Method and apparatus for collecting user game play data and crediting users in a gaming environment

• US 20070077993A1
• Filed: 09/30/2005
• Published: 04/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Timothy Michael Midgley
• Original Assignee: Timothy Michael Midgley
• Inventors: Tuttle, David, Yang, James, Midgley, Timothy
• Application Number:
  US11/240,860
• Publication Number:
  US 20070077993A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• 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 13/71 using secure communication between game devices and game servers, e.g. by encrypting game data or authenticating players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/792 for payment purposes, e.g. monthly subscriptions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2003/086 played via telephone, e.g. using a modem
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/208 for storing personal settings or data of the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/532 using secure communication, e.g. by encryption, authentication
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5513 involving billing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/572 Communication between players during game play of non game information, e.g. e-mail, chat, file transfer, streaming of audio and streaming of video
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3232 wherein the operator is informed
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3234 about the performance of a gaming system, e.g. revenue, diagnosis of the gaming system
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3237 about the players, e.g. profiling, responsible gaming, strategy/behavior of players, location of players
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

A computer implemented method, a data processing system, and a computer program product are provided for collecting user game play data and crediting users in a gaming environment. The aspects of the present invention install and activate a software agent on a client prior to launching a game. The software agent collects game play data of a user on the client if a game state changes. The collected game play data is accumulated locally and sent to a server remotely for processing when the user is online. In turn, the aspects of the present invention credit a user account of the user based on the collected game play data.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for collecting user game play data on a gaming system, the computer implemented method comprising:

responsive to detecting execution of a game, initializing a software agent process;

responsive to a user actively playing the game, collecting the game play data through the software agent process to form collected game play data; and

transmitting the collected game play data to a destination over a communications link.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the game play data comprises post sales data indicating behavior of the user after the game is purchased by the user.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the collecting step comprises:

determining if a change in a state of the game is detected; and

if a change in a state of the game is detected, collecting game play statistics of the user.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 2, further comprises:

crediting a user account of the user with account credits based on an amount of time the user spent playing the game.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 2, further comprises:

crediting a user account of the user with account credits based on performance statistics.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 6, wherein the performance statistics comprise a number of points the user scored, a number of kills the user made, a level of the game the user accomplished, a mission the user completed, a status of the user, a number of wins the user accomplished, and other measures of success relevant to the game.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the destination is a server and wherein the transmitting step comprises:

transmitting the collected game play data from the user to the server for processing at a time interval if a network connection is available.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 8, wherein the server updates the collected game play data into a database.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 5, further comprises:

managing spending of account credits in the user account on products and services in a virtual mall.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 8, wherein the collecting step comprises:

accumulating the collected user game play data in a client game data file.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the collecting steps comprises:

accumulating the collected user game play data locally to produce dynamic data with a purpose of enhancing user services.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 12, wherein the collecting step further comprises:

creating dynamic services for purposes of interactive tips and hints and a dynamic user interface for purposes of communication amongst users, wherein the dynamic services comprise competitive leagues, tournament competition, statistical competitions, and other relevant services using the dynamic data.

3. The computer implemented method of 1, wherein the game play data comprises an amount of time the user spent playing the game, a time of day, a game title, and performance statistics.

14. A gaming system for collecting user game play data, the gaming system comprising:

a bus,

a storage device, wherein the storage device contains computer usable code;

a communications unit connected to the bus;

a user input device; and

a processing unit connected to the bus, wherein the processing unit executes the computer usable code to initialize a software agent process responsive to detecting execution of a game;

collect the game play data through the software agent process to form collected game play data responsive to a user actively playing the game; and

transmit the collected game play data to a destination over a communications link.

15. The gaming system of claim 14, wherein the processing unit further executes the computer usable code to credit a user account of the user with account credits based on an amount of time the user spent playing the game.

16. The gaming system of claim 14, wherein the processing unit further executes the computer usable code to credit a user account of the user with account credits based on performance statistics.

17. The gaming system of claim 14, wherein the destination is a server and wherein the processing unit, in executing the computer usable code to transmit the collected game play data to a destination over a communications link, executes the computer usable code to transmit the collected game play data from the user to the server for processing at a time interval if a network connection is available.

18. A computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer usable program code for collecting user game play data, said computer program product including;

computer usable program code for initializing a software agent process responsive to detecting execution of a game;

collecting the game play data through the software agent process to form collected game play data responsive to a user actively playing the game; and

transmitting the collected game play data to a destination over a communications link

19. The computer program product of claim 18, further comprising:

computer usable program code for crediting a user account of the user with account credits based on an amount of time the user spent playing the game.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, further comprising:

computer usable program code for crediting a user account of the user with account credits based on performance statistics.