Gaming System

• US 20120225720A1
• Filed: 03/04/2011
• Published: 09/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Roblox Corp.
• Original Assignee: Roblox Corp.
• Inventors: Baszucki, David
• Granted Patent: US 9,028,330 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5546 using player registration data, e.g. identification, account, preferences, game history
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality

Abstract

A network-based gaming system includes a website hosted by a web server connected to the network, the website including a member login interface, a social graph application program interface (API), and at least one hyperlink to a multi-dimensional game served by a game server connected to the network and a social graph information reader accessible to the game server, the social graph information reader for identifying one or more players of the game by correlating identification information provided or known about the players with social graph data aggregated about the players, and a game configuration interface resident on and executable from the digital medium accessible to the game server, the game configuration interface enabling a member to configure rules pertaining to game and or game object recognition of, and treatment of certain players of the game determined to be friends of the member.

Claims

1. A network-based gaming system comprising:

a website resident on and executable from a digital medium accessible to a web server connected to the network, the website including a member login interface, a social graph application program interface (API), and at least one hyperlink to a multi-dimensional game resident on and executable from a digital medium accessible to a game server connected to the network;

a social graph information reader resident on and executable from a digital medium accessible to the game server, the social graph information reader for identifying one or more players of the game by correlating identification information provided or known about the players with social graph data aggregated about the players, the data stored in and read from an accessible repository; and

a game configuration interface resident on and executable from the digital medium accessible to the game server, the game configuration interface enabling a member to configure rules pertaining to game and or game object recognition of, and treatment of certain players of the game determined to be friends of the member.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the network is the Internet network.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the game includes two and or three-dimensional game elements.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the execution of the social graph information reader is automatic and triggered by presence of a player entering the game.

5. The gaming system of claim 4, wherein the game player is recognized by the social graph connection type to the user.

6. The gaming system of claim 5, wherein the recognized game player is greeted by an existing handle or user name once recognized.

7. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the user accesses social graph information by entering a URL to the social graph API.

8. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the multi-dimensional game is a gambling game.

9. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the social graph information is automatically aggregated through system interaction with the API based on user-submitted information or information about the user that is known to the system.

10. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the social graph API executes on behalf of a member each time the member logs into the gaming Website, subsequent executions for the purposes of updating the social graph information for that user.

11. In a network-based gaming system, a method for discovering and engaging friends of members of the gaming system comprising the steps;

(a) using a social graph application program interface (API), aggregating the social graph of the member based on input known about or provided by the member;

(b) presenting social graph data, including identification of social graph nodes to the member;

(c) providing special incentives to and or treatments of social graph nodes that accept invitations to visit the site and or play a game;

(d) sending invitations to social graph nodes of step (b), to join the site or to play a game; and

(e) using a social graph information reader, recognizing social graph nodes who have accepted invitation and applying one or more special rules or treatments according to member submitted configurations.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the network is the Internet network.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein in step (a), the social graph API is installed on a Website and is run on behalf of members to discover their social graphs comprising their online relationships across the Web.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein in steps (b) through (e), the social graph nodes are persons.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein in step (c), treatments include how a game and or game elements will respond or react to a specific social graph node identified as part of the social graph of a member.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein in step (d), invitations are sent via email, instant message (IM), short message services (SMS), or multimedia message service (MMS).

17. The method of claim 11 wherein in step (e), the social graph reader is invoked after the social graph node provides some piece of identification such as an email address or universal resource locator to a Web page owned by that user, the piece of identification used to identify the social graph node through correlation with social graph information previously obtained about that user.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the gaming system includes access to one or more gambling games.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the social graph nodes are recognized by the social graph connection type to the user.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein in step (e), a social graph reader extension is provided for internal game elements to link to the social graph information reader.