Establishing a social application layer

• US 8,881,181 B1
• Filed: 05/04/2012
• Issued: 11/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronic Arts Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Kabam (Netmarble Corporation)
• Inventors: Harrington, Clifford J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho, Andy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mudrick, Timothy A
• Application Number:
  US13/464,190
• Time in Patent Office: 914 Days
• Field of Search: 719/328
• US Class Current: 719/328
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/70 Game security or game management aspects
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/209 characterized by low level software layer, relating to hardware management, e.g. Operating System, Application Programming Interface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9024 Graphs; Linked lists G06F16/9027 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45533 Hypervisors; Virtual machine monitors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/541 via adapters, e.g. between incompatible applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

A virtual space may be presented within a plurality of virtual environments provided by different platforms without requiring idiosyncratic APIs associated with the virtual space for each different platform. An API adaptor module may be configured to facilitate interfacing between a single virtual space API and platform APIs associated with two or more different platforms. A space module may be configured to execute an instance of a virtual space, and to implement the instance of the virtual space to determine view information defining views of the instance of the virtual space for presentation via two or more virtual environments provided by the two or more platforms. Facilitating user interactivity with the virtual space via a given virtual environment provided by a given platform may include interfacing between the virtual space API and a platform API associated with the given platform.

Claims

1. A system configured to facilitate presentation of a virtual space within a plurality of virtual environments provided by different platforms without requiring idiosyncratic APIs associated with the virtual space for each different platform, the system comprising:

one or more processors configured to execute computer program modules, the computer program modules comprising;

an API adaptor module configured to facilitate interfacing between a single virtual space API, associated with an online game provider, and platform APIs associated with two or more different platforms including a first platform and a second platform, the first platform being associated with a first platform API, the second platform being associated with a second platform API; and

a space module configured to execute an instance of a virtual space in which an online game, provided by the online game provider, is played by users, and to implement the instance of the virtual space to determine state information of the instance of the virtual space that describes the state of the virtual space, such state information being output from the space module through a single virtual space API, wherein the API adaptor module is configured to;

facilitate user interactivity with the virtual space via a first virtual environment provided by the first platform by translating the state information output by the space module from the virtual space API to a first platform API specific to the first platform so as to facilitate presentation of views of the virtual space that reflect the state information within the first virtual environment, and

facilitate user interactivity with the virtual space via a second virtual environment provided by the second platform by translating the state information output by the space module from the virtual space API to a second platform API specific to the second platform so as to facilitate presentation of views of the virtual space that reflect the state information within the second virtual environment.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the API adaptor module is configured to facilitate proper display of the virtual space within virtual environments provided by the two or more platforms.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the API adaptor module has two or more API adaptor sub-modules including a first platform API adaptor sub-module and a second platform API adaptor sub-module, the first platform API adaptor sub-module being configured to:

facilitate translating the state information output by the space module from the virtual space API to the first platform API specific to the first platform so as to facilitate presentation of views of the virtual space that reflect the state information within the first virtual environment, and

facilitate translating the state information output by the space module from the virtual space API to the second platform API specific to the second platform so as to facilitate presentation of views of the virtual space that reflect the state information within the second virtual environment.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a social graph access module configured to facilitate accessing, via the virtual space, social graph information associated with individual virtual environments provided by the two or more platforms, wherein accessing social graph information associated with the first virtual environment includes translating the social graph information from the virtual space API to the first platform API, and wherein accessing social graph information associated with the second virtual environment includes translating the social graph information from the virtual space API to the second platform API.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein social graph information associated with a given virtual environment includes one or more of friends, contacts, relationship type, relationship duration, or relationships in common.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a platform mechanics module configured to facilitate interacting, via the virtual space, with platform mechanics associated with individual virtual environments provided by the two or more platforms, wherein interacting with platform mechanics associated with the first virtual environment includes interfacing between the virtual space API and the first platform API, and wherein interacting with platform mechanics associated with the second virtual environment includes interfacing between the virtual space API and the second platform API.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein platform mechanics associated with a given virtual environment provided by a given platform include one or more of invitations, requests, alerts, gifts, or events.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a platform publishing module configured to facilitate transferring publishing information between the virtual space and individual virtual environments provided by the two or more platforms, wherein transferring publishing information between the virtual space and the first virtual environment includes interfacing between the virtual space API and the first platform API, and wherein transferring publishing information between the virtual space and the second virtual environment includes interfacing between the virtual space API and the second platform API.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein publishing information associated with a given virtual environment provided by a given platform includes one or more of textual messages, emails, voice-based communications, video-based communications, or wall posts.

