an exemplary notification and
associated icon according to an alternative embodiment of an aspect
of the invention;
[0015] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating various exemplary
notifications and associated icons according to the type of
notification, in accordance with an aspect of the invention;
[0016] FIG. 8A is a diagram of a placement of an exemplary
notification according to FIG. 6 on a display screen, in accordance
with an aspect of the invention;
[0017] FIG. 8B is a diagram showing alternative locations for
placement of a notification on the display screen of FIG. 8A, in
accordance with an aspect of the invention;
[0018] FIG. 9 is a screenshot of an exemplary video game wherein a
notification is displayed over the game, in accordance with an
aspect of the invention;
[0019] FIG. 10 is a screenshot of an exemplary video game wherein a
notification of a different type from that of FIG. 9 is displayed
over the game, in accordance with an aspect of the invention;
[0020] FIG. 11 is a screenshot of the exemplary video game of FIG.
10 in which there is a split screen for two players on the same
console wherein an exemplary notification is displayed over the
game, in accordance with an aspect of the invention;
[0021] FIG. 12 is a screenshot of the exemplary video game of FIG.
10 in which there is a split screen for three players on the same
console wherein an exemplary notification is displayed over the
game, in accordance with an aspect of the invention;
[0022] FIG. 13 is a screenshot of the exemplary video game of FIG.
10 in which there is a split screen for four players on the same
console wherein an exemplary notification is displayed over the
game, in accordance with an aspect of the invention;
[0023] FIG. 14 is a block diagram representing an exemplary
computing device suitable for use in conjunction with various
aspects of the invention; and
[0024] FIG. 15 illustrates an exemplary networked computing
environment in which many computerized processes, including those
of various aspects of the invention, may be implemented.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS
[0025] Referring first to FIG. 1, shown is a block diagram
illustrating an exemplary multimedia console, in which aspects of
the invention may be implemented. FIG. 1 shows the functional
components of a multimedia console 100 in which aspects of the
invention may be implemented. The multimedia console 100 has a
central processing unit (CPU) 101 having a level 1 (L1) cache 102,
a level 2 (L2) cache 104, and a flash ROM (Read-only Memory) 106.
The level 1 cache 102 and level 2 cache 104 temporarily store data
and hence reduce the number of memory access cycles, thereby
improving processing speed and throughput. The flash ROM 106 may
store executable code that is loaded during an initial phase of a
boot process when the multimedia console 100 is powered.
Alternatively, the executable code that is loaded during the
initial boot phase may be stored in a FLASH memory device (not
shown). Further, ROM 106 may be located separate from CPU 101.
[0026] A graphics processing unit (GPU) 108 and a video
encoder/video codec (coder/decoder) 114 form a video processing
pipeline for high speed and high resolution graphics processing.
Data is carried from the graphics processing unit 108 to the video
encoder/video codec 114 via a bus. The video processing pipeline
outputs data to an A/V (audio/video) port 140 for transmission to a
television or other display. A memory controller 110 is connected
to the GPU 108 and CPU 101 to facilitate processor access to
various types of memory 112, such as, but not limited to, a RAM
(Random Access Memory).
[0027] The multimedia console 100 includes an I/O controller 120, a
system management controller 122, an audio processing unit 123, a
network interface controller 124, a first USB host controller 126,
a second USB controller 128 and a front panel I/O subassembly 130
that are preferably implemented on a module 118. The USB
controllers 126 and 128 serve as hosts for peripheral controllers
142(1)-142(2), a wireless adapter 148, and an external memory unit
146 (e.g., flash memory, external CD/DVD ROM drive, removable
media, etc.). The network interface 124 and/or wireless adapter 148
provide access to a network (e.g., the Internet, home network,
etc.) and may be any of a wide variety of various wired or wireless
interface components including an Ethernet card, a modem, a
Bluetooth module, a cable modem, and the like.
[0028] System memory 143 is provided to store application data that
is loaded during the boot process. A media drive 144 is provided
and may comprise a DVD/CD drive, hard drive, or other removable
media drive, etc. The media drive 144 may be internal or external
to the multimedia console 100. Application data may be accessed via
the media drive 144 for execution, playback, etc. by the multimedia
console 100. The media drive 144 is connected to the I/O controller
120 via a bus, such as a Serial ATA bus or other high speed
connection (e.g., IEEE 1394).
[0029] The system management controller 122 provides a variety of
service functions related to assuring availability of the
multimedia console 100. The audio processing unit 123 and an audio
codec 132 form a corresponding audio processing pipeline with high
fidelity and stereo processing. Audio data is carried between the
audio processing unit 123 and the audio codec 126 via a
communication link. The audio processing pipeline outputs data to
the A/V port 140 for reproduction by an external audio player or
device having audio capabilities.
