Systems and methods for providing system level notifications in a multimedia console

Abstract

A system for providing system level notifications in a multimedia console has a notification system application native to the multimedia console which subscribes to all notification events generated by the application manager of the multimedia console. Through an application programming interface (API), a game developer can easily specify the location of user notifications and also delay the display of user notifications for the developer's game. A user is notified that a particular notification is intended for him or her in a multi-player environment by a visual indication corresponding to that user's controller. The user may then press a button on the controller to be immediately directed to further information regarding the notification.

1 . A method for providing system level notifications in a multimedia console having a central processing unit, a graphics processing unit, and a memory comprising the acts of: 
 managing the receipt of a notification for a user of the multimedia console with a process running as part of the multimedia console operating system while a separate multimedia application is running on the multimedia console; and    managing the display of a notification for a user of the multimedia console with a process running as part of the multimedia console operating system while the separate multimedia application is running on the multimedia console.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 managing the receipt of notifications for simultaneous multiple users of the multimedia console with the process running as part of the multimedia console operating system while the multimedia application is running on the multimedia console; and    managing the display of notifications for simultaneous multiple users of the multimedia console with the process running as part of the multimedia console operating system while the multimedia application is running on the multimedia console.    
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2  further comprising: 
 providing a mechanism for a developer of a separate application for the multimedia console to specify in the development of the application a delay of the display of the notifications at certain points while the separate application is running on the multimedia console.    
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 2  further comprising: 
 notifying a particular user within a plurality of simultaneous users of the multimedia console when a notification is received for the particular user by displaying a visual indication that differentiates the notification as intended for the particular user within the plurality of simultaneous users.    
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the visual indication is associated with a multimedia console controller associated with the particular user.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5  further comprising: 
 providing a mechanism for the particular user to respond to the notification received for the particular user through an input mechanism on the controller; and    providing a mechanism for, upon the user responding to the notification, the multimedia console operating system navigating the particular user to a location within a user interface of the multimedia console displaying information regarding the notification for the particular user.    
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the act of providing the responding mechanism comprises providing a system wherein the user pushes one time a single button on the controller that is associated with the particular user in order to respond to the notification.  
   
   
       8 . A computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions for performing the method of  claim 1 .  
   
   
       9 . A method for providing system level notifications in a computing system comprising the acts of: 
 managing the receipt of notifications for simultaneous multiple users of the computing system with a process running as part of the computing system operating system while the a multimedia application is running on the computing system; and    managing the display of notifications for simultaneous multiple users of the computing system with the process running as part of the computing system operating system while the multimedia application is running on the computing system.    
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9  further comprising: 
 providing a mechanism for a developer of a separate application for the computing system to specify in the development of the application a delay of the display of the notifications at certain points while the separate application is running on the computing system.    
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 9  further comprising: 
 notifying a particular user within a plurality of simultaneous users of the computing system when a notification is received for the particular user by displaying a visual indication that differentiates the notification as intended for the particular user within the plurality of simultaneous users.    
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the visual indication is associated with a computing system controller associated with the particular user.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising: 
 providing a mechanism for the particular user to respond to the notification received for the particular user through an input mechanism on the controller; and    providing a mechanism for, upon the user responding to the notification, the computing system operating system navigating the particular user to a location within a user interface of the computing system displaying information regarding the notification for the particular user.    
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the act of providing the responding mechanism comprises providing a system wherein the user pushes one time a single button on the controller that is associated with the particular user in order to respond to the notification.  
   
   
       15 . A computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions for performing the method of  claim 9 .  
   
   
       16 . A system for providing system level notifications in a multimedia console having a central processing unit, a graphics processing unit, and a memory comprising: 
 means for managing the receipt of a notification for a user of the multimedia console with a process running as part of the multimedia console operating system while a separate multimedia application is running on the multimedia console; and    means, for managing the display of a notification for a user of the multimedia console with a process running as part of the multimedia console operating system while the separate multimedia application is running on the multimedia console, said notification display managing means in operable communication with the notification receipt managing means.    
   
   
       17 . The system of  claim 16  wherein: 
 the notification receipt managing means further comprises: 
 means for managing the receipt of notifications for simultaneous multiple users of the multimedia console with a process running as part of the multimedia console operating system while the separate multimedia application is running on the multimedia console; and  
   the notification display managing means further comprises: 
 means for managing the display of notifications for simultaneous multiple users of the multimedia console with a process running as part of the multimedia console operating system while the separate multimedia application is running on the multimedia console.  
   
   
   
       18 . The system of  claim 17  further comprising: 
 means for notifying a particular user within a plurality of simultaneous users of the multimedia console when a notification is received for the particular user by displaying a visual indication that differentiates the notification as intended for the particular user within the plurality of simultaneous users.    
   
   
       19 . The system of  claim 18  wherein the visual indication is associated with a multimedia console controller associated with the particular user.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19  further comprising: 
 means for the particular user to respond to the notification received for the particular user through an input mechanism on the controller; and    means for, upon the user responding to the notification, the multimedia console operating system to navigate the particular user to a location within a user interface of the multimedia console displaying information regarding the notification for the particular user.