10. A computer-implemented method of facilitating presentation of a virtual space within a plurality of virtual environments provided by different platforms without requiring idiosyncratic APIs associated with the virtual space for each different platform, the method being implemented in a computer system comprising one or more physical processors configured to execute computer program modules, the method comprising:

facilitating using the one or more physical processors interfacing between a single virtual space API, associated with an online game provider, and platform APIs associated with two or more different platforms including a first platform and a second platform, the first platform being associated with a first platform API, the second platform being associated with a second platform API;

executing using the one or more physical processors an instance of a virtual space in which an online game, provided by the online game provider, is played by users; and

implementing using the one or more physical processors the instance of the virtual space to determine state information of the instance of the virtual space, that describes the state of the virtual space, such state information being output from the space module through a single virtual space API,

wherein facilitating interfacing between the virtual space API and the platform APIs includes;

facilitating user activity with the virtual space via a first virtual environment provided by the first platform by translating the state information output by the space module from the virtual space API to a first platform API specific to the first platform so as to facilitate presentation of views of the virtual space that reflect state information within the first virtual environment, and

facilitating user activity with the virtual space via a second virtual environment provided by the second platform by translating the state information output by the space module from the virtual space API to a second platform API specific to the second platform so as to facilitate presentation of views of the virtual space that reflect the state information within the second virtual environment.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising facilitating proper display of the virtual space within virtual environments provided by the two or more platforms.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein facilitating interfacing between the virtual space API and platform APIs associated with two or more different platforms includes:

facilitating translating the state information output by the space module from the virtual space API to the first platform API specific to the first platform so as to facilitate presentation of views of the virtual space that reflect the state information within the first virtual environment; and

facilitating translating the state information output by the space module from the virtual space API to the second platform API specific to the second platform so as to facilitate presentation of views of the virtual space that reflect the state information within the second virtual environment.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising facilitating accessing, via the virtual space, social graph information associated with individual virtual environments provided by the two or more platforms, wherein accessing social graph information associated with the first virtual environment includes translating the social graph information from the virtual space API to the first platform API, and wherein accessing social graph information associated with the second virtual environment includes translating the social graph information from the virtual space API to the second platform API.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein social graph information associated with a given virtual environment includes one or more of friends, contacts, relationship type, relationship duration, or relationships in common.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising facilitating interacting, via the virtual space, with platform mechanics associated with individual virtual environments provided by the two or more platforms, wherein interacting with platform mechanics associated with the first virtual environment includes interfacing between the virtual space API and the first platform API, and wherein interacting with platform mechanics associated with the second virtual environment includes interfacing between the virtual space API and the second platform API.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein platform mechanics associated with a given virtual environment provided by a given platform include one or more of invitations, requests, alerts, gifts, or events.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising facilitating transferring publishing information between the virtual space and individual virtual environments provided by the two or more platforms, wherein transferring publishing information between the virtual space and the first virtual environment includes interfacing between the virtual space API and the first platform API, and wherein transferring publishing information between the virtual space and the second virtual environment includes interfacing between the virtual space API and the second platform API.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein publishing information associated with a given virtual environment provided by a given platform includes one or more of textual messages, emails, voice-based communications, video-based communications, or wall posts.