Communicating messages within network games

• US 9,855,505 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2017
• Issued: 01/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Inventors: de Jesus, Tiago Amaral Penteado
• Primary Examiner(s): CUFF, MICHAEL A
• Application Number:
  US15/591,788
• Publication Number:
  US 20170239579A1
• Time in Patent Office: 237 Days
• Field of Search: 463 9, 463 42
• 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 13/822 Strategy games; Role-playing games A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/87 Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/575 for trading virtual items
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements

Abstract

Systems and methods for communicating messages within online games are described. One of the methods includes receiving a message post from a first user. The message post is displayed on an in-game object that is configured for sharing message posts between the first user and other users. The method further includes detecting an interfacing action by a second user with the in-game object. The interfacing action is an input that is responsive to request content that is part of the message post. The method further includes validating the interfacing action to meet a threshold. If the threshold is met, the virtual game object is credited to the game space of the first user. The method includes generating a reward to the second user when the interfacing action is validated. The reward is credited to a game space of the second user.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

initiating a gaming session of a game upon receiving a request via a web account and a computer network from a client device, wherein the web account is accessible by a real user;

during the gaming session, generating a game environment for display on the client device;

receiving from the client device via the computer network a message indicating that a virtual user associated with the web account lacks a virtual item;

initiating an additional gaming session of the game upon receiving an additional request via an additional web account and the computer network from an additional client device, wherein the additional web account is accessible by an additional real user;

during the additional gaming session, generating an additional game environment for display on the additional client device, the additional game environment including an additional virtual user;

allowing the additional virtual user to asynchronously view the message within the game environment, wherein said allowing the additional virtual user to asynchronously view the message is performed after an end of the gaming session associated with the web account;

determining whether the additional web account has the virtual item for providing to the virtual user upon allowing the additional virtual user to asynchronously view the message; and

sending via the computer network a query requesting the virtual item from one or more social network friends of the additional real user after determining that the additional web account lacks the virtual item.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating with a social network server to receive a list of the social network friends of the additional real user upon determining that the additional web account does not have the virtual item; and

sending the list via the computer network and the additional web account to the additional computing device.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

sending an option via the computer network and the additional web account to the additional computing device, wherein the option is for displaying on the additional computing device whether a request for the virtual item is to be sent to the one or more social network friends; and

receiving, via the computer network and the additional web account, a selection of the option.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said sending via the computer network the query requesting the virtual item from the one or more social network friends of the additional real user is performed upon receiving the selection of the option.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said sending via the computer network the query requesting the virtual item from the one or more social network friends of the additional real user is performed to post within one or more web accounts of the one or more social network friends the query requesting the virtual item.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the virtual item from the one or more social network friends via the computer network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more social network friends are assigned one or more web accounts, wherein the one or more web accounts of the one or more social network friends and the additional web account of the additional real user are linked within a social network server.

8. A server comprising:

a processor configured to;

initiate a gaming session of a game upon receiving a request via a web account and a computer network from a client device, wherein the web account is accessible by a real user;

during the gaming session, generate a game environment for display on the client device;

receive from the client device via the computer network a message indicating that a virtual user associated with the web account lacks a virtual item;

initiate an additional gaming session of the game upon receiving an additional request via an additional web account and the computer network from an additional client device, wherein the additional web account is accessible by an additional real user;

during the additional gaming session, generate an additional game environment for display on the additional client device, the additional game environment including an additional virtual user;

allow the additional virtual user to asynchronously view the message within the game environment, wherein the additional virtual user is allowed to asynchronously view the message after an end of the gaming session associated with the web account;

determine whether the additional web account has the virtual item for providing to the virtual user upon allowing the additional virtual user to asynchronously view the message; and

send via the computer network a query requesting the virtual item from one or more social network friends of the additional real user after determining that the additional web account of the additional real user lacks the virtual item; and

a memory device coupled to the processor, the memory device configured to store game data for generating the game environment and game data for generating the additional game environment.

9. The server of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to:

communicate with a social network server to receive a list of the social network friends of the additional real user upon determining that the additional web account does not have the virtual item; and

send the list via the computer network and the additional web account to the additional computing device.

10. The server of claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to:

send an option via the computer network and the additional web account to the additional computing device, wherein the option is for displaying on the additional computing device whether a request for the virtual item is to be sent to the one or more social network friends; and

receive, via the computer network and the additional web account, a selection of the option.

11. The server of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to send via the computer network the query requesting the virtual item from the one or more social network friends of the additional real user upon receiving the selection of the option.

12. The server of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to post within one or more web accounts of the one or more social network friends the query requesting the virtual item.

13. The server of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to receive the virtual item from the one or more social network friends via the computer network.

14. The server of claim 8, wherein the one or more social network friends are assigned one or more web accounts, wherein the one or more web accounts of the one or more social network friends and the additional web account of the additional real user are linked within a social network server.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing program instructions, wherein execution of the program instructions by one or more processors of a computer system causes the one or more processors to carry out a plurality of operations comprising:

initiating a gaming session of a game upon receiving a request via a web account and a computer network from a client device, wherein the web account is accessible by a real user;

during the gaming session, generating a game environment for display on the client device;

receiving from the client device via the computer network a message indicating that a virtual user associated with the web account lacks a virtual item;

initiating an additional gaming session of the game upon receiving an additional request via an additional web account and the computer network from an additional client device, wherein the additional web account is accessible by an additional real user;

during the additional gaming session, generating an additional game environment for display on the additional client device, the additional game environment including an additional virtual user;

allowing the additional virtual user to asynchronously view the message within the game environment, wherein said allowing the additional virtual user to asynchronously view the message is performed after an end of the gaming session associated with the web account;

determining whether the additional web account has the virtual item for providing to the virtual user upon allowing the additional virtual user to asynchronously view the message; and

sending via the computer network a query requesting the virtual item from one or more social network friends of the additional real user after determining that the additional web account of the additional real user lacks the virtual item.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

communicating with a social network server to receive a list of the social network friends of the additional real user upon determining that the additional web account does not have the virtual item; and

sending the list via the computer network and the additional web account to the additional computing device.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise:

sending an option via the computer network and the additional web account to the additional computing device, wherein the option is for displaying on the additional computing device whether a request for the virtual item is to be sent to the one or more social network friends; and

receiving, via the computer network and the additional web account, a selection of the option.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the operation of sending via the computer network the query requesting the virtual item from the one or more social network friends of the additional real user is performed upon receiving the selection of the option.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the operation of sending via the computer network the query requesting the virtual item from the one or more social network friends of the additional real user is performed to post within one or more web accounts of the one or more social network friends the query requesting the virtual item.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise receiving the virtual item from the one or more social network friends via the computer network.