Initiating Real-Time Games in Video Communications

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes, by a client system of a first user, presenting, by the client system, a display interface comprising a plurality of layers, where a first layer is a game container containing a first game, the display interface comprising an activatable element to access a video communication, receiving, by the client system, an input from the first user to initiate the video communication with a second user within the first layer of the display interface via a selection of the activatable element, generating, by the client system, a video container in a second layer of the display interface, where the second layer contains the video communication with the second user in a full-screen view, reducing, by the client system, the first layer containing the game container to a thumbnail within the display interface, and overlaying, by the client system, the first layer onto the second layer.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising, by a first client system of a first user:
 presenting, by the first client system, a display interface comprising a plurality of layers, wherein a first layer is a game container containing a first game, and wherein the display interface comprises an activatable element to access a video communication;   receiving, by the first client system, an input from the first user to initiate the video communication with a second client system of a second user within the first layer of the display interface via a selection of the activatable element;   generating, by the first client system, a video container in a second layer of the display interface, wherein the second layer contains the video communication with the second client system in a full-screen view;   reducing, by the first client system, the first layer containing the game container to a thumbnail view within the display interface; and   overlaying, by the first client system, the first layer onto the second layer.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the first client system prior to generating the video container, an indication of acceptance by the second client system to initiate the video communication.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the first client system, an input to adjust one or more of a position or size of the thumbnail view of the game container.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the video communication includes one or more activatable elements, and wherein the thumbnail view within the first layer is overlaid to avoid overlaying onto the one or more activatable elements. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first game is a turn-based game, and wherein the method further comprises:
 generating a second game container containing a second game in a third layer of the display interface to determine who plays first in the first game.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 closing the third layer from the display interface responsive to determining the second game is complete.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: wherein the first game is a turn-based game, and wherein a user is chosen randomly to play first in the first game. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 closing the first layer from the display interface responsive to determining the first game is complete; and   maintaining the video communication with the second client system in the full-screen view in the second layer.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the first client system, an input from the first user to initiate a video communication with a third client system of a third user within the first layer of the display interface via a selection of the activatable element;   generating, by the first client system, a video container in a third layer of the display interface; and   overlaying, by the client system, the third layer onto the second layer.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the display interface contains a third layer comprising a video communication of the first user that is overlaid onto the second layer and wherein the method further comprises:
 reducing, by the first client system, the third layer to a thumbnail view within the first layer of the display interface; and   overlaying, by the first client system, the third layer onto the second layer.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first game in an augmented-reality game, and wherein the method further comprises:
 expanding, by the first client system, the game container to a full-screen view within the first layer of the display interface; and   displaying, by the first client system, the first layer as an augmented reality overlay over the second layer comprising the video communication with the second client system of the second user.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 executing, by the client system, a gaming protocol associated with the first game, wherein the gaming protocol comprises instructions for coordinating in-game actions between the first and second users via application programming interface (API) calls to a gaming server.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the video communication of the second client system of the second user comprises a plurality of features, and wherein the gaming protocol further comprises instructions for mapping the one or more game elements to one or more of the features in the video communication, respectively, wherein each game element in the first layer of the display interface is overlaid over the respective feature in the video communication in the second layer of the display interface. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising receiving an input associated with an in-game action of the first game, wherein the input includes movement of the one or more features of the first user. 
     
     
         15 . One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying software that is operable when executed by a client system to:
 present, by the client system, a display interface comprising a plurality of layers, wherein a first layer is a game container containing a first game, and wherein the display interface comprises an activatable element to access a video communication;   receive, by the client system, an input from the first user to initiate the video communication with a second user within the first layer of the display interface via a selection of the activatable element;   generate, by the client system, a video container in a second layer of the display interface, wherein the second layer contains the video communication with the second user in a full-screen view;   reduce, by the client system, the first layer containing the game container to a thumbnail within the display interface; and   overlay, by the client system, the first layer onto the second layer.   
     
     
         16 . The media of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the client system prior to generating the video container, an indication of acceptance by the second user to initiate the video communication.   
     
     
         17 . The media of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the client system, an input to adjust one or more of a position or size of the thumbnail game container of the first user.   
     
     
         18 . The media of  claim 15 , wherein the video communication includes one or more activatable elements, and wherein the thumbnail within the first layer is overlaid to avoid overlaying onto the one or more activatable elements. 
     
     
         19 . The media of  claim 15 , wherein the first game is a turn-based game, and wherein the method further comprises:
 generating a second game container containing a second game in a third layer of the display interface to determine who plays first in the first game.   
     
     
         20 . A client system comprising: one or more processors; and a non-transitory memory-coupled to the processors comprising instructions executable by the processors, the processors operable when executing the instructions to:
 present, by the client system, a display interface comprising a plurality of layers, wherein a first layer is a game container containing a first game, and wherein the display interface comprises an activatable element to access a video communication;   receive, by the client system, an input from the first user to initiate the video communication with a second user within the first layer of the display interface via a selection of the activatable element;   generate, by the client system, a video container in a second layer of the display interface, wherein the second layer contains the video communication with the second user in a full-screen view;   reduce, by the client system, the first layer containing the game container to a thumbnail within the display interface; and   overlay, by the client system, the first layer onto the second layer.