Patent Publication Number: US-8968093-B2

Title: Dynamic insertion of personalized content in online game scenes

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     In an online video gaming system a game-user/player may freely download games from a game provider&#39;s web site. The downloaded game may be a modified or “stripped-down” version of a game designed to acquaint the game-user with the game&#39;s features and to encourage the game-user to purchase the complete version. In one respect the downloaded version or stripped-down version of the game may be considered a “loss-leader.” In other words the game provider may initially lose money in providing a freely downloadable modified game with the expectation that the loss will be more than offset when the game-user decides to purchase the complete version of the game. 
     The game provider may also employ a remote game server to provide media content to the game-user such as a 2-D game scene. In addition, the game software may be designed to export client terminal information (such as information regarding the registration status of the game-user) to the game server. Some of the media content provided by the game server may include content that the game-user&#39;s client terminal can update with user-specific data, such as game character attributes (e.g., a game character&#39;s name, etc.). Although the media content may be modified by the client terminal the media content may not be personalized by the game server because any game-user/player interacting with the game server and providing the same user data to the game server (e.g., the registration status of the game-user) will receive the same media content regardless of the game-user&#39;s personal attributes, such as the game-user&#39;s geographical location and/or the game-user&#39;s time zone. Thus the game server may not be able to stream media content such as advertising content personalized for consumption by a specific game-user. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate one or more implementations consistent with the principles of the invention and, together with the description, explain such implementations. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. In the drawings, 
         FIG. 1  illustrates an example system; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates some components of the system of  FIG. 1  in more detail; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates some components of system of  FIGS. 1 and 2  in more detail; 
         FIG. 4  illustrates an example data packet; and 
         FIG. 5  is a flow chart illustrating an example process of replacing static media objects with dynamic media objects. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The following detailed description refers to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numbers may be used in different drawings to identify the same or similar elements. In the following description, for purposes of explanation and not limitation, specific details are set forth such as particular structures, architectures, interfaces, techniques, etc. in order to provide a thorough understanding of the various aspects of the claimed invention. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art, having the benefit of the present disclosure, that the various aspects of the invention claimed may be practiced in other examples that depart from these specific details. In certain instances, descriptions of well known devices, circuits, and methods are omitted so as not to obscure the description of the present invention with unnecessary detail. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an example system  100  according to one implementation of the invention. System  100  may include a media center  102 , a game server  104 , a network  106  and storage  108 . Media center  102  may include a game engine  110  and a content engine  112 . System  100  may also include a coordination server  114 . Although the following description of system  100  may be in the context of an online gaming system utilizing MPEG4-compatible streaming media object distribution and/or coding schemes and MPEG4-compatible encoding and/or decoding apparatus, the invention is not limited in this regard and other existing and/or to-be-developed media distribution and/or coding schemes consistent with the present invention are contemplated by the present invention. 
     Media center  102  may be communicatively coupled through network  106  to game server  104  and may provide data and/or game metadata to game server  104  over network  106 . Although media center  102  may be embodied in a single device, such as a single integrated circuit (IC) system on a chip (SOC), in some implementations certain components of media center  102  may be remote and/or physically separated from other components of media center  102 . For example, in other implementations, media center  102  may comprise two or more physically distinct ICs or two or more ICs interconnected and packaged together. Furthermore, although media center  102  may comprise discrete components, some components may be implemented in hardware, software/firmware, or some combination thereof. 
     Game server  104  may include and/or may be communicatively coupled to a source of game content (not shown). Although, as illustrated, game server  104  may comprise a single content server, such as a web server, in other implementations game server  104  may comprise two or more content serving devices arranged to provide game content to other devices, such as media center  102 , coupled to network  106 . Game server  104  may provide game content in the form of MPEG4-compatible encoded media objects to other devices, such as media center  102 , coupled to network  106 , although the invention is not limited in this respect. The encoded media objects provided and/or streamed by game server  104  may, for example, comprise encoded still or video image objects and/or encoded audio objects although the invention is not limited in this regard. Game server  104  may provide such encoded game content and/or media objects in response to data and/or game metadata received over network  106  from other devices coupled to network  106 , such as media center  102 . 
     In some implementations, game server  104  may provide static media objects to media center  102 . Static media objects may be media objects that are designated and/or specified to be replaced by dynamic media objects also provided by game server  104 . In particular, although the invention is not limited in this regard, game server  104  may provide static media objects in addition to other media objects to media center  102  when a game-user/player using media center  102  first downloads and/or otherwise obtains game software from game server  104  and/or from another server (not shown). 
