System for Pre-Caching Game Content Based on Game Selection Probability

Abstract

A system for serving digital games to clients has an Internet-connected server, a digital data repository coupled to the Internet-connected server, the data repository storing digital resources for playing a plurality of games on a computerized appliance; and software executing on the Internet-connected server from a non-transitory physical medium, the software providing a first function determining for a specific client a list of games by probability of subsequent client selection, a second function causing transmission of resources for the list of games determined by the first function, directed to a computerized appliance associated with client, beginning with the most probable game in the list.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]1. Field of the Invention[0002]The present invention is in the field of network gaming and pertains particularly to methods and apparatus for predicting game selection and pre-caching game resources relative to those predicted selections.[0003]2. Discussion of the State of the Art[0004]In the art of network-based gaming, it is desirable that games selected by clients download quickly with minimal load time on the client machine. In typical application, a content server analogous to a game server serves the game scripting and resources to the client machine to enable loading of a selected game. Much opportunity for delay in the game-loading process exists. Typically a client's browser is served the universal resource locator (URL) and other information to retrieve the game resources. The user operating the client machine then waits while the game metadata (often XML) is retrieved and the game resources including sounds, images, assets and other resour...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0008]The present inventor realized in an innovative moment that if, prior to game selection, gaming content relative to one or more games that a client is most likely to select could be downloaded and pre-cached to the client machine for quick load, significant delay in launching a next game might be reduced or eliminated. The inventor therefore constructed a unique predictive system for Internet gaming that allowed gaming content deemed most relative to a client's probable game selection to be downloaded to the client machine and pre-cached for faster game loading. A significant reduction in time to load results with no impediment to the gaming experience.

Problems solved by technology

The problem stated above is that expediency of game loading is desirable for an Internet gaming machine, but many of the conventional means for obtaining and loading game content, such as by requesting and subsequent downloading, also create delay.

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