U.S. patent application number 10/554526 was filed with the patent office on 2006-11-02 for game has locally saved pointer to state saved elsewhere.
This patent application is currently assigned to KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS ELECTRONICS N.V.. Invention is credited to Willem Bulthuis.
Application Number | 20060247021 10/554526 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 33395951 |
Filed Date | 2006-11-02 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060247021 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Bulthuis; Willem |
November 2, 2006 |
Game has locally saved pointer to state saved elsewhere
Abstract
User interaction with game software on an optical disc can start
or be resumed from a specific state of the software. Upon
terminating user interaction halfway down the game, the specific
state is saved on a network and a pointer to the specific state is
saved locally on an IC integrated with the optical disc. This
approach renders user interaction with the software independent of
the physical location of the user, and enables local memory at
gaming consoles to be lean.
Inventors: |
Bulthuis; Willem;
(Eindhoven, NL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
PHILIPS INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY & STANDARDS
P.O. BOX 3001
BRIARCLIFF MANOR
NY
10510
US
|
Assignee: |
KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS ELECTRONICS
N.V.
Eindhoven
NL
|
Family ID: |
33395951 |
Appl. No.: |
10/554526 |
Filed: |
April 27, 2004 |
PCT Filed: |
April 27, 2004 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/IB04/50526 |
371 Date: |
October 26, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
463/24 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63F 13/493 20140902;
A63F 13/10 20130101; A63F 13/95 20140902; A63F 13/12 20130101; A63F
13/77 20140902; A63F 2300/552 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
463/024 |
International
Class: |
A63F 9/24 20060101
A63F009/24 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Apr 29, 2003 |
EP |
03101177.8 |
Claims
1. A method of enabling to start user interaction with software
from a specific state of the software onward, the method comprising
enabling to locally store a pointer to remotely stored information
of the specific state.
2. The method of claim 1, comprising enabling to save the specific
state information on a network.
3. The method of claim 1, comprising enabling to automatically
retrieve the specific state information upon retrieval of the
pointer.
4. The method of claim 3, comprising enabling to automatically
retrieve the pointer upon the user initiating a process to start
the interaction.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein the initiating comprises
inserting a data carrier, which accommodates the software, into a
network-enabled apparatus.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the software comprises a computer
game.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the software is available on a
removable data carrier, the method comprising enabling the pointer
to be saved on the carrier.
8. The method of claim 1, comprising enabling a previous user to
initiate the saving of the pointer and enabling the user to start
the interaction from the specific state onward as specified by the
pointer.
9. The method of claim 8, enabling the previous user to initiate
the saving of the pointer from a first apparatus, and enabling the
user to start the interaction from a second apparatus, different
from the first apparatus.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein the specific state information
comprises information about a setting of a user interface.
11. A data carrier system for use with a data processing system,
the carrier system having a read-only portion comprising
user-interactive software, and a writeable portion for storing a
pointer to a specific state of the software.
12. The carrier system of claim 11, wherein the read-only portion
and the writeable portion are integrated in a physical data
carrier.
13. The carrier system of claim 12, wherein the read-only portion
comprises an optical disc and wherein the writeable portion
comprises a Chip-in-Disc.
14. The carrier system of claim 11, wherein the read-only portion
comprises control software for control of storing the pointer.
15. The carrier system of claim 11, wherein the read-only portion
comprises control software for control of retrieving the
pointer.
16. The carrier system of claim 11 wherein the read-only portion
comprises control software for control of storing the specific
state information.
17. The carrier system of claim 11, wherein the read-only portion
comprises control software for retrieving the specific state
information under control of the pointer.
18. The carrier system of claim 11, comprising a first physical
carrier for accommodating the read-only portion, and comprising a
second physical carrier for accommodating the writeable portion,
the second physical carrier being physically separate from the
first physical carrier.
19. An apparatus for enabling user interaction with software from a
specific state of the software onwards, the apparatus being
operative to enable to retrieve information about the specific
state from a remote source under control of a locally stored
pointer to the information.
20. The apparatus of claim 19, operative to communicate with the
remote resource via a data network.
21. The apparatus of claim 19, having a removable memory for
storing the pointer.
22. The apparatus of claim 19, having a removable memory storing
the software.
23. The apparatus of claim 19, configured to cooperate with a data
carrier that accommodates the software and that has a writeable
memory for storing the pointer.
24. The apparatus of claim 23, having a Chip-in-Disc functionality.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The invention relates to a method and a system to enable to
store large-size state information (e.g., a game state) in order to
access this state, e.g., for resuming user interaction, independent
of geographic location of the user and of the device used.
