ENABLING RENT/BUY REDIRECTION IN INVITATION TO AN ONLINE SERVICE

• US 20090019154A1
• Filed: 09/19/2008
• Published: 01/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ver Valen, Clay, Crawford, Lee
• Granted Patent: US 8,108,515 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• 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 13/77 involving data related to game devices or game servers, e.g. configuration data, software version or amount of memory
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/57 details of game services offered to the player
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

A system and method are directed towards enabling a user to access a client service such as a client game program that interacts with an online service such as a multiplayer game. A client probe detects execution of the client service on a first client device, and sends an instant message with address information to a second client device. A messaging service on the second client device, displays a presence of the first client and provides a selectable button to initiate the client service. If not already installed, the messaging service requests the client service from a remote online service such as a portal that may be independent from the online game service. The remote online service may provide options to freely try, rent, or buy the client service. The second client device downloads the client service and uses the address to connect to the same online multiplayer game.

Claims

1. A network device for detecting participation in an on-line service, comprising:

a communication interface for providing communication with the on-line service and at least one other network device;

a memory configured for storing processing instructions; and

a processor in communication with the communication interface and the memory, wherein the processor performs actions based at least in part on the stored instructions, including;

determining that a client program associated with the on-line service is participating in the on-line service over a network based at least in part on an amount of network traffic between the client program and the on-line service; and

sending an invitation to participate in the on-line service as a short message service (SMS) message to the at least one other network device in response to determining that the client program is participating in the on-line service.

2. The network device of claim 1, wherein the invitation to participate in the on-line service includes text that identifies a link to the on-line service for display of content associated with the on-line service.

3. The network device of claim 1, wherein the processor actions further include:

receiving a client identifier from a user of the client program; and

sending the SMS message to the at least one other network device based on addressing information associated with the client identifier.

4. The network device of claim 1, wherein the processor actions further include detecting that another SMS message has been received, and wherein the other SMS message includes a request that the SMS message is to be sent to the at least one other network device.

5. The network device of claim 1, wherein the processor actions further include detecting that another SMS message has been received, and wherein the other SMS message includes at least one contact identifier for addressing the SMS message to the at least one another network device.

6. The network device of claim 1, wherein the memory is further configured for storing a contact list such that at least one contact identifier is identified in another SMS message by a selection of the least one contact identifier from among other contact identifiers of the contact list.

7. The network device of claim 1, wherein the on-line service includes a game service.

8. A computer-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions for performing actions, including:

determining that a client program at a client device is participating in an on-line service over a network based at least in part on an amount of network traffic between the client program and the on-line service; and

sending an invitation to participate in the on-line service as a short message service (SMS) message to another client device in response to determining that the client program is participating in the on-line service.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein performing actions further includes identifying at least one contact identifier associated with a user of the client device, and wherein sending the invitation further includes addressing the invitation based at least in part on the least one contact identifier.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein performing actions further includes identifying at least one contact identifier from a contact list associated with a user of the client device.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the invitation to participate in the on-line service includes text that identifies a link to the on-line service for display of content associated with the on-line service.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein determining that the client program is participating in the on-line service includes:

detecting execution of the client program; and

determining that communication between the client program and the on-line service exceeds a predefined threshold indicating that the client program is participating in the on-line service.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein determining that the client program is participating in the on-line service includes:

evaluating a header of each communication from the client program to determine that the communication is between the client program and a same on-line service address; and

determining that a rate of communication between the client program and the same on-line service address exceeds a threshold number within a predefined period.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the on-line service includes a game service.

15. A client device for detecting participation in an on-line service, comprising:

a communication interface for providing communication with the on-line service and a network device;

a memory configured for storing processing instructions; and

a processor in communication with the communication interface and the memory, wherein the processor performs actions based at least in part on the stored instructions, including;

detecting execution of a client program that is associated with the on-line service;

determining that communication between the client program and the on-line service exceeds a predefined threshold indicating that the client program is participating in the on-line service; and

sending an invitation as a short message service (SMS) message to the network device in response to determining that the communication between the client program and the on-line service exceeds the predefined threshold.

16. The client device of claim 15, wherein the SMS message includes a request to invite one or more users to participate in the on-line service.

17. The client device of claim 15, wherein the processor actions further include:

receiving an input from a user of the client device that identifies at least one client identifier; and

providing the at least one client identifier in the SMS message.

18. The client device of claim 15, wherein the on-line service includes a game service.

19. A system for detecting participation in an on-line service, comprising

an on-line service probe that is configured to perform actions, including determining that a client program associated with an on-line service is participating in the on-line service over a network based at least in part on an amount of network traffic between the client program and the on-line service;

and

a messaging service that is configured to perform actions, including;

receiving a communication indicating that the client program is participating in the on-line service; and

sending a short message service (SMS) message to a client device indicating the client program is participating in the on-line service.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the SMS message includes an invitation to the client device from another client device associated with the client program to participate in the on-line service.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the messaging service actions further include receiving a contact identifier from the other client device for addressing the SMS message to the client device.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the messaging service actions further include employing a contact identifier associated with a contact list for addressing the SMS message to the client device.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein the on-line service includes a game service and the on-line service probe includes a game probe.