METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR DISTRIBUTED GAMING OVER A MOBILE DEVICE

• US 20130196774A1
• Filed: 01/11/2013
• Published: 08/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Winview IP Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: WinView Incorporated (GameSquare Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lockton, David B., Berner, Mark K., Micheli, Mark J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,526,991 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/332 using wireless networks, e.g. cellular phone networks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/352 involving special game server arrangements, e.g. regional servers connected to a national server or a plurality of servers managing partitions of the game world
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/75 Enforcing rules, e.g. detecting foul play or generating lists of cheating players
• 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 13/798 for assessing skills or for ranking players, e.g. for generating a hall of fame computing the game score A63F13/46
• 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 2300/535 for monitoring, e.g. of user parameters, terminal parameters, application parameters, network parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/552 for downloading to client devices, e.g. using OS version, hardware or software profile of the client device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/558 by assessing the players' skills or ranking
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5586 for enforcing rights or rules, e.g. to prevent foul play

Abstract

A system and method are provided for updating game participants. In some embodiments, participants receive game control information via a one-way broadcast. The method selects a set of sampling participants. In some embodiments, selection occurs prior to start of the game. The method of some embodiments establishes a two-way connection between a server and each sampling participant. During each discrete game period, the method receives data for the sampling participant'"'"'s game period performance. Based on the received data, the method determines performance for the game period and broadcasts this information to a non-sampling participant. In some embodiments, the non-sampling participant determines a standing relative to other participants. Some embodiments provide a method and system for detecting unusual performance. An average performance level is calculated. Based on the average performance level, a participant improvement factor is tracked, stored and compared to a threshold value.

Claims

1-19. -19. (canceled)

20. A system for updating game participants, the system comprising:

a server to host the game;

a first mobile device having a two-way connection with the server;

a second mobile device having a one-way connection with the server; and

a network, wherein the first mobile device communicates with the server through the network by using the two-way connection, wherein based on the two-way communication, the server broadcasts to the second mobile device by using the one-way connection.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the two-way connection is realtime.

22. The system of claim 20, further comprising a first set of data, wherein the first mobile device uploads the first set of data over the two-way connection.

23. The system of claim 20, further comprising a second set of data, wherein the server broadcasts the second set of data to the second mobile device over the one-way connection.

24. The system of claim 20, wherein the second set of data is based on the uploaded first set of data.

25. The system of claim 20, wherein the one-way broadcast comprises a histogram.

26. A server for updating game participants, the server comprising:

a communication layer for providing connections through a network, the communication layer further comprising;

a plurality of one-way connections between a first plurality of mobile devices and the server; and

a plurality of two-way connections between a second plurality of mobile devices and the server;

wherein the one-way connections are updated based on the two-way connections.

27. The server of claim 26 further comprising:

a master layer for hosting the game, wherein data received by using the two-way connections are processed by the master layer.

28. The server of claim 26, wherein the two way connections are selected by the server.

29. The server of claim 26, wherein the server comprises a cluster.

30. The server of claim 26, further comprising a connection to a mobile device.

31. A mobile device for receiving updates during a game, the mobile device comprising:

a communication module for connecting to a network, the communication module having one-way and two-way connectivity, wherein the communication module receives a one way broadcast from a server through the network, including a received data set, and communicates game results to the server by using the two-way connectivity;

a processor coupled to the communication module, the processor for calculating a local data set and for comparing the local data set to the received data set;

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory for storing applications and data, including the local data set and the received data set; and

a display for presenting data.

32. The mobile device of claim 31, wherein the mobile device comprises a cellular telephone.

33. The mobile device of claim 31, wherein the one-way broadcast comprises a histogram.

34. The mobile device of claim 31, further comprising an application allowing connection to a server for participation in the game.

35. The mobile device of claim 31, wherein based on the one-way broadcast, the mobile device establishes a two-way connection with a server.

36. The mobile device of claim 31, wherein the server examines the mobile device by using the two-way connection.

37. The mobile device of claim 31, further comprising modules for:

determining whether the mobile device has been accessed abnormally;

or

determining whether data stored by the mobile device has been altered;

or

determining whether data stored by the mobile device includes an anomaly, wherein the anomaly indicates a prohibited action for the game.