     Network  106  may be any content delivery network capable of routing data and/or game metadata from and/or game content and/or encoded media objects between game server  104  and media center  102 . For example, although the invention is not limited in this regard, network  106  may comprise the internet or world-wide-web and all local sub-networks required to couple game server  104  and media center  102  to the internet. Although media center  102  and/or game server  104  may be coupled to network  106  through wired communications infrastructure, the invention is not limited in this regard and in some implementations media center  102  and/or game server  104  may be coupled to network  106  through wireless communications infrastructure. 
     Storage  108  may be communicatively and/or operatively coupled to media center  102  to provide storage for encoded and/or decoded media objects received from game server  104 . Storage  108  may comprise one or more suitable integrated drive electronics (IDE) drives, such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or optical disc drive (e.g., CD-ROM, CD-R/W, DVD-R, DVD-R/W, etc.), to name a few possibilities. 
     Content engine  112  may comprise hardware, software, firmware or any combination thereof capable of interacting with game server  104 , game engine  110  and storage  108  in the manner to be described below. Content engine  112  may decode streams of encoded media objects received from game server  104 , compose the decoded media objects into composite game scenes and supply the resulting composite game scenes to game engine  110 . Content engine  112  may also facilitate interaction with both storage  108  to store encoded and/or decoded media objects and/or retrieve encoded and/or decoded media objects from storage and game server  104  to communicate game data to game server  104 . All of these functions will be discussed in more detail below. 
     In some implementations, content engine  112  may provide game data to game server  104  when media center  102  and/or content engine  112  communicates with game server  104  over network  106 . For example, although the invention is not limited in this regard, a game-user/player using media center  102  and wishing to play an online game may establish communication with game server  104  and, in so doing, content engine  112  may provide game data to game server  104 . The game data may include personalized data or attributes such as the game-user/player&#39;s game profile, the game-user/player&#39;s game playing habits, the game-user/player&#39;s local time, etc. In response to the received game data, game server  104  may provide one or more dynamic media objects to content engine  112  and, in turn, content engine  112  may replace one or more static media objects with the one or more dynamic media objects. 
     Game engine  110  may comprise hardware, software, firmware or any combination thereof capable of implementing game play. Game engine  110  may perform several functions including, but not limited to, running local game software facilitating user/player interaction and/or game play with a game environment and/or rendering composite game scenes received from content engine  112  in response to game control parameters retrieved from storage  108 . 
     Coordination server  114  may include and/or may be communicatively coupled to a source of game coordination data (not shown). Although, as illustrated, coordination server  114  may comprise a single server, such as a web server, in other implementations coordination server  114  may comprise two or more server devices, such as web servers, arranged to provide coordinating data and/or control data to other devices, such as media center  102  and/or game server  104 , coupled to network  106 . Although illustrated as physically distinct from game server  104 , in other implementations, coordination server  114  and game server  104  may be embodied within a single server, although the invention is not limited in this respect. 
     Coordination server  114  may provide control data to game server  104  to specify which content and/or media objects game server  104  should provide to media center  102 , although the invention is not limited in this respect. Coordination server  114  may provide such control data in response to game data received over network  106  from other devices coupled to network  106 , such as media center  102 . In addition, coordination server  114  may be coupled, via network  106 , to one or more additional media centers (not shown) and may provide control data to game server  104  specifying what media objects game server  104  should send to those additional media centers. Coordination server  114  may provide control data specifying content for media center  102  and/or additional media centers in response to game data received from media center  102  and/or in response to game data received from those additional media centers. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates media center  102  and some other components of the system  100  of  FIG. 1  in more detail. In addition to game engine  110  and content engine  112 , media center  102  may include snooping logic  204 . As illustrated, content engine  112  may be compatible with the MPEG4 media coding scheme and/or protocol although the invention is not limited in this regard. 
     In addition, media center  102  may implement and/or support several layers and/or portions of layers of MPEG4-compatible delivery multimedia integration framework (DMIF) software to provide a uniform transport interface between content engine  112  and other components of system  100 . MPEG4 DMIFs are well known in the art and a more detailed description of their function and/or structure is omitted herein in order not to unnecessarily obscure implementations of the present invention. 
     Media center  102  may include a game engine DMIF  206  to enable the communication and/or streaming of, for example, game scenes including decoded media objects from content engine  112  to game engine  110 . Media center  102  may also include a storage DMIF  210  to enable the communication of, for example, I/O interface  212  and/or encoded and/or decoded media objects and/or game data from content engine  112  and/or game engine  110  to and/or from storage  108 . 