[0030] The front panel I/O subassembly 130 supports the
functionality of the power button 150 and the eject button 152, as
well as any LEDs (light emitting diodes) or other indicators
exposed on the outer surface of the multimedia console 100. A
system power supply module 136 provides power to the components of
the multimedia console 100. A fan 138 cools the circuitry within
the multimedia console 100.
[0031] The CPU 101, GPU 108, memory controller 110, and various
other components within the multimedia console 100 are
interconnected via one or more buses, including serial and parallel
buses, a memory bus, a peripheral bus, and a processor or local bus
using any of a variety of bus architectures.
[0032] When the multimedia console 100 is powered on or rebooted,
application data may be loaded from the system memory 143 into
memory 112 and/or caches 102, 104 and executed on the CPU 101. The
application may present a graphical user interface that provides a
consistent user experience when navigating to different media types
available on the multimedia console 100. In operation, applications
and/or other media contained within the media drive 144 may be
launched or played from the media drive 144 to provide additional
functionalities to the multimedia console 100.
[0033] The multimedia console 100 may be operated as a standalone
system by simply connecting the system to a television or other
display. In this standalone mode, the multimedia console 100 may
allow one or more users to interact with the system, watch movies,
listen to music, and the like. However, with the integration of
broadband connectivity made available through the network interface
124 or the wireless adapter 148, the multimedia console 100 may
further be operated as a participant in a larger network
community.
[0034] Referring next to FIG. 2, shown are further details of the
exemplary multimedia console of FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 2, CPU 101
comprises three CPUs: CPU 101A, CPU 101B, and CPU 101C. As shown,
each CPU has a corresponding L1 cache 102 (e.g., L1 cache 102A,
102B, and 102C, respectively). As shown, each CPU 101A-C is in
communication with L2 cache 104. As such, the individual CPUs 101A,
B, and C share L2 cache 104. Because L2 cache 104 is shared between
multiple CPU's, it may be complex to implement a technique for
reserving a portion of the L2 cache for system applications. While
three CPUs are illustrated, there could be any number of CPUs.
[0035] The multimedia console depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2 is a
typical multimedia console that may be used to execute a multimedia
application, such as, for example, a game. Multimedia applications
may be enhanced with system features including for example, system
settings, voice chat, networked gaming, the capability of
interacting with other users over a network, e-mail, a browser
application, etc. Such system features enable improved
functionality for multimedia console 100, such as, for example,
players in different locations can play a common game via the
Internet.
[0036] Also, over time, system features may be updated or added to
a multimedia application. Rather than requiring the multimedia
developer to make significant modifications to the multimedia
application to provide these system features, the systems and
methods described herein allow a multimedia developer to provide
system features through separate system applications that work in
conjunction with the multimedia application. For example, a system
application may embody functionality related to networked
capabilities, thereby enabling a multimedia application to be
readily adapted to provide networked capabilities with little work
by the multimedia (e.g., game) developer. One such capability is
that of system level notifications for multiple and networked
users. Making system level notifications part of a system
application as opposed to being handled by individual multimedia
applications, such as games running on the system, takes handling
displaying notifications such as game invitations out of the
development process for multimedia application developers and
allows them to focus on the multimedia application itself.
[0037] Referring next to FIGS. 3a and 3b, shown in FIG. 3a is a
flowchart illustrating a method for providing system level
notifications in a multimedia console and in FIG. 3b, shown is a
diagram of a user controller 188 in accordance with an aspect of
the invention. Once a notification is received 149 by the console
operating system, whether it be a notification that occurs in
response to something from another user (such as another video game
player, i.e., gamer) or notifications from the multimedia console
system itself, the notification is put in a notification queue 150.
The queue is used in case a user or multiple users on the same
multimedia console receive more than 1 notification at a time or
receive a notification while an existing notification is being
displayed. The queue is also used because displaying an individual
notification takes time and multiple notifications can arrive at
once or while a notification is being displayed on the screen. The
additional notifications will be queued and displayed following the
current notification (in the order received). Also, if more than a
certain number of notifications, say 6, for example, are queued,
the user will receive a notification that multiple notifications
are pending, perhaps with the number of notifications pending
displayed along with an icon showing a picture of a message.
[0038] If it is the current notification's turn in the queue to be
displayed 151, a notification will be displayed on the multimedia
console display screen with an icon according to the type of
notification. If the current notification is the only one in the
queue, it will be displayed immediately. If not, then the
notification will wait in the queue until it is the notification's
turn to be displayed. If the notification is for a particular user
who is logged on or signed on to the multimedia console 153
identified by his or her user name (e.g., a gamertag), then a
visual indication, such as an illuminated light emitting diode
(LED) 173, for example will be activated. In particular, the LED
173 that is associated with that particular user for which the
notification was intended will be illuminated 154.
