System and method for proximity area networking for mobile gaming

• US 8,989,727 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2012
• Issued: 03/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pinterest, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mgrdechian, Richard, Lee, Man-ho Lawrence
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, NHAN T
• Application Number:
  US13/604,047
• Publication Number:
  US 20120329554A1
• Time in Patent Office: 930 Days
• Field of Search: 455418-420, 455/550.1, 455/551, 455/556.1, 455/557, 370/328, 370/338, 463 36- 42, 709/203, 709/228, 709/229
• US Class Current: 455/419
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention include improved communication system and methods. In one embodiment, the present invention includes a wireless communication method comprising, on a first wireless device, receiving one or more wireless device identifications associated with one or more other wireless devices, and transmitting at least one of the one or more wireless device identifications from the first wireless device to a remote computer system, and on the remote computer system, receiving the at least one wireless device identification, and accessing information associated with the at least one wireless device identification. Embodiments of the present invention may be used for electronic dating, social networking and other communication applications.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, via a server, a request from a first device to identify at least one of plurality of devices on a network, said request comprising gaming information associated with a first user of the first device and positional information of the first device;

receiving, at the server, a device ID of a second device among said plurality of devices;

retrieving, via the server, user profile information of a second user associated with the second device based on the device ID;

parsing, via the server, the user profile information of the second user to identify user data related to the second user;

comparing, via the server, the gaming information of the first user and the user data related to the second user;

enabling, via the server, access to a gaming platform if the first user gaming information matches at least a portion of the user data of the second user; and

facilitating, via the server, interaction between the first device and the second device via the gaming platform.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically facilitating, via the server, said interaction between the first device and the second device via to the gaming platform upon the first user gaming information matching with the user data of the second user.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising;

parsing, via the server, the user profile information of the second user to identify positional information associated with the second device;

comparing, via the server, the positional information of the first device with the positional information associated with the second device; and

determining, via the server, if the second device is within a proximity of the first device based upon the positional information of the first device and the second device.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

enabling, via the server, access to the gaming platform if the second device is within said proximity of the first device.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

notifying the first user of the second device'"'"'s presence within the proximity, wherein said first user initiates the gaming platform for said second user to join.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

if the second device is not within said proximity, receiving at the server a second request from the first device for position information of a third device, the second request extending to other devices within a second proximity of the first device;

identifying, via the server, a device ID of the third device;

retrieving, via the server, user profile information of a third user of the third device based on the third device ID;

parsing, via the server, the user profile information of the third user to identify positional information associated with the third device;

comparing, via the server, the positional information of the first device with the positional information associated with the third device;

determining, via the server, if the third device is within said second proximity of the first device based upon the positional information of the first device and the third device;

enabling, via the server, access to the gaming platform if the third device is within said second proximity of the first device; and

facilitating, via the server, interaction between the first device and the third device via the gaming platform.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

if the third device is not within the second proximity of the first device, correlating the position information of the third device with the position information of the second device to create an expanded range of devices.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the second device acts a node between the first device and the third device.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein the proximity is preset by the first user associated with the first device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the gaming information associated with the first user includes information related to a specific game and gaming characteristics of the first user.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the user data comprised within the profile information of the second user includes information related to specific games, devices used to render said games and gaming characteristics of the second user.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the gaming platform is hosted by said server.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the gaming platform is hosted by the first device.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said second device is a plurality of devices.

15. A system comprising:

a database comprising stored data;

a server comprising a plurality of processors in communication with the data in the database, the server programmed to perform a plurality of operations, comprising;

receiving a request from a first device to identify at least one of plurality of devices on a network, said request comprising gaming information associated with a first user of the first device and positional information of the first device;

receiving a device ID of a second device among said plurality of devices;

retrieving user profile information of a second user associated with the second device based on the device ID;

parsing the user profile information of the second user to identify user data related to the second user;

comparing the gaming information of the first user and the user data related to the second user;

enabling access to a gaming platform if the first user gaming information matches at least a portion of the user data of the second user; and

facilitating interaction between the first device and the second device via the gaming platform.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

automatically facilitating said interaction between the first device and the second device via to the gaming platform upon the first user gaming information matching with the user data of the second user.

17. The system of claim 15, further comprising;

parsing the user profile information of the second user to identify positional information associated with the second device;

comparing the positional information of the first device with the positional information associated with the second device;

determining if the second device is within a proximity of the first device based upon the positional information of the first device and the second device; and

enabling access to the gaming platform if the second device is within said proximity of the first device.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

notifying the first user of the second device'"'"'s presence within the proximity, wherein said first user initiates the gaming platform for said second user to join.

19. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

if the second device is not within said proximity, receiving at the server a second request from the first device for position information of a third device, the second request extending to other devices within a second proximity of the first device;

identifying a device ID of the third device;

retrieving user profile information of a third user of the third device based on the third device ID;

parsing the user profile information of the third user to identify positional information associated with the third device;

comparing the positional information of the first device with the positional information associated with the third device;

determining if the third device is within said second proximity of the first device based upon the positional information of the first device and the third device;

enabling access to the gaming platform if the third device is within said second proximity of the first device; and

facilitating, via the server, interaction between the first device and the third device via the gaming platform.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

if the third device is not within the second proximity of the first device, correlating the position information of the third device with the position information of the second device to create an expanded range of devices, wherein the second device acts a node between the first device and the third device.