Computing environment transaction system to transact computing environment circumventions

• US 20040024641A1
• Filed: 04/18/2003
• Published: 02/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gametek LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Gametek LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Inventors: Cartwright, Shawn
• Granted Patent: US 10,346,853 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/61 using advertising information
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0209 Incentive being awarded or redeemed in connection with the playing of a video game
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0211 Determining the effectiveness of discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0274 Split fees
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0275 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

A system and methods allowing the creation, integration, and transaction of rule circumventions and/or interactive advertisements in computing environments is provided. In an illustrative implementation, the present invention comprises a core transaction server, a multimedia transaction server, and browser application. A computing environment cooperates with the core transaction server to obtain data representative of computing environment rule circumventions for integration within the computing environment as well as computing environment circumvention transaction information. The core transaction server cooperates with the multimedia transaction server to obtain data representative of the desired computing environment rule circumvention and with the browser application to obtain inputs from computing environment to establish accounts for use when transacting computing environment rule circumvention transactions.

Claims

1. In a computing environment a system allowing the circumvention of predefined rules of the environment comprising:

a computing environment navigation application, the computing environment navigation application having a user interface to accept and display data representative of rule circumventions; and

a core transaction server, the core transaction server cooperating with the computing environment navigation application through an adapter, said adapter allowing for the seamless communication and integration information communicated to and from the core transaction server,

wherein, the core transaction server has at least one instruction set to transact at least one circumvention of the predefined rules.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a multimedia server, the multimedia server cooperating with the core transaction server to provide content representative of at least one rule circumvention of the predefined rules.

3. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein the multimedia server comprises, an Internet information server, a multimedia transaction dynamic link library, stored procedures, and information server application program interface.

4. The system as recited in claim 2, further comprising a multimedia server, the multimedia server operating between the multimedia transaction server and the computing environment navigation application to provide data from the multimedia transaction server to the computing environment navigation application.

5. The system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a payment processing module, the payment processing module cooperating with the core transaction server to reconcile payment for executed transactions representative of at least one circumvented rule.

6. The system as recited in claim 5, wherein the payment processing module cooperates with payment systems comprising any of credit card payment systems and bank systems to reconcile payments.

7. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the core transaction server comprises an Internet information server, an information server application program interface, a core transaction dynamic link library, and stored procedures.

8. The system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a data store, the data store maintaining data representative of the transaction of the circumvention of the predefined rules.

9. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein the data store maintains instructions to instruct the computing environment to circumvent the predefined rules.

10. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the computing environment navigation application is a computer browser computing application.

11. The system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a user web server operating a user website, the user website used by participating users to input data representative of user account information for use by the core transaction server to transact rule circumventions.

12. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the computing environment comprises a user website and a computer game,

wherein the user website and the computer game operate independently of each other,

and wherein the user website and the computer game cooperate with each other to communicate information representative of a rule circumvention and the transaction of the rule circumvention.

13. The system as recited in claim 12, wherein the information for the rule circumvention is provided to participating users as the computer game is played.

14. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the user website is used to communicate user account information to and from the core transaction server.

15. The system as recited in claim 14, wherein the user account information is provided while the computer game is being played.

16. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein the user account information comprises any of a user'"'"'s available account balance and payment history.

17. The system as recited in claim 16, wherein upon the transaction of a rule circumvention, the user'"'"'s available account balance is updated by the core transaction server.

18. The system as recited in claim 17, wherein the core transactions server aggregates the amounts for each rule circumvention transaction and the number of transactions.

19. The system as recited in claim 18, wherein the core transaction server arrives at the amounts for each rule circumvention transaction based on a pricing technique comprising any of:

supply demand analysis, predetermined price list, forecasting techniques, auction techniques, reverse auction techniques, and trend analysis of executed rule circumvention transactions.

20. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the circumvention of the predefined rules comprises the delivery and tracking of an interactive advertisement.

21. The system as recited in claim 20, wherein the core transaction server selects an advertisement for delivery using factors comprising any of:

user affinity information, advertisement location information, user profile information, user behavior information, and advertisement inventory information.

22. The system as recited in claim 20, wherein a price is associated by the core transaction server for each interactive advertisement that is delivered and tracked, wherein the price is determined using a pricing technique comprising any of:

supply/demand analysis, predetermined price list, forecasting techniques, auction techniques, reverse auction techniques, and trend analysis for already delivered interactive advertisements.

23. The system as recited in claim 22, wherein the amounts of the rule circumvention transaction for an interactive advertisements are shared between at least two parties comprising any of:

a computing environment operator, advertisers, and third party rule circumvention transaction system operators and/or integrators.

24. In a computing environment having an existing set of rules, a method to circumvent the existing set of rules comprising the steps of:

identifying at least one of the existing set of rule that is to be circumvented;

providing a rule circumvention mechanism operable in the computing environment to circumvent the identified rule; and

executing the rule circumvention mechanism to circumvent the identified rule.

25. The method as recited in claim 24, further comprising transacting the instance where the rule circumvention mechanism is executed.

26. The method as recited in claim 25, further comprising for each identified rule to be circumvented associating an amount for the instance in which the identified rule is to be circumvented, tracking the number of instances where the identified rule has been circumvented, tallying the number of instances and multiplying it by the associated amount to generate an charge amount.

