Methods, systems, and products for centralized control of gaming applications

• US 8,801,523 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2012
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Godfrey, Jason, Bearden, Toby, Smith, Michele
• Primary Examiner(s): Elisca, Pierre E
• Application Number:
  US13/469,144
• Publication Number:
  US 20120231875A1
• Time in Patent Office: 823 Days
• Field of Search: 463/43
• US Class Current: 463/43
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/25 Output arrangements for video game devices
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/493 Resuming a game, e.g. after pausing, malfunction or power failure
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/77 involving data related to game devices or game servers, e.g. configuration data, software version or amount of memory
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5533 using program state or machine event data, e.g. server keeps track of the state of multiple players on in a multiple player game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/554 by saving game or status data
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5546 using player registration data, e.g. identification, account, preferences, game history
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality

Abstract

Methods, systems, and products bookmark gaming applications. When a player wishes to pause a gaming application, a bookmark may be created. The bookmark identifies a location in the gaming application at which play is paused. Play may then be resumed from the bookmark, whether at a same device or at a different device.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing code that when executed causes the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

receiving, from a device, a request to pause a gaming application;

generating a bookmark that identifies a logical location at which the gaming application is paused;

receiving, from a different device, another request to resume the gaming application; and

resuming the gaming application from the bookmark.

2. The system of claim 1, the operations further comprising resuming scoring from the bookmark.

3. The system of claim 1, the operations further comprising storing the bookmark in association with an identifier of a player of the gaming application.

4. The system of claim 1, the operations further comprising storing the bookmark in association with a user of the gaming application.

5. The system of claim 1, the operations further comprising storing the bookmark in association with an identifier of the different device.

6. The system of claim 1, the operations further comprising receiving a query for the bookmark.

7. The system of claim 1, the operations further comprising creating bookmarks for multiple players.

8. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a server, a request from a device to pause a gaming application;

creating, by the server, a bookmark that identifies a logical location at which the gaming application is paused;

receiving, at the server, another request from a different device to resume the gaming application;

retrieving, by the server, the bookmark; and

resuming, by the server, the gaming application from the bookmark.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising resuming scoring from the bookmark.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising storing the bookmark in association with an identifier of a player of the gaming application.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising storing the bookmark in association with a user of the device.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising storing the bookmark in association with an identifier of the device.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising receiving a selection in a graphical user interface to pause the gaming application.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising confirming pausing the gaming application.

15. A memory storing instructions that when executed cause a processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

receiving a request from a device to pause a gaming application;

creating a bookmark that identifies a logical location at which the gaming application is paused;

receiving another request from a different device to resume the gaming application;

querying for the bookmark; and

resuming the gaming application from the bookmark at the different device.

16. The memory of claim 15, wherein the operations comprise resuming scoring from the bookmark.

17. The memory of claim 15, wherein the operations comprise storing the bookmark in association with a player of the gaming application.

18. The memory of claim 15, wherein the operations comprise storing the bookmark in association with a user of the device.

19. The memory of claim 15, wherein the operations comprise storing the bookmark in association with an identifier of the device.

20. The memory of claim 15, wherein the operations comprise receiving a selection in a graphical user interface to pause the gaming application.