[0039] The visual indication may appear 154 on the multimedia
console display screen (as a rendering of the illuminated
corresponding LED, for example), on the multimedia console
controller 188 of that particular user for which the notification
was intended, on the multimedia console box itself, or on any
combination of these locations. In the case of an LED visual
indication 173, it may also blink to provide further perceptibility
by the user. Then, once the notification is displayed 152, if the
user presses a notification button 189, the type of notification is
checked 156, and the user is navigated 157 to the appropriate
contextual navigation screen according to the type of notification
being displayed when the notification button 189 was pressed. The
notification button 189 may be a button 189 conveniently located on
the user's controller 188, a button icon on the display screen
activated via the controller or other input means, on the
multimedia console box itself, or any combination thereof. If the
user does not press the notification button 189, then the
notification disappears 158 after a predetermined amount of time
159, say 3 seconds, for example. Thus, multiple users on the same
multimedia console will be able to receive notifications at any
time from within any application running on the multimedia
console.
[0040] Referring next to FIG. 4, shown is a block diagram
illustrating the architecture of a system for providing system
level notifications in a multimedia console, in accordance with an
aspect of the invention. Shown is the application manager (XAM)
160, the notifications system application (Notification System App)
161, and other exemplary system applications (System App) 162, and
(LiveBase System App) 166. Also shown are example notification
areas called live 163, friends 164 and system 165. Notification
areas are a grouping mechanism. Each area refers to a group of a
certain type of notification. For example, live 163 refers to
notifications having to do with users interaction with other remote
users or players participating in the same multimedia application
such as a game over a computer network such as the Internet. The
friends area 164 refers to those notifications having to do with
the system whereby users can give other users a special status of
friend, and system refers to notifications having to do with the
operation of the multimedia console system itself. There may also
be a voice area for those notifications having to do with voice
features over a network.
[0041] A multimedia application can subscribe to any of these
areas, all notifications, or no notifications. The notification
system app is notified by other system apps when the other system
app wants to display a notification on the screen to a user.
Examples of notifications that may fall within various different
areas are listed below. This list is for exemplary purposes only as
there may be different numbers and different types of notifications
as is suitable for the particular user environment.
[0042] Live Area [0043] Signed-in to Live [0044] Message received
[0045] Unable to sign-in to Live [0046] Required Message [0047] New
Terms of Use [0048] Gamertag change required [0049] Membership
expired [0050] Banned from Live [0051] Game invitation received
[0052] Player joined game session [0053] Player left game
session
[0054] Voice Area [0055] Voice banned [0056] Player joined chat
session
[0057] Friend Area [0058] Friend has come online [0059] Friend
request received
[0060] System Area [0061] USB device detected [0062] Low-battery
warning [0063] Low-wireless signal strength [0064] Battery has died
[0065] Battery charging [0066] Battery charged [0067] Wireless
controller found and assigned to virtual port [0068] Controller
disconnected or signal strength lost [0069] Snapshot taken [0070]
Unable to take snapshot, no space [0071] Game timer has expired
(about to expire)
[0072] The system application 161 send notifications to the queue
with XQueuePopupNotification
[0073] Other apps such as LiveBase System App 166, for example, can
create a pop-up notification using the XQueuePopupNotification
function. XQueueNotification takes the icon to display, the text
for the notification and the area to navigate to on a button press.
For example, a friend coming online would be a notification in the
live 163 area with the type friend online.
[0074] Referring next to FIG. 5, shown is a diagram of an exemplary
notification 177 and associated icon 167, in accordance with an
aspect of the invention. A notification 177 generally comprises a
few specific elements such as a notification specific icon 167
(e.g., a game invite, voice chat invite, friend request, messages,
battery low, error, etc.), a notification button icon 168 having a
visual indication 172 that is associated with the particular user
on the multimedia console for which the notification was intended,
the user name 170 (e.g., the gamertag) or name of the sender (e.g.
Bacteria, Funkatrontastic, Doc, Thrasher, EA Games.RTM.,
Microsoft.RTM., Xbox Live.RTM., System, etc.), and a brief
notification descriptor 171 (e.g. Friend Request, Message,
etc.).
[0075] While a user is accessing other features of the multimedia
console, such as a multimedia console guide, for example,
notifications will continue to be displayed for the user. As
discussed above, a notification will start fading away after 3
seconds of being displayed and will take approximately 500
milliseconds to finish fading. These time lengths, however, for the
duration of the notification display may be longer or shorter and
may be set by the user as desirable. After the notification fades,
the user will be able to navigate through the multimedia console
guide to a message center to view the notification.
[0076] Referring next to FIG. 6 shown is a diagram of an exemplary
notification 177 and associated icon 168 according to an
alternative embodiment of an aspect of the invention. When a
notification 177 appears, it has a notification button icon 168
with a visual indication 169 that is associated with the particular
user on the multimedia console for which the notification was
intended, as opposed to displaying both the notification button
icon 168 and the notification specific icon 167 of FIG. 6 at the
same time. As will be discussed with reference to FIG. 7, the
notification 177 may have an icon that is static, or transitions
between the notification button icon 168 and the notification
specific icon 167 as appropriate.
