Game has locally saved pointer to state saved elsewhere

Abstract

User interaction with game software on an optical disc can start or be resumed from a specific state of the software. Upon terminating user interaction halfway down the game, the specific state is saved on a network and a pointer to the specific state is saved locally on an IC integrated with the optical disc. This approach renders user interaction with the software independent of the physical location of the user, and enables local memory at gaming consoles to be lean.

1 . A method of enabling to start user interaction with software from a specific state of the software onward, the method comprising enabling to locally store a pointer to remotely stored information of the specific state.  
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising enabling to save the specific state information on a network.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising enabling to automatically retrieve the specific state information upon retrieval of the pointer.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , comprising enabling to automatically retrieve the pointer upon the user initiating a process to start the interaction.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the initiating comprises inserting a data carrier, which accommodates the software, into a network-enabled apparatus.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the software comprises a computer game.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the software is available on a removable data carrier, the method comprising enabling the pointer to be saved on the carrier.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising enabling a previous user to initiate the saving of the pointer and enabling the user to start the interaction from the specific state onward as specified by the pointer.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , enabling the previous user to initiate the saving of the pointer from a first apparatus, and enabling the user to start the interaction from a second apparatus, different from the first apparatus.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the specific state information comprises information about a setting of a user interface.  
     
     
         11 . A data carrier system for use with a data processing system, the carrier system having a read-only portion comprising user-interactive software, and a writeable portion for storing a pointer to a specific state of the software.  
     
     
         12 . The carrier system of  claim 11 , wherein the read-only portion and the writeable portion are integrated in a physical data carrier.  
     
     
         13 . The carrier system of  claim 12 , wherein the read-only portion comprises an optical disc and wherein the writeable portion comprises a Chip-in-Disc.  
     
     
         14 . The carrier system of  claim 11 , wherein the read-only portion comprises control software for control of storing the pointer.  
     
     
         15 . The carrier system of  claim 11 , wherein the read-only portion comprises control software for control of retrieving the pointer.  
     
     
         16 . The carrier system of  claim 11  wherein the read-only portion comprises control software for control of storing the specific state information.  
     
     
         17 . The carrier system of  claim 11 , wherein the read-only portion comprises control software for retrieving the specific state information under control of the pointer.  
     
     
         18 . The carrier system of  claim 11 , comprising a first physical carrier for accommodating the read-only portion, and comprising a second physical carrier for accommodating the writeable portion, the second physical carrier being physically separate from the first physical carrier.  
     
     
         19 . An apparatus for enabling user interaction with software from a specific state of the software onwards, the apparatus being operative to enable to retrieve information about the specific state from a remote source under control of a locally stored pointer to the information.  
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , operative to communicate with the remote resource via a data network.  
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , having a removable memory for storing the pointer.  
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , having a removable memory storing the software.  
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , configured to cooperate with a data carrier that accommodates the software and that has a writeable memory for storing the pointer.  
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 23 , having a Chip-in-Disc functionality.