Abstract: A computer-implemented method is provided. The method includes executing a game application on one or more servers of a data center. The game application is for a game and the game is played by a first user of a first client device remote to the data center. The one or more servers interfaced with one or more encoders for compressing interactive video from the game application responsive to input from the first client device and streaming of the interactive video in a compressed format to the first client device for decompression and rendering to a display of the first client device. The method includes storing, at the data center, a recording of at least part of the game played by the first user using the first client device. The method includes storing, at the data center, state data for at least part of the game played by the first user using the first client device. The method includes generating a replay of the recording responsive to input from a second user device.

Abstract: A system and method are described for storing program code and data within an application hosting center. For example, one embodiment of a computer-implemented method comprises: subdividing program code and/or data used to execute an online application into a first type and a second type; storing program code and data of the first type in a first type of memory, the first type of memory providing relatively low latency memory access; storing program code and data of the second type in a second type of memory, the second type of memory providing relatively higher latency memory access compared to the first type of memory; retrieving program code and data from the first memory and the second memory in response to a client request to execute an online application; and transmitting a streaming interactive video stream representing images generated by the application to the client.

Abstract: A multiple antenna system (MAS) with multiuser (MU) transmissions (“MU-MAS”) exploiting inter-cell multiplexing gain via spatial processing to increase capacity in wireless communications networks.

Abstract: A method is described comprising: applying a random pattern to specified regions of an object; tracking the movement of the random pattern during a motion capture session; and generating motion data representing the movement of the object using the tracked movement of the random pattern.

Abstract: A system and method are described for storing program code and data within an application hosting center. For example, one embodiment of a computer-implemented method comprises: subdividing program code and/or data used to execute an online application into a first type and a second type; storing program code and data of the first type in a first type of memory, the first type of memory providing relatively low latency memory access; storing program code and data of the second type in a second type of memory, the second type of memory providing relatively higher latency memory access compared to the first type of memory; retrieving program code and data from the first memory and the second memory in response to a client request to execute an online application; and transmitting a streaming interactive video stream representing images generated by the application to the client.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method is provided. The method includes running a game application on one or more servers of a hosting service center. The game application is for a game and wherein the game application is played by a first user of a first client device remote to the hosting service center via compressed streaming interactive video transmitted over the Internet. The method includes storing a recording of the game played by the first user. The method includes storing application state information for the recording of the game played by the first user. The method includes using the application state information, by a second user, to generate one or more additional views of the recording of the game played by the first user. The one or more additional views include generation of video using the application state information, and the generated video is different than video of the recording.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for coordinating transmissions in distributed wireless systems via user clustering. For example, a method according to one embodiment of the invention comprises: measuring link quality between a target user and a plurality of distributed-input distributed-output (DIDO) distributed antennas of base transceiver stations (BTSs); using the link quality measurements to define a user cluster; measuring channel state information (CSI) between each user and each DIDO antenna within a defined user cluster; and precoding data transmissions between each DIDO antenna and each user within the user cluster based on the measured CSI.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for enhancing the channel spatial diversity in a multiple antenna system (MAS) with multi-user (MU) transmissions (“MU-MAS”), by exploiting channel selectivity indicators. The proposed methods are: i) antenna selection; ii) user selection; iii) transmit power balancing. All three methods, or any combination of those, are shown to provide significant performance gains in DIDO systems in practical propagation scenarios.

Abstract: Systems and methods for creating and delivering an interactive display of thumbnail windows of visual content of different video game sessions are presented. In one embodiment, a method provides for sending, by a server of hosting service, an interactive interface for display on display of a client device. The interactive interface has an array of thumbnail windows and each thumbnail window depicts visual content of different video game sessions being played. Responsive to a selection of a thumbnail window by a user of the client device, the method provides for sending a video stream associated with the selected thumbnail window from the array of thumbnail windows. The video stream enables the user of the client device to view interactive game play of a video game associated with the video stream.

Abstract: A system and method are described below for encoding interactive video used in video games streamed from a server to a client. For example, one embodiment of a computer-implemented method for performing video compression, and detecting a maximum data rate of a communication channel between a server and a client. The method includes transmitting a video stream comprising a series of compressed frames from the server to the client. The method includes detecting that the maximum data rate will be exceeded if a particular frame or frames of the sequence of frames are transmitted from the server to the client over the communication channel. The method includes reducing the frame rate of the video stream by adjusting compression of the video frames being sent from the server to the client to avoid exceeding the maximum data rate.

