U.S. Patent no. 10,315, 108: Local application quick start with cloud transitioning

Issued June 11, 2019 to Sony Interactive Entertainment America LLC
Priority Date August 19, 2015

Summary:
U.S. Patent No. 10,315,108 (the ‘108 Patent) relates to cloud streaming of video games. More specifically the invention relates to starting a video game on a local device and transitioning to cloud streaming the game. Cloud gaming allows a person to access a game over the internet and stream its content to them. Graphic intensive games as well as loading new segments of content currently causes extensive wait times. The ‘108 Patent is aimed at addressing these issues. The invention proceeds where the device receives a signal to initiate the cloud game and starts to deliver the initial content. Then upon a second signal the next segment of content is located and delivered.  This cloud gameplay can be configured to maintain user preferences and can also be terminated at request by the user. This can increase the access to video games by further improving cloud services.

Abstract:
A method is provided, including: receiving at a client device a first command to initiate a cloud video game; in response to receiving the first command, retrieving, by the client device, initial content from a client local storage; rendering the initial content to a display device; sending a first request from the client device to a cloud gaming service to access the cloud video game, the cloud gaming service being configured to assign the client device to a gaming machine configured to execute the cloud video game; receiving at the client device a second command to initiate interactive gameplay; in response to receiving the second command, sending a second request from the client device to the cloud gaming service, the cloud gaming service being configured to, in response to receiving the second request, initiate streaming of interactive gameplay content generated by the executing cloud video game to the client device.

Illustrative Claim:
1. A method, comprising: receiving at a client device a first command to initiate a cloud video game; in response to receiving the first command, retrieving, by the client device, initial content for the cloud video game from a client local storage; rendering the initial content to a display device connected to the client device, the rendered initial content defining content of the cloud video game that does not result from interactive gameplay of the cloud video game and that is configured to be rendered prior to rendering interactive gameplay content of the cloud video game; further upon and in response to receiving the first command, and also while retrieving and rendering the initial content, sending a first request from the client device to a cloud gaming service to access the cloud video game, the cloud gaming service being configured to, in response to receiving the first request, assign the client device to a gaming machine that is configured to execute the cloud video game and prepare for streaming of interactive gameplay content generated by the executing cloud video game to the client device; after the game machine is ready to execute the cloud video game, transitioning from rendering the initial content obtained from the local storage to the executing cloud video game to enable initiation of interactive gameplay of the cloud video game; in response to receiving a second command to initiate said interactive gameplay, sending a second request from the client device to the cloud gaming service, the cloud gaming service being configured to, in response to receiving the second request, initiate streaming of the interactive gameplay content generated by the executing cloud video game to the client device.