METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR DISTRIBUTED GAMING OVER A MOBILE DEVICE

• US 20180104596A1
• Filed: 10/17/2017
• Published: 04/19/2018
• 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 10,232,270 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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, the participants receive game control information via a one-way broadcast. The method selects a set of sampling participants from the set of all participants of a game. In some embodiments, the selection occurs prior to the start of the game. The method of some embodiments establishes a two-way connection between a server and each of the sampling participants. For some embodiments, the two-way connection is realtime. The method continuously maintains the two-way connection throughout the game. During each discrete game period, the method receives from a sampling participant, data for the sampling participant'"'"'s game period performance. Based on the received data, the method determines the performance for the game period and broadcasts this information to a non-sampling participant. A non-sampling participant is a participant who was not selected for the set of sampling participants. In some embodiments, the non-sampling participant determines a standing relative to the other participants in the game event. Some embodiments provide a method and system for detecting unusual performance in a game. The game has a participant. The method calculates for the participant an average performance level. Based on the average performance level, the method tracks for the participant a participant improvement factor and stores the participant improvement factor. The method compares the participant improvement factor to a threshold value.

Claims

1-19. -19. (canceled)

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

a server to host a game, wherein the server is configured to generate sampling data using participants; and

a mobile device having a connection with the server, wherein the mobile device communicates with the server through a network by using the connection, wherein based on the communication, the server broadcasts to the mobile device by using the connection, wherein the sampling data is based on performance information received from one or more sampling participants, and further wherein the game is implemented in real-time, including an acknowledgment by the server which is received by the mobile device in less than one (1) second.

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

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

23. The system of claim 22, further comprising a second set of data, wherein the server broadcasts the second set of data to the mobile device over a one-way connection.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the second set of data is based on the uploaded first set of data.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the one-way broadcast comprises a histogram.

38. The system of claim 22, further comprising a second set of data, wherein the server broadcasts the second set of data to the mobile device over a multi-cast and/or broadcast connection.

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 connections between a plurality of mobile devices and the server;

wherein the connections are updated based on sampling data, wherein the sampling data is gathered using only the connections from participants and further wherein the sampling data is based on performance information received from one or more sampling participants.

27. The server of claim 26 further comprising:

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

28. The server of claim 26, wherein the 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 connectivity, wherein the communication module receives a broadcast from a server through the network, including a received data set, and communicates game results to the server by using the connectivity, wherein the connectivity enables the mobile device to be part of a representative sample of all participants, wherein the game includes discrete game periods and after each discrete game period, performance information is received from one or more sampling participants;

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, notebook or another internet-connected device.

33. The mobile device of claim 31, wherein the 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 broadcast, the mobile device establishes a two-way connection with a server.

36. The mobile device of claim 35, 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.