Methods, Systems, and Products for Centralized Control of Gaming Applications

• US 20120231875A1
• Filed: 05/11/2012
• Published: 09/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Godfrey, Jason, Bearden, Toby, Smith, Michele L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,801,523 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/24
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/25 Output arrangements for video game devices
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/493 Resuming a game, e.g. after pausing, malfunction or power failure
• 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 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5533 using program state or machine event data, e.g. server keeps track of the state of multiple players on in a multiple player game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/554 by saving game or status data
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5546 using player registration data, e.g. identification, account, preferences, game history
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality

Abstract

Methods, systems, and products bookmark gaming applications. When a player wishes to pause a gaming application, a bookmark may be created. The bookmark identifies a location in the gaming application at which play is paused. Play may then be resumed from the bookmark, whether at a same device or at a different device.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a processor;

memory; and

code stored in the memory that when executed causes the processor at least to;

pause a gaming application;

receive a bookmark that identifies a location at which the gaming application is paused; and

resume the gaming application from the bookmark.

2. The system according to claim 1, the code further causing the processor to resume scoring from the bookmark.

3. The system according to claim 1, the code further causing the processor to store the bookmark in association with a player of the gaming application.

4. The system according to claim 1, the code further causing the processor to store the bookmark in association with a user of the gaming application.

5. The system according to claim 1, the code further causing the processor to store the bookmark in association with an identifier of a device.

6. The system according to claim 1, the code further causing the processor to receive a query for the bookmark.

7. The system according to claim 1, the code further causing the processor to create bookmarks for multiple players.

8. A method, comprising:

receiving a request from a device to pause a gaming application;

creating a bookmark that identifies a location at which the gaming application is paused;

receiving another request from a different device to resume the gaming application;

querying for the bookmark; and

resuming the gaming application from the bookmark at the different device.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising resuming scoring from the bookmark.

10. The method according to claim 8, further comprising storing the bookmark in association with a player of the gaming application.

11. The method according to claim 8, further comprising storing the bookmark in association with a user of the device.

12. The method according to claim 8, further comprising storing the bookmark in association with an identifier of the device.

13. The method according to claim 8, further comprising receiving a selection in a graphical user interface to pause the gaming application.

14. The method according to claim 8, further comprising confirming pausing the gaming application.

15. A computer readable storage medium storing processor executable instructions for performing a method, the method comprising:

receiving a request from a device to pause a gaming application;

creating a bookmark that identifies a location at which the gaming application is paused;

receiving another request from a different device to resume the gaming application;

querying for the bookmark; and

resuming the gaming application from the bookmark at the different device.

16. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 15, further comprising code for resuming scoring from the bookmark.

17. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 15, further comprising code for storing the bookmark in association with a player of the gaming application.

18. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 15, further comprising code for storing the bookmark in association with a user of the device.

19. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 15, further comprising code for storing the bookmark in association with an identifier of the device.

20. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 15, further comprising code for receiving a selection in a graphical user interface to pause the gaming application.