U.S. Patent no. 10,272,335: Systems and methods of serving video for remote play

Issued April 30, 2019 to Sony Interactive Entertainment America LLC
Priority Date December 15, 2007

Summary:
U.S. Patent No. 10,272,335 (the ‘335 Patent) relates to video games played over a computing network. These video games can be played by using a remote server that sends game state information and limited image information to clients via the computing network. This is in contrast to video games played locally on a stand-alone game console such as Microsoft’s Xbox, Nintendo’s GameBoy, and Sony’s PlayStation. Video games played over a computing network instead function by allowing players to input commands that are received by a computing network which then advances the global game state. This process can similarly be applied to multiplayer games as well which allow for many users to send data to this computing network whereby an image is generated and sent back to the players’ devices. The ‘335 Patent represents a potential massive improvement in remote play. The invention represents a major advancement in video games as a movement beyond being limited to physical immobile consoles and allowing for games to be played more freely.

Abstract:
Methods and systems are provided for executing video games by a gaming computer and enabling remote play. In example, a method includes receiving a command from a first player via a first client and a computing network. The method updates a game state of a video game based on the command received from the first player and receiving a first point of view of the first player via the computing network. The method communicates at least part of the game state to a first image generator executed by the gaming computer and sends via the computing network to the first client a first image based on the game state and the first point of view using the first image generator. The first image is configured for rendering by the first client. The first image is a video image of a plurality of video images presented to the first client, which is accessing the gaming computer for remote play.

Illustrative Claim:
1. A method executed on gaming system, comprising: receiving a connection request from a remote client to access a player interface of the game system, the connection request being received via a computing network; receiving a command for a video game from the remote client via the player interface executed by the gaming system, the command being received via the computing network; executing the game based at least in part on the received command; and sending compressed images from the gaming system via the computing network to the remote client, the compressed images including an image of the video game rendered based on a game state of the video game and a point of view of a player connected via the remote client, the game state being based in part on the command, wherein the compressed images include partially rendered images that require additional rendering by the remote client; the compressed images configured to be decompressed by the remote client; and the remote client is configured to perform additional texture rendering for display of the decompressed images for viewing by the player.