Methods, systems, and products for control of gaming applications

• US 9,839,847 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2016
• Issued: 12/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Godfrey, Jason, Bearden, Toby, Smith, Michele L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Elisca, Pierre E
• Application Number:
  US15/268,540
• Publication Number:
  US 20170001117A1
• Time in Patent Office: 451 Days
• Field of Search: 463 24, 463 43
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/25 Output arrangements for video game devices
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/493 Resuming a game, e.g. after pausing, malfunction or power failure
• 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 2300/5533 using program state or machine event data, e.g. server keeps track of the state of multiple players on in a multiple player game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/554 by saving game or status data
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5546 using player registration data, e.g. identification, account, preferences, game history
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality

Abstract

Methods, systems, and products bookmark gaming applications. When a player wishes to pause a gaming application, a bookmark may be created. The bookmark identifies a location in the gaming application at which play is paused. Play may then be resumed from the bookmark, whether at a same device or at a different device.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a server, an electronic request associated with a client device, the client device requesting a resumption of a gaming software application played over the Internet;

querying, by the server, an electronic database for an identifier specified by the electronic request, the electronic database electronically associating bookmarks and identifiers including the identifier specified by the electronic request;

retrieving, by the server, a bookmark of the bookmarks in the electronic database that is electronically associated with the identifier specified by the electronic request, the bookmark identifying a logical location from which the gaming software application was previously paused during play over the Internet; and

resuming, by the server, the play over the Internet of the gaming software application from the logical location identified by the bookmark retrieved in the electronic database.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising retrieving a line code number associated with the bookmark.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising retrieving a line code number associated with the logical location.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a line code number associated with the bookmark.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising retrieving a summary associated with the logical location.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending the logical location to the client device requesting the resumption of the gaming software application.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising resuming a score associated with the logical location.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising retrieving multiple bookmarks associated with the gaming software application, each one of the multiple bookmarks associated with a different client device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising pausing the gaming software application at the logical location identified by the bookmark.

10. A system, comprising:

a hardware processor; and

a memory device, the memory device storing code, the code when executed causing the hardware processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

receiving a pause request that requests a pause in a play over the Internet associated with a gaming software application;

storing a bookmark in an electronic database, the bookmark associated with a logical location at which the gaming software application is paused during the play over the Internet;

receiving a resumption request that requests a resumption of the play over the Internet associated with the gaming software application; and

resuming the play over the Internet associated with the gaming software application from the logical location associated with the bookmark.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise receiving the pause request from a device, and receiving the resumption request from the device.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise receiving the pause request from a device, and receiving the resumption request from a different device.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise retrieving a line code number associated with the bookmark.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise retrieving a line code number associated with the logical location.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise determining a line code number associated with the bookmark.

16. A memory device storing instructions that when executed cause a hardware processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

receiving a pause request that requests a pause in play over the Internet associated with a gaming software application;

storing a bookmark in an electronic database, the bookmark associated with a logical location at which the gaming software application is paused during the play over the Internet;

receiving a resumption request that requests a resumption of the play over the Internet associated with the gaming software application; and

resuming the play over the Internet associated with the gaming software application from the logical location associated with the bookmark.

17. The memory device of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise receiving the pause request from a device, and receiving the resumption request from the device.

18. The memory device of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise receiving the pause request from a device, and receiving the resumption request from a different device.

19. The memory device of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise retrieving a line code number associated with the bookmark.

20. The memory device of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise retrieving a line code number associated with the logical location.