System, method and computer program product for dynamically enhancing an application executing on a computing device

• US 20070130292A1
• Filed: 12/01/2005
• Published: 06/07/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Exent Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Exent Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Twig, Uri, Sheory, Ohad, Tzruya, Yoav
• Granted Patent: US 7,596,540 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4486 Formation of subprogram jump address
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0252 based on events or environment, e.g. weather or festivals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0272 Period of advertisement exposure
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement

Abstract

A system, method and computer program product for dynamically enhancing a software application, such as a video game, executing on a computing device, without having to change and recompile the original application code. The system includes a staging environment that monitors the execution of the application and indexes each item of graphical and/or audio information generated by the application into a first database. A system administrator or other entity then populates a second database by manual or automated means with one or more business rules, wherein each business rule is associated with one or more of the objects indexed in the first database. The system further includes a run-time environment that identifies items of of graphics and/or audio information as they are generated by the application during run-time, uses the second database to determine if an identified item is associated with a business rule, and, responsive to a determination that an identified item is associated with a business rule, applies the business rule.

Claims

1. A method for dynamically enhancing a software application, comprising:

(a) executing the software application on a first computing device;

(b) intercepting a function call generated by the software application during execution on the first computing device;

(c) determining if a graphics or audio object associated with the function call intercepted in step (b) is associated with a business rule; and

(d) responsive to a determination that the graphics or audio object is associated with a business rule, applying the business rule.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) comprises intercepting a function call to a graphics or audio application program interface (API).

3. The method of claim 2, wherein intercepting a function call to a graphics or audio API comprises emulating the graphics or audio API.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the business rule comprises modifying the graphics or audio object.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein modifying the graphics or audio object comprises altering a portion of the graphics or audio object.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein altering a portion of the graphics or audio object comprises inserting advertising content within the graphics or audio object.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein modifying the graphics or audio object comprises replacing the graphics or audio object with a different graphics or audio object.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein modifying the graphics or audio object comprises not rendering or playing the graphics or audio object.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein applying a business rule comprises rendering or playing a different graphics or audio object prior to or after rendering or playing the graphics or audio object associated with the function call intercepted in step (b).

10. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the business rule comprises rendering advertising content within a graphic display associated with the software application.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein applying the business rule further comprises:

detecting user interaction with the rendered advertising content; and

providing additional information to the user responsive to detecting the user interaction.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the business rule comprises:

logging information relating to the progress of an end user within the software application; and

transmitting the logged information, or a portion thereof, to a network entity.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to step (a):

(i) executing the software application on a second computing device;

(ii) intercepting function calls generated by the software application during execution on the second computing device; and

(iii) indexing graphics and audio objects associated with the function calls intercepted in step (ii) in a first database; and

(iv) associating business rules with one or more of the graphics and audio objects indexed in step (iii) in a second database;

wherein step (c) comprises determining if a graphics or audio object associated with the function call intercepted in step (b) is associated with a business rule stored in the second database.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein step (iii) comprises computing a unique identifier (ID) for each of the graphics and audio objects associated with the function calls intercepted in step (ii) and storing each unique ID in the first database, and wherein step (iv) comprises associating business rules with one or more of the unique IDs in the second database.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein computing a unique ID comprises calculating a cyclic redundancy code for each of the graphics and audio objects associated with the function calls intercepted in step (ii).

16. The method of claim 14, wherein computing a unique ID comprises applying an encryption and/or hashing algorithm to each of the graphics and audio objects associated with the function calls intercepted in step (ii).

17. The method of claim 14, wherein step (c) comprises computing a unique ID for the graphics or audio object associated with the function call intercepted in step (b) and determining if the unique ID for the graphics or audio object associated with the function call intercepted in step (b) matches a unique ID stored in the second database.

18. A computer system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory in communication with the processor, the memory storing a plurality of processing instructions for directing the processor to;

execute a software application;

intercept a function call generated by the software application during execution;

determine if a graphics or audio object associated with the intercepted function call is associated with a business rule; and

responsive to a determination that the graphics or audio object is associated with a business rule, apply the business rule.

19. The computer system of claim 18, wherein the processing instructions for directing the processor to intercept a function call generated by the software application during execution comprise processing instructions for directing the processor to intercept a function call to a graphics or audio application program interface (API).

20. The computer system of claim 19, wherein the processing instructions for directing the processor to intercept a function call to a graphics or audio application program interface (API) comprise processing instructions for directing the processor to emulate the graphics or audio API.

21. The computer system of claim 18, wherein the processing instructions for directing the processor to apply the business rule comprise processing instructions for directing the processor to modify the graphics or audio object.

22. The computer system of claim 21, wherein the processing instructions for directing the processor to modify the graphics or audio object comprise processing instructions for directing the processor to alter a portion of the graphics or audio object.

