Methods, systems, and products for control of gaming applications

• US 9,463,384 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2014
• Issued: 10/11/2016
• 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 L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Elisca, Pierre E
• Application Number:
  US14/334,769
• Publication Number:
  US 20140329580A1
• Time in Patent Office: 816 Days
• Field of Search: 463/24, 463/43
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 method, comprising:

receiving, by a server, an electronic request sent from a client device, the electronic request requesting to resume a gaming software application played over the Internet, the gaming software application associated with an Internet protocol address associated with a different client device;

retrieving, by the server, a bookmark associated with the Internet protocol address, the bookmark identifying a logical location from which the gaming software application was previously paused during play over the Internet by the different client device; and

sending, from the server, the bookmark to a network address associated with the client device, the bookmark allowing the client device to resume the play of the gaming software application over the Internet from the logical location.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising retrieving a summary associated with the gaming application.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising retrieving a summary of a score associated with the gaming application.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a summary associated with the gaming application from the different client device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a summary associated with the gaming application from the client device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising retrieving a line number identifying the logical location from which the gaming application was paused.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising storing a database that associates the Internet protocol address to the line number.

8. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory device, the memory device storing code, the code when executed causing the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

receiving an electronic request sent from a client device, the electronic request requesting to resume a gaming application associated with an Internet protocol address, the Internet protocol address associated with a different client device;

retrieving a bookmark associated with the identifier Internet protocol address, the bookmark identifying a logical location from which the gaming application was paused by the different client device; and

sending the bookmark to a network address associated with the client device to resume the gaming application from the logical location.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise retrieving a summary associated with the gaming application.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise retrieving a summary of a score associated with the gaming application.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise receiving a summary associated with the gaming application from the different client device.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise receiving a summary associated with the gaming application from the client device.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise retrieving a line number identifying the logical location from which the gaming application was paused.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise storing a database that associates the Internet protocol address to the line number.

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

receiving an electronic request sent from a client device, the electronic request requesting to resume a gaming application associated with an Internet protocol address, the Internet protocol address associated with a different client device;

retrieving a bookmark associated with the identifier Internet protocol address, the bookmark identifying a logical location from which the gaming application was paused by the different client device; and

sending the bookmark to a network address associated with the client device to resume the gaming application from the logical location.

16. The memory device of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise retrieving a summary associated with the gaming application.

17. The memory device of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise retrieving a summary of a score associated with the gaming application.

18. The memory device of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise receiving a summary associated with the gaming application from the different client device.

19. The memory device of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise receiving a summary associated with the gaming application from the client device.

20. The memory device of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise retrieving a line number identifying the logical location from which the gaming application was paused.