Internet gaming with multiple web sites

• US 20030032480A1
• Filed: 07/31/2001
• Published: 02/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synergee, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Christopher Keith
• Inventors: Keith, Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 6,632,142 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/792 for payment purposes, e.g. monthly subscriptions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5513 involving billing

Abstract

A home site operates a game involving player visits to play sites, to view information at the play sites and possibly to perform additional activity at the play sites. Play sites are selected in accordance with interests of a game player and/or because characteristics of a game player satisfy desired player characteristics associated with the play site. The play site game activity, performed to participate in the game, may be viewing information at the play site, or pseudo-buying an item at the play site. In some games, member icons are provided to players, and the players must find the member icons at the play sites. After an icon is found, communication between the player and member is enabled.

Claims

1. A method of operating a game, comprising:

enabling performance of game activity at a home site, and

reflecting, at the home site, game activity performed at a play site.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the home site game activity occurs before the play site game activity.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the home site game activity occurs after the play site game activity.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the play site is selected from a list of play sites provided by the home site at the start of the game.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the play site is selected in accordance with interests of a game player.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the play site is selected because characteristics of a game player satisfy desired player characteristics associated with the play site.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the play site game activity is in accordance with specified desired activity associated with the play site.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the home site game activity is answering a question about information provided at the play site.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the play site game activity is viewing information at the play site.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the play site game activity is pseudo-buying an item at the play site.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein pseudo-buying includes examining a cookie automatically provided by a purchaser'"'"'s web browser to the play site.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein pseudo-buying includes examining, at the play site, information manually provided by a purchaser.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein pseudo-buying includes searching for a purchaser on a list provided from the home site.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising synchronizing, at the home site, players that are part of a team.

15. A method of pseudo-buying, comprising:

receiving, at a web site, actions for purchasing a good or service,

automatically determining that the purchase is part of a game, and

automatically preventing the purchase actions from resulting in an actual purchase transaction.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the determining includes examining a cookie automatically provided by the purchaser'"'"'s web browser to the web site.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the determining includes examining information manually provided by the purchaser to the web site as part of the purchasing actions.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the determining includes searching for the purchaser on a list provided from another web site.

19. A method of operating a game, comprising:

providing, from a home site to a player, a list of play sites and a member icon associated with a member; and

receiving, at the home site, an indication that the player found the member icon at one of the play sites.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the indication is received from the play site containing the member icon.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising enabling communication between the player and the member after the indication is received.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the list of play sites is selected in accordance with interests of the player.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein at least one of the play sites on the list is selected because characteristics of the player satisfy desired player characteristics associated with the play site.

24. The method of claim 19, further comprising providing a group clue from the home site to the player so the player can determine whether the member is part of a group including the player.

25. A method of enabling game playing, comprising:

receiving input from a player at a play site selected from a list of play sites, the list being provided from a home site to the player, and

automatically acting to produce a result for a game at the home site.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the play site is selected in accordance with interests of the player.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the play site is selected because characteristics of the player satisfy desired player characteristics associated with the play site.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the input received at the play site is for pseudo-buying an item at the play site.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein pseudo-buying includes examining a cookie automatically provided by a purchaser'"'"'s web browser to the play site.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein pseudo-buying includes examining, at the play site, information manually provided by a purchaser.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein pseudo-buying includes searching for a purchaser on a list provided from the home site.

32. The method of claim 25, wherein the input received from the player is related to an icon displayed at the play site, and the automatically acting includes sending a message from the play site to the home site indicating that the player provided input related to the icon.