METHOD TO GENERATE VIRTUAL WORLD EVENT NOTIFICATIONS FROM WITHIN A PERSISTENT WORLD GAME

• US 20070265091A1
• Filed: 04/25/2006
• Published: 11/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: NUTTER, MARK, AGUILAR, MAXIMINO JR., JOHNS, CHARLES
• Granted Patent: US 8,734,254 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/822 Strategy games; Role-playing games A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/537 for exchanging game data using a messaging service, e.g. e-mail, SMS, MMS
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5533 using program state or machine event data, e.g. server keeps track of the state of multiple players on in a multiple player game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5553 user representation in the game field, e.g. avatar
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5593 involving scheduling aspects
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/575 for trading virtual items
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters

Abstract

A mechanism is provided for generating event notifications for offline characters from within a persistent world online game. A player agent for an offline player includes an event monitor that monitors for events that occur in a persistent virtual world maintained by a game server. When a game event occurs that triggers an offline player rule, the player agent composes an event notification message and sends the message to the offline player. Event notification messages may include images, voice (text-to-speech), sound, or video. Offline players may receive event notifications at various messaging clients, such as personal computers and wireless telephones. A notification server may transmit the event notifications via existing communications channels, such as electronic mail, facsimile, instant messaging, text messaging, and voice communications.

Claims

1. A method for generating event notifications from within a persistent world game, the method comprising:

activating a player agent for an offline player, wherein the player agent has an associated set of offline player rules;

monitoring, by the player agent, events maintained by a game server, wherein the game server observes and generates game events for a persistent virtual world;

responsive to a given event triggering one or more of the set of offline player rules, generating a notification event message; and

sending the notification event message to a messaging client associated with the offline player.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the player agent executes within the game server.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the player agent executes at a game client device associated with the offline player when the player is not logged into a game client application at the game client device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein generating a notification event message comprises:

composing a text message using a template associated with the given event.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein generating a notification event message further comprises:

composing a text message;

obtaining an image, sound, or video associated with the given event; and

adding the image, sound, or video to the text message to form the notification event message.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein obtaining an image, sound, or video associated with the given event comprises:

receiving a screen capture from a game client device associated with an online player.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein obtaining an image, sound, or video associated with the given event comprises:

receiving a voice recording from a game client device associated with an online player.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein obtaining an image, sound, or video associated with the given event comprises:

receiving a series of screen captures from a game client device associated with an online player.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein generating a notification event message further comprises:

converting the text message to voice to form the notification event message.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the messaging client associated with the offline player is a personal computer, a wireless telephone device, a personal digital assistant, a push email client device, a set-top television device, or a video game console.

11. A data processing system for generating event notifications from within a persistent world game, the data processing system comprising:

a game server that observes and generates game events for a persistent virtual world;

a notification server that sends event notification messages to messaging clients associated with offline players; and

a player agent that has an associated set of offline player rules,

wherein the player agent monitors events maintained by the game server;

wherein, responsive to a given event triggering one or more of the set of offline player rules, the player agent generates a notification event message;

wherein the player agent sends the notification event message to the notification server; and

wherein the notification server sends the notification event message to a messaging client associated with the offline player.

12. The data processing system of claim 11, wherein the player agent executes within the game server.

13. The data processing system of claim 11, wherein the player agent executes at a game client device associated with the offline player when the player is not logged into a game client application at the game client device.

14. The data processing system of claim 11, wherein the messaging client associated with the offline player is a personal computer, a wireless telephone device, a personal digital assistant, a push email client device, a set-top television device, or a video game console.

15. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program, when executed on a computing device, causes the computing device to:

monitor events maintained by a game server, wherein the game server observes and generates game events for a persistent virtual world;

responsive to a given event triggering one or more of the set of offline player rules, generate a notification event message; and

send the notification event message to a messaging client associated with the offline player.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the computer readable program causes the computing device to generate a notification event message by:

composing a text message;

obtaining an image, sound, or video associated with the given event; and

adding the image, sound, or video to the text message to form the notification event message.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the computer readable program causes the computing device to obtain an image, sound, or video associated with the given event by:

receiving a screen capture from a game client device associated with an online player.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the computer readable program causes the computing device to obtain an image, sound, or video associated with the given event by:

receiving a voice recording from a game client device associated with an online player.

19. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the computer readable program causes the computing device to obtain an image, sound, or video associated with the given event by:

receiving a series of screen captures from a game client device associated with an online player.

20. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the computer readable program causes the computing device to generate a notification event message by:

converting the text message to voice to form the notification event message.