Intelligent streaming of media content

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10154072-B2
Application number	US-201414488905-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 17, 2014
Priority date	Sep 17, 2014
Publication date	Dec 11, 2018
Grant date	Dec 11, 2018

Abstract

In various embodiments, methods and systems for intelligent streaming of game content based on the level of interactivity of the game content are provided. The level of interactivity of game content is determined using techniques that classify the level of interactivity. The level of interactivity is defined for different components of game content. Streaming techniques are associated with game content having specific levels of interactivity. An edge computing infrastructure may facilitate intelligent streaming in that game assets classified as prefetch game assets or stream game assets are associated with prefetch instructions. The prefetch instructions are communicated from a game server to a game platform to instruct the game platform to prefetch a prefetch game asset to the edge computing infrastructure in advance of an anticipated game context in which the prefetch game asset is used. During the anticipated game context, the assets are retrieved for output at the game platform.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. One or more computer storage media storing computer-useable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform a method for prefetching game content, the method comprising:
receiving a prefetch instruction, from a game server in a distributed network infrastructure, to prefetch a prefetch game asset to an edge computing infrastructure, wherein the prefetch game asset is classified as a prefetch game asset within a game streaming session, the prefetch game asset is a portion of game content having a predefined level of interactivity relative to other portions of game content of the game streaming session, such that, the prefetch game asset portion of game content is selected to be prefetched based on the predefined level of interactivity, wherein a threshold of game streaming constraints applied to the prefetch game asset of the game content is based on the predefined level of interactivity of the prefetch game asset, wherein game streaming constraints indicate restrictions applied to streaming of game content;
prefetching the prefetch game asset, wherein the prefetch game asset is processed at the game server in advance of an anticipated game context where the prefetch game asset is used; and
providing, from the edge computing infrastructure, the prefetch game asset for output upon an occurrence of the anticipated game context.

2. The media of claim 1 , wherein the prefetch game asset is classified as a prefetch asset during a game development phase.

3. The media of claim 2 , wherein the prefetch instruction identifies a plurality of prefetch game assets as a package in association with the anticipated game context, the instructions are defined during the game development phase.

4. The media of claim 1 , wherein the anticipated game context is one of a plurality of anticipated game contexts, wherein the anticipated game context is a portion of game play that is triggered by interactions that are unique to a user during a game streaming session.

5. The media of claim 1 , wherein the prefetch game asset is a correction asset that repairs game corruption.

6. The media of claim 1 , wherein prefetching the prefetch game asset is based on:
referencing one or more interactive actions that trigger the anticipated game context; and
determining to prefetch the prefetch game asset based on the one or more interactive actions.

7. The media of claim 1 , wherein prefetching the prefetch game asset is based on referencing one or more game streaming session parameters of the distributed network infrastructure; and
determining to prefetch the prefetch game asset based on meeting a threshold of the one or more game streaming session parameters.

8. The media of claim 1 , wherein prefetching the prefetch game asset is based on:
prefetching the prefetch game asset from a primary storage associated with the game server; and
storing the prefetch game asset on a secondary storage associated with the edge computing infrastructure.

9. The media of claim 8 , wherein providing the prefetch game asset for output is based on:
downloading the prefetch game asset from the secondary storage; and
combining the prefetch game asset from the secondary storage with the stream game asset from the primary storage, wherein the stream game content is directly executed and processed at the game server.

10. One or more computer storage media storing computer-useable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform a method for prefetching game content, the method comprising:
transmitting a prefetch instruction to a game platform in a distributed network infrastructure, the prefetch instruction instructs the game platform to prefetch a prefetch game asset to an edge computing infrastructure, wherein the prefetch game asset is classified as a prefetch asset within a game streaming session, the prefetch game asset is a portion of game content having a predefined level of interactivity relative to other portions of game content of the game streaming session, such that, the prefetch game asset portion of game content is selected to be prefetched based on the predefined level of interactivity, wherein a threshold of game streaming constraints applied to the prefetch game asset of the game content is based on the predefined level of interactivity of the prefetch game asset, wherein game streaming constraints indicate restrictions applied to streaming of game content;
receiving a prefetch request from the game platform, wherein the prefetch request is generated based on referencing at least one game streaming session parameter;
processing the prefetch game asset; and
transmitting the prefetch game asset to the edge computing infrastructure, wherein the prefetch game asset is a processed game content that is stored at the edge computing infrastructure until an occurrence of an anticipated game context.

11. The media of claim 10 , wherein the prefetch instruction is further associated with a stream game asset, wherein the stream game asset is classified as a stream game asset within the game streaming session.

12. The media of claim 10 , wherein transmitting the prefetch instruction is based on:
referencing a current game context based on the prefetch instruction, the prefetch instruction embedded in game code; and
identifying one or more anticipated game contexts based on the current game context, wherein the anticipated game context is associated with the prefetch game asset.

13. The media of claim 10 , wherein processing the prefetch game asset comprising at least of one of the following:
rendering images; and
preparing audio.

14. The media of claim 10 , wherein the transmitting the prefetch game asset comprises streaming the prefetch game asset from a primary storage to a secondary storage, wherein the secondary storage is associated with the edge computing infrastructure such that the prefetch game asset is downloaded from the edge computing infrastructure upon occurrence of the anticipated game context.

15. The media of claim 14 , wherein streaming the prefetch game asset occurs simultaneously with streaming of at least stream game assets associated with a current game context.

16. A computer-implemented method for intelligently streaming game content, the method comprising:
identifying a game context for game content;
classifying at least a component of the game context with a level of interactivity, the component of the game context is game content having the level of interactivity relative to other components of the game context, such that, the component of the game content is selected to be prefetched with based on the level of interactivity, wherein a threshold of game streaming constraints applied to the prefetch game asset of the game content is based on the predefined level of interactivity of the prefetch game asset, wherein game streaming constraints indicate restrictions applied to streaming of game content;
streaming the game context based on at least the level of interactivity for the component of the game context.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein classifying the game context is based on at least one of: a game-developer-based classification, a play-testing-based classification, or a machine-learning-based classification.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein streaming the game context based on the level of interactivity of the game context further comprises:
identifying one or more game streaming constraints, wherein the one or more ga

Assignees

• Microsoft Corp Licensing Llc
• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Justice John Raymond
• Garden Euan Peter

Classifications

• A63F13/30

  Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers · CPC title

• H04L67/10

  in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network (software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46) · CPC title

• A63F13/355 Primary

  Performing operations on behalf of clients with restricted processing capabilities, e.g. servers transform changing game scene into an encoded video stream for transmitting to a mobile phone or a thin client · CPC title

• A63F13/77

  involving data related to game devices or game servers, e.g. configuration data, software version or amount of memory · CPC title

• A63F13/60

  Generating or modifying game content before or while executing the game program, e.g. authoring tools specially adapted for game development or game-integrated level editor · CPC title