BACKGROUND ART
[0002] Software applications such as games, movies, training, etc.,
are typically distributed stored on physical carriers, e.g., CDs,
DVDs, solid-state memory cards, and floppy disks. These carriers
can be inserted into, and removed from, a play-out apparatus such
as a game station or a PC. Frequently, users of such applications
may wish to put on hold the playback of, or interaction with, such
applications, in order to continue at a later time. Preferably,
playback of the application is then automatically resumed from
exactly the same state of the application where the user decided to
terminate the playback. Such state information can be limited to,
e.g., a timestamp or a frame number of a movie, or quite extensive
as in a computer game. It is therefore desirable to be able to
store the state information.
[0003] For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,609,525, incorporated herein by
reference, discloses an apparatus for data reception in television
games. A data signal for a television game is transmitted from a
base station for receipt by a local station at an end-user's. The
received data signal is used to play a game. The apparatus
comprises a first memory for storing a data signal of a
predetermined game and a second memory for storing a predetermined
game state at the time of termination of a game. In the case where
the user terminates the game halfway, for example, the user can
store the state of the game into the second memory at the time of
termination, if necessary. In the case where the user wishes to
play the same game again by newly selecting and downloading the
data of the same game into the first memory at another time, the
user can start the game from the scene where the game was
terminated at the preceding time, if the user reads out the data of
the game from the second memory.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] Often users wish to continue to interact with the software
application at a different geographic location, e.g., a game
resumed at a friend's home, or a training application resumed at
home after having started at work, etc. It is therefore desirable
to be able to store the state information on the same removable
physical carrier that contains the application itself This is
possible if the physical carrier has record and re-write
capabilities, such as solid-state memory cards. However, memory
space can be very limited and is rather expensive on such carriers,
in which case storage of substantial state information is not an
economically feasible option.
[0005] Furthermore, such physical carrier is in many instances
read-only and can therefore not be used to record the state
information. In some implementations, the state information is
therefore stored at a separate medium, such as on a magnetic hard
disk embedded in the machine used to play the removable physical
carrier. This has the disadvantage that the state can only be
retrieved from the same machine that was last used for playback,
thus limiting flexibility in location of retrieval for continued
playback.
[0006] Accordingly, the invention addresses, among other things,
the problem of how to store the state information of the
application, so that a maximum of flexibility and user-friendliness
is provided to a user desiring to resume or start interaction with
the application from a specific state at another machine or at
another location. The software application relates in particular,
but not exclusively, to an evolutionary process such as a game, a
training program, an evolution of a virtual environment community,
an interactive movie, etc.
[0007] The invention therefore provides a method of enabling to
start interaction with software from a specific state of the
software. The method comprises enabling to locally store a pointer
to remotely stored or remotely saved information of the specific
state, e.g., on a network. In this manner, local memory at the
end-user's apparatus, e.g., a game console, PDA or cellphone, need
only store a pointer, whereas the specific state information is
uploaded (before terminating interaction) to a remote repository,
e.g., a server on the home network or on the Internet. Preferably,
the method of the invention comprises enabling to automatically
retrieve the specific state information upon retrieval of the
pointer, and enabling to automatically retrieve the pointer, e.g.,
upon the user initiating a process to start the interaction.
Preferably, the specific state information comprises information
about a setting of a user interface.
[0008] The invention also relates to a data carrier system for use
with a data processing system. The carrier system has a read-only
portion comprising user-interactive software, and a writeable
portion for storing a pointer to a specific state of the software
at a time of terminating user-interaction. Preferably, the
read-only portion and the writeable portion are integrated in a
physical data carrier. For example, the read-only portion comprises
an optical disc and the writeable portion comprises a Chip-in-Disc.
Preferably, the read-only portion comprises control software for
control of storing and retrieving the pointer and for storing and
retrieving the specific state information as associated with the
pointer. In another embodiment the carrier system comprises a first
physical data carrier for accommodating the read-only portion, and
a second physical data carrier for accommodating the writeable
portion, the second physical carrier being physically separate from
the first physical carrier. For example, the read-only portion is
accommodated on an optical disc, floppy disk, or on a hard disk,
etc., and the writeable portion is accommodated on a flash-memory
card or in a memory stick, etc.
[0009] The invention also relates to an apparatus, e.g., a game
console, for enabling user interaction with software from a
specific state of the software onward. The apparatus enables to
retrieve information about the specific state from a remote source
under control of a pointer to the information, the pointer being
locally stored, e.g., at the console or on the software carrier.
The apparatus is enabled to communicate with the remote resource
for saving and/or retrieving the specific state information. For
example, the apparatus is network-enabled. An embodiment of the
apparatus has a Chip-in-Disc functionality, i.e., an optical disc
drive and components to interact with the electronic circuitry
embedded in the disc. The circuitry is preferably used to store the
pointer. Another embodiment of the apparatus has a removable memory
for storing the pointer, in addition to having an optical disc
drive, a HDD, or a slot for engaging a solid-state memory for the
user-interactive software. The apparatus can have control software
onboard to control saving the specific state to the remote resource
and to store the pointer locally.
