Comprehensive single page view of user's gaming achievements

• US 9,289,687 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2014
• Issued: 03/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Ostergren, Brian, Stouffer, Trisha Eileen
• Primary Examiner(s): Elisca, Pierre E
• Application Number:
  US14/148,187
• Publication Number:
  US 20140135122A1
• Time in Patent Office: 806 Days
• Field of Search: 463/31
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/537 using indicators, e.g. showing the condition of a game character on screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/70 Game security or game management aspects
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/95 Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/308 Details of the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/609 for unlocking hidden game elements, e.g. features, items, levels

Abstract

A method is disclosed for providing comprehensive information of all game achievements on a single GUI of a gaming and media system. The achievements GUI lists all game achievements, whether locked or unlocked, and may visually differentiate between locked and unlocked achievements. Upon a user selecting a listed achievement, information relating to that achievement may be displayed on the same GUI, in an achievement descriptor area beside the area listing the achievements.

Claims

1. In a console service networked to a console, a method of providing information relating to achievements within a game application program played on the console, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) storing a list of achievements which are accomplishable in the game application program, the stored list including a status of which achievements have been accomplished and which achievements have not been accomplished by a user;

(b) transmitting information to the console for a user interface displayed on the console, the transmitted information including achievements possible in the game application program for display in a first area of the user interface, and a status of which achievements have and have not been accomplished by the user for display in a second area of the user interface;

(c) displaying the achievements possible in the game application program in the first area of the user interface;

(d) displaying a status of which achievements have and have not been accomplished by the user in the second area of the user interface;

(e) receiving an update that a status of an achievement has changed from unaccomplished to accomplished;

(f) transmitting updated information to the console after said step (e) so that the status of the achievement updated in said step (e) changes when displayed in the second area of the user interface.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of transmitting a hint for unlocking an achievement that has yet to be accomplished.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of transmitting a description of an achievement that has been accomplished.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of transmitting a score the user has attained in the game application program.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of downloading the game application program to the console.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of storing a list of friends of the user, and a list of achievements they have accomplished in the game application program.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of transmitting to the console a list of achievements the user'"'"'s friends have accomplished in the game application program.

8. In a console service networked to a console, a method of providing information relating to achievements within a game application program played on the console, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) storing a list of achievements which are accomplishable in the game application program, the stored list including a status of which achievements have been accomplished and which achievements have not been accomplished as a user progresses in the game application program;

(b) transmitting information to the console for display by the console, the transmitted information including achievements possible in the game application program, a first group of achievements which have not been accomplished by the user and a second group of achievements which have been accomplished by the user;

(c) receiving an update that a status of an achievement has changed from unaccomplished to accomplished;

(d) transmitting information to the console to dynamically update the first and second groups of achievements displayed on the console after receiving the update in said step (c) that a status of an achievement has changed from unaccomplished to accomplished.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising storing a leaderboard of one or more users who have attained the most achievements in the game application program.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of transmitting to the console the leaderboard of one or more users who have attained the most achievements in the game application program.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of storing a list of friends of the user, and a list of achievements they have accomplished in the game application program.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of transmitting to the console a list of achievements the user'"'"'s friends have accomplished in the game application program.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of transmitting messages between the user and one or more friends on the user'"'"'s friends list regarding achievements in the game application program.

14. In a console service networked to a plurality of consoles, a method of providing information relating to achievements within a game application program played on the consoles, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) storing a list of achievements which are accomplishable in the game application program, the stored list including, for each of a plurality of users who have played the game application program, a status of which achievements have been accomplished and which achievements have not been accomplished in the game application program;

(b) transmitting information to the consoles of the plurality of users for display by the consoles, the information transmitted to respective consoles including achievements possible in the game application program, a first group of achievements which have not been accomplished by a user of a respective console and a second group of achievements which have been accomplished by the user of a respective console;

(c) receiving an update that a status of an achievement has changed from unaccomplished to accomplished for a given user;

(d) transmitting information to the console of the given user to dynamically update the first and second groups of achievements displayed on the console after receiving the update in said step (c); and

(e) displaying on respective consoles achievements possible in the gaming application program, the first group of achievements displayed with a degree of transparency indicating the achievements of the first group have not been accomplished, and the second group of achievements displayed opaquely indicating the achievements of the second group have been accomplished.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising storing a leaderboard of one or more users who have attained the most achievements in the game application program.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of transmitting to the consoles the leaderboard of one or more users who have attained the most achievements in the game application program.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of transmitting a hint for unlocking an achievement that has yet to be accomplished to one or more of the consoles.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of transmitting a description of an achievement that has been accomplished to one or more of the consoles.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of transmitting a score a user has attained in the game application program to a console of the user.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of transmitting a score a friend of the user has attained in the game application program to the console of the user.