System and method for social matching of game players on-line

• US 7,677,970 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2004
• Issued: 03/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Chen, Ling Tony, Johnson, Jerry Alan, Bortnik, Michal, O'Kelley, Patrick W. II, Hansen, Johan Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Jones; Scott
• Application Number:
  US11/007,893
• Publication Number:
  US 20060121990A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,924 Days
• Field of Search: 463/25, 463/1, 463/7, 463/23, 463/29, 463/42
• US Class Current: 463/25
• 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 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/537 using indicators, e.g. showing the condition of a game character on screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/556 Player lists, e.g. online players, buddy list, black 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
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5586 for enforcing rights or rules, e.g. to prevent foul play

Abstract

A matchmaking service that selects matches based on personal/social characteristics as well as skill and experience. The service takes into account direct feedback from other players about positive and negative experiences with a particular player and expectations about appropriate conduct and type of game being played before a player joins the game session.

Claims

1. A system for socially matching game players for playing a multi-player computer-based game, comprising:

a database, stored in a computer readable medium, having a plurality of user profiles, said user profile comprising a plurality of attributes of a plurality of users; and

a service, operating on a communications network, receiving input from a select one of said plurality of users from an input device providing criteria for selecting users from said database wherein said criteria include level or social type of play desired by said select one of said plurality of users and wherein said service matches others of said plurality of users indicating a disposition to play at the selected level or social type of play and wherein said service ranks the others of said plurality of users at least based on recent game play in which the select one of said plurality of users provided positive feedback.

2. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the service tracks interaction among said plurality of users.

3. The system as recited in claim 2 wherein said interactions include recent game play among various ones of said plurality of users.

4. The system as recited in claim 2 wherein said interactions include invitation from one of said plurality of users to another of said plurality of users to join a friend list.

5. The system as recited in claim 4 wherein the service selects from said plurality of said users in said select one user'"'"'s list of friends.

6. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the search criteria comprises achievement data.

7. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the search criteria comprises presence data about friends, recent players, or positive feedback people.

8. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the search criteria comprises game statistic data.

9. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the select one of said plurality of user and said others of said plurality of users each have a copy of a selected game available for execution on a local computing device.

10. A method for socially matching game players for playing a multi-player computer-based game, comprising:

providing a plurality of user profiles, from a database stored in a computer readable medium, said user profile comprising a plurality of attributes of a plurality of users; and

receiving input from a select one of said plurality of users from an input device providing criteria for selecting users from said plurality of user profiles wherein said criteria include level or social type of play desired by said select one of said plurality of users; and

matching, by a service operating on a communications network, others of said plurality of users indicating a disposition to play at the selected level or social type of play and wherein said service ranks the others of said plurality of users at least based on recent game play in which the select one of said plurality of users provided positive feedback.

11. The method as recited in claim 10 further comprising tracking interaction among said plurality of users.

12. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said interactions include recent game play among various ones of said plurality of users.

13. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said interactions include invitation from one of said plurality of users to another of said plurality of users to join a friend list.

14. The method as recited in claim 12 wherein the act of selecting comprises selecting from said plurality of said users in said select one user'"'"'s list of recent players.

15. The method as recited in claim 13 wherein the act of selecting comprises selecting from said plurality of said users in said select one user'"'"'s list of friends.

16. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein the search criteria comprises achievement data.

17. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein the search criteria comprises presence data about friends, recent players, or positive feedback people.

18. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein the search criteria comprises game statistic data.

19. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein the select one of said plurality of user and said others of said plurality of users each have a copy of a selected game available for execution on a local computing device.

20. A computer-readable medium bearing computer readable instructions for socially matching game players for playing a multi-player computer-based game, said instructions causing a computing device to perform operations comprising:

instructions for providing a plurality of user profiles, from a database stored in a computer readable medium, said user profile comprising a plurality of attributes of a plurality of users; and

instructions for receiving input from a select one of said plurality of users from an input device providing criteria for selecting users from said plurality of user profiles wherein said criteria include level or social type of play desired by said select one of said plurality of users; and

instructions for matching, by a service operating on a communications network, others of said plurality of users indicating a disposition to play at the selected level or social type of play and instructions wherein said service ranks the others of said plurality of users at least based on recent game play in which the select one of said plurality of users provided positive feedback.

21. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 20 further comprising instructions for tracking interaction among said plurality of users.

22. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 21 wherein said interactions include recent game play among various ones of said plurality of users.

23. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 21 wherein said interactions include invitation from one of said plurality of users to another of said plurality of users to join a friend list.

24. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 22 wherein the instructions for selecting comprises instructions for selecting from said plurality of said users in said select one user'"'"'s list of recent players.

25. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 23 wherein the instructions for selecting comprises instructions for selecting from said plurality of said users in said select one user'"'"'s list of friends.

26. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 20 wherein the search criteria comprises achievement data.

27. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 20 wherein the search criteria comprises presence data about friends, recent players, or positive feedback people.

28. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 20 wherein the search criteria comprises game statistic data.

29. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 20 wherein the select one of said plurality of user and said others of said plurality of users each have a copy of a selected game available for execution on a local computing device.