Facilitating user configured assistance requests through a chat in a virtual space

• US 9,733,955 B1
• Filed: 03/11/2015
• Issued: 08/15/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabam (Netmarble Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabam (Netmarble Corporation)
• Inventors: Caldarone, Michael C., Curtis, Matthew, Koh, James, Smalley, Kellen Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Quang N
• Application Number:
  US14/645,392
• Time in Patent Office: 888 Days
• Field of Search: 709203, 709206, 709217, 709219, 709223, 709224, 709226, 709228, 709231, 709232, 709238, 707705, 715757, 715789, 37926509
• 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 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/847 Cooperative playing, e.g. requiring coordinated actions from several players to achieve a common goal
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/87 Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services

Abstract

A system and method for facilitating a user to initiate and accept an assistance request through a chat session is disclosed. Controls may be provided in a graphical chat interface to enable the user to specify inputs to request assistance from other users participating in the chat session. An assistance request may be generated and communicated to those users through the chat session. Graphical representation for the assistance request and controls that facilitate the users to accept the assistance request may be provided in the graphical chat interface. Upon an acceptance to the assistance request by a responding user through the graphical chat interface, an assistance command may be generated and executed in the virtual space.

Claims

1. A system configured to facilitate a user configured assistance request communicated through a chat session, the system comprising:

a memory; and

one or more processors communicably coupled to the memory configured to execute computer program modules, the computer program modules comprising;

a space module configured to execute an instance of the virtual space, to implement the instance of the virtual space by receiving and executing commands to facilitate user interactions with the virtual space, and to determine view information for presentation of the virtual space on client computing platforms through space interfaces to facilitate user actions in the virtual space;

a chat module configured to implement an instance of a chat session to facilitate synchronous textual communications between users within the virtual space;

the chat module being configured to transmit the textual communications that make up the chat session to the computing platforms for presentation through graphical chat interfaces, the graphical chat interfaces being presented on the client computing platforms such that they replace the space interfaces to facilitate the presentation of the textual communications;

a chat-request module configured to

receive user inputs requesting assistance submitted through graphical chat interfaces;

generate assistance requests based on the received user inputs; and

effectuate communication of the generated assistance requests through the chat sessions for presentation through the graphical chat interfaces; and

,

wherein responsive to receiving inputs from a first user requesting assistance, the chat-request module generates a first assistance request and effectuate communication of the first assistance request to a second user through a chat session participated by the second user for presentation through a graphical chat interface implemented on a client computing platform associated with the second user;

a request-response module configured to receive user acceptances to assistance requests, and to generate assistance commands executable by the space module, wherein responsive to receiving an acceptance to the first assistance request from the second user, the assistance request response module generates a first assistance command executable by the space module; and

,

wherein the space module is further configured such that responsive to the first assistance command generated by the assistance request response module, the space module executes the first assistance command in the virtual space.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the chat-request module is configured such that the assistance requests are generated by determining one or more assistance request parameters specified by the received user inputs.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the chat-request module is configured such that the first assistance request is generated to request one or more types of virtual resources, one or more virtual items, and/or one or more virtual space entities to be transferred to the first user.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the chat-request module is configured such that the chat-request module effectuates communication of the first assistance request through an alliance chat session the first and second users belong to.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein

the chat-request module is further configured such that responsive to receiving inputs from a third user requesting assistance, the chat-request module generates a second assistance request and effectuate communication of the second assistance request to a fourth user through a chat session participated by the fourth user for presentation through a graphical chat interface implemented on a client computing platform associated with the fourth user;

the request-response is further configured such that responsive to receiving an acceptance to the second assistance request from the fourth user, the assistance request response module generates a second assistance command executable by the space module; and

the space module is further configured such that responsive to the generation of the second assistance command by the request-response module, the space module executes the second assistance command in the virtual space.

