SELECTING DIGITAL CONTENT IN A GROUP WITH A MARKET SYSTEM

• US 20150238876A1
• Filed: 02/24/2014
• Published: 08/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: MILLEGAN, Patrick W., LIU, Lily Xudan, KHALFAN, Alif Salim
• Granted Patent: US 10,518,180 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/69 by enabling or updating specific game elements, e.g. unlocking hidden features, items, levels or versions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/87 Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed which provide an approach for selecting group-based digital content using a market system. An application receives a bid that indicates a selection for a user-configurable feature of a shared online activity and specifies an amount of currency that a corresponding participant is bidding for the selection. The application identifies a selection of the user-configurable feature having a highest total bid and initiates the shared online activity configured according to the user-configurable feature having the highest total bid.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for voting on user-configurable features of a shared online activity, comprising:

receiving a bid from each of a plurality of participants, wherein each bid indicates a selection for a user-configurable feature of the shared online activity and specifies an amount of currency a corresponding participant is bidding for the selection specified in the bid;

identifying a winning selection of the user-configurable feature, the winning selection having a highest total bid; and

initiating the shared online activity configured according to winning selection.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, for each participant that bid for the winning selection, deducting the amount specified in the bid of the respective participant from a currency balance of that participant.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the user-configurable feature is selectable content presented to the participants of the shared online activity.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the user-configurable feature is a playable map and the shared online activity is an online multi-player game.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising, adjusting the amount specified in the bid of at least one of the participants based on one or more user preferences and cached information associated with the participant.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the adjusted amount specified in a bid w_i for the participant i is b_is_i, where b_i is an amount of currency submitted, and where s_i is based on the user preferences and cached information.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the cached information includes at least one of a currency balance of the participant, whether the participant has previously bid on user-configurable features, and a credibility of the participant.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising, increasing a currency balance of each participant by a specified amount based on actions of the participant after the shared online activity is initiated.

20. The method of claim 5, wherein the adjusted amount specified in a bid w_i for the participant i is b_is_i, where b_i is an amount of currency submitted, and where s_i is based on the user preferences and cached information.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program, which, when executed by a processor performs an operation for voting on user-configurable features of a shared online activity, the operation comprising:

receiving a bid from each of a plurality of participants, wherein each bid indicates a selection for a user-configurable feature of the shared online activity and specifies an amount of currency a corresponding participant is bidding for the selection specified in the bid;

identifying a winning selection of the user-configurable feature, the winning selection having a highest total bid; and

initiating the shared online activity configured according to winning selection.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the operation further comprises, for each participant that bid for the winning selection, deducting the amount specified in the bid of the respective participant from a currency balance of that participant.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the user-configurable feature is selectable content presented to the participants of the shared online activity.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the user-configurable feature is a playable map and the shared online activity is an online multi-player game.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the operation further comprises, adjusting the amount specified in the bid of at least one of the participants based on one or more user preferences and cached information associated with the participant.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the adjusted amount specified in a bid w_i for the participant i is b_is_i, where b_i is an amount of currency submitted, and where s_i is based on the user preferences and cached information.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the cached information includes at least one of a currency balance of the participant, whether the participant has previously bid on user-configurable features, and a credibility of the participant.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the operation further comprises, increasing a currency balance of each participant by a specified amount based on actions of the participant after the shared online activity is initiated.

17. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory, wherein the memory includes an application program configured to perform an operation for voting on user-configurable features of a shared online activity, the operation comprising;

receiving a bid from each of a plurality of participants, wherein each bid indicates a selection for a user-configurable feature of the shared online activity and specifies an amount of currency a corresponding participant is bidding for the selection specified in the bid,

identifying a winning selection of the user-configurable feature, the winning selection having a highest total bid, and

initiating the shared online activity configured according to winning selection.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the operation further comprises, for each participant that bid for the winning selection, deducting the amount specified in the bid of the respective participant from a currency balance of that participant.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the operation further comprises, adjusting the amount specified in the bid of at least one of the participants based on one or more user preferences and cached information associated with the participant.