U.S. Pat. No. 8,636,589

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

State of the Art Systems

Turning toFIG. 1a, a large multiuser online game system100over a public network1050, such as the Internet, is shown. An example of such a game system100known in the art is League of Legends (www.leagueoflegends.com). League of Legends is a session-based, multiplayer online battle-arena game where rival teams compete against one another for victory on highly stylized battlefields and landscapes. Users can install a League of Legends game client on their personal computing device110to establish a game session over the public network1050with the game system's100datacenter130, which provides the real-time online game interaction with the plurality of users110.

Turning toFIG. 1b, an example game client110user interface is shown. In online games such as League of Legends, each user is generally represented by a personalized graphical avatar in the user interface, also referred to as “champion,” (shown as “X” in this example), and the game client1100user interface may show the logical position of one user's avatar, X User1, relative to another, X User2and X User3within a virtual landscape. The game client1100user interface may also include a chat interface (“Chat Room”) that enables participating users to communicate with one another beyond interactions with the avatars (Xs).

The datacenter1300includes a plurality of server systems operating on a plurality of server machines communicatively coupled to each other via the public network1050and/or a secure virtual private network (not shown). The server machines each include a processor, memory, an operating system, an input/output interface and network interface all known in the art. In accordance with a preferred embodiment, the datacenter130includes, among other things, a game session server system140.

Turning toFIG. 1c, a more detailed diagram of a game session server system140known in the art is shown. The game session server system140provides the game interaction with the users' game client110via the game client interface143, which is generally an application interface known in the art accessible over the public network1050by the game client110, e.g., in a traditional client server model. A game engine142coupled to the game client interface143is included to manage the interaction between the plurality of users110and the game system100. As one of ordinary skill in the art can appreciate, highly stylized user interfaces often contain graphics requiring large amounts of data. Transmitting such graphics over the public network1050may cause slow performance due to the limited available bandwidth of the public network1050. One approach to address this is to have the graphics rendered by the game client on the user's computing device110. To account for movements and changes to players in the game, only certain information is transmitted over the public network1050between the game clients110and the game engine142, e.g., coordinates of various players within the landscape of the game.

Turning toFIG. 1d, such data can be transmitted efficiently in blocks of data packets collectively known as “chunks,” an example format of which is shown inFIG. 1d. A chunk generally includes the latest coordinates within the virtual landscape of certain users, a time stamp to enable the game engine142to synchronize data among players, and additional game data to facilitate rendering, such as weapons and powers that have been added or removed or other information to reflect the latest state of a player's avatar. A game client110will use the data in the chunk to render, among other things, the appropriate graphics and visual representations of the positioning of the avatars within the virtual landscape. If a user makes a change to its avatar state on its client110, e.g., if the user moves its avatar or adds a power, one or more chunks may be transmitted back to the game engine142to update the remaining players and to update rendering on their machines110. The chunk enables responsive, high-performance real-time game play with highly stylized graphics over a public network1050of limited bandwidth since the graphics are rendered on the game client and only limited data is transmitted for game interaction. In a preferred embodiment, a chunk for a particular user will not include all data for the game session but only data limited to the user's view. For example, turning toFIG. 1b, a rock or tree may hide another avatar in the virtual landscape from the first user's view. To maintain this context and competitive play, the hidden user's coordinates may not be included in the chunks sent to the first user until the hidden user is revealed during game play (e.g., the other user may move its hidden avatar into an opening unblocked by the rock or tree).

Turning back toFIG. 1c, the game session server system140further includes a chat engine144known in the art that enables the various users110participating in a particular game session to communicate with each other via text messages. Audio, pictures, and multimedia may also be exchanged with the chat engine1440. Both the game engine142interactions as well as the chat messages exchanged can be recorded and stored in a game files database1510. This enables, among other things, replay and history analysis by not only the users but also the administrator and other systems as will be described below.

Preferred Systems

Turning toFIG. 2, an online multi-user game system1000in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown. The system1000provides an enhanced spectator experience as will be described below. System1000includes a datacenter1300having a game session server system140as described above. The system1000also includes game clients110configured to access data center1300over the public network as described above. In accordance with a preferred embodiment, the system1000further includes a spectator grid1100operatively coupled to the game session server system140that enables a user with a spectator client1200to access the data center1300and select an active game session to view as a spectator. The spectator grid1100is also implemented as a server system. The spectator client1200includes a similar graphics rendering application as the game client110but with no ability to actively participate in the selected game.

Turning toFIG. 3, a detailed diagram of a spectator grid1100is shown. The spectator grid includes an in-game database1110that is configured to receive game data, e.g., game chunks, from the game session server system140via a game session server interface1120. These game chunks may include global data, e.g., positioning coordinates for avatars whether hidden or not, within the virtual landscape of a game session. Preferably, the in-game database1110utilizes an in-memory coherence cache, thereby enabling faster querying of the database in real time. The spectator grid1100further includes a spectator engine1130configured to interface with a spectator client1200via a spectator interface1140and provide game data to the spectator client1200from the in-game database1110.

