Methods and apparatus for distributed gaming over a mobile device

• US 9,821,233 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2016
• Issued: 11/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Winview IP Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: WinView Incorporated (GameSquare Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lockton, David B., Berner, Mark K., Micheli, Mark J.
• Primary Examiner(s): CUFF, MICHAEL A
• Application Number:
  US15/353,613
• Publication Number:
  US 20170065891A1
• Time in Patent Office: 370 Days
• Field of Search: 463 42, 463 1, 463 29, 463 40
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/332 using wireless networks, e.g. cellular phone networks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/352 involving special game server arrangements, e.g. regional servers connected to a national server or a plurality of servers managing partitions of the game world
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/75 Enforcing rules, e.g. detecting foul play or generating lists of cheating players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/77 involving data related to game devices or game servers, e.g. configuration data, software version or amount of memory
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/798 for assessing skills or for ranking players, e.g. for generating a hall of fame computing the game score A63F13/46
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/406 Transmission via wireless network, e.g. pager or GSM
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/535 for monitoring, e.g. of user parameters, terminal parameters, application parameters, network parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/552 for downloading to client devices, e.g. using OS version, hardware or software profile of the client device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/558 by assessing the players' skills or ranking
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5586 for enforcing rights or rules, e.g. to prevent foul play

Abstract

A system and method are provided for updating game participants. In some embodiments, the participants receive game control information via a one-way broadcast. The method selects a set of sampling participants from the set of all participants of a game. In some embodiments, the selection occurs prior to the start of the game. The method of some embodiments establishes a two-way connection between a server and each of the sampling participants. For some embodiments, the two-way connection is realtime. The method continuously maintains the two-way connection throughout the game. During each discrete game period, the method receives from a sampling participant, data for the sampling participant'"'"'s game period performance. Based on the received data, the method determines the performance for the game period and broadcasts this information to a non-sampling participant. A non-sampling participant is a participant who was not selected for the set of sampling participants. In some embodiments, the non-sampling participant determines a standing relative to the other participants in the game event. Some embodiments provide a method and system for detecting unusual performance in a game. The game has a participant. The method calculates for the participant an average performance level. Based on the average performance level, the method tracks for the participant a participant improvement factor and stores the participant improvement factor. The method compares the participant improvement factor to a threshold value.

Claims

1. A system for updating game participants, the system comprising:

a server to host the game, wherein the server is configured to compile performance data using two-way connection participants;

a first mobile device having a two-way connection with the server;

a second mobile device having a one-way connection with the server; and

a network,

wherein the first mobile device communicates with the server through the network by using the two-way connection thereby establishing a two-way communication,

wherein sampling results are generated based on the performance data received from sampling participants,

wherein the game is implemented in real-time, including an acknowledgment by the server which is received by the first mobile device in less than 1 second,

wherein based on the two-way communication, the server broadcasts the sampling results to the second mobile device by using the one-way connection, and

wherein the sampling results and the performance data of the second mobile device are compared to determine status as a game high performer.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the two-way connection is realtime.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a first set of data, wherein the first mobile device uploads the first set of data over the two-way connection.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a second set of data, wherein the server broadcasts the second set of data to the second mobile device over the one-way connection.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the second set of data is based on the uploaded first set of data.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the one-way connection comprises a multicast mode or a broadcast mode.

7. A server for updating game participants, the server comprising:

a communication layer for providing connections through a network, the communication layer further comprising;

a plurality of one-way connections between a first plurality of mobile devices and the server; and

a plurality of two-way connections between a second plurality of mobile devices and the server;

wherein the second plurality of mobile devices communicate with the server through the network by using the two-way connections thereby establishing two-way communications;

wherein performance data is compiled using only the two-way connections,

wherein sampling results are generated based on the performance data received from sampling participants,

wherein the game is implemented in real-time, including an acknowledgment by the server which is received by the second plurality of mobile devices in less than 1 second,

wherein based on the two-way communications, the server broadcasts the sampling results to the first plurality of mobile devices by using the one-way connection, and

wherein the sampling results and the performance data of the first plurality of mobile devices are compared to determine status as a game high performer.

8. The server of claim 7 further comprising:

a master layer for hosting the game, wherein data received by using the two-way connections are processed by the master layer.

9. The server of claim 7, wherein the two way connections are selected by the server.

10. The server of claim 7, wherein the server comprises a cluster.

11. The server of claim 7, further comprising a connection to a mobile device.

12. The server of claim 7 wherein the plurality of one-way connections comprise a multicast mode or a broadcast mode.

13. A mobile device for receiving updates during a game, the mobile device comprising:

a communication module for connecting to a network, the communication module having one-way and two-way connectivity, wherein the communication module receives a one way broadcast or multicast from a server through the network, including a received data set, and communicates game results to the server by using the two-way connectivity, wherein the two-way connectivity enables the mobile device to be part of a representative sample of all participants, wherein the game includes discrete game periods and after each discrete game period, performance data is compiled using two-way connection participants, wherein the communication module receives the performance data relevant to the participants, wherein sampling results are generated based on the performance data received from sampling participants;

a processor coupled to the communication module, the processor for calculating a local data set and for comparing the local data set to the received data set;

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory for storing applications and data, including the local data set and the received data set; and

a display for presenting data,

wherein the game is implemented in real-time, including an acknowledgment by the server which is received by the mobile device in less than 1 second,

wherein based on a two-way communication, the server broadcasts the sampling results to the mobile device by using the one-way connection, and

wherein the sampling results and the performance data of the mobile device are compared to determine status as a game high performer.

14. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the mobile device comprises a cellular telephone.

15. The mobile device of claim 13, further comprising an application allowing connection to a server for participation in the game.

16. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein based on the one-way broadcast, the mobile device establishes a two-way connection with a server.

17. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the server examines the mobile device by using the two-way connection.

18. The mobile device of claim 13, further comprising modules for:

determining whether the mobile device has been accessed abnormally;

or

determining whether data stored by the mobile device has been altered;

or

determining whether data stored by the mobile device includes an anomaly, wherein the anomaly indicates a prohibited action for the game.