Sending messages in response to events occurring on a gaming service

• US 20040224769A1
• Filed: 05/09/2003
• Published: 11/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Hansen, Peter, Heller, Noah R., Multerer, Boyd C., VanAntwerp, Mark D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,455,590 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/40
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters

Abstract

Alerts are transmitted to subscribers to an alerts service in response to events that occur within a gaming environment. Communication within the gaming environment is limited to specific game consoles and the gaming service. A subscriber to the alert notification service can be alerted when a friend joins the gaming service to play a game, or can select other events for which an alert is requested to be sent to the subscriber. In response to any predetermined event occurring within the gaming environment, an alerts service provides an alert or message that is transmitted through a secure firewall and outside the gaming environment. The alert message can be in the form of a pop-up that appears on a user'"'"'s instant messaging service, or an email, or a message that is transmitted through a mobile communication service to a cell phone or other portable communication device.

Claims

1. A method for responding to a predefined event within a gaming environment, by automatically transmitting an alert or message to a person outside the gaming environment, comprising the steps of:

(a) detecting that the predefined event has occurred within the gaming environment; and

(b) in response to the predefined event occurring, transmitting an alert or message to the person over a network, said alert or message being accessible by the person outside the gaming environment, to provide information related to the predefined event.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein players participating within the gaming environment communicate through a secure gateway that limits access to the gaining environment, said secure gateway being inaccessible by a person communicating over the network, outside of the gaming environment.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of transferring at least an indicia of the information to be provided in the message to an alerts service that communicates outside the gaming environment, said alerts service then transmitting the alert or message with the information to the person over the network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting the alert or message comprises transmitting an email to the person over the network, said email including the information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting the alert or message comprises transmitting the alert or message through the network to a communication system that transmits the alert or message to a portable communication device of the person, said message including the information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting the alert or message comprises transmitting a pop-up notification to the person over the network, said pop-up notification including the information displayed to the person.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined event is detected when a player gains access to the gaming environment, said information identifying the player and being transmitted to at least one person who is on a list of the player.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the alert or message comprises an invitation to said at least one person to access the gaming environment and participate in playing a game therein with the player.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the information included in the alert or message relates to billing a player for services rendered in the gaming environment.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the information included in the alert or message refers to a change in gaming content within the gaming environment.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the information included in the alert or message is a reminder to a player to play a previously scheduled game within the gaming environment.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of enabling a person to select at least one form in which alerts or messages will be transmitted in response to the predefined event, said at least one form being selectable from among a plurality of different forms.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of forms include an email, a pop-up display, and a message perceived on a portable communication device that is coupled to a communication system.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the portable communication device comprises a cellular telephone and the communication system comprises a cellular communication system.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of mapping an identifier for the person on the gaming environment to a corresponding identifier of the person that is used on the network, so that the alert or message will be sent to the person by the alerts service, outside the gaming environment.

16. A memory medium on which are stored machine instructions for carrying out the steps of claim 1.

17. A system that responds to a predefined event occurring within a gaming environment, by automatically transmitting an alert or message to a person outside the gaming environment, comprising:

(a) a game server that includes a processor and a memory storing a plurality of machine instructions, said game server being included within a gaming service that establishes the gaming environment and further including a communication interface that couples the game server to a network; and

(b) wherein said processor executes the machine instructions stored in the memory, causing the processor to carry out a plurality of functions, including;

(i) detecting when a predefined event occurs within the gaming environment; and

(ii) in response to detecting the predefined event, initiating transmission of an alert or message to a person outside the gaming environment.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising an alerts service having a server that includes a communication interface, a memory, and a processor coupled to the communication interface and the memory of the alert server, wherein said processor of the alert server executes the machine instructions stored in the memory of the alert server to carry out a further plurality of functions, including receiving at least an indicia of information to be included in the alert or message transmitted from the game server and in response, transmitting the alert or message to a person outside the gaming environment, over the network.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the alert or message is transmitted over the network as an email.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the alert or message is transmitted over the network to a communication system that retransmits the alert or message to a portable communication device.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the alert or message is transmitted over the network as a pop-up notification, for display to a recipient.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein players participating within the gaming environment communicate with the game server through a secure gateway that limits access to the gaming environment, and wherein the game server and is inaccessible by a person communicating over the network, outside of the gaming environment.

23. The system of claim 17, wherein execution of the machine instructions causes the game server to detect that the predefined event has occurred when a player gains access to the gaming environment, and wherein execution of the machine instructions causes the processor to initiate transmittal of information identifying the player to at least one person who is on a list of the player, wherein said list is stored in the memory.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the alert or message comprises an invitation to said at least one person to access the gaming environment and participate in playing a game thereon with the player.

25. The system of claim 17, wherein the information included in the alert or message relates to billing a player for services rendered in the gaming environment.

26. The system of claim 17, wherein the information included in the alert or message refers to a change in a gaming content within the gaming environment.

27. The system of claim 17, wherein the information included in the alert or message is a reminder to a player to play a previously scheduled game within the gaming environment.

28. The system of claim 17, wherein execution of the machine instructions further causes the processor to enable a person to select at least one form in which alerts or messages will be transmitted in response to the predefined event, said at least one form being selectable from among a plurality of different forms.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the plurality of forms include an email, a pop-up that is displayable, and a message perceivable on a portable communication device that is coupled to a communication system.

30. The system of claim 18, wherein the machine instructions stored in the memory of the game server further cause the processor of the game server to map an identifier for the person within the gaming environment to a corresponding identifier of the person that is used to identify the person on the network, so that the alert or message will be sent to the person by the alert server, outside the gaming environment.