METHODS, DEVICES, AND SYSTEMS FOR VIDEO GAMING

• US 20120094757A1
• Filed: 10/17/2011
• Published: 04/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: James Charles Vago, Mark Anthony Charles
• Original Assignee: James Charles Vago, Mark Anthony Charles
• Inventors: Vago, James Charles, Charles, Mark Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 8,613,674 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/31
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/323 between game devices with different hardware characteristics, e.g. hand-held game devices connectable to game consoles or arcade machines
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/327 using wireless networks, e.g. Wi-Fi® or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/332 using wireless networks, e.g. cellular phone networks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/87 Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/406 Transmission via wireless network, e.g. pager or GSM
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/556 Player lists, e.g. online players, buddy list, black list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/572 Communication between players during game play of non game information, e.g. e-mail, chat, file transfer, streaming of audio and streaming of video
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality

Abstract

There is a game console, wherein the game console further comprises a set of computer readable instructions for: transmitting login data to at least one game server, wherein the at least one game server is associated with a game service for a gaming community; transmitting data from the game console to the at least one game server to associate the first gamer and a second gamer as members of a semi-permanent gaming clan using the personally identifiable data for the first gamer and the second gamer, wherein the gaming clan has a clan identifier associated therewith; c) transmitting data from the game console to the at least one game server to establish one of the first gamer and the second gamer as a semi-permanent clan leader.

Claims

1. A game console, comprising:

a CPU;

a computer readable medium storing personally identifiable data for a first gamer;

an operating system stored on the computer readable medium;

a video interface port for transmitting a video signal to a display;

a system bus interconnecting the computer readable medium, the CPU, and the video port;

a first video game application stored on the computer readable medium;

a second video game application stored on the computer readable medium; and

wherein the game console further comprises a set of computer readable instructions for;

a) transmitting login data to at least one game server, wherein the at least one game server is associated with a game service for a gaming community;

b) transmitting data from the game console to the at least one game server to associate the first gamer and a second gamer as members of a semi-permanent gaming clan using the personally identifiable data for the first gamer and the second gamer, wherein the gaming clan has a clan identifier associated therewith;

c) transmitting data from the game console to the at least one game server to establish one of the first gamer and the second gamer as a semi-permanent clan leader, wherein the clan leader is authorized to initiate one or more actions within the gaming service on behalf of each of member of the gaming clan; and

wherein the first game application and the second game application each comprise a set of computer readable instructions for accessing the clan identifier.

2. The game console of claim 1, wherein the game console further comprises a set of computer readable instructions enabling a user of the game console to select a gamer tag of the first gamer and to send a clan invite to the game server for the first gamer.

3. The game console of claim 2, wherein the set of computer readable instructions for the first game application further comprises instructions enabling a multiplayer video game and a single player video game, wherein the multiplayer video game further comprises data associated with a multiplayer clan game prize.

4. The game console of claim 1, wherein the set of computer readable instructions for the first video game application further comprises instructions for unlocking the multiplayer clan game prize when the members of the clan achieve a predetermined objective in the multiplayer video game associated with the first video game application.

5. The game console of claim 1, further comprising clan marketplace data wherein the clan marketplace data comprises data for a multiplayer clan game prize that was purchased or swapped in a clan marketplace associated with the game server.

6. The game console of claim 1, wherein the set of computer readable instructions for the first game application and the second game application further comprise instructions for accessing clan data stored on the computer readable medium.

7. The game console of claim 6, wherein the clan data received from the game server comprises a list of video games that are common between the first gamer and the second gamer.

8. A game console, comprising:

a CPU;

a computer readable medium;

a network interface;

an operating system stored on the computer readable medium;

a video interface port for transmitting a video signal to a display;

a system bus interconnecting the computer readable medium, the CPU, the network interface and the video port;

a first video game application for providing gameplay stored on the computer readable medium; and

a set of computer readable instructions for;

a) receiving a message from a smart phone via the network interface;

b) displaying the message within a video game image projected by a display connected to the video interface port, wherein the message is displayed without suspending gameplay; and

c) transmitting a reply to the smart phone, wherein the response is inputted to the game console entered by the first gamer without suspending gameplay.

9. The game console of claim 8, wherein the reply is transmitted to the smart phone via a game server.

10. The game console of claim 8, wherein the message comprises data associated with a phone number of the smart phone and wherein the set of computer readable instructions further comprises instructions for matching a gamer tag stored on the computer readable medium to the phone number.

11. The game console of claim 8, wherein the set of computer readable instructions further comprises instructions enabling a real time interactive audio dialog between a user of the smart phone and a user of the game console using a headset connected to a game controller.

12. The game console of claim 8, wherein the display is displaying live action game play simultaneously with the message.

13. The game console of claim 8, wherein the first video game application comprises a set of computer readable instructions for receiving and processing a game play input from a user of the game console while displaying the message.

14. The game console of claim 8, wherein the reply is entered with a game controller attachment.

15. The game console of claim 8, wherein the game controller comprises at least one message button, wherein said message button is used primarily for entering the reply.

16. A game system, comprising:

a game console comprising

a CPU;

a computer readable medium;

a network interface port;

an operating system stored on the computer readable medium;

a video interface port for transmitting a video signal to a display;

a system bus interconnecting the computer readable medium, the CPU, the network interface port and the video port;

a first video game application for providing gameplay, wherein the first video game application is stored on the computer readable medium;

a game controller in data communication with the game console;

a headset in data communication with one of the game controller and the game console;

a mobile phone;

wherein the game console comprises a set of computer readable instructions for;

i. wirelessly pairing the mobile phone to the game console so as to create a personal area network;

ii. transmitting audio or text data between the game console and the mobile phone;

iii. transmitting the audio or text data between the game console and the headset.

17. The game system of claim 16, wherein the audio or text data from the mobile phone comprises audio or text data transmitted to the mobile phone from a second mobile phone via a cellular network, wherein the second mobile phone is remote from the mobile phone.

18. The game system of claim 17, wherein the game console further comprises instructions enabling a user of the game console to toggle between the audio data from one or members of a gaming community participating in the game play and the audio or text data transmitted to the mobile phone from a second mobile phone via a cellular network.

19. The game system of claim 16, wherein the game controller comprises a plurality of buttons and wherein one of the buttons provides an input to the game console to toggle between the audio data from one or members of a gaming community participating in the game play and the audio or text data transmitted to the mobile phone from a second mobile phone via a cellular network.

20. The game system of claim 16, wherein the game console further comprises a set of instructions for:

a) receiving a telephone number from a game server and displaying the telephone number within a video game image projected by a display connected to the video interface port, wherein the telephone number is displayed without suspending gameplay;

b) transmitting the telephone number to the mobile phone;

c) instructing the mobile phone to transmit the telephone number to the cellular network to thereby place the mobile phone and a second mobile phone in data communication.