     Media center  102  may further include a server DMIF  208  to enable the communication and/or streaming of, for example, encoded media objects from network  106  to content engine  112  and/or the communication of game data from content engine  112  to network  106 . Media center  102  may include signal mapping functionality  214  to enable proper routing of signals including, for example, game data from server DMIF  208  over network  106  to game server  104  and/or coordination server  114 . Signal mapping  214  may be provided by hardware, software, firmware or any combination thereof. 
     Snooping logic  204  may be provided by hardware, software, firmware or any combination thereof capable of permitting game engine  110  to extract game control parameters from storage  108 , using I/O interface  212 , as needed to allow game engine  110  to update game data such as the game-user&#39;s profile although the invention is not limited in this regard. Although illustrated as being external to game engine  110 , in some implementations snooping logic  204  may be internal to game engine  110  although the invention is not limited in this regard. The functionality of snooping logic  204  will also be discussed in more detail below. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates some components of media center  102  and content engine  112  of  FIGS. 1 and 2  in more detail. In one implementation, content engine  112  may include a synchronization layer (SL) manager  302 , timing and synchronization logic (TSL)  304  and an elementary stream (ES) manager  306 . Although illustrated as separate components, in other implementations SL manager  302  and TSL  304  may be implemented within one component, although the invention is not limited in this regard. Similarly, although SL manager  302  and ES manager  306  are illustrated as separate components in  FIG. 3 , in other implementations SL manager  302  and ES manager  306  may be implemented as a single component although, again, the invention is not limited in this regard. In addition, SL manager  302 , TSL  304  and/or ES manager  306  may be provided by hardware, software, firmware or any combination thereof. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates an example synchronization layer (SL) packet  402  that may include header information specifying timing parameters such as MPEG4-compatible time stamps, although the invention is not limited in this regard. In some implementations, SL packet  402  may include three time stamps: an object reference clock (OCR)  404  time stamp that may represent a master time base for system  100  and that may be used to reconstruct a time base for an associated object: a decoding time stamp (DTS)  406  that may specify a time, referenced to the OCR time stamp, at which to decode an associated encoded media object; and a composition time stamp (CTS)  408 , also referenced to the OCR time stamp, that may specify a time at which the ES manager  306  should render a decoded media object. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 1-4 , SL packet  402  may be associated with an encoded media object such as an encoded media object streamed by game server  104 . Game server  104  may provide and/or stream SL packet  402  to media center  102  along with one or more associated encoded media objects. 
     In some implementations, SL manager  302  may implement and/or support one or more layers and/or portions of layers software compatible with the MPEG4 flextime protocol and/or scheme. Such flextime-compatible software may permit SL manager  302  to utilize, process and/or modify OCR, DTS and CTS time stamps associated with one or more media objects as will be described in more detail below. The MPEG4 flextime protocol and/or scheme is well known in the art and more detailed description of flextime function and/or structure is omitted herein in order not to unnecessarily obscure implementations of the present invention. 
     In some implementations, SL manager  302  may implement and/or support one or more layers and/or portions of layers software compatible with the MPEG4 flexmux protocol and/or scheme. Such flexmux-compatible software may permit SL manager  302  to de-multiplex streams of encoded media received from game server  104  via network  106  and server DMIF  208  to yield de-multiplexed media objects as will be described in more detail below. In addition, SL manager  302  may use the flexmux-compatible software to de-multiplex streams of encoded media objects provided by storage DMIF  210  as will be described in more detail below. The MPEG4 flexmux protocol and/or scheme is well known in the art and more detailed description of flexmux function and/or structure is omitted herein in order not to unnecessarily obscure implementations of the present invention. 
     In some implementations, SL manager  302  may utilize storage DMIF  210  to pull static objects from storage  108  and may provide those static objects and/or DTS and CTS time stamps associated with those static objects to ES manager  306  as will be described in more detail below. In addition, SL manager  302  may, in response to dynamic objects provided by game server  104  and pushed by server DMIF  208 , provide DTS and CTS time stamps associated with those dynamic objects to ES manager  306  as will be described in more detail below. SL manager  302  may pull the static objects in response to information and/or metadata provided by and/or associated with a dynamic object pushed by game server  104 . 
     In some implementations, TSL  304  may utilize OCR time stamps provided by SL manager and associated with one or more media objects to generate synchronization data such as presentation metadata. In some implementations, TSL  304  may modify flextime parameters to compensate for small temporal drifts due to delay and/or jitter associated with network  106  as determined by temporal fluctuations in the OCR time stamps with respect to a local time base. TSL  304  may provide the presentation metadata to ES manager  306  to enable ES manager  306  to compose game scenes. In addition, TSL  304  may compare OCR time stamps received from SL manager  302  to a local time base, generate a modified OCR′ time stamp in response to that comparison, and provide the modified OCR′ time stamp to ES manager  306 . In some implementations, TSL  304  may compare the OCR time stamps to a timing signal T provided, for example, by an internal clock signal generator (not shown). 
