U.S. Patent no. 10,258,882: Recording companion

Issued April 16, 2019 to Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
Priority Date March 4, 2014

Summary:
U.S. Patent No. 10,258,882 (the ‘882 Patent) relates to creating recordings of active gameplay of a video game. When viewers are watching a live video broadcast, events may occur that may be of particular interest to the viewers. As such, this invention is directed at solving this problem by allowing for the recording and storage of these gameplay moments. During active gameplay of the video game, the gameplay is continuously and automatically buffered to a temporary storage buffer. During this gameplay the computer gaming device may receive a command to save a segment of the gameplay for later viewing. This can be accomplished without interrupting the gameplay and is saved from the temporary storage buffer to a library for the in-game recording companion.

Abstract:
Active gameplay of a video game on a computer gaming device is overseen by a platform-level in-game recording companion that executes separately from any of a plurality of different video games. During active gameplay of the video game, the active gameplay is continuously and automatically buffered to a temporary storage buffer. During active gameplay the computer gaming device receives a command to save a segment of the active gameplay for subsequent viewing. While displaying gameplay of the currently-executing video game, an interface for the platform-level in-game recording companion is displayed. The segment of the active gameplay is saved from the temporary storage buffer to a library of the platform-level in-game recording companion.

Illustrative Claim:
1. A digital video recording method for video games, the method comprising: on a computer gaming device configured to play a plurality of different video games, overseeing active = gameplay of a video game of the plurality of different video games with a platform-level in-game recording companion that executes separately from any of the plurality of different video games; during active gameplay of the video game, continuously and automatically buffering the active gameplay to a temporary storage buffer of the computer gaming device; during active gameplay of the video game, receiving a command to save a segment of the active gameplay for subsequent viewing; while displaying gameplay of the video game, displaying an interface for the platform-level in-game recording companion; and saving the segment of the active gameplay from the temporary storage buffer to a library of the platform-level in-game recording companion.