SYSTEMS AND METHODS OF DYNAMICALLY SELECTING CONTACTS AND PROMOTING PRODUCTS

• US 20150283463A1
• Filed: 04/02/2015
• Published: 10/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Inventors: Marat, Rolan, Wajima, Kohta Aoki, Harris, Dylan Kuper
• Granted Patent: US 10,071,317 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 13/46 Computing the game score
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/48 Starting a game, e.g. activating a game device or waiting for other players to join a multiplayer session
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/65 automatically by game devices or servers from real world data, e.g. measurement in live racing competition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• 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

Abstract

A system, a machine-readable storage medium storing instructions, and a computer-implemented method are directed to a Contact Ranking Engine (hereinafter “CR Engine”). The CR Engine identifies a plurality of contacts of a player of a first game on a gaming network environment (or a game networking system). The Cr Engine collects contact attributes for each of the plurality of contacts from one or more contact attribute sources. The CR Engine requests a first configuration table related to the first game. Upon receiving the first configuration table, the CR Engine scores the collected contact attributes of each contact of the player according to one or more updateable rules of the first configuration table. The CR Engine ranks in a contacts ranking list each contact based on a respective score. The CR Engine selects a portion of the contacts ranking list. The CR Engine displays each contact from the selected portion.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying, by a client device, a plurality of contacts of a player of a first game associated with a game networking system;

collecting contact attributes for each of the plurality of contacts from one or more contact attribute sources;

requesting, from a server device related to the game networking system, a first configuration table related to the first game;

scoring the collected contact attributes of each contact of the player according to one or more updateable rules of the first configuration table;

ranking in a contacts ranking list each contact based on a respective score;

selecting a portion of the contacts ranking list; and

displaying on the client device a selectable instance of each contact included in the selected portion of the contacts ranking list.

2. The method as in claim 1, wherein collecting contact attributes for each of the plurality of contacts from one or more contact attribute sources comprises:

receiving permission from the player to access a contacts listing local to the client device;

receiving permission from the player to access an account of the player in a first social network system external to the game networking system of the first game; and

receiving permission from the player to access an account of the player in a second social network system external to the game networking system of the first game, the first social network system different than the second social network system.

3. The method as in claim 2, wherein collecting contact attributes for each of the plurality of contacts from one or more contact attribute sources further comprises:

identifying a first contact in the contacts listing;

collecting a first instance of a first type of contact attribute of the first contact from the contact listing;

identifying a connection between the account of the player in the first social network system and an account of the first contact in the first social network system;

collecting a first instance of a second type of contact attribute from the account of the first contact in the first social network system; and

including the first instance of the first type of contact attribute and the first instance of the second type of contact attribute in a contact attribute set for the first contact.

4. The method as in claim 3, wherein scoring the collected contact attributes of each contact of the player according to one or more updateable rules of the first configuration table comprises:

applying a scoring rule from the first configuration table for each type of contact attribute in the contact attribute set for the first contact to calculate a score for the first contact;

determining the score for the first contact is within a threshold range of a previously-calculated score for another contact that responded to a first promotion associated with the first game; and

including the first contact in the portion of the contacts ranking list for display of the first contact on the client device.

5. The method as in claim 3, wherein collecting contact attributes for each of the plurality of contacts from one or more contact attribute sources further comprises:

identifying a second contact in the contacts listing;

collecting a second instance of the first type of contact attribute of the second contact from the contact listing;

identifying a connection between the account of the player in the first social network system and an account of the second contact in the first social network system;

collecting a second instance of a second type of contact attribute from the account of the second contact in the first social network system;

collecting a first instance of a third type of contact attribute from the account of the second contact in the first social network system; and

including the second instance of the first type of contact attribute, the second instance of the second type of contact attribute and the first instance of the third type of contact attribute in a contact attribute set for the second contact.

