PROVIDING SOCIAL NETWORK CONTENT IN GAMES

• US 20180071633A1
• Filed: 11/20/2017
• Published: 03/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Inventors: Cao, Jinming, Hou, Lin, Guo, Chao, Yu, Xingguang, Liu, Huiqiang, Yang, Kerry, Lin, Lin
• Granted Patent: US 11,547,943 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/34 using peer-to-peer connections
• 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 13/85 Providing additional services to players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/87 Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5546 using player registration data, e.g. identification, account, preferences, game history
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/57 details of game services offered to the player
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services

Abstract

An apparatus and method for providing social network content in an online game is disclosed herein. Content is obtained from a social network site and is displayed within the game. The game also provides a mechanism for the user of the game to generate content to the posted within the social network from within the game. Such generated content is automatically posted in the social network for a recipient specified by the user.

Claims

1. A method for providing social network content in a computer-implemented game, the method comprising:

retrieving, using a processor, content associated with a user of the game from a social network of the user, the content including a message generated by another user in the social network of the user;

displaying at least a portion of the content within the game when the user plays the game; and

providing an element in the game for the user to reply to the displayed content from within the game.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an indication to actuate the element, and displaying a reply interface in response to the received indication.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically transmitting to the social network a reply to the message generated by the user from within the game.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising automatically posting the reply to a portion of the social network associated with and accessed by the another user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the social network comprises a microblogging network, and the content comprises content posted in real-time or near real-time on the social network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the game comprises an online game.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying of the portion of the content comprises displaying the content associated with non-player characters (NPCs) included in the game.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the game includes a first non-player character and a second non-player character, the content further includes a second message generated by a second user designated as connected to the user by the user, and the displaying of the portion of the content comprises displaying the message with the first non-player character and the second message with the second non-player character.

9. A non-transitory computer readable medium including instructions, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform operations comprising:

retrieving content associated with a user of a game from a social network of the user, the content including a message generated by another user in the social network of the user;

displaying at least a portion of the content within the game when the user plays the game; and

providing an element in the game for the user to reply to the displayed content from within the game.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 9, further comprising automatically transmitting to the social network a reply to the message generated by the user from within the game.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 10, further comprising automatically posting the reply to a portion of the social network associated with and accessed by the another user.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the reply includes a gift for the another user pertaining to the game.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the social network comprises a microblogging network, and the content comprises content posted in real-time or near real-time on the social network.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the displaying of the portion of the content comprises displaying the content associated with non-player characters (NPCs) included in the game.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 9, further comprising receiving authorization from the user to obtain the content from the social network.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the authorization is persistent over more than one play session of the game by the user.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the retrieving of the content comprises obtaining the content without a password associated with the user on the social network.

18. A system for providing social network content in a computer-implemented game, comprising:

a storage device including a first module, a second module, and a third module; and

a computing device in communication with the storage device and configured to execute instructions included in the first, second, and third modules,

the first module configured to obtain content associated with a user of the game from a social network of the user, the content including a message generated by another user in the social network of the user,

the second module configured to display at least a portion of the content within the game when the user plays the game, and

the third module configured to provide an element in the game for the user to reply to the displayed content from within the game.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the computing device is configured to transmit to the social network a reply to the message generated by the user from within the game, the reply to be automatically posted to a portion of the social network associated with and accessed by the another user.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the reply includes a gift for the another user pertaining to the game.