Preferred Processes

Turning toFIG. 4, a process2000in accordance with a preferred embodiment is shown. As mentioned above, fans of certain multi-user online games may wish to be spectators of particular active games, as with any competitive game. To address this need, the game system1000enables a user to view active game sessions within the system1000. Turning toFIG. 5, an exemplary interface for a spectator client1200is shown. When a user connects to the data center1300, one or more lists of active games are provided. They can be grouped into a variety of categories, including, active games having the most spectators, active games played by most requested players, i.e., players that most spectators have requested viewing of, e.g., players known as having exceptional skills. The data that enable these lists can be tracked and deduced by previous spectators' selections, which can be stored in the database1110of the spectator grid1100. Games can also be presented by specific game identification and/or player identification (regardless of whether such a player is well-known). Moreover, the game system1000, e.g., the spectator grid1100, can monitor certain activities within an active game. For example, the spectator grid1100can monitor for games having scores that are very competitive, for games that have a particularly high number of known or higher tiered champions, for players that are playing at a particularly high level, and/or for players that are demonstrating particularly unusual and/or entertainment techniques or moves. The spectator grid1100can identify such games as recommended games for potential spectators. Games can also be listed in random order. Games can also be listed by particular events, e.g., an organized tournament.

Turning back toFIG. 4, once a spectator has selected a particular active game to view, the spectator grid1100receives the request (Action Block2100) and establishes a data connection with the spectator's client1200(Action Block2200) to transmit game data to the client1200in streaming fashion (Action Block2600) to be rendered on the spectator client1200in real-time or near real-time to the selected active game. Turning toFIG. 6, an example format1500is shown for game data transmitted by the spectator grid1100to the spectator client1200. What is shown, in a preferred embodiment, is that game chunks150are sent to the spectator client1200with similar structure and content to the game chunks150sent to game clients110. One difference in the preferred embodiment is that the game chunks150sent to the spectator client1200includes complete data for the active game being viewed. For example, all player positions are provided, including the ones that are hidden, so that the spectator is provided an omnipresent view.

Once the chunks150are received, the spectator client1200can generate the same graphics and visual representations of the active game in real-time or near real time of the active game.

Also included in the data format1500are keyframes, which are effectively snapshots of a particular game at a particular point in time. A keyframe is aligned with a fixed group of chunks, e.g., 3, to define a time interval using the time stamps in the chunks150. A keyframe can be generated by creating a chunk150that includes game data packets for all players that exist at a given time. When a keyframe is loaded onto a spectator client1200, then the latest game data, e.g. the latest scene, along with all of the entity data that are known by the client1200at that time, e.g., avatar and computer controlled object data, are deleted. The keyframe can then be played back as a regular chunk150, which renders the entity data that exist at that point in time at their correct positions. The chunk150that corresponds to the keyframe's point in time is then loaded as the next chunk to render. From there, chunks150can be rendered in chronological order. The amount of game play time represented by a chunk150is configurable by the system's1000administrator, and is preferably approximately 30 seconds.

One aspect of the keyframes is the enablement of time-shifting features for the live game (Action Block2700). For instance, an active game session rendered from the chunks150at a previous point of time can be quickly simulated by jumping to specific keyframes instead of individual chunks150. In a preferred embodiment, when jumping to specific keyframes, much of the game processing can be disabled, such as rendering and sound, to enable faster jumps. Once a keyframe is reached, then normal playback and rendering is enabled, as described above.

Turning toFIG. 7, to illustrate exemplary time shifting controls enabled by system1000(Action Block2700), a preferred user interface for a spectator client1200viewing an active game session is shown. As mentioned above, the chunks150enable the spectator client1200to render real-time, or in near real-time fashion, game play from an active game, but with an omnipresent view that enables the spectator to view all game play within the virtual landscape. Moreover, certain time-shifting controls can be enabled. The following are examples.

Jump Back1210—This button allows the spectator to jump back a fixed amount of time, similar to an “instant replay” feature. In this case, the spectator client1200can jump to the keyframe of the requested point in time, and render the associated game chunks150as described above.

Play/Pause1220—This button will pause the game if it is playing, or play the active game session from the specific point in time where it was last paused, if it is paused.

Playback Speed1230—The “+” and “−” buttons will increase and decrease the speed that the game is playing at, respectively, and the playback speed “1×” can be displayed. The use of keyframes may be particularly helpful in performance of this feature, as described above.

Time control scrubber bar1240—this area represents the time that is in the past for the game. It can be clicked on to set the time back to an earlier time. A tooltip that shows what time the user will jump to when hovering over this bar can be included (not shown).

Time control scrubber position1250—This is the current point in time that is being played.

Viewed time1260—This area of the bar indicates time that is in the future that is before the latest point in time that the user has already seen. It can be clicked on to jump to a point in time in the future.

Unviewed time1270—This area indicates the period of time that is available to jump to but that the user has not seen yet. This time can also be clicked.