6. A system configured to facilitate a user configured assistance request within an instance of a virtual space communicated through a chat session, the instance of the virtual space being implemented by a space module and the chat session being implemented by a chat module, wherein the chat sessions facilitate textual communication between users and include a first assistance request from a first user, the system comprising:

a memory; and

one or more processors communicably coupled to the memory configured to execute computer program modules, the computer program modules comprising;

a space interface module configured to generate space interfaces to present views of the virtual space on a display associated with a second user and/or to provide one or more controls for the user to initiate actions in the virtual space;

a chat interface module configured to generate a graphical chat interface that replaces space interfaces provided by the space interface module, wherein the graphical chat interface comprises;

visual display of the first assistance request and one or more controls enabling the second user to provide inputs for responding the first assistance request and one or more controls enabling the second user to provide inputs requesting assistance from other users;

a user response module configured such that the user response module determines an acceptance to the first assistance request for the second user based on the inputs provided by the second user through the graphical chat interface and to effectuate communication of the acceptance by the second user to the first user through a chat session; and

an assistance request module configured to communicate the user inputs requesting assistance through the chat session to a third user.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the chat interface module is further configured such that the graphical chat interface comprises one or more controls for the second user to modify terms of the first assistance request.

8. A method for facilitating a user configured assistance request communicated through a chat session, the method being implemented in one or more physical processors configured to execute computer program modules, the method comprising:

executing an instance of the virtual space and implementing the instance of the virtual space by receiving and executing commands to facilitate user interactions with the virtual space;

determining view information for presentation of the virtual space on client computing platforms through space interfaces to facilitate user actions in the virtual space;

implementing an instance of a chat session to facilitate synchronous textual communications between users within the virtual space;

transmitting the textual communications that make up the chat session to the computing platforms for presentation through graphical chat interfaces, the graphical chat interfaces being presented on the client computing platforms such that they replace the space interfaces to facilitate the presentation of the textual communications;

receiving user inputs requesting assistance submitted through graphical chat interfaces, generating assistance requests based on the received user inputs, and effectuating communication of the generated assistance requests through the chat sessions for presentation through the graphical chat interfaces, wherein responsive to receiving inputs from a first user requesting assistance, generating a first assistance request and effectuate communication of the first assistance request to a second user through a chat session participated by the second user for presentation through a graphical chat interface implemented on a client computing platform associated with the second user;

receiving user acceptances to assistance requests, and generating assistance commands executable by the space module, wherein responsive to receiving an acceptance to the first assistance request from the second user, generating a first assistance command executable by the space module; and

responsive to the first assistance command, executing the first assistance command in the virtual space.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the assistance requests are generated by determining one or more assistance request parameters specified by the received user inputs.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the first assistance request is generated to request one or more types of virtual resources, one or more virtual items, and/or one or more virtual space entities to be transferred to the first user.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the effectuated communication of the first assistance request is through an alliance chat session the first and second users belong to.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising

responsive to receiving inputs from a third user requesting assistance, generating a second assistance request and effectuate communication of the second assistance request to a fourth user through a chat session participated by the fourth user for presentation through a graphical chat interface implemented on a client computing platform associated with the fourth user;

responsive to receiving an acceptance to the second assistance request from the fourth user, generating a second assistance command executable by the space module; and

responsive to the generation of the second assistance command by the request-response module, executing the second assistance command in the virtual space.

13. A method for facilitating a user configured assistance request within an instance of a virtual space communicated through a chat session, wherein the chat sessions facilitate textual communication between users and include a first assistance request from a first user, the method being implemented in one or more physical processors configured to execute computer program modules, the method comprising:

generating space interfaces to present views of the virtual space on a display associated with a second user and/or to provide one or more controls for the user to initiate actions in the virtual space;

generating a graphical chat interface that replaces space interfaces provided by the space interface module, wherein the graphical chat interface comprises;

visual display of the first assistance request and one or more controls enabling the second user to provide inputs for responding the first assistance request and one or more controls for the second user to provide inputs requesting assistance from other users;

determining a response to the first assistance request for the second user based on the inputs provide by the second user through the graphical chat interface and to effectuate communication of the acceptance by the second user to the first user through a chat session; and

communicating the user inputs requesting assistance through the chat session to a third user.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the graphical chat interface further comprises one or more controls for the second user to modify terms of the first assistance request.