27. The method as recited in claim 26, further comprising displaying the charge amount to participating users.

28. The method as recited in claim 25, further comprising performing payment reconciliation.

30. The method as recited in claim 24, wherein the providing step further comprises:

providing a computing environment navigation application, the computing environment navigation application having a user interface to accept and display data representative of rule circumventions; and

providing a core transaction server, the core transaction server cooperating with the computing environment navigation application through an adapter, said adapter allowing for the seamless communication and integration information communicated to and from the core transaction server,

wherein, the core transaction server has at least one instruction set to transact at least one circumvention of the predefined rules.

31. The method as recited in claim 30, further comprising providing a cooperating data store.

32. The method as recited in claim 24, wherein the identifying step comprises cooperation between a computing environment operator and a third party rule circumvention integrator.

33. The method as recited in claim 32, wherein the identifying step further comprises, creating interactive advertisements for integration in the computing environment.

34. A computer readable medium, having computer readable instructions to instruct a computer to perform the method as recited in claim 24.

29. The method as recited in claim in 28, further comprising communicating with payment systems to perform payment reconciliation.

35. In a game having a set rules that is played via a computer, a method for cheating comprising the steps of:

integrating within the game a mechanism providing a second set of rules, wherein the second set of rules allows for the set of rules to be cheated,

wherein the second set of rules is only accessed through a transaction entailing the exchange of consideration;

receiving a request for access to the second set of rules; and

executing the transactions resulting from the received requests.

36. The method as recited in claim 35, further comprising:

tracking the executed transactions.

37. The method as recited in claim 35, further comprising:

associating bill amounts for each instance the second set of rules is accessed, wherein the bill amounts depend on which rule of the second set of rules is being accessed; and

aggregating the bill amounts based on the tallied executed transactions.

38. In a game played via a computer having a set of rules, a module allowing for the cheating of the game through the execution of a second set of rules such that access to the second set of rules is only accomplished through a transaction wherein consideration is exchanged comprising:

an integration object, the integration object providing seamless integration between the module and the game such that the second set of rules operate in the game to allow cheating of the set of rules; and

a transaction object, the transaction object transacting instances where the second set of rules are accessed.

39. The module as recited in claim 38, further comprising a communication object, the communication object having at least one instruction to instruct the game to communicate information representative of cheating operations to a cooperating computing environment.

40. The module as recited in claim 39, wherein the communication of the cheating operations information is communicated over a communications network.

41. The module as recited in claim 38, wherein the transaction object keeps a running tally of executed transactions, associates bill amounts to each transaction, and aggregates the bill amounts for all of the transactions.

42. The module as recited in claim 41, further comprising at least one instruction to instruct the game to communicate the aggregated bill amounts to a cooperating computing environment and/or to a display device.

43. The module as recited in claim 41, wherein the bill amounts are aggregated while the game is being played.

44. In a computer game having a set of rules, a method to allow cheating through a transaction, wherein the transaction entails the exchange of consideration, comprising:

creating a second set of rules that cheat the game set of rules, wherein access to the second set of rules is only realized through the execution of a transaction;

integrating in the computer game the second set of rules, wherein the integrating step entails offering one or more of the second set of rules as the game is being played;

receiving requests for access to the second set of rules; and

fulfilling the requests.

45. The method as recited in claim 44, further comprising associating a bill amount for obtaining access to one or more of the second set of rules and tallying and performing an accounting of each instance when one or more of the second set of rules is accessed.

46. The method as recited in claim 45, further comprising communicating the accounting to a cooperating computing environment for storage and display.

47. The method as recited in claim 46, further comprising displaying the accounting in real-time as the computer game is being played.

48. In a computing environment a system allowing the circumvention of predefined rules of the environment comprising:

a computing environment navigation application, the computing environment navigation application having a user interface to accept and display data representative of rule circumventions; and

a core transaction server, the core transaction server cooperating with the computing environment navigation application

wherein, the core transaction server has at least one instruction set to transact at least one circumvention of the predefined rules.

49. The system as recited in claim 48, further comprising a multimedia server, the multimedia server cooperating with the core transaction server to provide content representative of at least one rule circumvention of the predefined rules.

50. The system as recited in claim 49, wherein the multimedia server comprises, an Internet information server, a multimedia transaction dynamic link library, stored procedures, and information server application program interface.

51. The system as recited in claim 50, further comprising a multimedia server, the multimedia server operating between the multimedia transaction server and the computing environment navigation application to provide data from the multimedia transaction server to the computing environment navigation application.

52. The system as recited in claim 58, further comprising a payment processing module, the payment processing module cooperating with the core transaction server to reconcile payment for executed transactions representative of at least one circumvented rule.

53. In an computing environment operable by a first party, a system providing interactive advertisements comprising:

a multimedia transaction server having content representative of a interactive advertisements for placement in the computing environment, the multimedia transaction server being operable by a second party transaction services integrator; and

a core transaction server, the core transaction server cooperating with the multimedia transaction server to transact instances where the interactive advertisement is interacted with, the core transaction server operable by a third party.

54. The system as recited in claim 53, wherein the core transaction server reconciles transactions such to aggregate amounts payable to the first, second, and third parties.

55. The system as recited in claim 53, further comprising a advertisement engine, the advertisement engine cooperating with the multi-media transaction server to generate advertisements in real time as the computing environment is being navigated.

56. The system as recited in claim 55, wherein the advertisement engine formats the interactive advertisements for integration within the computing environment.