Methods, systems, and products for control of gaming applications

• US 10,155,163 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2017
• Issued: 12/18/2018
• 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:
  US15/798,942
• Publication Number:
  US 20180056185A1
• Time in Patent Office: 413 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 an electronic request that requests resumption of a gaming software application;

querying an electronic database for an identifier, the electronic database having electronic associations between bookmarks and identifiers including the identifier;

retrieving a bookmark of the bookmarks from the electronic database, the bookmark identifying a location at which the gaming software application was previously paused; and

resuming the gaming software application from the location receiving, by a server, from a first gaming application executing on a first type gaming device in association with a username, a request to play the first gaming application;

accessing a profile associated with the username to obtain profile information stored in the profile;

providing the profile information to the first gaming application on the first type gaming device;

subsequently receiving, from a second gaming application executing on a second type gaming device in association with the username, a request to play the second gaming application, the second type gaming device being a different type of gaming device than the first type gaming device;

accessing the profile associated with the username to obtain the profile information stored in the profile; and

providing the profile information to the second gaming application executing on the second type gaming device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first gaming application and the second gaming application are a same gaming application.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first gaming application and the second gaming application are different gaming applications.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the profile information comprises a skill level associated with the username, and further comprising:

receiving data from the first gaming application executing on the first type gaming device related to the skill level;

updating the skill level in the profile to an updated skill level;

and wherein providing the profile information to the second gaming application executing on the second type gaming device comprises providing the updated skill level to the second gaming application executing on the second type gaming device.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the first gaming application and the second gaming application are a same gaming application, and further comprising:

receiving, by the second gaming application executing on the second type gaming device, the updated skill level; and

initiating game play of the second gaming application based on the updated skill level.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the first gaming application and the second gaming application are different gaming applications, and further comprising:

receiving, by the second gaming application executing on the second type gaming device, the updated skill level;

translating the updated skill level to a skill level associated with the second gaming application; and

initiating game play of the second gaming application based on the skill level associated with the second gaming application.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the first gaming application is a flight simulator and the second gaming application is one of a bowling gaming application, a tennis gaming application, and a karate gaming application.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the profile information identifies a visual characteristic of a character.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the visual characteristic comprises one of a sex of the character, a hair color of the character, a size of the character, and a clothing of the character.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the first gaming application and the second gaming application are different gaming applications, and further comprising:

receiving, by the second gaming application executing on the second type gaming device, the profile information that identifies the visual characteristic of the character;

automatically, without user input, configuring a character depicted by the second gaming application to have the visual characteristic; and

depicting the character on a display device.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the profile information identifies an automobile manufacturer and automobile model.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the first gaming application and the second gaming application are different gaming applications, and further comprising:

receiving, by the second gaming application executing on the second type gaming device, the profile information that identifies the automobile manufacturer and the automobile model;

automatically, without user input, configuring an automobile depicted by the second gaming application to be the automobile model; and

depicting the automobile on a display device.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the profile information identifies a preferred weapon.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the first gaming application and the second gaming application are different gaming applications, and further comprising:

receiving, by the second gaming application executing on the second type gaming device, the profile information that identifies the preferred weapon; and

automatically, without user input, configuring a default weapon used by a participant in the second gaming application to be the preferred weapon.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the profile information identifies a location.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the first gaming application and the second gaming application are different gaming applications, and further comprising:

receiving, by the second gaming application executing on the second type gaming device, the profile information that identifies the location; and

automatically, without user input, configuring an initial location depicted by the second gaming application to be the location.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the first type gaming device is a gaming console device and the second type gaming device is a cellular phone.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the first type gaming device is a gaming console device and the second type gaming device is a general purpose computing device.

19. A system comprising:

a memory device; and

a hardware processor device coupled to the memory device to;

receive from a first gaming application executing on a first type gaming device in association with a username, a request to play the first gaming application;

access a profile associated with the username to obtain profile information stored in the profile;

provide the profile information to the first gaming application on the first type gaming device;

subsequently receive, from a second gaming application executing on a second type gaming device in association with the username, a request to play the second gaming application, the second type gaming device being a different type of gaming device than the first type gaming device;

access the profile associated with the username to obtain the profile information stored in the profile; and

provide the profile information to the second gaming application executing on the second type gaming device.

20. A computer program product stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and including instructions to cause a processor device to:

receive from a first gaming application executing on a first type gaming device in association with a username, a request to play the first gaming application;

access a profile associated with the username to obtain profile information stored in the profile;

provide the profile information to the first gaming application on the first type gaming device;

subsequently receive, from a second gaming application executing on a second type gaming device in association with the username, a request to play the second gaming application, the second type gaming device being a different type of gaming device than the first type gaming device;

access the profile associated with the username to obtain the profile information stored in the profile; and

provide the profile information to the second gaming application executing on the second type gaming device.