System and method to deliver video games

• US 20070099694A1
• Filed: 10/31/2005
• Published: 05/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Original Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Inventors: Lee, Chris, McCarthy, Mary, Cox, Ross, Haeuser, Tony, Pettit, Scott
• Granted Patent: US 8,678,928 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/24
• 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

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to a system and method to deliver video games. The method includes receiving a request for a game from a set-top box device. The method also includes determining whether at least one user identity is associated with the set-top box device. The method also includes retrieving previous game information associated with the at least one user identity. The method can also include providing the previous game information to the set-top box device and allowing at least one user to continue a previously executed game in response to a user selection at least partially based on the previous game information.

Claims

1. A method of delivering games, the method comprising:

receiving a request for a game from a set-top box device;

determining whether at least one user identity is associated with the set-top box device;

retrieving previous game information associated with the at least one user identity;

providing the previous game information to the set-top box device; and

allowing at least one user to continue a previously executed game in response to a user selection at least partially based on the previous game information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a list of a plurality of user identities to the set-top box device;

receiving a user selection of one of the plurality of user identities from the list;

and

wherein the previous game information is associated with the user selection.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving at least one new user identity from the set-top box device and associating the at least one new user identity with a user account.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising starting a game and associating the game with the at least one new user identity.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising determining whether the game is over.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising determining whether a score for the game is a high score.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising storing the high score with the new user identity.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising storing a current game state of the game use with the new user identity.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the game use and the previous game information are displayed at a display device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the display device comprises a television monitor.

11. A method of delivering games, the method comprising:

receiving a request for a game, wherein the request is identified by a first user identity associated with a set-top box device;

receiving a selection to play the game in an online room with a plurality of additional players;

retrieving previous game information associated with the first user identity and with additional user identities associated with the plurality of additional players;

providing the previous game information to the set-top box device; and

continuing the game based on the previous game information.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the previous game information comprises at least one game performance indicator associated with the at least one user identity and each of the plurality of additional players.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of additional players issues a request to join the game.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the previous game information is displayed at a plurality of remote display devices.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining whether a user associated with the at least one user identity previously played the requested game in the room.

16. A method of receiving games, the method comprising:

requesting a game;

receiving information from at least one previous game;

displaying the information from the at least one previous game at a display device; and

wherein the information from the at least one previous game is associated with at least one user identity associated with a set-top box device.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

displaying the at least one user identity at the display device;

communicating a selection of at least one user identity from a list of user identities; and

wherein the information from the at least one previous game is associated with the selection of the at least one user identity.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the information from the at least one previous game comprises at least one game performance indicator.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising receiving a copy of the game.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the information from the at least one previous game comprises at least one previous game state.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the game comprises data to provide a continuation of the game state.

22. The method of claim 16, further comprising issuing a request to join a game comprising a plurality of players and wherein the information from the at least one previous game comprises at least one game performance indicator for each of the plurality of players.

23. A system to deliver games, the system comprising:

a server having a processor and a memory accessible to the processor;

a computer program embedded in the memory, the computer program comprising instructions to receive a request for a game from a set-top box device;

instructions to retrieve previous game information associated with at least one user identity associated with the set-top box device; and

instructions to authorize at least one user to continue the game based on the previous game information.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the computer program further comprises instructions to provide the game to the set-top box device.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the previous game information is displayed at a display device coupled to the set-top box device.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the computer program further comprises at least one game application.