[0077] The visual indication 172 as shown in FIG. 6 may be a
rendering of an illuminated LED 172 within a plurality of LEDs 173,
174, 175 formed in a ring (i.e., a "ring of light") 178. Each LED
rendering 172, 173, 174, 175 within the ring of light 178
corresponds to a particular virtual port on the multimedia console
to which a particular user is assigned. For example, when a
notification arrives for the user on virtual port 1, the rendering
of the LED 172 associated with virtual port 1 within the ring of
light 178 is illuminated and/or blinks. This is to notify the
multiple users on the multimedia console which user the
notification is for. As each user knows which virtual port he or
she is on, they can respond accordingly when the LED within the
plurality of LEDs 173, 174, 175 corresponding to their particular
virtual port is illuminated. When a notification arrives for the
user on virtual port 2, the rendering of the LED 173 associated
with virtual port 2 within the ring of light 178 is illuminated
and/or blinks. When a notification arrives for the user on virtual
port 3, the rendering of the LED 174 associated with virtual port 3
within the ring of light is illuminated and/or blinks. Finally,
when a notification arrives for the user on virtual port 4, the
rendering of the LED 175 associated with virtual port 4 within the
ring of light 178 is illuminated and/or blinks. There may
alternatively be more than four virtual ports and thus more LEDs
within the ring of light corresponding to each virtual port. Also,
the color of the LEDs 173, 174, 175 may differ according to the
type of message received. For example, if the received notification
is a live notification, the appropriate LED will blink orange and
if it is a system notification, the LED will blink green.
[0078] LEDs 172, 173, 174, 175 forming the ring of light 178 may
also be on the multimedia console itself and the users'
controllers. The LED within the ring of light 178 on the multimedia
console corresponding to the virtual port to which the
notification's recipient is assigned will illuminate and/or blink
when the notification arrives for that user. All the LEDs within
the ring of light 178 on the notification recipient's controller
(i.e., the controller corresponding to the virtual port to which
the notification's recipient is assigned) will illuminate and/or
blink when a notification arrives for that user. Alternatively,
only the LED within the ring of light 178 on the controller
corresponding to the virtual port to which the notification's
recipient is assigned will illuminate and/or blink.
[0079] The notification has a black background, for example, and
has 2 lines of text 176, each with a maximum width of 22
characters. However, the number of lines and characters 176 may be
larger or smaller as appropriate. Also, the notification 177
dynamically resizes to the width of the content of the
notification.
[0080] Referring next to FIG. 7, shown is a diagram illustrating
various exemplary notifications 183, 184, 185, 186 and associated
icons according to the type of notification, in accordance with an
aspect of the invention. As shown in FIG. 7, the notifications 184,
185, 186 to which a user may respond in some fashion appear with an
icon that transitions between the notification button icon 168 and
the various notification specific icons that indicate pictorially
what type of notification it is.
[0081] As an example, shown is a friend invite icon 179, a game
invite icon 180, a message received icon 181, and an entered
quickchat icon 182. When the friend invite notification 184
appears, the notification's icon transitions between the friend
invite icon 179 and the notification button icon 168. When the game
invite notification 185 appears, the notification's icon
transitions between the game invite icon 180 and the notification
button icon 168. When the message received notification 186
appears, the notification's icon transitions between the message
received icon 181 and the notification button icon 168. There may
optionally be fewer types of messages and associated icons or
additional types of messages with different types of associated
icons for each type of message.
[0082] For notifications to which the user need not or cannot
respond, the icon may remain static, displaying only the
notification specific icon. For example, if a notification arrives
indicating that another user has entered a chat session 183, this
type of notification is categorized as non-actionable since there
is no response available, and the notification would have a static
icon 182 corresponding to that type of non-actionable notification.
Below is a list of examples of notification types and to where the
user will be navigated after pressing the notification button 189
while the notification is present on the display screen.
TABLE-US-00001 Navigation Destination on User Pressing Notification
Type Notification Button 189 Signed-in to Live Multimedia console
guide home page (or profile page) Unable to sign-in to Live Error
message with option to troubleshoot Friend has come online
Contextual gamer options menu for specific friend Game invitation
received Game invitation message view in message center within
multimedia console guide Message received Message view in message
center Queued Notifications (>7 notifications) Message center
within multimedia console guide Friend request received Contextual
gamer options menu for sender Player joined chat session Chat lobby
Player left chat session Chat lobby or gamer options menu for
player USB device detected Contextual based on device (media,
memory, settings) Low-battery warning Controller management area
within system multimedia console guide Low-wireless signal strength
Controller management area within system multimedia console guide
Battery has died No notification button 189 action, this is a modal
error message Battery charging Controller management area within
system multimedia console guide or no action Battery charged
Controller management area within system multimedia console guide
or no action Wireless controller found and assigned to virtual If
valid notification, controller management area port within
multimedia console guide Controller disconnect or signal strength
(error Error message message) Snapshot taken Snapshot area Unable
to take snapshot (no space) Error message with option to clean-up
memory Game timer has expired Game timer user interface
[0083] Generally, each notification 177 will display the minimum
amount of information necessary to give the user enough information
to decide whether to interact with the notification 177.
