Cross-platform interactive streaming

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019118099-A1
Application number	US-201815865711-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 9, 2018
Priority date	Oct 20, 2017
Publication date	Apr 25, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method comprises electronically communicating with a game program executing on a broadcaster computer configured to stream a broadcast of the game program, the game program supporting a set of game program methods and not a set of viewer program methods. The method further comprises electronically communicating with a viewer program executing on an audience computer configured to remotely present the broadcast, the viewer program supporting the set of viewer program methods and not the set of game program methods. The method further comprises receiving, from the viewer program, an indication of an invoked viewer program method. The method further comprises translating the indication into a corresponding indication of a game program method, and electronically communicating the indication of the game program method to the game program to effectuate output of the game program corresponding to the indicated game program method.

First claim

1 . A computing system, comprising:
a logic machine; and a storage machine holding instructions executable by the logic machine to:
electronically communicate with a game program executing on a broadcaster computer configured to stream a broadcast of the game program, the game program supporting a set of game program methods and not a set of viewer program methods;
electronically communicate with a viewer program executing on an audience computer configured to remotely present the broadcast of the game program, the viewer program supporting the set of viewer program methods and not the set of game program methods;
receive, from the viewer program, an indication of an invoked viewer program method;
translate the indication of the invoked viewer program method into a corresponding indication of a game program method; and
electronically communicate the indication of the game program method to the game program to effectuate output of the game program corresponding to the indicated game program method.

2 . A method, comprising:
electronically communicating with a game program executing on a broadcaster computer configured to stream a broadcast of the game program, the game program supporting a set of game program methods and not a set of viewer program methods; electronically communicating with a viewer program executing on an audience computer configured to remotely present the broadcast of the game program, the viewer program supporting the set of viewer program methods and not the set of game program methods; electronically caching one or more game program methods and metadata associated with the one or more game program methods in a cache; receiving, from the viewer program, an indication of an invoked viewer program method; analyzing at least a portion of the metadata stored in the cache to identify a game program method that matches the invoked viewer program method within a lookup duration threshold; and electronically communicating an indication of the game program method to the game program to effectuate output of the game program corresponding to the indicated game program method.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the one or more game program methods are electronically cached upon startup of the game program, the method further comprising electronically caching an additional game program method loaded by the game program following startup of the game program.

4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the metadata includes a name of each of the one or more game program methods, and wherein identifying the game program method that matches the invoked viewer program method includes comparing a name of the game program method to a name of the invoked viewer program method.

5 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the metadata includes a number of parameters taken by each of the one or more game program methods, and wherein identifying the game program method that matches the invoked viewer program method includes comparing a number of parameters taken by the game program method to a number of parameters taken by the invoked viewer program method.

6 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the metadata includes one or more datatypes taken by each of the one or more game program methods, and wherein identifying the game program method that matches the invoked viewer program method includes comparing one or more datatypes taken by the game program method to one or more datatypes taken by the invoked viewer program method.

7 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the metadata includes one or more datatypes produced by the one or more game program methods, and wherein identifying the game program method that matches the invoked viewer program method includes comparing one or more datatypes produced by the game program method to one or more datatypes produced by the invoked viewer program method.

8 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising electronically caching a list of game state data synchronized between the broadcaster computer and the audience computer, the game state data being one or both of periodically synchronized based on a periodic interval and aperiodically synchronized in response to a threshold change in the game state data.

9 . A method, comprising:
electronically communicating with a broadcast program executing on a broadcaster computer configured to stream a broadcast of the broadcast program, the broadcast program supporting a set of broadcast program methods and not a set of viewer program methods; electronically communicating with a viewer program executing on an audience computer configured to remotely present the broadcast of the broadcast program, the viewer program supporting the set of viewer program methods and not the set of broadcast program methods; receiving, from the viewer program, an indication of an invoked viewer program method; translating the indication of the invoked viewer program method into a corresponding indication of a broadcast program method; and electronically communicating the indication of the broadcast program method to the broadcast program to effectuate output of the broadcast program corresponding to the indicated broadcast program method.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the broadcast program is a video game program.

11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the broadcast program is a production program.

12 . The method of claim 9 , wherein electronically communicating with the broadcast program includes electronically communicating between a streaming program executing on the broadcaster computer and the broadcast program.

13 . The method of claim 9 , wherein electronically communicating with the broadcast program includes electronically communicating between a remote computing system and the broadcast program.

14 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the viewer program is presented on an Internet browser executing on the audience computer.

15 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
acquiring unprocessed state data from the broadcast program; processing the unprocessed state data based on a configuration of the audience computer to form processed state data; and electronically communicating the processed state data to the viewer program.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the viewer program includes an interactive control configured according to the processed game state data.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein one or both of the indication of the invoked viewer program method and the unprocessed game state data are processed via one or both of serialization and deserialization.

18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein one or both of the indication of the invoked viewer program method and the unprocessed game state data are processed by identifying a least common denominator datatype utilized by the game program and the viewer program.

19 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the indication of the invoked viewer program method includes a two-dimensional coordinate, the method further comprising:
mapping the two-dimensional coordinate to a location in the broadcast program; identifying a target of the broadcast program at the location; and electronically communicating state data corresponding to the target to the viewer program.

20 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising blocking at least a portion of the set of broadcast program methods from being remotely called from the audience computer.

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Payzer Gershom L
• Fox Richard Michael
• Smith Gregory M
• Peet Connor

Classifications

• A63F13/86 Primary

  Watching games played by other players · CPC title

• H04L67/025

  for remote control or remote monitoring of applications · CPC title

• H04N21/2187

  Live feed · CPC title

• A63F2300/577

  for watching a game played by other players · CPC title

• H04L65/611

  for multicast or broadcast (systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06) · CPC title