Method and system supporting audited reporting of advertising impressions from video games

• US 20060224455A1
• Filed: 04/05/2006
• Published: 10/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Willis, Daniel, Freedman, Gordon
• Granted Patent: US 9,180,369 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.610
• 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 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/61 using advertising information
• 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 13/73 Authorising game programs or game devices, e.g. checking authenticity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/532 using secure communication, e.g. by encryption, authentication
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5506 using advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0248 Avoiding fraud
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0264 based upon schedule

Abstract

A variety of processes for certifying the reporting of advertising impressions provided via video games are described. These certification processes optionally take advantage of automated techniques for verifying that when advertising data is provided a corresponding advertisement is provided within the video game. In addition, as software patches are often provided for video games, a recommended process for certifying patched software is also described. Reporting data associated with advertising impressions provided from uncertified video games is considered suspect and optionally discarded.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing video game software having executable code therein for dynamically inserting advertising data therein from an external source and for reporting data relating to impressions relating to the advertising data;

executing the video game on a system for during execution inserting advertising data therein dynamically and for reporting data relating to impressions relating to the advertising data; and

,

comparing the reported data against impressions made during execution of the game to produce a comparison result.

2. A method according to claim 1, comprising:

certifying the video game software when comparison result is indicative of accurate reporting of impressions by the video game software and other than certifying the video game software when comparison result is indicative of inaccurate reporting of impressions by the video game software.

3. A method according to claim 2, comprising:

executing auditing software on the system, the auditing software for, during execution of the video game software, automatically detecting dynamically inserted advertising data.

4. A method according to claim 3, comprising providing advertising data to the video game software during execution thereof, the advertising data designed for being detected automatically by the auditing software.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the advertising data is different for different forms of advertising.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the different forms of advertising relate to a type of placement within the video game.

7. A method according to claim 5, wherein the different forms of advertising relate to a value of the forms of advertising.

8. A method according to claim 5, wherein each advertising datum is different to allow for specific auditing of each placement of advertising data within the video game during execution thereof independently.

9. A method according to claim 4, wherein the advertising data is for forming a simple repeating pattern that is identifiable, the simple repeating pattern for being detected automatically by the auditing software.

10. A method according to claim 4, wherein the advertising data is for forming a first impression that is detectable and an identifiable pattern for being detected automatically by the auditing software.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein comparing is performed automatically by the system.

12. A method comprising:

providing video game software having executable code therein for inserting advertising data from an external source therein dynamically and for reporting data relating to impressions relating to the advertising data;

executing the video game software on a system for during execution dynamically inserting advertising data therein and for reporting data relating to impressions relating to the advertising data; and

,

during execution of the video game, reporting the data relating to impressions relating to the advertising data in a secure fashion for avoiding tampering therewith.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein the data relating to impressions relating to the advertising data is reported directly to a server other than the server from which the advertising data is retrieved.

14. A method according to claim 12, wherein the data relating to impressions relating to the advertising data is reported directly to an organization auditing the data.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein the data relating to impressions relating to the advertising data is also reported directly to another system.

16. A method according to claim 12, wherein the data relating to impressions relating to the advertising data is secured using a public key of an organization auditing the data, the organization having the private key for verifying an authenticity of the data.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein the data is secured by digital signing thereof.

18. A method comprising:

providing video game software having executable code therein for dynamically inserting advertising data therein from an external source and for reporting data relating to impressions relating to the advertising data;

executing the video game on a system for during execution inserting advertising data therein dynamically and for reporting data relating to impressions relating to the advertising data; and

,

during execution of the video game, automatically detecting advertising data dynamically inserted within the video game.

19. A method comprising:

executing video game software on a gaming system;

verifying a certification of at least a portion of the video game software to determine a first value; and

,

when the first value is indicative of a valid certification from a certifying body, reporting impression data from the video game software in execution, the reported impression data for being compiled with audited impression data.

20. A method according to claim 19, comprising when the first value is other than indicative of a valid certification from a certifying body, reporting impression data from the video game software in execution, the reported impression data for being compiled with other than audited impression data.

21. A method comprising:

providing a video game application having a certification thereof from a trusted certification body;

executing the video game application;

verifying the certification of the video game application as one of reliably certified and other than reliably certified; and

,

when the certification of the video game application is verified as reliably certified, providing certification data to the video game for use in certifying of reported impression data.

22. A method according to claim 21, comprising when the first value is other than indicative of reliably certified video game software, reporting impression data from the video game software in execution, the reported impression data for being compiled with other than audited impression data.

23. A system comprising:

a storage medium having stored therein video game software having executable code therein for dynamically inserting advertising data therein from an external source and for reporting data relating to impressions relating to the advertising data;

a video game system having an adaptor for coupling with a communication network; and

,

at least a processor for detecting impressions and for reporting detected impressions and for comparing the reported data against the detected impressions to produce a comparison result.

24. A system comprising:

a storage medium having stored therein video game software having executable code therein for inserting advertising data from an external source therein dynamically and for reporting data relating to impressions relating to the advertising data;

a video game system having an adaptor for coupling with a communication network; and

,

at least a processor for reporting impressions in a secure fashion for avoiding tampering therewith.

25. A system according to claim 24, comprising:

means for detecting impressions during execution of the video game to establish accuracy of reported impressions.