Notifications 177 may have a particular stylistic look (i.e.,
theme) based on a user selected theme (i.e., skin) within a
multimedia console guide and, for example, are not determined by
the multimedia applications or games themselves running on the
console. The notification 177 is accompanied by a respective
notification audio cue when it first arrives and as discussed
above, may be displayed on the screen for a total of 3 seconds at
which point it fades away over the course of an additional 500
milliseconds, for example. The duration for the notification 177
display fading sequence may also be changeable by the user. There
may be 2 seconds between multiple notifications, for example, and
only a single notification will be displayed at any one time to
prevent the display screen from being obscured by multiple
notifications.
[0084] There is a public application programming interface (API)
for developers of multimedia applications for the multimedia
console to use that delays the display of a notification. This
delay may be for up to 1 minute, for example. Once the delay
interval has elapsed the notification system application 161 will
display any deferred notifications one at a time. Multimedia
applications running on the console will not be able to call this
API multiple times in a row so that there will be an opportunity
for the system application 162 to display notifications to
users.
[0085] Because the very nature of notifications is somewhat
intrusive (i.e., communicating something to the user while the user
is doing another action), the user has the ability to quickly and
easily turn off notifications. At any time a user may press the
notification button 189 to access the multimedia guide and navigate
to a menu which gives the user the ability to change his or her
online/notifications status to "Busy". Once this state is set, a
user will not receive system type or live type notifications and
messages while running a multimedia application on the console,
such as while playing a game. This setting, however is reset the
next time the console is booted or a user signs in. In this manner,
a user can't accidentally permanently disable notifications.
However, while a user is accessing the multimedia console guide,
notifications will continue to be displayed for the user.
[0086] Notification settings in a user's profile are broken down in
such a way that a user is able to specify specific kinds of
notifications 177 that he or she wishes to receive while running a
multimedia application on the console, such as while playing a
game. For example, a user may select to receive game invites and
friend beat my score notifications only, etc. These settings are
part of a user's digital identity and roam with the user.
[0087] If a user is in the multimedia console guide user interface
and a notification 177 has been received, the user for which the
notification is intended may then press the notification button 189
on their controller to navigate to the notification. The user may
then press a back button on his or her controller 188 to return to
previous location within the multimedia console guide user
interface. This also occurs even if the user for which the message
is intended is not the same user who entered the multimedia console
guide user interface.
[0088] Referring next to FIG. 8A, shown is a diagram of a placement
of an exemplary notification 177 according to FIG. 6 on a display
screen, in accordance with an aspect of the invention.
Notifications 177 are displayed in default locations specified by
the multimedia application running on the multimedia console (e.g.,
a video game). This is done through an application programming
interface that provides notification placement hinting. One default
location that may be specified the notification is displayed in the
center of the screen as shown in FIG. 8A.
[0089] Referring next to FIG. 8B, shown is a diagram illustrating
alternative default locations for placement of a notification 177
on the display screen of FIG. 8A, in accordance with an aspect of
the invention. These locations are numbered 1 through 9. Developers
of applications for the multimedia console, such as game title
developers, are able to indicate to the XAM 160 where notifications
should be displayed. For example, through notification placement
hinting, a multimedia application running on the console can have
system and live notifications appear in one corner or on one side
of the screen. To prevent the undesirable user experience of having
the same notification (game invite to multiple users on the same
console) getting chained together, if multiple users on the same
console are receiving the same notification, only one notification
will be displayed in one location for all the users receiving the
same notification.
[0090] The 9 default locations show positions in the center, edge
and corners of the display screen 187. Recommended placement for
different multiple user scenarios are provided below, however,
other combinations may be used as well.
[0091] Recommended Placement
[0092] Single user: Bottom edge
[0093] Quad screen multi-user: Center
[0094] Full screen multi-user: Bottom edge
[0095] Split screen 2 user: closest edge to bottom-right corner
that is perpendicular to split
[0096] Split screen 3 user: closest edge to bottom-right corner
that is perpendicular
[0097] Referring next to FIGS. 9 through 13, shown are screenshots
of exemplary video games wherein a notification 177 is displayed
over the game shown in a display screen 187, in accordance with an
aspect of the invention. As shown, the notification 177 is rendered
on top, and may have different default locations based on whether
the are multiple players using a split screen. FIG. 10 is a
screenshot of an exemplary video game wherein a notification 177 of
a different type from that of FIG. 9 is displayed over the game.