Abstract: Computer-implemented methods for hosting online video games are provided. One method includes generating a plurality of video frames. The method includes initiating a sending of each one of the plurality of video frames to a client. Each of the video frames that is sent is compressed. The method includes stopping the compression and sending of video frames when one of the plurality of video frames is taking longer than a frame time to compress and send. A frame time is defined as one over a frame rate, and wherein stopping the compression of video frames includes ignoring said video frames by an encoder. The method includes continuing to compress and send audio data to the client when one or more of said plurality of video frames are not sent to the client.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method is provided. The method includes executing a video game on a server unit and said server unit producing uncompressed interactive video. The method includes processing the uncompressed interactive video at a compression unit associated with the server unit. The compression unit outputting compressed interactive video, and the server unit and the compression unit being located at a data center. The method includes streaming the compressed interactive video over a packetized network from the data center to one or more client devices associated with one or more users. Each client device is located geographically remote to the data center, and the server is configured to receive input to drive gameplay of the video game by said one or more client devices. The compressed interactive video is configured for decompression and presentation at said one or more client devices.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for online game streaming is provided. One example method includes receiving a request from a remote client to access a user account. The user account identifies information regarding the user and digital content available for the user to access from the remote client. The request is received over an Internet connection at a hosting service that includes one or more servers and the digital content including a video game. The method includes receiving selection of the game by the hosting service from the remote client and initiating, by the hosting service, a data rate test of the remote client. The data rate test is configured to identify a maximum available data rate between the remote client and one or more servers of the hosting service. The data rate test includes gradually increasingly the data rate and then gradually decreasing the data rate to identify an active data rate for streaming interactive content of the video game.

Abstract: A computer-implemented system and method for streaming video from a server to a client are described. For example, a method according to one embodiment comprises: receiving at the server a request for video content from the client; in response to the request, determining the hardware/software configuration of the client; generating and/or selecting a temporary decoder based on the hardware/software configuration of the client; transmitting the temporary decoder to the client, the client installing the temporary decoder; encoding and streaming the requested video content from the server to the client, the video content being encoded based on the capabilities of the temporary decoder, the video content being decoded by the temporary decoder and rendered on the client; detecting that the client has ended the session with the server; and in response to detecting that the client has ended the session, temporarily disabling and/or removing the temporary decoder from the client.

Abstract: A system and method for entering text within a video game application are described.

Abstract: Systems and methods for creating and delivering an interactive display of thumbnail windows of visual content of different video game sessions are presented. In one embodiment, a method provides for sending, by a server of a service, an interactive interface for display on display of a client device. The interactive interface has a set of thumbnail windows and each thumbnail window depicts visual content of different video game sessions being played. Responsive to a selection of a thumbnail window by a user of the client device, the method provides for sending a video stream associated with the selected thumbnail window from the set of thumbnail windows. The video stream enables the user of the client device to view interactive game play of a video game associated with the video stream.

Abstract: Methods for and operating a service and systems are provided. One method includes executing one or more video games on one or more servers of a service. The one or more video games are played or used by one or more users on one or more client devices remote to the service via compressed streaming interactive video. The compressed streaming interactive video is sent to the one or more client devices where decompression of the compressed streaming interactive video is preformed to display video of each of said one or more video games and said one or more servers are configured to receive user control input to driver interactivity with said one or more video games. The method includes broadcasting the one or more video games as one or more streams of compressed streaming interactive video to enable one or more viewing client devices to view said one or more video games over the Internet. Each of the one or more viewing client devices receives one or more of the streams of compressed streaming interactive video.

Abstract: A method is described comprising: applying a random pattern to specified regions of an object; tracking the movement of the random pattern during a motion capture session; and generating motion data representing the movement of the object using the tracked movement of the random pattern.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for radio frequency (RF) calibration in a multiple antenna system (MAS) with multi-user (MU) transmissions (“MU-MAS”) exploiting uplink/downlink channel reciprocity. The RF calibration is used to compute open-loop downlink precoder based on uplink channel estimates, thereby avoiding feedback overhead for channel state information as in closed-loop schemes. For example, a MU-MAS of one embodiment comprises a wireless cellular network with one or multiple beacon stations, multiple client devices and multiple distributed antennas operating cooperatively via precoding methods to eliminate inter-client interference and increase network capacity.

Abstract: Methods for hosting low-latency streaming interactive audio/video (A/V) include executing one or more video games or applications on a server communicatively coupled to a data network. Packet streams are received from a plurality of users and routed to the one or more video games. The packet streams include user control input that are used to compute A/V data in response. The A/V data are received from the video games or applications. Portions of the A/V data are compressed in parallel using processing units resulting in low-latency streaming compressed A/V data. The low-latency streaming compressed A/V data are routed to each of the users over a corresponding data network communication channel. The executing of video games, receiving of packet streams and A/V data, compressing portions of the A/V data and routing the compressed A/V data are performed with a latency such that at least one user has the perception that the controlled video game is responding instantly.