Jump to latest1280—This button, when pressed, will jump to the latest point of time that the user has viewed, as indicated by the highlighted position at the end of1260. If the user is already playing back from this point, it will move the user to the latest point in time available, at the end of1270.

The display at1290indicates the current point in time that the user is watching and the maximum available time that the user can access, respectively.

In addition to the controls above, a spectator may select any area of the virtual landscape, which can be expansive, to view at any time, and can further select a particular player for the camera view to automatically follow. For instance, the spectator can mouse click on a particular player in the game, and the spectator's camera view can follow that player automatically. This can be achieved by having the spectator client1200focus on that player's data within the received chunks, either real-time, or at a selected time. Further, the spectator can switch from player to player at any time.

Turning back toFIG. 4, because the spectator's view is omnipresent, a player may be able to use that spectator's view to its advantage to obtain additional information about other players in the game. To prevent this, a delay may be configured (Decision Block2300). If configured, then the spectator grid1100may buffer the chunks by a certain amount of time, e.g., 30 seconds, before transmitting such data to a spectator, thereby enabling a delay, which would remove the incentive for an active player to attempt to view the game in spectator mode.

Moreover, the delay enables the spectator grid1100and/or client1200to analyze the most recent data and notify the spectator of upcoming events that may be of interest to the spectator. For instance, the virtual landscape of a game may be too large to view in detail in its entirety on a spectator client's1200screen, and the various avatars may be moving in any different direction. At any given moment, an event could occur, such as a special move or a special achievement outside the spectator's current camera view. Example events include champion defeats, champion damage, events that lead up to champion defeat and/or damage, and game specific events such as the completion of important team-based objectives, and status of key objects within the game, such as status of key computer controlled avatars or objects. To maintain focus on the key events, the spectator grid1100and/or client1200can be configured to monitor for such activities within the buffer (which occur on the spectator's client1200at a configurable time later, e.g., 30 seconds) and cause the spectator's view to focus on those specific activities when they develop and/or occur on the spectator's client1200. This directed view (Action Block2500) will ensure that the spectator does not miss key events as they unfold.

Turning toFIG. 8, a more detailed illustration of a directed view process (Action Block2500) is shown. In general, one approach to ensure that a spectator's view (e.g., as shown inFIG. 7) is focused on key activities and events within an active game is to follow one or more champions that are associated with those events and activities. Which champion to follow can be dictated by a calculated “interest level” for each champion. Generally, a champion's interest level correlates with the distance between that champion and the key activities and events described above when they occur and/or as they develop. In League of Legends, factors used to calculate a champion's interest level include: proximity of other champions within the virtual landscape; current health level; presence of debuffs (i.e., an effect given to a champion that decreases performance); participating in future events like damaging and/or defeating other champions or important team objectives; interaction with terrain elements, and champion activities like stealthing and recalling to base.

In a preferred embodiment, the buffered data from Action Block2400is monitored (e.g., in 10 second increments) for data, such as that described above, to calculate an interest level for each champion within an active game (Action Block2510). The spectator grid1100and/or spectator client1200then directs the spectator's client1200view to follow the champion having the highest interest level (Action Block2520). The view is preferably adjusted to also encompass nearby champions as well, to provide as full view of the activities as possible. The spectator grid1100and/or spectator client1200then continues to monitor the most current buffer for data that affects the interest level calculations (Action Block2530).

If activities develop during the game that cause another champion to have a higher interest level, then the spectator grid1100and/or spectator client1200may shift the spectator client's1200view to the new champion. However, if the identity of the champion with the highest interest level shifts frequently, it may not be desirable to have the spectator client's view1200shift at the same frequency. To address this, hysteresis may be incorporated. For instance, if a new champion gains status as having the highest interest level (Decision Block2540), then additional thresholds are evaluated to assess whether to shift the spectator's client1200view (Decision Block2550).

A number of threshold values may be utilized. For instance, even if a new champion gains status as having highest interest level, a spectator's client1200view may not adjust until the new champion's interest level is a certain percentage higher over the interest level of the previous champion with the highest interest level (e.g., 20%). Another threshold is a fixed value that the interest level of the new champion must exceed. These thresholds may decay over time after each shift in view and eventually settle at a minimum value until the next shift in view.

These thresholds, in combination with the interest for important future events ramping up linearly, ensure that the camera will switch early and provide a lot of context to an event during periods of low interest elsewhere in the virtual landscape. When there are high levels of activity occurring in other locations, the shift may not occur until just a few seconds before the upcoming important event occurs to ensure that the spectator client's1200view captures all key events properly.

In the foregoing specification, the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments thereof. It will, however, be evident that various modifications and changes may be made thereto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the reader is to understand that the specific ordering and combination of process actions described herein is merely illustrative, and the invention may appropriately be performed using different or additional process actions, or a different combination or ordering of process actions. For example, this invention is particularly suited for online gaming systems; however, the invention can be used for any multi-user online system in general. Additionally and obviously, features may be added or subtracted as desired. Accordingly, the invention is not to be restricted except in light of the attached claims and their equivalents.