     In some implementations, TSL  304  may generate pull primitives and/or pull indicators in response to comparing the OCR time stamps to the local time base and may provide those pull primitives and/or pull indicators to SL manager  302  along with the modified OCR′ time stamps. In response to the pull primitives and modified OCR′ time stamps received from TSL  304 , SL manager  302  may indicate to storage DMIF that one or more static media objects should be pulled from storage  108  and provided to SL manager  302 . 
     In some implementations, ES manager  306  may implement and/or support one or more layers and/or portions of layers of flextime-compatible software. Such flextime software may permit ES manager  306  to utilize, process and/or modify the OCR, DTS and CTS time stamps associated with one or more media objects as will also be described in more detail below. For example, ES manager may modify the DTS and/or CTS time stamps associated with static media objects to temporally match the DTS and/or CTS time stamps associated with dynamic media objects. 
     In response to the OCR′ time stamps provided by TSL  304  and the DTS/CTS time stamps provided by SL manager  302  as well as the presentation metadata provided by TSL  304 , ES manager  306  may compose and/or multiplex a stream of game scenes and supply that media stream to game engine DMIF  206  for delivery to game engine  110 . The composed game scenes may incorporate dynamic media objects swapped for static media objects supplied through storage DMIF  210 . The composed game scenes may also incorporate additional media objects supplied through server DMIF  208 . In particular, in response to the time stamps provided by both SL manager  302  and TSL  304 , ES manager  306  may replace one or more static objects provided by ES manager  306  with one or more dynamic objects as will be described in further detail below. 
     In addition to streaming encoded media objects associated with one or more SL packets  402 , game server  104  may also, in some implementations, stream one or more SL packet specifying MPEG4-compatible binary information for scenes (BIFS) data. The streamed BIFS may inform content engine  112  of the spatial and temporal location of each media object in a game scene. MPEG4 BIFS are well known in the art and more detailed description of their function and/or structure is omitted herein in order not to unnecessarily obscure implementations of the present invention. 
     In response to one or more BIFS, content engine  112 , in particular ES manager  306 , may compose an associated game scene and provide that scene to game engine  110  through game engine DMIF  206 . In particular, in some implementations, a BIFS associated with a dynamic object may specify that ES manager  306  should replace one or more static objects with one or more dynamic objects when composing a particular game scene as will be described in more detail below. 
       FIG. 5  is a flow chart illustrating a process  500  of replacing static media objects with dynamic media objects. Although process  500 , and associated processes, may be described with regard to system  100  of  FIG. 1  and components of system  100  as illustrated in  FIGS. 2 and 3  for ease of explanation, the claimed invention is not limited in this regard. In addition, although  FIG. 5  may be described in the context of a game-user/player playing a free online game where an online gaming service provides streaming game content to the user/player through game server  104  and system  100 , the invention is not limited in this regard. 
     Processing may begin by generating game data to reflect game-user/player specific data such as the player&#39;s local time and/or some aspect of the player&#39;s profile such as the player&#39;s age or game level [act  502 ]. One way to do this is by having media center  102  generate the game data. Specifically, game engine  110  may generate the game data and supply that game data to content engine  112 . In some implementations, a game-user/player may first download and/or obtain free online game software including static media objects from a game provider. One way to do this would be to download the game software using media center  102 , although the invention is not limited in this respect. In some implementations, the downloaded static media objects may be stored in storage  108 . In some implementations, the static objects stored in storage  108  may be associated with time stamps, for example, static DTS and/or CTS time stamps. The game-user/player may then establish communication via a network with a game server that may be distinct from the game provider. One way to do this may be to establish communication over network  106  with game server  104  using media center  102  and/or content engine  112 . 
     Process  500  may continue by sending the game data to a game server [act  504 ]. This may be accomplished by content engine  112  sending the game data to game server  104  over network  106 . In other implementations, however, game engine  110  may send the game data to game server  104 . In some implementations, content engine  112  may obtain game data stored in storage  108  using storage DMIF  210  and provide that game data to game server  104  using server DMIF  208 . In some implementations, the game data stored in storage  108  may be updated and/or modified using game parameters obtained from game engine  110  using snooping logic  204 . For example, when a game-user/player is winning a game, snooping logic  204  may update and/or modify the game data stored in storage  108  to reflect this. 
