Save game load time reduction for cloud gaming

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11083963-B2
Application number	US-201514805419-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 21, 2015
Priority date	Jul 22, 2014
Publication date	Aug 10, 2021
Grant date	Aug 10, 2021

Abstract

A cloud gaming system having a game console that is configured to execute video games is provided. The game console provides an interface for a remote client device to interface with the game console and request that games be played. The game console being located in a first data center. The system further includes a storage server connected to the game console over a network connection in the first data center. A save data server is also provided and is located in a second data center. Data selection logic of the game console is provided. The data selection logic is configured to retrieve save data from the save data server and cache the save data to a save data disk of the game console. The data selection logic is configured to automatically retrieve the save data upon detecting a session initiation for a user account.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A cloud gaming system, comprising,
a game console configured to execute game logic for one or more games, the game console being installed at a first data center of the cloud gaming system;
a storage server configured to store the one or more games, the game console being in network communication with the storage server, the storage server and the game console being located in the first data center, the storage server storing game disks that represent the game logic for each of the one or more games; and
a save data server, the save data server being in communication with the game console over an Internet connection, wherein the save data server is located in a second data center;
wherein the game console is configured to obtain one or more of said game disks for executing the game logic of said one or more games responsive to receiving a request from a user to access the cloud gaming system via a user account that causes a gaming session to be initiated;
wherein the save data server is configured to store save data separately from said game disks of the one or more games, the save data is usable by the game logic to render a current state of game play by the user accessing the cloud gaming system, the current state of game play represents activity achieved during play and is associated with the user account for said one or more games,
the game console is configured to automatically trigger retrieval of save data for specific ones of said one or more games from the second data center to the first data center for the user account,
the retrieval of save data from the second data center causing the save data to be cached at the first data center so that the save data is accessible for use by the game console at the first data center, and the automatic trigger of retrieval of the save data is based on a prediction that the user will select to resume play of specific ones of said games at the current state of game play using said save data that has been cached,
wherein the retrieval and caching of the save data starts responsive to and upon initiation of the game session and before the game is selected and loaded for play, and once the game logic of the game is selected and loaded for play, the game logic uses the cached save data for the game of the user, the game console is configured to execute the game logic and stream video frames to a remote client of the user without sending game logic or save data to the remote client.

2. The cloud gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the prediction that the user will select to resume play of one of said games is at least partially based on a likelihood that the game will be selected for play by the user.

3. The cloud gaming system of claim 1 , wherein additional save data for other games are retrieved and cached upon the initiation of the gaming session, wherein each of the save data retrieved and cached is selected for retrieval is additionally based on a historical use pattern by the user associated with the user account.

4. The cloud gaming system of claim 1 , further comprising,
selecting an additional save data for another game from a third data center upon the initiation of the gaming session, wherein each of the save data retrieved and cached is selected for retrieval is additionally based on a historical use pattern by the user associated with the user account.

5. The cloud gaming system of claim 1 , wherein initiation of the gaming session includes logging into the cloud gaming system using the user account, wherein the cloud gaming system identifies a plurality of games that the user has previously played, each of the games that the user has previously played are enabled for selection for play, wherein one or more of the games previously played has been played more than others or more recently than others.

6. The cloud gaming system of claim 5 , wherein save data for more than one game is retrieved and cached additionally based on a weighted priority that identifies games that most likely to be played from the identified plurality of games, and the save data that is retrieved and saved will initially include at least those related to the games that the user is most likely to play.

7. The cloud gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the game console is a cloud game console managed by the cloud gaming system, the game console is remote from the remote client device used to access the cloud gaming system.

8. The cloud gaming system of claim 1 , further comprising,
data selection logic for identifying save data that is to be retrieved, the data selection logic generates a list of save data based on processing historical use by the user of certain games, the list of save data used in selecting which of the save data to retrieve and cache from the second data center or other data centers.

9. The cloud gaming system of claim 1 , further comprising,
a streaming server configured to interface between the game console and the storage server and the save data server.

10. A cloud gaming system, comprising,
a streaming server configured to manage a game disk and a save data disk;
a game console that is configured to execute video games, the streaming server providing an interface for a remote client device to interface with the game console and request that games be played, the game console and the streaming server being co-located in a first data center;
a storage server connected to the streaming server over a network connection, the storage server storing game disks that represent game logic for each of the video games;
a save data server located in a second data center for storing save data as save data disks separately from said game disks;
the streaming server being configured to retrieve save data from the save data server and cache the retrieved save data to the save data disk of the game console, the retrieving of the save data from the save data server being triggered automatically in response to the streaming server detecting that the game console has initiated a gaming session on the cloud gaming system and before receiving selection from the remote client to cause loading of the game logic for the video game;
wherein the save data that is retrieved and cached to the save data disk of the game console is predicted to have a likelihood of being used for resuming play of a specific video game associated with a user account, the save data including a current state of game play that represents activity performed during play of the game, and said save data is used to render the current state of game play of the game after the game logic for the game is loaded for the initiated gaming session, the user account being used to access the game console via the streaming server by the remote client device, the streaming server is configured to stream video frames during play of the game to the remote client without sending game logic or save data to the remote client.

11. The cloud gaming system of claim 10 , wherein the game console is a cloud game console managed by the cloud gaming system.

12. The cloud gaming system of claim 10 , further comprising,
data selection logic for identifying save data that is to be retrieved.

13. The cloud gaming system of claim 12 , wherein the data selection logic selects different save data based on a user historical game use or game patterns.

14. A cloud gaming system, comprising,
a game console that is configured to execute video games, game console providing an interface for a remote client device to interface with the game console and request that games be played by streaming video frames to the remote client device, the game conso

Assignees

• Sony Computer Entertainment America Llc
• Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC

Inventors

• Colenbrander Roderick

Classifications

• A63F13/335

  using Internet · CPC title

• A63F2300/538

  for performing operations on behalf of the game client, e.g. rendering · CPC title

• A63F2300/57

  details of game services offered to the player · CPC title

• A63F13/95

  Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges · CPC title

• A63F13/358

  Adapting the game course according to the network or server load, e.g. for reducing latency due to different connection speeds between clients · CPC title