Match making based on proximity measures between devices

• US 20040215756A1
• Filed: 04/23/2003
• Published: 10/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Multerer, Boyd C., VanAntwerp, Mark D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,634,569 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/216 using geographical information, e.g. location of the game device or player using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/23 for interfacing with the game device, e.g. specific interfaces between game controller and console
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/358 Adapting the game course according to the network or server load, e.g. for reducing latency due to different connection speeds between clients
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1025 details of the interface with the game device, e.g. USB version detection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/205 for detecting the geographical location of the game platform
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/50 characterized by details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/534 for network load management, e.g. bandwidth optimization, latency reduction
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/556 Player lists, e.g. online players, buddy list, black list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5566 by matching opponents or finding partners to build a team, e.g. by skill level, geographical area, background, play style
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

In accordance with one aspect of match making based on proximity measures between devices, a record of distances between groups of network addresses is maintained. This record is then used as a basis for selecting an ordering for online game sessions that is to be returned to a computing device requesting information regarding current online game sessions.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a request, from a computing device, for an identification of one or more online game sessions that satisfy one or more criteria;

identifying a plurality of online game sessions that satisfy the one or more criteria;

determining, for each of the plurality of online game sessions, a distance between the computing device and another computing device that is part of the online game session;

selecting an order in which the plurality of online game sessions are to be presented at the computing device, wherein the order is based at least in part on the determined distances; and

returning identifiers of the plurality of online game sessions to the computing device for presentation at the computing device in the selected order.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein for each of the plurality of online game sessions, the other computing device comprises a host of the online game session.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the determining comprises determining the distance without communicating directly with any of the computing devices.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein determining the distance between the computing device and another computing device comprises:

identifying a first bucket that the computing device is assigned to;

identifying a second bucket that the other computing device is assigned to; and

identifying a distance between the first and second buckets.

5. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein identifying the distance between the first and second buckets comprises looking up the distance in a table.

6. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein the distance between the first bucket and the second bucket is zero when the first and second buckets are the same bucket.

7. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein:

the determining further comprises identifying an Internet provider for the computing device and an Internet provider for the other computing device; and

if the first and second buckets are the same bucket, then the selecting further comprises selecting the order based at least in part on whether the Internet provider for the computing device is the same as the Internet provider for the other computing device.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the determining further comprises identifying an Internet provider for the computing device and an Internet provider for the other computing device; and

the selecting further comprises selecting the order based at least in part on whether the Internet provider for the computing device is the same as the Internet provider for the other computing device.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein:

determining the distance between the computing device and another computing device comprises;

identifying a first bucket of a first layer that the computing device is assigned to, and a second bucket of a second layer that the computing device is assigned to;

identifying a third bucket of the first layer that the other computing device is assigned to, and a fourth bucket of the second layer that the other computing device is assigned to;

identifying a first distance between the first and third buckets; and

identifying a second distance between the second and fourth buckets; and

the selecting is based at least in part on both the first distance and the second distance.

10. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein determining the distance between the computing device and the other computing device comprises:

identifying latitude and longitude values of a geographic location of the computing device;

identifying latitude and longitude values of a geographic location of the other computing device; and

determining a difference between the latitude and longitude values of a geographic location of the computing device and the latitude and longitude values of a geographic location of the other computing device.

11. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein determining the distance between the computing device and the other computing device comprises accounting for different data transfer rates in different parts of a network via which communication between the computing device and the other computing device occurs.

12. A method as recited in claim 11, wherein the network comprises the Internet.

13. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the computing device comprises a first game console and the other computing device comprises a second game console.

14. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the method is implemented in a match making system separate from both the computing device and the other computing device.

15. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more online game sessions include short-lived game sessions.

16. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more online game sessions include tournament game sessions.

17. One or more computer readable media having stored thereon a plurality of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to:

maintain a record of distances between groups of network addresses; and

select, based at least in part on the record, an ordering for online game sessions that is to be returned to a computing device requesting information regarding current online game sessions.

18. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 17, wherein the one or more processors are implemented in a match making system separate from the computing device.

19. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 17, wherein the computing device comprises a game console.

20. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 17, wherein the distances between groups of network addresses are based at least in part on different data transfer rates in different parts of a network via which communication between devices assigned the network addresses occurs.

21. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 17, wherein the distances between groups of network addresses are based at least in part on latitude and longitude values of geographic locations of devices assigned the network addresses.

22. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 17, wherein the record comprises a table.

23. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 17, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

maintain a record of Internet providers of the network addresses; and

select the ordering based at least in part on both the record of distances and the record of Internet providers.

24. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 17, wherein the online game sessions include one or more of short-lived game sessions and persistent game sessions.

25. A method comprising:

identifying a plurality of online game sessions, wherein one of a plurality of computing devices is part of each of the online game sessions; and

determining an ordering for the plurality of online game sessions, wherein the ordering is based at least in part on distances between a game console and each of the plurality of computing devices, and wherein the ordering is determined without any communication between the game console and the plurality of computing devices.

26. A method as recited in claim 25, wherein the method is implemented in a match making system separate from the plurality of computing devices.

27. A method as recited in claim 25, wherein one of the plurality of computing devices comprises a game console.

28. A method as recited in claim 25, wherein the distances are based at least in part on different data transfer rates in different parts of a network via which communication between the game console and the plurality of computing devices occurs.

29. A method as recited in claim 25, wherein the distances are based at least in part on latitude and longitude values of geographic locations of the game console and the plurality of computing devices.

30. A method as recited in claim 25, wherein the distances are maintained in a table.

31. A method as recited in claim 25, wherein the ordering is further based at least in part on an Internet provider of the game console and Internet providers of each of the plurality of computing devices.

32. A method as recited in claim 25, wherein the plurality of online game sessions include tournament game sessions.

33. A method as recited in claim 25, wherein the plurality of online game sessions include game sessions for which no computing device is currently playing in an individual game play session of the game session.

34. A system comprising:

an interface to allow communication with a network; and

a processing unit to;

request information from a match making service regarding current online game sessions, wherein the match making service is coupled to the system via the network;

receive, from the match making service, an indication of a plurality of current online game sessions; and

present, in an order based at least in part on distances between the system and other devices that are part of the plurality of current online game sessions, at least a subset of the plurality of current online game sessions.

35. A system as recited in claim 34, wherein the system comprises a game console.

36. A system as recited in claim 34, wherein the system comprises a display and wherein the processor is to present the subset via the display.

37. A system as recited in claim 34, wherein the processing unit is further to receive, from the match making service, the order for the plurality of current online game sessions.

38. A system as recited in claim 34, wherein the network comprises the Internet.

39. A system as recited in claim 34, wherein the distances are based at least in part on different data transfer rates in different parts of the network.

40. A system as recited in claim 34, wherein the distances are based at least in part on latitude and longitude values of geographic locations of the system and the other devices.

41. A system as recited in claim 34, wherein the order is further based at least in part on an Internet provider of the system and Internet providers of each of the other devices.

42. One or more computer readable media having stored thereon a plurality of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to:

obtain, from a match making service over a network, a list of multiple online game sessions that may be joined; and

present, to a user, identifiers of the multiple online game sessions in an order that is based at least in part on a distance between the one or more processors and each of a plurality of computing devices that are part of one of the multiple online game sessions.

43. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 42, wherein the distances are based at least in part on different data transfer rates in different parts of the network.

44. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 42, wherein the distances are based at least in part on latitude and longitude values of the one or more processors and the plurality of computing devices.

45. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 42, wherein the order is further based at least in part on Internet providers of each of the plurality of computing devices.

46. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 42, wherein the one or more processors are part of a game console.

47. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 42, wherein the multiple online game sessions include one or more of short-lived game sessions and persistent game sessions.

48. A system comprising:

means for maintaining a record of distances between groups of network addresses; and

means for selecting, based at least in part on the record, an ordering for online game sessions that is to be returned to a computing device requesting information regarding current online game sessions.