FIG. 11 is a screenshot of the exemplary video game of FIG. 10 in
which there is a split screen for two players. Notice that the
location of the notification 177 is different for a single player
in FIG. 10 than for two players using a split screen as in FIG. 11.
FIG. 12 is a screenshot of the exemplary video game of FIG. 10 in
which there is a split screen for three players on the same console
wherein an exemplary notification is displayed over the game and
FIG. 13 is a screenshot of the exemplary video game of FIG. 10 in
which there is a split screen for four players on the same console
with an exemplary notification is displayed over the game.
[0098] Exemplary Computing and Network Environment
[0099] Although the system level notification system has been
described thus far as it is applicable to a multimedia console, the
notification system may run and also be used on other computing
systems such as the exemplary computing and network environment
described below. Referring to FIG. 14, shown is a block diagram
representing an exemplary computing device suitable for use in
conjunction with various aspects of the invention. For example, the
computer executable instructions that carry out the processes and
methods for providing the system level notifications as described
above may reside and/or be executed in such a computing environment
as shown in FIG. 14. The computing system environment 220 is only
one example of a suitable computing environment and is not intended
to suggest any limitation as to the scope of use or functionality
of the invention. Neither should the computing environment 220 be
interpreted as having any dependency or requirement relating to any
one or combination of components illustrated in the exemplary
operating environment 220.
[0100] Aspects of the invention are operational with numerous other
general purpose or special purpose computing system environments or
configurations. Examples of well known computing systems,
environments, and/or configurations that may be suitable for use
with the invention include, but are not limited to, personal
computers, server computers, hand-held or laptop devices,
multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based systems, set top
boxes, programmable consumer electronics, network PCs,
minicomputers, mainframe computers, distributed computing
environments that include any of the above systems or devices, and
the like.
[0101] Aspects of the invention may be implemented in the general
context of computer-executable instructions, such as program
modules, being executed by a computer. Generally, program modules
include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures,
etc. that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract
data types. Aspects of the invention may also be practiced in
distributed computing environments where tasks are performed by
remote processing devices that are linked through a communications
network. In a distributed computing environment, program modules
may be located in both local and remote computer storage media
including memory storage devices.
[0102] An exemplary system for implementing aspects of the
invention includes a general purpose computing device in the form
of a computer 241. Components of computer 241 may include, but are
not limited to, a processing unit 259, a system memory 222, and a
system bus 221 that couples various system components including the
system memory to the processing unit 259. The system bus 221 may be
any of several types of bus structures including a memory bus or
memory controller, a peripheral bus, and a local bus using any of a
variety of bus architectures. By way of example, and not
limitation, such architectures include Industry Standard
Architecture (ISA) bus, Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) bus,
Enhanced ISA (EISA) bus, Video Electronics Standards Association
(VESA) local bus, and Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus
also known as Mezzanine bus.
[0103] Computer 241 typically includes a variety of computer
readable media. Computer readable media can be any available media
that can be accessed by computer 241 and includes both volatile and
nonvolatile media, removable and non-removable media. By way of
example, and not limitation, computer readable media may comprise
computer storage media and communication media. Computer storage
media includes both volatile and nonvolatile, removable and
non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for
storage of information such as computer readable instructions, data
structures, program modules or other data. Computer storage media
includes, but is not limited to, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or
other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks (DVD) or
other optical disk storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape,
magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any
other medium which can be used to store the desired information and
which can accessed by computer 241. Communication media typically
embodies computer readable instructions, data structures, program
modules or other data in a modulated data signal such as a carrier
wave or other transport mechanism and includes any information
deliver media. The term "modulated data signal" means a signal that
has one or more of its characteristics set or changed in such a
manner as to encode information in the signal. By way of example,
and not limitation, communication media includes wired media such
as a wired network or direct-wired connection, and wireless media
such as acoustic, RF, infrared and other wireless media.
Combinations of the any of the above should also be included within
the scope of computer readable media.
[0104] The system memory 222 includes computer storage media in the
form of volatile and/or nonvolatile memory such as read only memory
(ROM) 223 and random access memory (RAM) 260. A basic input/output
system 224 (BIOS), containing the basic routines that help to
transfer information between elements within computer 241, such as
during start-up, is typically stored in ROM 223. RAM 260 typically
contains data and/or program modules that are immediately
accessible to and/or presently being operated on by processing unit
259. By way of example, and not limitation, FIG. 14 illustrates
operating system 225, application programs 226, other program
modules 227, and program data 228.