[0010] The invention enables, for example, the following scenario.
A user has a physical data carrier, e.g., a CD-ROM, with a computer
game and terminates interaction with the game that is played at a
first apparatus. He/she then takes the CD-ROM to a second apparatus
later on, uses the pointer to download the state information, valid
at the time of terminating, to the second apparatus and resumes the
game from there. In another scenario, the invention enables the
game to be played on similar lines to a relay race, wherein
different participants of the same team cover subsequent stretches
of a track. To be more specific, a first user plays the game until
a certain stage has been reached or until his/her playtime has
expired, etc., and a second user resumes the game at the specific
state where the first user has left off. Both first and second
users have CD-ROMs with the code of the same game. The second user
retrieves the pointer to the specific state, from which to resume
playing, from the first user and downloads the associated state
information from a server via a network. The server can be the
first user's machine or a server remote to both users. The first
and second users may be at different machines at different
geographic locations and need not be active in contiguous time
slots. In this scenario, a social and co-operative aspect is
introduced in an otherwise solitary or adversarial context of a
conventional computer game. In yet another scenario within the
context of interaction with a virtual environment, a participant
may want to delegate interaction to a teammate if certain
conditions arise. For example, the teammate is more skilled than
the participant at handling a particular task that has arisen
during the evolution of the environment. The pointer is now being
used as a token to hand-over control to the teammate, who takes
over the interaction for this specific task at the specific state
left by the first participant. For background on a virtual
environment with multiple participants, see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No.
6,025,801 (attorney docket PHA 23,155) issued to Brad Beitel for
VIDEO GAME WITH LOCAL UPDATES MITIGATES LATENCY EFFECTS IN WIDE
AREA NETWORK, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,475,090 (attorney docket U.S.
Pat. No. 018,035) issued to Greg ("Grog") Roelofs for COMPENSATING
FOR NETWORK LATENCY IN A MULTI-PLAYER GAME, both patents being
incorporated herein by reference. U.S. Pat. No. 6,025,801 relates
to multiple users sharing a virtual environment through an
interactive software application. State changes of a specific user
are transmitted to one or more other users dependent on respective
relative distances in the virtual environment between the specific
user and each respective one of the other users. This conditional
transmission reduces message traffic and allows a virtual
environment to scale indefinitely. U.S. Pat. No. 6,475,090 relates
to a method for compensating for high-latency computer clients in a
multi-player electronic game played on a plurality of terminals
connected by a network. A latency value is determined for computer
clients operating the terminals. Then a latency compensation factor
is determined from the latency value for each client computer. The
playing modality of a client computer can then be adjusted based on
the latency compensation factor.
[0011] In another scenario enabled by the invention, a student
interacts with training software, the state of which gets saved on
the network when the interaction gets suspended temporarily. The
pointer to the specific state is made available, preferably
automatically and beyond control of the student, to the student's
teacher so as to enable the teacher to monitor the student's
progress by checking the current specific state that is retrievable
through the pointer.
[0012] In yet another scenario enabled by the invention, a
collection of electronic content, e.g., movies or music, is
organized according to play-lists. For example, the music
collection is organized in background music, party music, classic
symphonies, etc. A play-list is made available, e.g., to interested
individuals, through a pointer. Loading the pointer into a
network-enabled rendering device initiates downloading the
play-list that is used as an input to a local software application.
The application then controls selecting the relevant content from,
e.g., a local collection, or from a collection on the network or
from both. In case of a remote collection, the selected content is
streamed to the rendering device via the network. In this scenario,
a specific play-list puts the rendering application into a specific
state of the interaction with the collection.
[0013] Currently emerging recording and storage technologies, such
as Chip-in-Disc (a technology from Philips Electronics), enable the
recording of some data on otherwise read-only carriers. However,
the capacity of such recording is extremely limited, due to cost,
size and power limitations. It is therefore not feasible to record
substantial state information such as game states using this
technology. The current invention enables the automatic retrieval
of substantial amounts of state information by using only very
limited data stored on a physical carrier, independently of the
device used for playing out from this carrier. The benefits are a
great user-experience, as it is possible to resume an application,
such as a game or training program, at a different time, location,
and device, without any need to manually, or in another manner,
enter information in order to identify application, user, or
state.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
[0014] The invention is explained in further detail, by way of
example and with reference to the accompanying drawing,
wherein:
[0015] FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 are block diagrams of a system of the
invention.
