APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR MATCHING GROUPS TO USERS FOR ONLINE COMMUNITIES AND COMPUTER SIMULATIONS

• US 20130254680A1
• Filed: 03/21/2012
• Published: 09/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: BUHR, Brian Douglas, SANTHOSH, Sreelata
• Granted Patent: US 10,130,872 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/753
• 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 13/61 using advertising information
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5566 by matching opponents or finding partners to build a team, e.g. by skill level, geographical area, background, play style
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

A method includes detecting a first group seeking members, detecting one or more users seeking to join a group, retrieving group parameters corresponding to the first group, and retrieving user parameters corresponding to each of the one or more users. The group parameters may include group characteristic data and group requirements. For each user of the one or more users, the group parameters corresponding to the first group are compared against the user parameters corresponding to the user. A score is determined for each of the one or more users based on the comparing. One or more selected users of the one or more users is recommended to the first group at least in part based on the score. One or more computer programs may be adapted to execute the above steps, and a processor may be configured to perform the above steps.

Claims

1. A computer readable storage medium storing one or more computer readable programs adapted to cause a processor based system to execute steps comprising:

detecting a first group seeking members;

detecting one or more users seeking to join a group;

retrieving group parameters corresponding to the first group, wherein the group parameters comprise group characteristic data and group requirements;

retrieving user parameters corresponding to each of the one or more users;

for each user of the one or more users, comparing the group parameters corresponding to the first group against the user parameters corresponding to the user;

determining a score for each of the one or more users based on the comparing; and

recommending one or more selected users of the one or more users to the first group at least in part based on the score.

2. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the one or more computer readable programs are further adapted to cause the processor based system to execute steps comprising:

receiving a selection of at least one of the one or more selected users from the first group and adding the at least one of the one or more selected users to the group.

3. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the group parameters comprise one or more parameters determined by the system.

4. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the group parameters comprise one or more parameters entered by the group.

5. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the one or more computer readable programs are further adapted to cause the processor based system to execute steps comprising:

receiving a selection of at least one of the one or more selected users; and

sending an invitation to the at least one of the one or more selected users.

6. The computer readable storage medium of claim 5, wherein the invitation comprises an invitation to join the first group.

7. The computer readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the one or more computer readable programs are further adapted to cause the processor based system to execute steps comprising:

detecting that the at least one of the one or more selected users has accepted the invitation; and

adding the at least one of the one or more selected users to the first group.

8. The computer readable storage medium of claim 5, wherein the invitation comprises an invitation to participate in the tryout session.

9. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the one or more computer readable programs are further adapted to cause the processor based system to execute steps comprising:

detecting that the at least one of the one or more selected users has accepted the invitation;

initiating a tryout session; and

joining the at least one of the one or more selected users to the tryout session.

10. The computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the one or more computer readable programs are further adapted to cause the processor based system to execute steps comprising:

allowing members of the group to view the tryout session and vote for the at least one of the one or more selected users.

11. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the one or more computer readable programs are further adapted to cause the processor based system to execute steps comprising:

receiving a request to initiate a tryout session for at least a first one of the one or more selected users;

initiating a computer simulated session having at least the one of the one or selected users;

enabling members of the group to view the computer simulated session while in progress; and

allowing the members to place a vote for the at least one of the one or more selected users while the computer simulated session is in progress.

12. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the one or more computer readable programs are further adapted to cause the processor based system to execute steps comprising:

posting information related to the first group or at least one of the one or more selected users to a website.

13. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the one or more computer readable programs are further adapted to cause the processor based system to execute steps comprising:

causing information related to the first group or at least one of the one or more selected users to be transmitted to a plurality of mobile devices.

14. An apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to perform the steps comprising;

detecting a first group seeking members;

detecting one or more users seeking to join a group;

retrieving group parameters corresponding to the first group, wherein the group parameters comprise group characteristic data and group requirements;

retrieving user parameters corresponding to each of the one or more users;

for each user of the one or more users, comparing the group parameters corresponding to the first group against the user parameters corresponding to the user;

determining a score for each of the one or more users based on the comparing; and

recommending one or more selected users of the one or more users to the first group at least in part based on the score.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the steps further comprise:

displaying the one or more selected users to the first group.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a display for displaying the one or more selected users to the first group.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the displaying the one or more selected users comprises displaying the one or more selected users in a report.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the displaying the one or more selected users comprises displaying the one or more selected users in one or more clouds.

19. A method comprising:

detecting a first group seeking members;

detecting one or more users seeking to join a group;

retrieving group parameters corresponding to the first group, wherein the group parameters comprise group characteristic data and group requirements;

retrieving user parameters corresponding to each of the one or more users;

for each user of the one or more users, comparing the group parameters corresponding to the first group against the user parameters corresponding to the user;

determining a score for each of the one or more users based on the comparing; and

recommending one or more selected users of the one or more users to the first group at least in part based on the score.