System and method for configuring game data about players

• US 20060121989A1
• Filed: 12/08/2004
• Published: 06/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Curley, Vincent H., Chen, Ling Tony, Lamb, Steven D., Johnson, Jerry Alan, Bortnik, Michal, O'Kelley, Patrick W. II, Hansen, Johan Peter, Jen, James Hsi-Kai
• Granted Patent: US 8,016,677 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• 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 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5546 using player registration data, e.g. identification, account, preferences, game history

Abstract

Information is shared among users in a system by the use of a service. The service receives information from at least two different game applications that each have a configuration file (defined with a common schema) that defines information from the game application to share with a service. An intermediary program executing on a computer that is also executing one of said game applications receives information from the application as defined by said configuration files and stores at least a portion of the information received from the application. At least a portion of the information is sent to the service when the intermediary is in communication with the service over a network wherein the service provides information about a user of said at least two game applications based on information received by said service.

Claims

1. A system for sharing information among users, comprising:

at least two different game application configuration files that define information from the game application to share with a service; and

a service receiving information from said applications as defined by said configuration files;

said service providing information about a user of said at least two game applications based on information received by said service.

2. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the service receives the information from the applications over a network.

3. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the configuration file is a tag-based schema.

4. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the tag-based configuration file is based on XML.

5. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the game applications are executing on a computer and wherein the game applications communicate the information defined by the configuration file to an intermediary program that determines when to communicate portions of the information to the service.

6. The system as recited in claim 5 wherein the intermediary stores portions of the information when the computer is disconnected from the service.

7. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the information comprises achievement data.

8. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the information comprises presence data.

9. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the information comprises game statistic data.

10. A method for sharing information among users, comprising:

providing at least two different game application schemas that define information from the game application to share with a service;

receiving information from said applications as defined by said schemas; and

providing information about a user of said at least two game applications based on information received by said service.

11. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein the service receives the information from the applications over a network.

12. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein the schema is a tag-based schema.

13. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein the tag-based schema is based on XML.

14. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein the game applications are executing on a computer and wherein the game applications communicate the information defined by the schema to an intermediary program that determines when to communicate portions of the information to the service.

15. The method as recited in claim 14 comprising storing portions of the information at the computer when the computer is disconnected from the service.

16. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein the information comprises achievement data.

17. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein the information comprises presence data.

18. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein the information comprises game statistic data.

19. A method for sharing information among users in a system comprising at least two different game application configuration files that define information from the game application to share with a service, comprising:

receiving at an intermediary program executing on a computer that is also executing one of said game applications information from said applications as defined by said configuration files;

storing at least a portion of the information received from said application;

sending said at least a portion of the information when the intermediary is in communication with a service over a network wherein the service provides information about a user of said at least two game applications based on information received by said service.

20. The method as recited in claim 19 wherein comprising a program that generates the configuration files based on a set of inputs from a developer.

21. The method has recited in claim 19 wherein the program generates an XML configuration file.

22. The method as recited in claim 19 wherein the intermediary, the executing one of the game application, and the service communicate information as defined by the configuration files.