SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR INTEGRATING ANCILLARY CONTENT INTO APPLICATIONS

• US 20100041481A1
• Filed: 02/06/2009
• Published: 02/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daybreak Game Company, LLC (Enad Global 7 AB)
• Original Assignee: Sony Online Entertainment LLC (Enad Global 7 AB)
• Inventors: Neufeld, Don, Mitchener,, Bruce JR., Smedley, John Charles
• Granted Patent: US 8,650,253 B2
• 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 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/87 Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/88 Mini-games executed independently while main games are being loaded
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/303 for displaying additional data, e.g. simulating a Head Up Display
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/532 using secure communication, e.g. by encryption, authentication
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5566 by matching opponents or finding partners to build a team, e.g. by skill level, geographical area, background, play style
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6036 for offering a minigame in combination with a main game
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided to integrate, within a first application, a second application. In this way, multiple client systems, each running a first application, can access other players and mutually consume a second application. A lobby facility is provided to which client systems may access. First and second client systems may then be associated so that the same are configured to mutually consume a second application. The systems and methods also provide for cross-platform consumption of a second application by a plurality of client systems, each running respective first applications. The system includes a lobby facility module situated on a network-accessible server, the lobby facility module configured to allow communications between the network-accessible server and each of a first client system and a second client system. The system also includes a second application module, including a database module for storing information about the second application, first and second content translator modules enabling the second application module to provide and to receive content relevant to second applications running on the first and second client systems, and a rules module to determine an effect of content received from the first client system on content received from the second client system, and vice-versa.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions for causing a processor in an electronic device to perform a method of, for multiple client systems, each running a first application, to access other players and for mutual consumption of a second application, the method comprising:

a. Providing a lobby facility to which client systems may access;

b. Receiving a login request from a first client system running a first application, and authorizing the first client system to access the lobby facility upon verification of a first credential;

c. Receiving a login request from a second client system running another first application, and authorizing the second client system to access the lobby facility upon verification of a second credential;

d. Associating the first and second client systems, such that the first and second client systems are configured to mutually consume a second application.

2. The medium of claim 1, wherein the associating includes receiving a request from the first or second client systems to become associated with the other.

3. The medium of claim 1, wherein the first or second credential is the same as a credential employed to access the first application.

4. The medium of claim 1, wherein the associating further comprises rendering the second application on a user interface of the first application using a rendering engine associated with the first application.

5. The medium of claim 1, wherein a user interface for the second application is the same as the user interface for the first application.

6. The medium of claim 1, wherein the lobby facility is accessible from activating an element within the first application.

7. The medium of claim 6, wherein the lobby facility is a separate web application launched upon activating the element.

8. The medium of claim 1, wherein the second application is audio content, video content, a video game, a podcast, or a combination.

9. The medium of claim 1, wherein the lobby facility includes functionality for universal chat.

10. The medium of claim 9, wherein the universal chat functionality is a communications mechanism for the second application.

11. The medium of claim 1, wherein the second application is an online trading card game, in which each of the first and second users are associated with a respective plurality of cards and may hold a subset of the plurality of cards at a given time for gameplay, and wherein each user'"'"'s first application is chosen from the group consisting of a multiplayer game client and an online trading card game client.

12. The medium of claim 11, wherein one or more cards in the online trading card game contains content relevant to a multiplayer game.

13. The medium of claim 11, wherein:

a. the first application is a first multiplayer game client;

b. the another first application is a second multiplayer game client, wherein the second multiplayer game is different from the first multiplayer game; and

c. the first and second users are associated with, hold, and may play cards with content relevant to the first and second multiplayer games, respectively.

14. The medium of claim 12, wherein the associating further comprises translating the effects of cards played by the first user into comparable effects upon the cards of the second user, and vice-versa.

15. The medium of claim 11, further comprising, during gameplay in the multiplayer game, earning cards from the gameplay.

16. The medium of claim 15, wherein the gameplay includes performing crafting or trade skills, or retrieving dropped loot or quest rewards.

17. The medium of claim 11, further comprising altering a user'"'"'s player character'"'"'s attribute in the multiplayer game according to a card owned or held by the user.

18. The medium of claim 11, further comprising translating a card into an item in the multiplayer game, or vice-versa.

19. The medium of claim 11, further comprising directly using a card in the multiplayer game.

20. The medium of claim 11, further comprising creating a card based on a user'"'"'s player character in the multiplayer game.

21. The medium of claim 11, wherein the lobby facility is a virtual location within the multiplayer game.

22. The medium of claim 11, further comprising instructions for causing a processor in an electronic device to perform a method of operating the online trading card game.

23. The medium of claim 22, wherein the method of operating the online trading card game further comprises a method of operating a game engine, a card storage facility, and a friends list.

24. The medium of claim 11, wherein the online trading card game is configured such that at least two players may play against each other, and wherein the at least two players play on different servers of a common multiplayer game.

25. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions for causing a processor in an electronic device to perform a method of operating a lobby facility, the lobby facility for matching users, each associated with a client system running a first application, for mutual consumption of a second application:

a. Receiving a login request from a first client system running a first multiplayer game or a first trading card game client, and authorizing the first client to access a lobby facility upon verification of a first credential;

b. Receiving a login request from a second client system running a second multiplayer game or a second trading card game client, and authorizing the second client system to access the lobby facility upon verification of a second credential;

c. matching the first and second client systems such that at least the first and second client systems are configured to mutually play an online trading card game.

26. The medium of claim 25, wherein the lobby facility is launched from a lobby button within the first or second multiplayer games or trading card game clients.

27. The medium of claim 25, wherein the lobby facility is launched from or runs within a social networking site.

28. The medium of claim 25, wherein the lobby facility includes a universal chat functionality.

29. The medium of claim 28, where the universal chat functionality is a communications mechanism for the online trading card game.

30. A system for cross-platform consumption of a second application by a plurality of client systems each running respective first applications, comprising:

a. a lobby facility module situated on a network-accessible server, the lobby facility module configured to allow communications between the network-accessible server and each of a first client system and a second client system, the first and second client systems running respective first applications;

b. a second application module, including;

i. a database module for storing information about the second application;

ii. first and second content translator modules enabling the second application module to provide and to receive content relevant to second applications running on the first and second client systems;

iii. a rules module to determine an effect of content received from the first client system on content received from the second client system, and vice-versa.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the second application module provides content relevant to the first or second client systems by employing a rendering engine within the first application associated with the first and second client systems, respectively.

32. The system of claim 30, wherein the first application is selected from the group consisting of:

a multiplayer game, an online trading card game client, a web application, and a social networking site application.

33. The system of claim 30, wherein the lobby facility module and the second application module are on a common server.

34. The system of claim 30, wherein the lobby facility module communicates with the first or second client systems using a universal chat functionality.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the universal chat functionality is a communications mechanism for the second application.