[0016] Throughout the drawing, same reference numerals indicate
similar or corresponding features.
DETAILED EMBODIMENTS
[0017] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system 100 in the invention.
System 100 comprises an end-user apparatus 102 with a removable
physical data carrier 104 storing the code for a user-interactive
software application. Apparatus 102 comprises, e.g., a PC, a game
console, a cell phone, a PDA, a settop box, etc. Carrier 104
comprises, e.g., an optical disc, a floppy disk, a flash memory
card or another removable memory module. Carrier 104 is preferably
standardized and can be used with another end-user apparatus 106 if
the latter is provided with a proper connection or receptacle for
functionally connecting to carrier 104.
[0018] Apparatus 102 plays out the content from carrier 104 and is
further operative to record limited amounts of data and to read
limited amounts of data, preferably under control of the code of
the software application at carrier 104. This recording is done,
e.g., at carrier 104 itself enabled through, for example,
Chip-in-Disc technology. Apparatus 104 is further network-enabled
so as be able to connect to an online service 108 on a data network
110 (e.g., the Internet).
[0019] Conditions arise under which state information needs to be
saved about the current state of the application being currently
played out by apparatus 102. The appearance of these conditions is
triggered, e.g., by the application itself, by the user or as a
result of other influences, such as "time expired". Upon the
appearance of such a condition, apparatus 102 makes a connection to
online service 108 and communicates the complete state information
of the application for online storage by service 108 (e.g., on a
remote server). Apparatus 102 then receives a unique identifier,
herein referred to as "pointer") from service 108, that uniquely
identifies the stored state at service 108. This identifier can be
fully generated by online service 108, or can partly be based on
identifying information provided by apparatus 102, e.g. based on
information from the application and/or user, etc. Apparatus 102
then records the pointer onto the limited storage functionality 112
of carrier 104 currently in apparatus 102.
[0020] The extensive state information is now semi-permanently
stored by online service 108 for retrieval later on. The pointer
needed to retrieve the state information is now stored in limited
storage 112 on carrier 104.
[0021] Whenever the user wishes to resume playing the application
on carrier 104, he/she inserts carrier 104 in any compatible
apparatus, e.g., apparatus 106 at whatever location. Apparatus 106
is programmed to, or triggered by, the application to read the
pointer recorded in carrier 104 and then proceeds to contact online
service 108. Apparatus 106 submits the pointer to service 108 and
requests the corresponding state information as stored, possibly
after having gone through certain identification and authorization
procedures. Service 108 retrieves the corresponding state
information and sends this to apparatus 102. The application
running on apparatus 106 uses this state information to restore the
application in the same state as it was in when the state got saved
and stored at server 108.
[0022] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a system 200 of the invention
of a configuration that is slightly different from the one of
system 100. Pointer storage 112 is now physically separated from
carrier 104 and is, for example, provided as an additional
removable physical carrier, e.g., a memory stick of flash card.
Alternatively, storage 112 is part of an embedded memory, such as
an EEPROM or a hard disk, resident at apparatus 102.
[0023] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a system 300 of the invention.
Apparatus 102 is now used to interact, via network 110 with an
application 302, e.g., a virtual environment, at a server 304. See
for a context example, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 6,025,801 (attorney
docket PHA 23,155) mentioned above. The user now has the state of
the application saved on storage 108 to the extent that it is
relevant to his/her personal history of interaction. For example,
the state to be saved relates to, e.g., the configuration of one's
avatar, the process of performing a task such as building a
structure in the virtual environment, etc. Such a task does not
involve, or does not need to be shared by, the entire virtual
community. Application server 304 is capable of saving the personal
state, based on monitoring state changes brought about by this
particular user and discriminating between private and public
tasks. Server 304 provides a pointer to the state as saved that the
user can store at apparatus 102, either internally to apparatus 112
or on a removable memory component 112. Logging on from machine 106
with the proper pointer or inserting component 112 into compatible
machine 106 automatically triggers retrieving the relevant state
information from storage 108 under control of the pointer in memory
112 and setting the user-interaction with application 302 into the
associated state. This embodiment enables in a convenient manner
the sharing or leasing of an avatar. As to the latter, a
participant in a virtual community specifies to a dedicated service
the kind of avatar he/she wants and gets delivered a specimen for
being customized by the participant. The customized avatar or its
customization parameters get saved at remote storage 108 for being
retrieved in operational use. As another example, consider a
software application that lets a child construct and maintain an
amusement park in a virtual environment. Before leaving home he/she
uploads the state of the application to a server, saves the pointer
locally and takes the CD with the application, along with the
pointer, to a friend. At the friend's, he/she uses the pointer to
download the state information to the machine of the friend to
resume the interaction with the amusement park application.
* * * * *