6. The method as in claim 5, wherein scoring the collected contact attributes of each contact of the player according to one or more updateable rules of the first configuration table comprises:

identifying a connection between the account of the player in the second social network system and an account of the second contact in the second social network system;

collecting a first instance of a fourth type of contact attribute from the account of the second contact in the second social network system; and

including the first instance of the fourth type of contact attribute in the contact attribute set for the second contact.

7. The method as in claim 6, wherein scoring the collected contact attributes of each contact of the player according to one or more updateable rules of the first configuration table comprises:

calculating respective scores for the first and second contacts based on;

applying a first scoring rule for the first type of contact attribute in the contact attribute sets for the first and second contacts;

applying a second scoring rule for the second type of contact attribute in the contact attribute sets for the first and second contacts;

applying a third scoring rule for the third type of contact attribute in the contact attribute set for the second contact; and

applying a fourth scoring rule for the fourth type of contact attribute in the contact attribute set for the second contact.

8. A machine-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

identifying a plurality of contacts of a player of a first game associated with a game networking system;

collecting contact attributes for each of the plurality of contacts from one or more contact attribute sources;

requesting a first configuration table related to the first game;

scoring the collected contact attributes of each contact of the player according to one or more updateable rules of the first configuration table;

ranking in a contacts ranking list each contact based on a respective score;

selecting a portion of the contacts ranking list; and

displaying a selectable instance of each contact included in the selected portion of the contacts ranking list.

9. The machine-readable storage medium as in claim 8, wherein collecting contact attributes for each of the plurality of contacts from one or more contact attribute sources comprises:

receiving permission from the player to access a local contacts listing;

receiving permission from the player to access an account of the player in an external first social network system; and

receiving permission from the player to access an account of the player in an external second social network system, the first social network system different than the second social network system.

10. The machine-readable storage medium as in claim 9, wherein collecting contact attributes for each of the plurality of contacts from one or more contact attribute sources further comprises:

identifying a first contact in the contacts listing;

collecting a first instance of a first type of contact attribute of the first contact from the contact listing;

identifying a connection between the account of the player in the first social network system and an account of the first contact in the first social network system;

collecting a first instance of a second type of contact attribute from the account of the first contact in the first social network system; and

including the first instance of the first type of contact attribute and the first instance of the second type of contact attribute in a contact attribute set for the first contact.

11. The machine-readable storage medium as in claim 10, wherein scoring the collected contact attributes of each contact of the player according to one or more updateable rules of the first configuration table comprises:

applying a scoring rule from the first configuration table for each type of contact attribute in the contact attribute set for the first contact to calculate a score for the first contact;

determining the score for the first contact is within a threshold range of a previously-calculated score for another contact that responded to a first promotion associated with the first game; and

including the first contact in the portion of the contacts ranking list for display of the first contact on a client device.

12. The machine-readable storage medium as in claim 10, wherein collecting contact attributes for each of the plurality of contacts from one or more contact attribute sources further comprises:

identifying a second contact in the contacts listing;

collecting a second instance of the first type of contact attribute of the second contact from the contact listing;

identifying a connection between the account of the player in the first social network system and an account of the second contact in the first social network system;

collecting a second instance of a second type of contact attribute from the account of the second contact in the first social network system;

collecting a first instance of a third type of contact attribute from the account of the second contact in the first social network system; and

including the second instance of the first type of contact attribute, the second instance of the second type of contact attribute and the first instance of the third type of contact attribute in a contact attribute set for the second contact.

13. The machine-readable storage medium as in claim 12, wherein scoring the collected contact attributes of each contact of the player according to one or more updateable rules of the first configuration table comprises:

identifying a connection between the account of the player in the second social network system and an account of the second contact in the second social network system;

collecting a first instance of a fourth type of contact attribute from the account of the second contact in the second social network system; and

including the first instance of the fourth type of contact attribute in the contact attribute set for the second contact.

