System and method for providing promotions to users during idle time

• US 9,600,150 B1
• Filed: 05/06/2013
• Issued: 03/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronic Arts Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Kabam (Netmarble Corporation)
• Inventors: Xu, Ziqiang
• Primary Examiner(s): Chow, Doon
• Assistant Examiner(s): NICHOLAS, WENDY K
• Application Number:
  US13/888,161
• Time in Patent Office: 1,415 Days
• Field of Search: 463/20, 463/30, 463/31, 463/39, 463/40, 463/41, 463/42, 463/43, 705/14.1, 705/14.4, 705/14.5, 705/14.69, 705/26.61, 709/205, 709/206, 709/706, 709/705, 709/708, 709/709, 709/711, 709/715, 709/745, 709/758, 715/205, 715/206, 715/706, 715/705, 715/708, 715/709, 715/711, 715/715, 715/745, 715/758
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/44 involving timing of operations, e.g. performing an action within a time slot
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/53 involving additional visual information provided to the game scene, e.g. by overlay to simulate a head-up display [HUD] or displaying a laser sight in a shooting game
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute

Abstract

A system and method for displaying auxiliary content during an idle time in a virtual space. Execution of requested actions in an instance of a virtual space may be associated with wait times. Idle periods of time imposed on a user by the wait times of the requested actions may be detected. During the detected idle periods of time, sets of auxiliary content to present to the user may be determined. The sets of auxiliary content may be presented along with the view of the virtual space to the user during the detected idle periods of time. The responses of the user to the individual sets of auxiliary content during the idle periods may be monitored. In some implementations, sets of auxiliary content may be determined based on past responses of the user to previously determined sets of auxiliary content.

Claims

1. A system for providing offers in a virtual space, the system comprising:

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

execute an instance of a virtual space, and to implement the instance to facilitate presentation of a view of the virtual space to a user, and to facilitate interaction of the user with the virtual space by executing actions in the instance of the virtual space in response to receiving action requests from the user, and wherein the actions are associated with wait times of predetermined length that prevent an execution of any corresponding actions and any actions having a common action type with the actions associated with the wait times for an amount of time after the reception of the action request;

detect idle periods of time imposed on the user by the wait times of the requested actions, wherein the idle periods of time indicate multiple wait times are being imposed on the user and wherein the idle periods of time are detected responsive to a value representing the multiple wait times reaching a threshold value, and wherein the idle periods of time are detected based on a user activity level falling below a threshold activity level and/or based on past activity level;

determine sets of auxiliary content to present to the user along with the view of the virtual space during the detected idle periods of time;

cause the sets of auxiliary content to be presented along with the view of the virtual space to the user during the detected idle periods of time such that responsive to detection of a first idle period a first set of auxiliary content determined is caused to be presented to the user during the first idle period; and

monitor responses of the user to the individual sets of auxiliary content during the idle periods of time such that, responsive to presentation of the first set of auxiliary content to the user, a response of the user to the first set of auxiliary content is monitored;

wherein the sets of auxiliary content are determined based on past responses of the user to previously determined sets of auxiliary content.

2. A system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions to determine sets of auxiliary content to present to a user based on a user parameter.

3. A system of claim 1, wherein the common action type is one or more of a troop attack or maneuver, simulated research, unit manufacture and/or training, building construction and/or upgrade, or resource prospecting and/or procurement.

4. A system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions to assess the relative effectiveness of offers transmitted to the user based on the response of the user.

5. A system of claim 4, wherein the one or more processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions to determine sets of auxiliary content to present to a user based on a user parameter.

6. A computer implemented method for providing offers in a virtual space, the method being implemented in a computer system that includes one or more processors configured by machine-readable instructions, the method comprising:

executing an instance of a virtual space, and determining view information from the executed virtual space, wherein the view information defines a view of the virtual space for presentation to a user;

coordinating the virtual space with user interaction by executing actions in the virtual space in response to receiving action requests from the user, wherein the actions are associated with wait times of predetermined length that prevent an execution of any corresponding actions and any actions having a common action type with the actions associated with the wait times for an amount of time after the reception of the action request;

detecting idle periods of time imposed on the user by the wait times of the requested actions, wherein the idle periods of time indicate multiple wait times are being imposed on the user and wherein the idle periods of time are detected responsive to a value representing the multiple wait times reaching a threshold value, and wherein the idle periods of time are detected based on a user activity level falling below a threshold activity level and/or based on past activity level;

determining sets of auxiliary content to present to the user along with the view of the virtual space during detected idle periods of time; and

causing the sets of auxiliary content to be presented along with the view of the virtual space to the user during the detected idle periods of time; and

tracking responses of the user to the individual sets of auxiliary content during the idle periods of time;

wherein the sets of auxiliary content are based on past responses of the user to previously determined sets of auxiliary content.

7. A method of claim 6, further comprising determining sets of auxiliary content to present to a user based on a user parameter.

8. A method of claim 6, wherein the common action type is one or more of a troop attack or maneuver, simulated research, unit manufacture and/or training, building construction and/or upgrade, or resource prospecting and/or procurement.

9. A method of claim 6, further comprising assessing the relative effectiveness of offers transmitted to the user based on the response of the user.

10. A method of claim 9, further comprising determining sets of auxiliary content to present to a user based on a user parameter.