Integrating topic of study content into video games

• US 9,764,243 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2015
• Issued: 09/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bostick, James E., Ganci, Jr., John M., Keen, Martin G., Rakshit, Sarbajit K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Allen
• Application Number:
  US14/854,189
• Publication Number:
  US 20170072319A1
• Time in Patent Office: 735 Days
• Field of Search: 463 40
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/80 Special adaptations for executing a specific game genre or game mode
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8064 Quiz
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/065 Combinations of audio and video presentations, e.g. videotapes, videodiscs, television systems
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/02 of the type wherein the student is expected to construct an answer to the question which is presented or wherein the machine gives an answer to the question presented by a student
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/04 characterised by modifying the teaching programme in response to a wrong answer, e.g. repeating the question, supplying a further explanation

Abstract

Integrating topic of study content into video games is provided. A request is received from a client gaming device for content of a set of one or more topics of study of a plurality of different topics of study to incorporate into a video game of a plurality of different video games based on a user profile. The content of the set of one or more topics of study to be incorporated into the video game based on the user profile and a set of integration points corresponding to the video game is retrieved from a storage device. The content of the set of one or more topics of study to be incorporated into the video game based on the user profile and the set of integration points corresponding to the video game is sent to the client gaming device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for integrating topic of study content into video games, the computer-implemented method comprising:

retrieving, by a gaming device, a user profile corresponding to a user of the gaming device that lists topics of study assigned to the user by educators from a storage of the gaming device based on log in data corresponding to the user;

receiving, by the gaming device, a selection of a video game to play on the gaming device;

receiving, by the gaming device, a selection of a topic of study in the topics of study;

sending, by the gaming device, a request to a game server for content corresponding to the selected topic of study;

receiving, by the gaming device, the content corresponding to the selected topic of study and a set of integration points corresponding to the selected video game from the game server; and

incorporating, by the gaming device, the content corresponding to the selected topic of study into the set of integration points corresponding to the selected video game based on instructions included in the content that define where the gaming device is to incorporate the content into the set of integration points while the user is playing the selected video game.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

displaying, by the gaming device, in-game checkpoint questions added by the educators at pre-defined points within the selected video game to test the user'"'"'s knowledge of the content of the selected topic of study incorporated into the selected video game; and

comparing, by the gaming device, checkpoint scores corresponding to the in game checkpoint questions with passing checkpoint scores.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 further comprising:

locking, by the gaming device, progress at pre-determined points in the selected video game until the user successfully completes a series of the in-game checkpoint questions corresponding to viewed topic of study content.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the gaming device is one of a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a handheld computer, a smart phone, a smart watch, a personal digital assistant, or a gaming device with a network connection, and wherein the user of the gaming device utilizes the gaming device to complete the topics of study assigned by the educators to the user while the user plays video games.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the game server is a cloud-based central learning game server with a network connection, and wherein the cloud-based central learning game server controls integration of topic of study content into a plurality of different types of video games currently being played by a plurality of different client gaming device users consistent with regular gameplay of the plurality of different types of video games.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the gaming device includes a topic of study application programming interface plug-in incorporated into an operating system of the gaming device, and wherein the topic of study application programming interface plug-in is accessible to video games run on the gaming device.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the content of the selected topic of study incorporated into the selected video game also includes checkpoint questions corresponding to the content, and passing scores corresponding to the checkpoint questions.

8. A gaming device for integrating topic of study content into video games, the gaming device comprising:

a bus system;

a storage device connected to the bus system, wherein the storage device stores program instructions; and

a processor connected to the bus system, wherein the processor executes the program instructions to;

retrieve a user profile corresponding to a user of the gaming device that lists topics of study assigned to the user by educators from a storage of the gaming device based on log in data corresponding to the user;

receive a selection of a video game to play on the gaming device;

receive a selection of a topic of study in the topics of study;

send a request to a game server for content corresponding to the selected topic of study;

receive the content corresponding to the selected topic of study and a set of integration points corresponding to the selected video game from the game server; and

incorporate the content corresponding to the selected topic of study into the set of integration points corresponding to the selected video game based on instructions included in the content that define where the gaming device is to incorporate the content into the set of integration points while the user is playing the selected video game.

9. The gaming device of claim 8, wherein the processor further executes the program instructions to:

display in-game checkpoint questions added by the educators at pre-defined points within the selected video game to test the user'"'"'s knowledge of the content of the selected topic of study incorporated into the selected video game; and

compare checkpoint scores corresponding to the in game checkpoint questions with passing checkpoint scores.

10. The gaming device of claim 9, wherein the processor further executes the program instructions to:

lock progress at pre-determined points in the selected video game until the user successfully completes a series of the in-game checkpoint questions corresponding to viewed topic of study content.

11. A computer program product for integrating topic of study content into video games, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a gaming device to cause the gaming device to perform a method comprising:

retrieving, by the gaming device, a user profile corresponding to a user of the gaming device that lists topics of study assigned to the user by educators from a storage of the gaming device based on log in data corresponding to the user;

receiving, by the gaming device, a selection of a video game to play on the gaming device;

receiving, by the gaming device, a selection of a topic of study in the topics of study;

sending, by the gaming device, a request to a game server for content corresponding to the selected topic of study;

receiving, by the gaming device, the content corresponding to the selected topic of study and a set of integration points corresponding to the selected video game from the game server; and

incorporating, by the gaming device, the content corresponding to the selected topic of study into the set of integration points corresponding to the selected video game based on instructions included in the content that define where the gaming device is to incorporate the content into the set of integration points while the user is playing the selected video game.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 further comprising:

displaying, by the gaming device, in-game checkpoint questions added by the educators at pre-defined points within the selected video game to test the user'"'"'s knowledge of the content of the selected topic of study incorporated into the selected video game; and

comparing, by the gaming device, checkpoint scores corresponding to the in game checkpoint questions with passing checkpoint scores.

13. The computer program product of claim 12 further comprising:

locking, by the gaming device, progress at pre-determined points in the selected video game until the user successfully completes a series of the in-game checkpoint questions corresponding to viewed topic of study content.

14. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the gaming device is one of a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a handheld computer, a smart phone, a smart watch, a personal digital assistant, or a gaming device with a network connection, and wherein the user of the gaming device utilizes the gaming device to complete the topics of study assigned by the educators to the user while the user plays video games.

15. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the game server is a cloud-based central learning game server with a network connection, and wherein the cloud-based central learning game server controls integration of topic of study content into a plurality of different types of video games currently being played by a plurality of different client gaming device users consistent with regular gameplay of the plurality of different types of video games.

16. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the gaming device includes a topic of study application programming interface plug-in incorporated into an operating system of the gaming device, and wherein the topic of study application programming interface plug-in is accessible to video games run on the gaming device.

17. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the content of the selected topic of study incorporated into the selected video game also includes checkpoint questions corresponding to the content, and passing scores corresponding to the checkpoint questions.