[0105] The computer 241 may also include other
removable/non-removable, volatile/nonvolatile computer storage
media. By way of example only, FIG. 14 illustrates a hard disk
drive 238 that reads from or writes to non-removable, nonvolatile
magnetic media, a magnetic disk drive 239 that reads from or writes
to a removable, nonvolatile magnetic disk 254, and an optical disk
drive 240 that reads from or writes to a removable, nonvolatile
optical disk 253 such as a CD ROM or other optical media. Other
removable/non-removable, volatile/nonvolatile computer storage
media that can be used in the exemplary operating environment
include, but are not limited to, magnetic tape cassettes, flash
memory cards, digital versatile disks, digital video tape, solid
state RAM, solid state ROM, and the like. The hard disk drive 238
is typically connected to the system bus 221 through an
non-removable memory interface such as interface 234, and magnetic
disk drive 239 and optical disk drive 240 are typically connected
to the system bus 221 by a removable memory interface, such as
interface 235.
[0106] The drives and their associated computer storage media
discussed above and illustrated in FIG. 14, provide storage of
computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules
and other data for the computer 241. In FIG. 14, for example, hard
disk drive 238 is illustrated as storing operating system 258,
application programs 257, other program modules 256, and program
data 255. Note that these components can either be the same as or
different from operating system 225, application programs 226,
other program modules 227, and program data 228. Operating system
258, application programs 257, other program modules 256, and
program data 255 are given different numbers here to illustrate
that, at a minimum, they are different copies. A user may enter
commands and information into the computer 241 through input
devices such as a keyboard 251 and pointing device 252, commonly
referred to as a mouse, trackball or touch pad. Other input devices
(not shown) may include a microphone, joystick, game pad, satellite
dish, scanner, or the like. These and other input devices are often
connected to the processing unit 259 through a user input interface
236 that is coupled to the system bus, but may be connected by
other interface and bus structures, such as a parallel port, game
port or a universal serial bus (USB). A monitor 242 or other type
of display device is also connected to the system bus 221 via an
interface, such as a video interface 232. In addition to the
monitor, computers may also include other peripheral output devices
such as speakers 244 and printer 243, which may be connected
through a output peripheral interface 233.
[0107] The computer 241 may operate in a networked environment
using logical connections to one or more remote computers, such as
a remote computer 246. The remote computer 246 may be a personal
computer, a server, a router, a network PC, a peer device or other
common network node, and typically includes many or all of the
elements described above relative to the computer 241, although
only a memory storage device 247 has been illustrated in FIG. 14.
The logical connections depicted in FIG. 14 include a local area
network (LAN) 245 and a wide area network (WAN) 249, but may also
include other networks. Such networking environments are
commonplace in offices, enterprise-wide computer networks,
intranets and the Internet.
[0108] When used in a LAN networking environment, the computer 241
is connected to the LAN 245 through a network interface or adapter
237. When used in a WAN networking environment, the computer 241
typically includes a modem 250 or other means for establishing
communications over the WAN 249, such as the Internet. The modem
250, which may be internal or external, may be connected to the
system bus 221 via the user input interface 236, or other
appropriate mechanism. In a networked environment, program modules
depicted relative to the computer 241, or portions thereof, may be
stored in the remote memory storage device. By way of example, and
not limitation, FIG. 14 illustrates remote application programs 248
as residing on memory device 247. It will be appreciated that the
network connections shown are exemplary and other means of
establishing a communications link between the computers may be
used.
[0109] It should be understood that the various techniques
described herein may be implemented in connection with hardware or
software or, where appropriate, with a combination of both. Thus,
the methods and apparatus of the invention, or certain aspects or
portions thereof, may take the form of program code (i.e.,
instructions) embodied in tangible media, such as floppy diskettes,
CD-ROMs, hard drives, or any other machine-readable storage medium
wherein, when the program code is loaded into and executed by a
machine, such as a computer, the machine becomes an apparatus for
practicing the invention. In the case of program code execution on
programmable computers, the computing device generally includes a
processor, a storage medium readable by the processor (including
volatile and non-volatile memory and/or storage elements), at least
one input device, and at least one output device. One or more
programs that may implement or utilize the processes described in
connection with the invention, e.g., through the use of an API,
reusable controls, or the like. Such programs are preferably
implemented in a high level procedural or object oriented
programming language to communicate with a computer system.
However, the program(s) can be implemented in assembly or machine
language, if desired. In any case, the language may be a compiled
or interpreted language, and combined with hardware
implementations.
[0110] Although exemplary embodiments refer to utilizing aspects of
the invention in the context of one or more stand-alone computer
systems, the invention is not so limited, but rather may be
implemented in connection with any computing environment, such as a
network or distributed computing environment. Still further,
aspects of the invention may be implemented in or across a
plurality of processing chips or devices, and storage may similarly
be effected across a plurality of devices. Such devices might
include personal computers, network servers, handheld devices,
supercomputers, or computers integrated into other systems such as
automobiles and airplanes.
[0111] An exemplary networked computing environment is provided in
FIG. 15. One of ordinary skill in the art can appreciate that
networks can connect any computer or other client or server device,
or in a distributed computing environment. In this regard, any
computer system or environment having any number of processing,
memory, or storage units, and any number of applications and
processes occurring simultaneously is considered suitable for use
in connection with the systems and methods provided.
