Apparatus for managing social games

• US 7,769,699 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2007
• Issued: 08/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ties Social Technologies Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Mordechai Teicher
• Inventors: Teicher, Mordechai
• Primary Examiner(s): Weiss; John G
• Assistant Examiner(s): KIRLIN, AMANDA C.
• Application Number:
  US11/925,974
• Publication Number:
  US 20080046281A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,010 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/319
• 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 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• 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 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/50 characterized by details of game servers
• 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: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

An apparatus for managing inter-personal activities to facilitate matchmaking between single individuals, by instructing each individual what to do and with whom during a series of game sessions. Singles join a forum in which a plurality of activities contained in a database are individually assigned to participants, who confidentially express their preferences for specific activities and for other participants with whom to conduct activities. Expressed preferences are not disclosed to other individuals, but are input to a secure computer system that assigns the activities. Participants'"'"' wish-lists influence assignments made by the computer, and random factors provide variety and protect privacy by obscuring the effect of the wish-lists. After each assignment, participants can update their wish-list to affect further assignments.

Claims

1. An apparatus for generating social assignments for a plurality of subscribers, comprising:

a first database containing a plurality of assignments, each assignment specifying an interpersonal activity to be performed by a subscriber;

a second database containing a personal record for each subscriber of the plurality of subscribers, said personal record comprises a personal wish list of said each subscriber, said personal wish list includes individual scores that quantify said each subscriber'"'"'s relative level of interest in each of a plurality of other subscribers that said subscriber has previously met, from the plurality of subscribers;

a processor operative to;

i) pick at least two subscribers from the plurality of subscribers in response to said individual scores included in the personal wish lists of the plurality of subscribers, and

ii) assign to each of said at least two subscribers a selected assignment from said first database; and

an input interface operative to selectably receive, subsequent to said pick operation and said assign operation, an update for the individual scores included in said personal wish list of each of said at least two subscribers.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said processor includes a random number generator, and wherein said processor performs said pick operation in response also to a random number generated by said random number generator.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

said second database includes, in each said personal wish list, a ranking of the respective subscriber'"'"'s level of interest in assignments from said first database; and

said assign operation performed by said processor includes selecting said selected assignments from said first database according to said ranking by each of said at least two subscribers.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said at least two subscribers consists of two subscribers, and wherein said pick operation performed by said processor is according to said individual scores of said two subscribers with respect to each other, and also according to a plurality of additional individual scores by subscribers from the plurality of subscribers, said additional individual scores being other than said individual scores of said two subscribers with respect to each other.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

said at least two subscribers consists of two subscribers; and

said pick operation performed by said processor includes the actions of;

i) calculating a mutual attraction for combinations of subscriber pairs based on the respective mutual individual scores, and

ii) choosing said two subscribers according to said mutual attraction of said two subscribers.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said processor includes a random number generator, and wherein said processor performs said assign operation in response also to a random number generated by said random number generator.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said at least two subscribers comprises at least three subscribers.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, operable for said selected assignment being a face-to-face assignment.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, operable for said selected assignment being a virtual assignment.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one TV camera and a broadcast system for providing a reality show.

11. A system for generating assignments for a plurality of subscribers, the system comprising:

an apparatus including;

i) a first database containing a plurality of assignments, each assignment specifying an interpersonal activity to be performed by a subscriber;

ii) a second database containing a personal record for each subscriber of the plurality of subscribers, said personal record comprises a personal wish list of said each subscriber, said personal wish list includes individual scores that quantify said each subscriber'"'"'s relative level of interest in each of a plurality of other subscribers that said subscriber has previously met, from the plurality of subscribers;

iii) a processor operative to;

pick at least two subscribers from the plurality of subscribers in response to said individual scores included in the personal wish lists of the plurality of subscribers, and

assign to each of said at least two subscribers a selected assignment from said first database; and

iv) an input interface operative to selectably receive, subsequent to said pick operation and said assign operation, an update for the individual scores included in said personal wish list of each of said at least two subscribers; and

at least one user terminal, each user terminal allocated to a subscriber of the plurality of subscribers for selectably communicating with said input interface of said apparatus for sending thereto said subscriber'"'"'s individual scores.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said processor includes a random number generator, and wherein said processor performs said pick operation in response also to a random number generated by said random number generator.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein said processor includes a random number generator, and wherein said processor performs said assign operation also in response to a random number generated by said random number generator.

14. The system of claim 11, operable for said selected assignment being a face-to-face assignment.

15. The system of claim 11, operable for said selected assignment being a virtual assignment.

16. The apparatus system of claim 11, further comprising at least one TV camera and a broadcast system for providing a reality show.