Supplemental computing devices for game consoles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9415309-B2
Application number	US-201414294704-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 3, 2014
Priority date	Jun 3, 2014
Publication date	Aug 16, 2016
Grant date	Aug 16, 2016

Abstract

Supplemental computing devices that provide processing and/or storage resources to game consoles to assist these game consoles in executing a game. In some instances, a game console locally executes a copy of a game using resources of the game console. In addition, however, the game console may couple to a supplemental computing device that includes resources that the game console may also utilize to increase the speed or quality of a user's gaming experience. For instance, the supplemental computing device may couple via a physical connection (e.g., a wired connection) to the game console for processing data associated with the game and providing a result back to the console, and/or for storing game data on behalf of the game console.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A gaming system, comprising:
a first game console comprising one or more processors configured to locally execute a first game and provide video output of the first game to a display and audio output of the first game to a speaker, the game console including a first physical communication interface and a first wireless communication interface; and
a first supplemental computing device configured to detachably couple to the first game console via the first physical communication interface, the first supplemental computing device comprising:
a second physical communication interface;
a second wireless communication interface;
one or more processors configured to provide, via the first and second physical communication interfaces, processing resources to the first game console to assist the first game console in locally executing the first game; and
memory for receiving data associated with the first game from the first game console and storing the data for later access by the first game console;

wherein the first game console is further configured to couple, via the first wireless communication interface, to a second supplemental computing device, the second supplemental computing device including one or more processors to provide processing resources to the first game console and memory for providing storage resources to the first game console; and
wherein the one or more processors of the first supplemental computing device are configured to provide, via the second wireless communication interface, processing resources to a second game console for assisting the second game console in locally executing a second game on the second game console, the second game being different from the first game and the second game console being located remotely from the first game console.

2. The gaming system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the one the one or more processors of the first game console are further configured to:
identify additional supplemental computing devices within a threshold network distance of the first game console, the additional supplemental computing devices including the second supplemental computing device;
determine a network distance between the first game console and each of the additional supplemental computing devices; and
select, for use in assisting the first game console in locally executing the first game, the second supplemental computing device based at least in part on the determined network distances.

3. The gaming system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the one the one or more processors of the first supplemental computing device are further configured to:
identify additional supplemental computing devices within a threshold network distance of the first supplemental computing device, the additional supplemental computing devices including the second supplemental computing device;
determine a network distance between the first supplemental computing device and each of the additional supplemental computing devices; and
select, for use in assisting the first game console in locally executing the first game, the second supplemental computing device based at least in part on the determined network distances.

4. The gaming system as recited in claim 1 , wherein neither the first supplemental computing device nor the second supplemental computing device include a display driver, an audio driver, and a user-control interface.

5. An apparatus comprising:
a housing;
an interface for coupling the apparatus with a first game console that resides in a first environment with the apparatus;
one or more processors residing within the housing; and
logic residing within the housing and configured to cause the one or more processors to perform acts comprising:
receiving, while the apparatus is coupled to the first game console via the interface and while the first game console is executing a first game, a first request from the first game console to process first data associated with the first game;
processing, at least partly in response to the first request, the first data to create a first result;
providing the first result back to the first game console;
receiving, while the apparatus is coupled to the first game console via the interface and while the first game console is executing the first game, a second request from the first game console to store second data associated with the first game;
storing the second data at the apparatus at least partly in response to the second request;
receiving a third request from a second game console to process third data associated with a second game that the second game console is executing, the second game being different from the first game and the second game console residing in a second environment that is remote from the first environment of the first game console and the apparatus;
processing, at least partly in response to the third request, the third data to create a second result;
providing the second result back to the second game console;
receiving a fourth request from the second game console to store fourth data associated with the second game that the second game console is executing; and
storing the fourth data at the apparatus at least partly in response to the fourth request.

6. The apparatus as recited in claim 5 , wherein the apparatus couples to the first game console via a local connection and the apparatus couples to the second game console via a network connection.

7. The apparatus as recited in claim 5 , the acts further comprising broadcasting a service set identification (SSID) associated with the apparatus such that game consoles that are remote from the apparatus may wirelessly communicate with the apparatus.

8. The apparatus as recited in claim 5 , the acts further comprising:
determining, prior to the processing of the third data, whether the first game console is currently utilizing the apparatus; and
at least partly in response to determining that the first game console is currently utilizing the apparatus, refraining from processing the third data;
and wherein the processing of the third data occurs at least partly in response to determining that the first game console is not currently utilizing the apparatus.

9. The apparatus as recited in claim 5 , the acts further comprising:
receiving a request from a user of the first game console or the apparatus to limit sharing resources of the apparatus with other game consoles to specific times; and
configuring the apparatus to make its resources available to the other game console during the specific times and not during other times.

10. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a first game console residing in a first environment, cause the one or more processors to perform acts comprising:
sending, from the first game console and to a first supplemental computing device that resides in the first environment and is physically and detachably coupled to the first game console, a request to a process or store first data associated with a game that the first game console is executing;
receiving an indication that the first supplemental computing device has processed or stored the first data associated with the game;
identifying a second supplemental computing device physically and detachably coupled to a second game console, the second supplemental computing device being available for use by the first game console, the second supplemental computing device and the second game console residing in a second environment that is located remotely from the first environment in which the first supplemental computing device and the first gam

Assignees

• Nintendo Co Ltd
• Nintendo Co Ltd

Inventors

• Bentdahl Joseph Thomas

Classifications

• A63F13/323 Primary

  between game devices with different hardware characteristics, e.g. hand-held game devices connectable to game consoles or arcade machines · CPC title

• A63F13/537

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

• A63F13/355

  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

• A63F13/69

  by enabling or updating specific game elements, e.g. unlocking hidden features, items, levels or versions · CPC title