Role based game play on a social network

• US 7,955,175 B1
• Filed: 04/20/2010
• Issued: 06/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Face It Applications LLC
• Original Assignee: Face It Applications LLC
• Inventors: Hunter, Adrienne Marie, Castor, David Jon, Mayes, Thorpe A. III, Tsiupka, Oleg, Holloway, Jason S., Kobylokha, Dmytro, Spotts, Conrad Thomas, Hensel, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Hall; Arthur O.
• Application Number:
  US12/763,401
• Publication Number:
  US 20110151976A1
• Time in Patent Office: 413 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463 9- 13, 463/16, 463/20, 463/25, 463/29, 463 40- 43, 273/108.1, 273/145.R, 273/147, 273/141.A, 273/317.1, 273/351, 273454-456, 273460-461, 704/E15.047, 705/14.2, 705/14.64, 705/26, 705/35, 705/36.R, 705/37, 705/42, 705/77, 709203-207, 709216-219, 709/225, 709/227, 709/FOR.106, 709/FOR.111, 709/FOR.112, 709/FOR.115, 709/FOR.122, 709/FOR.130, 709/FOR.131, 709/FOR.132, 709/FOR.141, 709/FOR.148, 709/FOR.149, 709/FOR.153, 710/18, 710/20, 715/200, 715/700, 715/706, 715/738, 715/744, 715757-758, 715762-764, 340/7.1, 340/7.2, 340/7.21, 340/7.28, 340/311.2, 340/426.21, 3405721-5724, 340/825.29, 340/825.49, 902/10, 902/23
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/47 involving branching, e.g. choosing one of several possible scenarios at a given point in time
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/54 involving acoustic signals, e.g. for simulating revolutions per minute [RPM] dependent engine sounds in a driving game or reverberation against a virtual wall
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/63 by the player, e.g. authoring using a level editor
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/73 Authorising game programs or game devices, e.g. checking authenticity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• 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 13/822 Strategy games; Role-playing games A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5553 user representation in the game field, e.g. avatar
• 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 2300/572 Communication between players during game play of non game information, e.g. e-mail, chat, file transfer, streaming of audio and streaming of video
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/575 for trading virtual items
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/807 Role playing or strategy games
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality

Abstract

The present invention is a method of providing role based game play on a social computer network. User inputs are received via a computer network from user computers. These inputs are stored in a memory, and at least a portion of the memory is located away from the user computers. A group of two or more characters for a single user are created based on inputs from a user. One or more of these characters is associated with a friend user on the social computer network. At least a portion of information related to an outcome from the game is displayed on a device of the single user. Finally, the single user controls all the inputs for the actions of their characters during the game.

Claims

1. A method of providing role based game play in a role based game on a social network comprising the steps of:

a. receiving inputs via a computer network from user devices;

b. storing the inputs in a memory, at least a portion of the memory being located remote from the user devices;

c. creating a group of two or more characters based on the inputs from a single user for the role based game, the characters being utilized for the role based game play in the role based game, the single user inviting a friend user with a method provided by the social network to join as one of the characters in the group, wherein the friend user is originally befriended based on similar personal or professional interests using the method provided by the social network, the method provided by the social network including forming the group of two or more characters to complete multiple stages of play of the role based game;

d. displaying at least a portion of information related to an outcome from the role based game play on a device of the single user, the device being one of the user devices;

e. wherein the single user controls all the actions of the characters during the game by inputting the actions of each of the characters at the device, such that the single user plays the game with the characters associated with the friend user when the friend user is offline and without input from the friend user; and

f. wherein the social network has a main focus of building social networks around people by allowing friends, family and others to share personal and professional interests, and the social network provides a platform for the role based game and for other social network applications.

2. The method of providing role based game play on a social network of claim 1, further comprising the step of assigning characteristics to the characters based only on inputs from the single user.

3. The method of providing role based game play on a social network of claim 1, further comprising the step of providing multiple turns of play for the single user, the turns of play including simulated action of the group of the characters.

4. The method of providing role based game play on a social network of claim 3, further comprising the step of providing the multiple stages of play, one of the stages of play including the multiple turns of play, and others of the multiple stages of play including additional turns of play.

5. The method of providing role based game play on a social network of claim 3, wherein the single user has the option of changing assigned characteristics of the characters during each of the turns of play.

6. The method of providing role based game play on a social network of claim 5, wherein the changing of the assigned characteristics of the characters impacts the outcome of the turn of play.

7. The method of providing role based game play on a social network of claim 3, further comprising the step of providing multiple possible outcomes for each of the turns of play based on the inputs from the single user and on characteristics of the characters, wherein the single user assigned the characteristics of the characters.

8. The method of providing role based game play on a social network of claim 7, wherein the multiple possible outcomes are determined by order of play within the group of the characters.

9. The method of providing role based game play on a social network of claim 7, wherein the multiple possible outcomes are determined by the inputs from the single user determining actions taken by each of the characters in the group.

10. The method of providing role based game play on a social network of claim 1, wherein the single user has the option of removing one of the characters from the group.

11. The method of providing role based game play on a social network of claim 1, further comprising the step of personalizing visual game settings on the device of the single user based on input from the single user.

12. A method of providing role based game play in a role based game on a social network comprising the steps of:

a. receiving inputs via a computer network from user devices;

b. storing the inputs in a memory, at least a portion of the memory being located remote from the user devices;

c. creating a group of two or more characters for a single user based on the inputs from at least one user for the role based game, the characters being utilized for the role based game play in the role based game, the single user inviting a friend user with a method provided by the social network to join as one of the characters in the group, wherein the friend user is originally befriended based on similar personal or professional interests using the method provided by the social network, the method provided by the social network including forming the group of two or more characters to complete multiple stages of play of the role based game;

d. displaying at least a portion of information related to an outcome from the role based game play on a device of the single user, the device being one of the user devices;

e. wherein the single user controls all the actions of the characters during the game by inputting the actions of each of the characters at the device, such that the single user plays the game with the characters associated with the friend user when the friend user is offline and without input from the friend user; and

f. wherein the social network has a main focus of building social networks around people by allowing friends, family and others to share personal and professional interests, and the social network provides a platform for the role based game and for other social network applications.

13. The method of providing role based game play on a social network of claim 12, further comprising the step of assigning characteristics to the characters based on inputs from at least one user.

14. The method of providing role based game play on a social network of claim 13, wherein the single user has the option of changing assigned characteristics of the characters before the actions during the game.

15. The method of providing role based game play on a social network of claim 13, wherein the changing of the assigned characteristics of the characters impacts the outcome.

16. The method of providing role based game play on a social network of claim 13, further comprising the step of providing multiple possible outcomes during the game based on the inputs from the single user and on characteristics of the characters.

17. The method of providing role based game play on a social network of claim 12, wherein the device is at least one of a computer, a PDA and a mobile phone.