     Processing may continue with game server  104 , or a game content generating component (not shown) coupled to game server  104 , generating and/or providing a dynamic media object in response to the game data [act  506 -A]. In some implementations, such a dynamic object may comprise personalized advertising generated in response to the game data, although the invention is not limited in this regard. Game server  104 , or a game content generating component coupled to game server  104 , may also generate a modified BIF [act  506 -B] associated with the dynamic media object generated in act  506 A. Game server  104  may send the dynamic media object and modified BIFS to media center  102  [acts  508 -A and  508 -B respectively]. 
     In some implementations, coordination server  114  may, in response to the game data, provide control data to game server  104  specifying which dynamic media objects it should supply to content engine  112 . Coordination server  114  may do so in response not only to game data received from media center  102  but also in response to game data received from one or more additional media centers (not shown) that are also coupled to game server  104  through network  106 . For example, although the invention is not limited in this regard, multiple game-users/players using media center  102  and one or more additional media centers may use game server  104  to play a multi-player online game. Coordination server  114  may then provide coordination for the multi-player online game by, for example, incorporating and/or tracking the actions of the multiple game-users/players as provided by multiple game-users/players&#39; respective game data and, in response, providing control data to game server  104 . 
     By communicating with multiple game-users/players and coordinating the content provided by game server  104 , coordination server  114  may enable system  100  to provide dynamic content personalized to each one of the multiple game-users/players. For example, a game-user/player that is losing the multi-player online game may receive different dynamic content than a game-user/player that is winning the multi-player online game. 
     In some implementations, processing may continue by replacing a static object with the dynamic object as specified by and in response to the modified BIFS [act  510 ]. One way to do this is by having ES manager  306  of content engine  112  replace a static object specified by the modified BIFS with a dynamic object associated with and/or specified by the modified BIFS. For example, the modified BIFS may specify that SL manager  302  provide a specific static object associated with a particular OCR time to ES manager  306 . More specifically, although the invention is not limited in this regard, the OCR time stamp of the SL packet  402  associated with the dynamic object may be modified by TSL  304  and the modified OCR′ supplied to SL manager  302 . SL manager  302  may then instruct storage DMIF  210  to pull one or more static objects in response to the OCR′ time stamp. SL manager  302  may then provide the static object and its associated DTS and CTS time stamps to ES manager  306 . In some implementations, ES manager  306  may then modify the static objects&#39; DTS and CTS time stamps in response to the OCR′ time stamps provided by TSL  304  to match the DTS and CTS time stamps of the dynamic object. ES manager  306  may then swap and/or replace the static media object with the dynamic media object. 
     Processing may proceed with the incorporation of the dynamic media object along with other objects into a stream of objects representing a game scene [act  512 ]. In some implementations, this may be done by ES manager  306  incorporating and/or composing the dynamic media object with other media objects obtained from either storage  108  and/or game server  104  into a single multimedia object stream. In some implementations the multimedia object stream produced by ES manager  306  may be an MPEG4 media object stream, although the invention is not limited in this regard. 
     The acts shown in  FIG. 5  need not be implemented in the order shown; nor do all of the acts necessarily need to be performed. Also, those acts that are not dependent on other acts may be performed in parallel with the other acts. In addition, process  500  may be repeated one or more times during the course of playing an online game thereby permitting personalized content to be inserted into multiple online game scenes. Further, at least some of the acts in this figure may be implemented as instructions, or groups of instructions, implemented in a machine-readable medium. 
     The foregoing description of one or more implementations consistent with the principles of the invention provides illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the scope of the invention to the precise form disclosed. Modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings or may be acquired from practice of various implementations of the invention. 
     For example, the system, apparatus and methods for dynamically inserting personalized content in online gaming scenes described herein are not limited to systems or apparatus which use MPEG4-compatible media objects. Rather, the claimed invention also contemplates other protocols capable of supporting the dynamic insertion of personalized content in online gaming scenes. Also, although described in terms of using external storage  108  to store static objects, in some implementations static objects may be stored in storage and/or memory internal to media center  102 . For example, static object storage may be provided by memory embedded within content engine  112  and/or game engine  110 . Clearly, many other implementations may be employed to provide for the dynamic insertion of personalized content in online gaming scenes Consistent with the claimed invention. 
     No element, act, or instruction used in the description of the present application should be construed as critical or essential to the invention unless explicitly described as such. Also, as used herein, the article “a” is intended to include one or more items. Variations and modifications may be made to the above-described implementation(s) of the claimed invention without departing substantially from the spirit and principles of the invention. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included herein within the scope of this disclosure and protected by the following claims.