14. The machine-readable storage medium as in claim 13, wherein scoring the collected contact attributes of each contact of the player according to one or more updateable rules of the first configuration table comprises:

calculating respective scores for the first and second contacts based on;

applying a first scoring rule for the first type of contact attribute in the contact attribute sets for the first and second contacts;

applying a second scoring rule for the second type of contact attribute in the contact attribute sets for the first and second contacts;

applying a third scoring rule for the third type of contact attribute in the contact attribute set for the second contact; and

applying a fourth scoring rule for the fourth type of contact attribute in the contact attribute set for the second contact.

15. A computer system comprising:

a processor;

a memory device holding an instruction set executable on the processor to cause the computer system to perform operations comprising;

identifying a plurality of contacts of a player of a first game associated with a game networking system;

collecting contact attributes for each of the plurality of contacts from one or more contact attribute sources;

requesting a first configuration table related to the first game;

scoring the collected contact attributes of each contact of the player according to one or more updateable rules of the first configuration table;

ranking in a contacts ranking list each contact based on a respective score;

selecting a portion of the contacts ranking list; and

displaying a selectable instance of each contact included in the selected portion of the contacts ranking list on the computer system.

16. The computer system as in claim 15, wherein collecting contact attributes for each of the plurality of contacts from one or more contact attribute sources comprises:

receiving permission from the player to access a local contacts listing;

receiving permission from the player to access an account of the player in an external first social network system; and

receiving permission from the player to access an account of the player in an external second social network system, the first social network system different than the second social network system.

17. The computer system as in claim 16, wherein collecting contact attributes for each of the plurality of contacts from one or more contact attribute sources further comprises:

identifying a first contact in the contacts listing;

collecting a first instance of a first type of contact attribute of the first contact from the contact listing;

identifying a connection between the account of the player in the first social network system and an account of the first contact in the first social network system;

collecting a first instance of a second type of contact attribute from the account of the first contact in the first social network system; and

including the first instance of the first type of contact attribute and the first instance of the second type of contact attribute in a contact attribute set for the first contact.

18. The computer system as in claim 17, wherein scoring the collected contact attributes of each contact of the player according to one or more updateable rules of the first configuration table comprises:

applying a scoring rule from the first configuration table for each type of contact attribute in the contact attribute set for the first contact to calculate a score for the first contact;

determining the score for the first contact is within a threshold range of a previously-calculated score for another contact that responded to a first promotion associated with the first game; and

including the first contact in the portion of the contacts ranking list for display of the first contact on the computer system.

19. The computer system as in claim 17, wherein collecting contact attributes for each of the plurality of contacts from one or more contact attribute sources further comprises:

identifying a second contact in the contacts listing;

collecting a second instance of the first type of contact attribute of the second contact from the contact listing;

identifying a connection between the account of the player in the first social network system and an account of the second contact in the first social network system;

collecting a second instance of a second type of contact attribute from the account of the second contact in the first social network system;

collecting a first instance of a third type of contact attribute from the account of the second contact in the first social network system; and

including the second instance of the first type of contact attribute, the second instance of the second type of contact attribute and the first instance of the third type of contact attribute in a contact attribute set for the second contact.

20. The computer system as in claim 19, wherein scoring the collected contact attributes of each contact of the player according to one or more updateable rules of the first configuration table comprises:

identifying a connection between the account of the player in the second social network system and an account of the second contact in the second social network system;

collecting a first instance of a fourth type of contact attribute from the account of the second contact in the second social network system; and

including the first instance of the fourth type of contact attribute in the contact attribute set for the second contact; and

wherein scoring the collected contact attributes of each contact of the player according to one or more updateable rules of the first configuration table comprises;

calculating respective scores for the first and second contacts based on;

applying a first scoring rule for the first type of contact attribute in the contact attribute sets for the first and second contacts;

applying a second scoring rule for the second type of contact attribute in the contact attribute sets for the first and second contacts;

applying a third scoring rule for the third type of contact attribute in the contact attribute set for the second contact; and

applying a fourth scoring rule for the fourth type of contact attribute in the contact attribute set for the second contact.