Apparatus, and associated method, for rewarding performance of a computer game at a mobile terminal

• US 7,088,692 B1
• Filed: 08/18/1999
• Issued: 08/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Grönroos, Mika
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban, Edward F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gesesse, Tilahun
• Application Number:
  US09/376,927
• Time in Patent Office: 2,547 Days
• Field of Search: 455/575, 455/90, 455/566, 455/414, 455/415, 455/435, 455/466, 455/462, 370/432, 370/328, 340/825.47, 340/311.1, 340/323.R, 700/91, 700/92
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• 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 13/46 Computing the game score
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/401 Secure communication, e.g. using encryption or authentication
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/406 Transmission via wireless network, e.g. pager or GSM
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/532 using secure communication, e.g. by encryption, authentication
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/61 Score computation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

Apparatus, and an associated method, rewards a user for playing computer games at a mobile terminal. Computer games, or other recreational applications, formed of executable code at a mobile terminal are executed by a user. When success indicia associated with playing the computer game, such as a game score, exceeds a selected threshold, a message is formed and sent to an award server. The award server is operable to authorize a reward for the user of the mobile terminal.

Claims

1. Apparatus for a mobile terminal selectably also operable by a user in a radio communication system to effectuate telephonic communication with a communication station by way of a communication path that includes a radio part, said apparatus comprising:

at least one executable block of code forming a recreational application, executable by the user at the mobile terminal pursuant to user interaction therewith, execution of the recreational application forming said executable block of code generating at least an indicia of performance success of the execution by the user of the recreational application forming said executable block of code;

a detector coupled to receive indications of the indicia of performance success generated during execution of the recreational application forming said executable block of code, said detector at least for detecting whether the indicia of performance is beyond a selected threshold and for selectively generating a result indication indicative thereof;

a formatter coupled to receive the result indication generated by said detector, said formatter for formatting the result indication into a signal transmittable upon the communication path, and

a response-message receiver coupled to receive a response-message communicated to the mobile terminal, the response-message comprising a reward.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a user interface having a user actuator actuable by the user, selected actuation of the user actuator for initiating execution of the recreational application forming said executable block of code and for permitting the user interaction responsive to which the performance success is.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said at least one executable block of code comprises a first recreational application formed of a first executable block of code and at least a second recreational application formed of at least a second executable block of code and wherein the selected actuation of the user interface by the user is further for selecting which of the first and at least second recreational application is formed of the first and at least second executable blocks of code, respectively, of which execution is initiated.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein further selected actuation of user actuator is permitted during execution of said executable block forming the recreational application and wherein the performance success of the execution of said block of code is determined, at least in part, responsive to selected user actuation of the user actuator.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a game score is tallied during execution of the recreational application, the game score forming the indicia of performance success.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said detector detects whether the game score is greater than the selected threshold, the game score determined to be a winning score responsive to detection by said detector of the game score relative to the selected threshold.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said formatter formats the result indication to form an SMS (short message service) message.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the communication path includes a reverse link and a forward link, wherein the SMS message formed by said formatter is communicated upon the reverse link and wherein the response-message is communicated upon the forward link responsive to the SMS message.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the selected threshold is related to a prior level of success indicia of prior execution of the executable block of code at the mobile terminal.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the reward comprises additional executable code, the additional executable code additionally executable by the user.

11. A method for forming a recreationally-related result indication at a mobile terminal selectably also operable by a user in a radio communication system to effectuate telephonic communication with a communication station by way of a communication path that includes a radio part, said method comprising:

executing an executable block of code at the mobile terminal, the executable block of code forming a recreational application, executable by the user, pursuant to user interaction with the mobile terminal;

generating at least an indicia of performance success of execution, during said operation of executing, of the recreational application formed of the executable block of code;

detecting whether the indicia of performance is beyond a selected threshold;

forming a result indication representative of detection made during said operation of detecting;

formatting the result indication into a signal transmittable upon the communication path;

sending the signal formatted during said operation of formatting to the communication station; and

receiving a response-message from the communication station responsive to receipt at the communication station of the signal sent during said operation of sending, the response-message comprising a reward.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the reward comprises additional executable code, the additional executable code additionally executable by the user.

13. The method of claim 11 comprising the additional operation of returning a response-message to the mobile terminal responsive to receipt at the communication station of the signal sent during said operation of sending.

14. The method of claim 11 comprising the additional operation of using the response-message at the mobile terminal subsequent to reception thereat.

15. Reward-granting apparatus for an award server operable in a communication system having a radio part, the award server adapted to communicate with a mobile terminal in a communication system by way of a communication path that extends through the radio part, said apparatus comprising:

a result-indication signal receiver coupled to receive indications of a result-indication signal communicated to the award server by the mobile terminal, the result-indication signal generated responsive to success of execution at the mobile terminal of a recreational application, success gauged by an indicia of performance success associated with the execution of the recreational application beyond a selected threshold;

an award database having result data indexed together with a mobile terminal user identity, said award database accessible at least responsive to receipt at said result-indication signal receiver of the result-indication signal; and

a reward signal generator selectably operable responsive to data accessed from said award database, said reward signal generator for generating a reward signal for communication to the mobile terminal, the reward signal representative of a reward responsive at least alternately to one of the result-indication signal and values stored in said award database.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the result-indication signal comprises an SMS (short message service) message and wherein said result-indication signal receiver comprises an SMS message receiver.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said database maintains a cumulative count representative of cumulative values of the result-indication signal generated by the mobile terminal.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the reward signal generated by said reward signal generator is generated responsive to a combination of both the result-indication signal and the values stored in the award database.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the reward signal is of values which defines executable code, the executable code executable at the mobile terminal.