Method and system for matchmaking connections within a gaming social network

• US 9,700,803 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2016
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Inventors: Sproule, Dylan, McCaffrey, Daniel, Allen, Jason Paul, Hall, Shane, Hall, Ben, Catlin, Timothy J. O., Stark, Clayton Rhodes
• Primary Examiner(s): McClellan, James S
• Application Number:
  US15/075,943
• Publication Number:
  US 20160199740A1
• Time in Patent Office: 477 Days
• Field of Search: 463 40, 463 42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• 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: A63F 2300/558 by assessing the players' skills or ranking
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/807 Role playing or strategy games

Abstract

Techniques for recommending and establishing connections between users within a gaming social network, designed for connecting users having common gaming interests or characteristics. Embodiments include methods for recommending connections from members of an out-of-game social network, the gaming social network, and gaming activity participants; evaluating user profile information and user characteristics in a gaming social network and gaming activity in a game networking system to determine an appropriate set of connections for a selected user; and presenting graphical user interface content and configurations to enable the suggestion, review, and accepting of recommended connections in the gaming social network.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

at a server, receiving game play information from a plurality of user devices associated with a corresponding plurality of users;

accessing user profile information maintained for a particular user of the plurality of users in a social networking application;

generating for the particular user a recommendation of connecting with a candidate user from the plurality of users, the recommendation being based on a game-play state of a plurality of players in a game-play graph of the particular user, based on game-play states of a plurality of players in a social graph of the particular user, based at least in part on the user profile information, and being based at least in part on indication in the game play information of past in-game interaction between the particular user and the candidate user;

causing display of the recommendation at a user device associated with particular user; and

in response to receiving player input indicating acceptance of the displayed recommendation, establishing a connection between the particular user and the recommended candidate user within the social networking application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the past in-game interaction comprises cooperative gameplay between the particular user and the candidate user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the past in-game interaction comprises competitive gameplay between the particular user and the candidate user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the recommendation advises participation by the candidate user in a game, the candidate user being a member of a first social graph corresponding to a second social network.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving the first social graph from the second social network, and receiving a first gaming graph from a gaming network;

wherein the recommendation is based on the first gaming graph, the first social graph, game play information associated with a plurality of users in the first social graph, and game play information associated with a plurality of users in the first gaming graph.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the recommendation is based on game play information that includes a game play frequency.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the recommendation is based on game play information that includes a prior favorable gaming outcome.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the recommendation is based on game play information that includes reputation data.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the recommendation is based on game play information that includes an amount of overlapping time that the particular user and the candidate user play a same or similar game.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

combining a first social graph with a first gaming graph to generate a social network.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining separate social networks for a plurality of games offered in a game networking system.

12. A non-transitory machine readable medium comprising computer-readable instructions, the instructions operable with a computer to:

receiving game play information from a plurality of user devices associated with a corresponding plurality of users;

accessing user profile information maintained for a particular user of the plurality of users in a social networking application;

generating for the particular user a recommendation of connecting with a candidate user from the plurality of users, the recommendation being based on a game-play state of a plurality of players in a game-play graph of the particular user, based on game-play states of a plurality of players in a social graph of the particular user, based at least in part on the user profile information, and being based at least in part on indication in the game play information of past in-game interaction between the particular user and the candidate user;

causing display of the recommendation at a user device associated with particular user; and

in response to receiving player input indicating acceptance of the displayed recommendation, establishing a connection between the particular user and the recommended candidate user within the social networking application.

13. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 12, comprising computer-readable instructions to:

receive connection data from a contact list outside of a social network or a gaming network.

14. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 12, comprising computer-readable instructions to:

generate connection recommendations based on a. game play frequency, a player provided preference, or a prior favorable gaming outcome.

15. A computing system, comprising:

a storage module configured to store user profile information of a plurality of users in a gaming social network, wherein the user profile information includes game play data;

a communication module configured to receive game play information from a plurality of user devices associated with a corresponding plurality of users, access user profile information maintained for a particular user of the plurality of users in a social networking application, and cause display, at a user device associated with the particular user, of a recommendation of connecting with a candidate user from the plurality of users;

a connection recommendation module configured to generate for the particular user the recommendation, the recommendation being based on a game-play state of a plurality of players in a game-play graph of the particular user, based on game-play states of a plurality of players in a social graph of the particular user, based at least in part on the user profile information, and being based at least in part on indication in the game play information of past in-game interaction between the particular user and the candidate user; and

an analysis module configured to extract data elements from the user profile information, and gaming social network interactions between the plurality of users for use by the connection recommendation module.

16. The computing system of claim 15, wherein the game play data includes:

game play frequency, a prior favorable gaming outcome, or reputation data.

17. The computing system of claim 15, further comprising:

a connection to a social network separate from the gaming social network, and the communication module being configured to receive and process game play and user data communications from the social network.

18. The computing system of claim 15, wherein the recommendation includes users in both the gaming social network and the social networking application that are participating in a game the particular user is playing.

19. The computing system of claim 15, further comprising:

an interface module configured to provide a graphical user interface to individual users in connection with the gaming social network, wherein the graphical user interface is configured to provide game play information associated with recommendations.