Supply delivery for interactive social games

• US 8,137,194 B1
• Filed: 09/26/2011
• Issued: 03/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Inventors: Kelly, Sean Uberoi, Le, Alexander Michael Minh Khiem
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Milap
• Application Number:
  US13/244,910
• Time in Patent Office: 176 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463/9, 463/10, 463/13, 463 30- 35, 463 40- 43, 705/26.1, 705/26.2, 705/26.43
• US Class Current: 463/31
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/44 involving timing of operations, e.g. performing an action within a time slot
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/533 for prompting the player, e.g. by displaying a game menu
• 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 13/80 Special adaptations for executing a specific game genre or game mode
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/85 Providing additional services to players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/87 Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5553 user representation in the game field, e.g. avatar
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5593 involving scheduling aspects
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/575 for trading virtual items
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8082 Virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0605 Supply or demand aggregation

Abstract

Systems and methods that deliver supplies in interactive social games are described. In some embodiments, a method initializes an instance of an interactive social game for a first player and identifies a supply fulfillment invitation sent to the first player. The supply fulfillment invitation is associated with a request for in-game supplies from a second player and is presented to the first player using a graphical expression of a supply delivery vehicle. A response is received to the supply fulfillment invitation from the first player. The response indicates acceptance or rejection of the supply fulfillment invitation. An in-game benefit is provided to the first player in response to acceptance of the supply fulfillment invitation. The response is communicated from the first player to the second player using the graphical expression of the supply delivery vehicle.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

initializing an instance of an interactive social game for a first player;

identifying, using one or more processors, a supply fulfillment invitation sent to the first player, the supply fulfillment invitation including a request for in-game supplies from a second player and being associated with an expiration time;

presenting the supply fulfillment invitation to the first player using a graphical expression of a supply delivery vehicle;

receiving a response to the supply fulfillment invitation from the first player prior to the expiration time, the response indicating acceptance or rejection of the supply fulfillment invitation;

providing an in-game benefit to the first player in response to acceptance of the supply fulfillment invitation by the first player; and

communicating the response from the first player to the second player using the graphical expression of the supply delivery vehicle upon completion of a processing time associated with the request for in-game supplies from the second player.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising shortening the processing time associated with the request for in-game supplies from the second player in response to acceptance of the supply fulfillment invitation by the first player.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein shortening the processing time is conditional on acceptance of the supply fulfillment invitation by the first player prior to the expiration time.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the in-game benefit includes virtual currency having value in the interactive social game.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising the second player accessing the graphical expression of the supply delivery vehicle after communicating the response from the first player to the second player, the supply delivery vehicle displaying a plurality of supply fulfillment invitations initiated by the second player.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising the second player accessing the graphical expression of the supply delivery vehicle after communicating the response from the first player to the second player, the supply delivery vehicle displaying a cost to generate another supply delivery vehicle associated with another request for in-game supplies.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein presenting the supply fulfillment invitation to the first player includes inviting the first player to supply at least a portion of the in-game supplies requested by the second player.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein, while the supply fulfillment invitation is generated by the second player, the first player is not actively playing the interactive social game.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the graphical expression of the supply delivery vehicle includes at least one of a train, a truck, a ship and a delivery van.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the supply fulfillment invitation identifies a quantity of in-game supplies requested by the second player.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the supply fulfillment invitation identifies the in-game benefit offered for fulfilling the invitation.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising filtering out supply fulfillment invitations that have expired.

13. An apparatus comprising:

an interface to communicate with players of an interactive social game;

a memory to store data associated with the interactive social game; and

one or more processors coupled to the interface and the memory, the one or more processors configured to;

initialize an instance of an interactive social game for a first player;

identify a supply fulfillment invitation sent to the first player, the supply fulfillment invitation including a request for in-game supplies from a second player and being associated with an expiration time;

present the supply fulfillment invitation to the first player using a graphical expression of a supply delivery vehicle;

receive a response to the supply fulfillment invitation from the first player prior to the expiration time, the response indicating acceptance or rejection of the supply fulfillment invitation;

provide an in-game benefit to the first player in response to acceptance of the supply fulfillment invitation by the first player; and

communicate the response from the first player to the second player using the graphical expression of the supply delivery vehicle upon completion of a processing time associated with the request for in-game supplies from the second player.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the supply fulfillment invitation identifies a quantity of the in-game supplies requested by the second player.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to filter out supply fulfillment invitations that have expired.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to shorten a processing time associated with the request for in-game supplies from the second player in response to acceptance of the supply fulfillment invitation by the first player.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the graphical expression of the supply delivery vehicle includes at least one of a train, a truck, a ship and a delivery van.

18. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

initializing an instance of an interactive social game for a first player;

identifying a supply fulfillment invitation sent to the first player, the supply fulfillment invitation including a request for in-game supplies from a second player and being associated with an expiration time;

presenting the supply fulfillment invitation to the first player using a graphical expression of a supply delivery vehicle;

receiving a response to the supply fulfillment invitation from the first player prior to the expiration time, the response indicating acceptance or rejection of the supply fulfillment invitation;

providing an in-game benefit to the first player in response to acceptance of the supply fulfillment invitation by the first player; and

communicating the response from the first player to the second player using the graphical expression of the supply delivery vehicle upon completion of a processing time associated with the request for in-game supplies from the second player.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the supply fulfillment invitation identifies a quantity of the in-game supplies requested by the second player.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein presenting the supply fulfillment invitation to the first player includes inviting the first player to supply at least a portion of the in-game supplies requested by the second player.