Platform and game agnostic social graph

• US 9,578,094 B1
• Filed: 12/04/2012
• Issued: 02/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronic Arts Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Kabam (Netmarble Corporation)
• Inventors: Ranade, Amit
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Jungwon
• Application Number:
  US13/705,034
• Time in Patent Office: 1,540 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/204, 463/42, 463/40
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/792 for payment purposes, e.g. monthly subscriptions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/87 Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/556 Player lists, e.g. online players, buddy list, black list
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• 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 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

Social graphs may be determined for individual users belonging to affiliations in virtual spaces accessible via electronic social networks. Affiliations within one or more virtual spaces may be managed. A given affiliation within a given virtual space may comprise a discrete group of users with a relationship having a functional significance within the given virtual space. Relationships within one or more electronic social network may be managed. A given relationship within a given electronic social network may represent a reciprocal relation between two or more users in the given electronic social network. Social graphs associated with individual users may be determined based on the affiliations within the one or more virtual spaces and the relationships within the one or more electronic social networks.

Claims

1. A system configured to determine social graphs for individual users belonging to affiliations in virtual spaces accessible via electronic social networks, the system comprising:

a non-transitory storage medium configured to store information; and

one or more processors configured by machine-readable instructions to;

manage affiliations within one or more online games that take place in one or more virtual spaces, a given affiliation within a given online game comprising a discrete group of three or more users with a relationship having a functional impact on cooperative gameplay between the users within the given online game, wherein the affiliations comprise a first affiliation within a first online game between a group of users including a first user, a second user, and a third user;

manage one or more overarching affiliations, individual ones of the overarching affiliations encompassing two or more affiliations from different online games that include substantially the same group of users;

manage relationships within one or more electronic social networks, a given relationship within a given electronic social network representing a reciprocal relationship between two or more users in the given electronic social network in which at least one of the two or more users has sent a request to other users to form a connection on a given electronic social network and where at least one of the other users has accepted the request, wherein the relationships comprise a first relationship within a first electronic social network between the first user and a fourth user; and

determine social graphs associated with individual users based on the affiliations within the one or more online games, the relationships within the one or more electronic social networks, and the one or more overarching affiliations, a given social graph associated with the first user representing (1) a connection between the first user and the second user that corresponds to the first affiliation within the first online game, (2) a connection between the first user and the third user that corresponds to the first affiliation within the first online game, and (3) a connection between the first user and the fourth user that corresponds to the first relationship in the first electronic social network.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions to determine connection strengths of connections in social graphs based on factors associated with online games and factors associated with electronic social networks, a given connection strength of a given connection representing a relational strength between two users, wherein a connection strength between the first user and the second user is determined based on factors associated with the first online game, and wherein a connection strength between the first user and the fourth user is determined based on factors associated with the first electronic social network.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the factors associated with online games include one or more of game mechanics, membership to common affiliations, time elapsed since joining an affiliation within an online game, privileges within an online game, leadership position in an affiliation in an online game, status within an online game, performance indicators associated with an online game, progress indicators associated with an online game, average communication frequency within an online game, a virtual goods inventory within an online game, or time spent engaging an online game.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the factors associated with electronic social networks include one or more of nature of a relationship within an electronic social network, time elapsed since forming a relationship within an electronic social network, privileges within an electronic social network, status within an electronic social network, average communication frequency within an electronic social network, a virtual goods inventory within an electronic social network, or time spent engaging an electronic social network.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the first affiliation within the first online game further comprises a fifth user, wherein the relationships further comprise a second relationship within the first electronic social network between the first user and the fifth user, and wherein the one or more processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions to determine a connection strength between the first user and the fifth user based on factors associated with the first virtual space and factors associated with the first electronic social network.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions to determine hierarchies associated with social graphs based on factors associated with online games and factors associated with electronic social networks, a given hierarchy associated with a given social graph representing a hierarchical order among connections of a given user, wherein a hierarchy associated with a social graph of the first user is determined based on factors associated with the first online game and factors associated with the first electronic social network.

7. A method for determining social graphs for individual users belonging to affiliations in virtual spaces accessible via electronic social networks, the method comprising:

managing affiliations within one or more online games that take place in one or more virtual spaces, a given affiliation within a given online game comprising a discrete group of three or more users with a relationship having a functional impact on cooperative gameplay between the users within the given online game, wherein the affiliations comprise a first affiliation within a first online game between a group of users including a first user, a second user, and a third user;

managing one or more overarching affiliations, individual ones of the overarching affiliations encompassing two or more affiliations from different online games that include substantially the same group of users;

managing relationships within one or more electronic social networks, a given relationship within a given electronic social network representing a reciprocal relationship between two or more users in the given electronic social network in which at least one of the two or more users has sent a request to other users to form a connection on a given electronic social network and where at least one of the other users has accepted the request, wherein the relationships comprise a first relationship within a first electronic social network between the first user and a—

fourth user; and

determining social graphs associated with individual users based on the affiliations within the one or more online games, the relationships within the one or more electronic social networks, and the one or more overarching affiliations, a given social graph associated with the first user representing (1) a connection between the first user and the second user that corresponds to the first affiliation within the first online game, (2) a connection between the first user and the third user that corresponds to the first affiliation within the first online game, and (3)—

a connection between the first user and the—

fourth user that corresponds to the first relationship in the first electronic social network.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising determining connection strengths of connections in social graphs based on factors associated with online games and factors associated with electronic social networks, a given connection strength of a given connection representing a relational strength between two users, wherein a connection strength between the first user and the second user is determined based on factors associated with the first online game, and wherein a connection strength between the first user and the fourth user is determined based on factors associated with the first electronic social network.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the factors associated with online games include one or more of game mechanics, membership to common affiliations, time elapsed since joining an affiliation within an online game, privileges within an online game, leadership position in an affiliation in an online game, status within an online game, performance indicators associated with an online game, progress indicators associated with an online game, average communication frequency within an online game, a virtual goods inventory within an online game, or time spent engaging an online game.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the factors associated with electronic social networks include one or more of nature of a relationship within an electronic social network, time elapsed since forming a relationship within an electronic social network, privileges within an electronic social network, status within an electronic social network, average communication frequency within an electronic social network, a virtual goods inventory within an electronic social network, or time spent engaging an electronic social network.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining a connection strength between the first user and a fifth user based on factors associated with the first online game and factors associated with the first electronic social network, wherein the first affiliation within the first online game further comprises the fifth user, and wherein the relationships further comprise a second relationship within the first electronic social network between the first user and the fifth user.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising determining hierarchies associated with social graphs based on factors associated with online games and factors associated with electronic social networks, a given hierarchy associated with a given social graph representing a hierarchical order among connections of a given user, wherein a hierarchy associated with a social graph of the first user is determined based on factors associated with the first online game and factors associated with the first electronic social network.