[0112] Distributed computing provides sharing of computer resources
and services by exchange between computing devices and systems.
These resources and services include the exchange of information,
cache storage and disk storage for files. Distributed computing
takes advantage of network connectivity, allowing clients to
leverage their collective power to benefit the entire enterprise.
In this regard, a variety of devices may have applications, objects
or resources that may implicate the processes described herein.
[0113] FIG. 15 provides a schematic diagram of an exemplary
networked or distributed computing environment. The environment
comprises computing devices 271, 272, 276, and 277 (including
multimedia console 1 280 and multimedia console 2 281 according to
the present invention) as well as objects 273, 274, and 275, and
database 278. Each of these entities 271, 272, 273, 274, 275, 276,
277, 278, 280 and 281 may comprise or make use of programs,
methods, data stores, programmable logic, etc. The entities 271,
272, 273, 274, 275, 276, 277, 278, 280 and 281 may span portions of
the same or different devices such as PDAs, audio/video devices,
MP3 players, personal computers, etc. Each entity 271, 272, 273,
274, 275, 276, 277, 278, 280 and 281 can communicate with another
entity 271, 272, 273, 274, 275, 276, 277, 278, 280 and 281 by way
of the communications network 270. In this regard, any entity may
be responsible for the maintenance and updating of a database 278
or other storage element.
[0114] This network 270 may itself comprise other computing
entities that provide services to the system of FIG. 15, and may
itself represent multiple interconnected networks. In accordance
with an aspect of the invention, each entity 271, 272, 273, 274,
275, 276, 277, 278, 280 and 281 may contain discrete functional
program modules that might make use of an API, or other object,
software, firmware and/or hardware, to request services of one or
more of the other entities 271, 272, 273, 274, 275, 276, 277, 278,
280 and 281.
[0115] It can also be appreciated that an object, such as 275, may
be hosted on another computing device 276. Thus, although the
physical environment depicted may show the connected devices as
computers, such illustration is merely exemplary and the physical
environment may alternatively be depicted or described comprising
various digital devices such as PDAs, televisions, MP3 players,
etc., software objects such as interfaces, COM objects and the
like.
[0116] There are a variety of systems, components, and network
configurations that support distributed computing environments. For
example, computing systems may be connected together by wired or
wireless systems, by local networks or widely distributed networks.
Currently, many networks are coupled to the Internet, which
provides an infrastructure for widely distributed computing and
encompasses many different networks. Any such infrastructures,
whether coupled to the Internet or not, may be used in conjunction
with the systems and methods provided.
[0117] A network infrastructure may enable a host of network
topologies such as client/server, peer-to-peer, or hybrid
architectures. The "client" is a member of a class or group that
uses the services of another class or group to which it is not
related. In computing, a client is a process, i.e., roughly a set
of instructions or tasks, that requests a service provided by
another program. The client process utilizes the requested service
without having to "know" any working details about the other
program or the service itself. In a client/server architecture,
particularly a networked system, a client is usually a computer
that accesses shared network resources provided by another
computer, e.g., a server. In the example of FIG. 15, any entity
271, 272, 273, 274, 275, 276, 277, 278, 280 and 281 can be
considered a client, a server, or both, depending on the
circumstances.
[0118] A server is typically, though not necessarily, a remote
computer system accessible over a remote or local network, such as
the Internet. The client process may be active in a first computer
system, and the server process may be active in a second computer
system, communicating with one another over a communications
medium, thus providing distributed functionality and allowing
multiple clients to take advantage of the information-gathering
capabilities of the server. Any software objects may be distributed
across multiple computing devices or objects.
[0119] Client(s) and server(s) communicate with one another
utilizing the functionality provided by protocol layer(s). For
example, HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) is a common protocol
that is used in conjunction with the World Wide Web (WWW), or "the
Web." Typically, a computer network address such as an Internet
Protocol (IP) address or other reference such as a Universal
Resource Locator (URL) can be used to identify the server or client
computers to each other. The network address can be referred to as
a URL address. Communication can be provided over a communications
medium, e.g., client(s) and server(s) may be coupled to one another
via TCP/IP connection(s) for high-capacity communication.
[0120] As the foregoing illustrates, the invention is directed to
systems and methods for providing system level notifications in a
multimedia console. It is understood that changes may be made to
the illustrative embodiments described above without departing from
the broad inventive concepts disclosed herein. For example, while
an illustrative embodiment has been described above as applied to a
multimedia console, running video games, for example, it is
understood that the invention may be embodied in other computing
environments. Furthermore, while illustrative embodiments have been
described with respect to 4 users on the same console, embodiments
having other numbers of users are also applicable. Accordingly, it
is understood that the invention is not limited to the particular
embodiments disclosed, but is intended to cover all modifications
that are within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by
the appended claims.
* * * * *