Method and apparatus for managing data in a gaming system

• US 20050164782A1
• Filed: 03/17/2005
• Published: 07/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Whitten, Jon Marcus Randall, Pirich, Christopher M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,811,174 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/29
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/48 Starting a game, e.g. activating a game device or waiting for other players to join a multiplayer session
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/71 using secure communication between game devices and game servers, e.g. by encrypting game data or authenticating players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/95 Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/206 Game information storage, e.g. cartridges, CD ROM's, DVD's, smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/636 involving process of starting or resuming a game
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems

Abstract

A gaming system includes a hard disk drive for storing applications and other data. The hard disk drive has multiple regions for storing different types of data. Each application executed on the gaming system has an associated storage area on the hard disk drive. A console application executing on the gaming system prevents a particular application from accessing data in an area of the hard disk drive that is not associated with the particular application. The gaming system also maintains a list of recently used nicknames to simplify entry of nicknames by a user of the gaming system.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

retrieving a list of recently used nicknames in a game console, wherein at least one nickname in the list of recently used nicknames is associated with a first game application, and wherein at least one nickname in the list of recently used nicknames is associated with a second game application;

displaying the list of recently used nicknames to a user of the game console; and

allowing the user of the game console to select a nickname from the list of recently used nicknames.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein retrieving a list of recently used nicknames includes retrieving the list of recently used nicknames from a non-removable hard disk drive in the game console.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 further including allowing the user of the game console to create a new nickname.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 further including:

allowing the user of the game console to create a new nickname; and

adding the new nickname to the list of recently used nicknames.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 further including automatically entering the selected nickname into a high score display.

6. One or more computer-readable media comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, perform the method as recited in claim 1.