MASSIVELY MULTIPLAYER ONLINE GAMING THROUGH A MOBILE DEVICE

• US 20100113160A1
• Filed: 11/06/2008
• Published: 05/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pratt, James, Sullivan, Marc, Belz, Steven
• Granted Patent: US 8,260,858 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 13/332 using wireless networks, e.g. cellular phone networks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/61 using advertising information
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/792 for payment purposes, e.g. monthly subscriptions
• 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 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/406 Transmission via wireless network, e.g. pager or GSM
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5506 using advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/556 Player lists, e.g. online players, buddy list, black list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5573 player location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/384 using social networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/386 using messaging services or messaging apps using mobile network messaging services for payment, e.g. SMS G06Q20/3255
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 : in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 : Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 : in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 : Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 : specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 : Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 : for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 : Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 : User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 : Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 : Accounting or billing

Abstract

Systems and methods of organizing a massively multiplayer online game (MMOG) via mobile units are provided. Features of mobile units such as messaging and location based services are incorporated into the game to enhance the user experience. The MMOG provides social networking opportunities to players by associating players based on similarities such as shared interests and activities. These shared interests and activities can be determined based on associations of the players in other situations, such as disparate online games or websites. In addition, advertising content can be provided to players based on similar factors. In an example implementation, the MMOG comprises a game similar to the offline game of tag, wherein players can “tag” each other through in-game interactions via the mobile units. These interactions can be triggered based on players being a fixed predetermined distance from each other.

Claims

1. A system of organizing a massively multiplayer online game (MMOG), comprising:

a management component that coordinates data related to the MMOG;

a data store that retains at least in part the data related to the MMOG; and

a plurality of mobile units that facilitate gameplay.

2. The system of claim 1, the management component coordinates location data associated with at least one of the plurality of mobile units.

3. The system of claim 1, the plurality of mobile units comprises a first mobile unit and a second mobile unit, the first mobile unit sends a message to the second mobile unit, the message is sent based at least in part on an interaction between the first and second mobile units in the MMOG.

4. The system of claim 1, the management component conveys data to a first mobile unit of the plurality of mobile units, the data is conveyed based at least in part on the first mobile unit located at a fixed predetermined distance from a second mobile unit of the plurality of mobile units.

5. The system of claim 4, the management component changes a score associated with a first mobile user associated with the first mobile unit when the management component receives a first signal from the first mobile unit without reception of a second signal from the second mobile unit within a fixed predetermined time of the first signal.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a social networking component that receives social information, the social information is related to at least one of interests or organizations associated with one or more mobile players that play the MMOG.

7. The system of claim 6, the social information is received at least in part from a social networking website or from a disparate MMOG or online game.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a game selection component that provides game choices to one or more of the mobile users that play the MMOG, the game choices relate to at least one of a choice among game types or a choice among game instances.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a web portal component that provides one or more users access to web content, the web content is based at least in part on the data related to the MMOG.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a billing component that provides billing options to at least one of a set of mobile users that play the MMOG, the billing options comprise at least one of a flat rate option, a time-based subscription option, a usage-based subscription option, or an advertising option.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a matching component that groups a set of mobile units employed by a set of mobile players that play the MMOG into one or more sets each comprising at least one mobile unit, the sets influence at least in part one or more interactions between mobile units.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising an advertising component that conveys advertising content to a mobile unit in the set of mobile units.

13. The system of claim 12, the advertising content conveyed to the mobile unit is selected based at least on one of location data associated with the mobile unit or interests of a mobile user associated with the mobile unit.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising a filtering component that selectively determines information communicated to a mobile unit, the determination is based at least in part on one or more of preferences selected by a mobile user of the mobile unit, the locations of the mobile unit, or interests associated with the mobile users of the mobile unit.

15. A method for hosting a massively multiplayer online game (MMOG), comprising:

receiving at least one MMOG request from one or more mobile units;

grouping the one or more mobile units into at least one group, each group comprises at least one mobile unit;

assigning one or more groups to a game session; and

hosting the game session to facilitate gameplay among one or more groups in the game session through the one or more mobile units.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising receiving social information related to at least one of interests, activities, or organizations associated with one or more of the mobile users.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising coordinating location data associated with at least one of the mobile units.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising offering billing options to at least one of the mobile users, the billing options comprise at least one of a flat rate option, a time-based subscription option, a session-based subscription option, or an advertising option.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising providing content based at least in part on the MMOG to a user via a web portal.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising providing an advertisement to one or more of the mobile units, providing an advertisement including:

receiving a set of advertisements;

receiving target information related to the set of advertisements;

determining user associations for at least one user associated with the MMOG; and

comparing the target information to the user associations and providing at least one advertisement in the set of advertisements to the at least one user, based on the comparison.

21. The method of claim 20, the advertising content provided to the one or more mobile units is selected based on at least one of location data associated with the one or more mobile units or interests of mobile users associated with the one or more mobile units.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising monitoring the effectiveness of the at least one of the advertisements.

23. The method of claim 22, the target information comprises at least one of geographical information or demographic information.

24. The method of claim 23, the user associations relate to at least one of location data of the user, interests of the user, activities the user participates in, or organizations the user is a member of.

25. A system for hosting a massively multiplayer online game (MMOG), comprising:

means for receiving at least one game request from one or more mobile units;

means for grouping the one or more mobile units into at least one group, each group comprises at least one mobile unit;

means for assigning one or more groups to a game session; and

means for hosting the game session such that mobile users associated with the one or more groups can interact with each other in the game session.

26. A system that facilitates interaction between a user and a massively multiplayer online game (MMOG), comprising:

a receiver component that receives data associated with the MMOG;

a game component that conveys content to the user, the content is based at least in part on the data associated with the MMOG; and

a transmitter component that delivers gameplay data to the MMOG, the data transmitted is based at least in part on the input received from the user.

27. The system of claim 26, the game component receives input from the user.

28. The system of claim 26, the content conveyed to the user comprises a notification that one or more preconditions associated with the MMOG have been met.

29. The system of claim 28, the one or more preconditions comprise the user being located within a fixed predetermined distance from at least one of a player or a location associated with the MMOG.

30. The system of claim 29, the gameplay data delivered to the MMOG comprises an interaction with the player or location associated with the MMOG.

31. A method for facilitating interaction between a user and a massively multiplayer online game (MMOG), comprising:

receiving data associated with the MMOG;

providing content to the user, the content is based at least on the data associated with the MMOG;

receiving input from the user; and

transmitting data to the MMOG, the data transmitted is based at least in part on the input received from the user.

32. The method of claim 31, the content provided to the user comprises information that the user is located within a fixed predetermined distance from a player or location associated with the MMOG.

33. The method of claim 32, the data transmitted to the MMOG is based at least in part on an interaction between the user and one or more of the player or location associated with the MMOG.