Method and system for mediating interactive services over a wireless communications network

• US 6,874,029 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2001
• Issued: 03/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Leap Wireless International Incorporated (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hutcheson, Doug, Robinson, Richard, Caliguri, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, VIET DUY
• Application Number:
  US09/885,964
• Publication Number:
  US 20020061743A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,376 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/205, 709/206, 709/217, 709/219, 709/227, 709/228, 719/328, 719/329
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/332 using wireless networks, e.g. cellular phone networks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• 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 13/77 involving data related to game devices or game servers, e.g. configuration data, software version or amount of memory
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/406 Transmission via wireless network, e.g. pager or GSM
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/50 characterized by details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/534 for network load management, e.g. bandwidth optimization, latency reduction
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5546 using player registration data, e.g. identification, account, preferences, game history
• 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: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3218 wherein at least part of the system is portable
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3237 about the players, e.g. profiling, responsible gaming, strategy/behavior of players, location of players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3239 Tracking of individual players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3241 Security aspects of a gaming system, e.g. detecting cheating, device integrity, surveillance computer security G06F21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3272 Games involving multiple players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3295 : Games involving skill, e.g. dexterity, memory, thinking

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a method and system for controlling the state of an interactive application and controlling delivery of the interactive application to one or more users. The system of the present invention is a system for delivering an interactive application to one or more users of a communications network and may comprise an interactive application adapted to the communications network; a user access device adapted to receive said interactive application; control means for establishing parameters under which said interactive application is rendered on said user access device; and mediation means for establishing terms for the interaction between the at least one user and other users and the communications network.

Claims

1. A method for synchronizing delivery of an interactive application to one or more users of wireless access devices over a wireless communications network including a game server, comprising the steps of:

initiating a connection between the wireless access device and the game server over the wireless communications network;

synchronizing the each of the wireless access device(s), wherein synchronizing each of the wireless devices further comprises the step of supplying state information to a synchronization check timer that cooperates with a game timer to determine the interval(s) at which the network synchronizes the access devices;

synchronizing the game server;

facilitating access to the interactive application by the user(s);

activating the interactive application;

when said game timer equals said synchronization timer, requesting state information from all users relative to game information and testing whether there are any differences in the state of play between users;

if no differences between state of play are detected, delivering the users back to the interactive application; and

if differences in state of play are detected, determining and transmitting state adjustments to the affected one or more user access device(s) to synchronize all state machines.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of smoothing the transition to the adjusted state of play.