Game play companion application

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017354884-A1
Application number	US-201715476597-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 31, 2017
Priority date	Jun 13, 2016
Publication date	Dec 14, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for gaming, including establishing a first communication channel with a first computing device associated with a first user configured for implementing a first instance of a gaming application in association with a first game play of the first user. The method further including establishing a second channel with a second computing device associated with the first user. The method further including generating an interface including information related to the first game play of the first user and second game play of a second user playing the gaming application. The method further including delivering the interface and the information over the second channel to the second computing device for display concurrent with the first game play of the first user.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for gaming, comprising:
establishing a first communication channel with a first computing device associated with a first user configured for implementing a first instance of a gaming application in association with a first game play of said first user; establishing a second channel with a second computing device associated with said first user; generating an interface including information related to said first game play of said first user and second game play of a second user playing said gaming application; and delivering said interface and said information over said second channel to said second computing device for display concurrent with said first game play of said first user.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
accessing a first user profile of said first user; determining a plurality of friends of said first user based on said first user profile, wherein each of said plurality of friends is playing said gaming application, wherein a first friend comprises said second user; and including first information related to a plurality of game plays of said plurality of friends in said interface.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein said generating an interface comprises:
generating a radar mapping for said information showing a first character of said first user within a gaming world of said gaming application; locating said first character at a center of said radar mapping; and placing a plurality of objects of interest at a plurality of locations on said radar mapping, wherein locations of said first character and said plurality of objects in said gaming world create a plurality of directional relationships.

4 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
generating a directional object representing said first character; placing said directional object in said center of said radar mapping; and orienting said directional object to show a direction of a point of view of said first character in said gaming world.

5 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
superimposing an outline of a world in said gaming world over said radar mapping.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
inserting an arrow into a current scene generated for said first game play for display at said first computing device, wherein said arrow points in a direction of a first object selectable via said interface.

7 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
receiving a command instruction from a third computing device of said second user over said first channel, wherein said command instruction orients said arrow within said current scene.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said including first information comprises:
generating a timeline for said information, wherein said timeline comprises a plurality of thumbnails including a plurality of snapshot images associated with said second game play, wherein said plurality of snapshot images corresponds to a plurality of snapshots, wherein a first snapshot enables execution of an instance of said gaming application beginning from a point in said gaming application where said first snapshot was captured; receiving selection of a first snapshot image in said timeline; initiating a second instance of said gaming application based on a first snapshot corresponding to said first snapshot image, wherein said second instance instantiates a jump game play associated with said first user; and implementing said jump game play over said first or second communication channel.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said generating an interface comprises:
providing streaming video of said second user for said information.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said generating an interface comprises:
receiving a request from said first computing device for help in accomplishing an objective; and generating an instruction feature for said information, wherein said instruction feature comprises a list of commands implementable by said first user to accomplish said objective based on said second game play.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said generating an interface comprises:
receiving a request from said first computing device for help in accomplishing an objective; and generating a coaching feature for said information, wherein said coaching feature comprises a video clip showing a previous accomplishment of said objective based on said second game play.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
receiving from said first computing device of said first user selection of a jump point in said second game play; initiating a second instance of said gaming application based on a snapshot referenced in said video clip, wherein said snapshot is captured during said second game play, wherein said second instance instantiates a jump game play.

13 . A method for providing information, comprising:
establishing a first instance of a gaming application in association with a first game play of a first user; establishing a second instance of a gaming application in association with a second game play of a second user; determining that said first user and said second user have a friend relationship and that both are playing said gaming application based on user profiles of said first user and said second user; establishing a first communication channel with a first computing device associated with said first user configured for implementing said first instance of a gaming application; establishing a second channel with a second computing device associated with said first user; generating an interface including information related to said first game play of said first user and second game play of said second user; and delivering said interface and said information over said second channel to said second computing device for display.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein said determining that said first user and said second user have a friend relationship comprises:
informing a first user profile of said first user that said first user is currently playing said gaming application; informing a second user profile of said second user that said second user is currently playing said gaming application; and accessing said second user profile.

15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein said generating an interface comprises:
generating a radar mapping for said information showing a first character of said first user within a gaming world of said gaming application; locating said first character at a center of said radar mapping; and placing a plurality of objects of interest at a plurality of locations on said radar mapping that show a plurality of directional relationships between locations of said first character and said plurality of objects in said gaming world.

16 . The method of claim 13 , wherein said generating an interface comprises:
generating a timeline for said information, wherein said timeline comprises a plurality of thumbnails including a plurality of snapshot images associated with said second game play of said second user, wherein said plurality of snapshot images corresponds to a plurality of snapshots, wherein a first snapshot enables execution of an instance of said gaming application beginning from a point in said gaming application where said first snapshot was captured.

17 . A game cloud system for gaming, comprising:
a game server configured to manage a plurality of virtual gaming engines configured to execute a plurality of instances of a video game in association with a plurality of users playing said video game;

Assignees

• Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC

Inventors

• Benedetto Warren
• Noss Landon
• Sherwani Adil
• Kusumoto Akihiko
• Hayashida Nicole

Classifications

• A63F13/537 Primary

  using indicators, e.g. showing the condition of a game character on screen · CPC title

• A63F13/493

  Resuming a game, e.g. after pausing, malfunction or power failure · CPC title

• A63F13/79

  involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories · CPC title

• A63F13/795

  for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list · CPC title

• A63F13/86

  Watching games played by other players · CPC title