23. The computer system of claim 22, wherein the processing instructions for directing the processor to alter a portion of the graphics or audio object comprise processing instructions for directing the processor to insert advertising content within the graphics or audio object.

24. The computer system of claim 21, wherein the processing instructions for directing the processor to modify the graphics or audio object comprise processing instructions for directing the processor to replace the graphics or audio object with a different graphics or audio object.

25. The computer system of claim 21, wherein the processing instructions for directing the processor to modify the graphics or audio object comprise processing instructions for directing the processor to not render or play the graphics or audio object.

26. The computer system of claim 18, wherein the processing instructions for directing the processor to apply the business rule comprise processing instructions for directing the processor to render or play a different graphics or audio object prior to or after rendering or playing the graphics or audio object associated with the intercepted function call.

27. The computer system of claim 18, wherein the processing instructions for directing the processor to apply the business rule comprise processing instructions for directing the processor to render advertising content within a graphic display associated with the software application.

28. The computer system of claim 27, wherein the processing instructions for directing the processor to apply the business rule further comprise processing instructions for directing the processor to:

detect user interaction with the rendered advertising content; and

provide additional information to the user responsive to detecting the user interaction.

29. The computer system of claim 18, wherein the processing instructions for directing the processor to apply the business rule comprise processing instructions for directing the processor to:

log information relating to the progress of an end user within the software application; and

transmit the logged information, or a portion thereof, to a network entity.

30. The computer system of claim 18, wherein the processing instructions for directing the processor to determine if a graphics or audio object associated with the intercepted function call is associated with a business rule comprise processing instructions for directing the processor to:

compute a unique identifier (ID) for the graphics or audio object; and

compare the unique ID computed for the graphics or audio object to unique IDs associated with business rules stored in a database.

31. The computer system of claim 30, wherein the processing instructions for directing the processor to compute a unique ID for the graphics or audio object comprise processing instructions for directing the processor to calculate a cyclic redundancy code for the graphics or audio object.

32. The computer system of claim 30, wherein the processing instructions for directing the processor to compute a unique ID for the graphics or audio object comprise processing instructions for directing the processor to apply an encryption and/or hashing algorithm to the graphics or audio object.

33. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having control logic stored therein, said control logic comprising:

first computer readable program code means for causing a computer to intercept a function call generated by a software application during execution;

second computer readable program code means for causing the computer to determine if a graphics or audio object associated with the intercepted function call is associated with a business rule; and

third computer readable program code means for causing the computer to apply a business rule responsive to a determination that the graphics or audio object is associated with the business rule.

34. The computer program product of claim 33, wherein the first computer readable program code means comprises means for causing the computer to intercept a function call to a graphics or audio application program interface (API).

35. The computer program product of claim 34, wherein the means for causing the computer to intercept a function call to a graphics or audio API comprises means for causing the computer to emulate the graphics or audio API.

36. The computer program product of claim 33, wherein the third computer readable program code means comprises means for causing the computer to modify the graphics or audio object.

37. The computer program product of claim 36, wherein the means for causing the computer to modify the graphics or audio object comprises means for causing the computer to alter a portion of the graphics or audio object.

38. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein the means for causing the computer to alter a portion of the graphics or audio object comprises means for causing the computer to insert advertising content within the graphics or audio object.

39. The computer program product of claim 36, wherein the means for causing the computer to modify the graphics or audio object comprises means for causing the computer to replace the graphics or audio object with a different graphics or audio object.

40. The computer program product of claim 36, wherein the means for causing the computer to modify the graphics or audio object comprises means for causing the computer not to render or play the graphics or audio object.

41. The computer program product of claim 33, wherein the third computer readable program code means comprises means for causing the computer to render or play a different graphics or audio object prior to or after rendering or playing the object associated with the intercepted function call.

42. The computer program product of claim 33, wherein the third computer readable program code means comprises means for causing the computer to render advertising content within a graphic display associated with the software application.

43. The computer program product of claim 42, wherein the third computer readable program code means further comprises means for causing the computer to:

detect user interaction with the rendered advertising content; and

provide additional information to a user responsive to detecting the user interaction.

44. The computer program product of claim 33, wherein the third computer readable program code means comprises means for causing the computer to:

log information relating to the progress of an end user within the software application; and

transmit the logged information, or a portion thereof, to a network entity.

45. The computer program product of claim 33, wherein the second computer readable program code means comprises means for causing the computer to:

compute a unique identifier (ID) for the graphics or audio object; and

compare the unique ID computed for the graphics or audio object to unique IDs associated with business rules stored in a database.

46. The computer program product of claim 45, wherein the means for causing the computer to compute a unique ID for the graphics or audio object comprises means for causing the computer to calculate a cyclic redundancy code for the graphics or audio object.

47. The computer program product of claim 45, wherein the means for causing the computer to compute a unique ID for the graphics or audio object comprises means for causing the computer to apply an encryption and/or hashing algorithm to the graphics or audio object.