Method and system for providing communications services

• US 20020068592A1
• Filed: 11/21/2001
• Published: 06/06/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Robinson, Richard, Caliguri, Steven, Hutcheson, Doug
• Application Number:
  US09/989,909
• Publication Number:
  US 20020068592A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/501
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/332 using wireless networks, e.g. cellular phone networks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• 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 13/77 involving data related to game devices or game servers, e.g. configuration data, software version or amount of memory
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/406 Transmission via wireless network, e.g. pager or GSM
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/50 characterized by details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/534 for network load management, e.g. bandwidth optimization, latency reduction
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5546 using player registration data, e.g. identification, account, preferences, game history
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5566 by matching opponents or finding partners to build a team, e.g. by skill level, geographical area, background, play style
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3218 wherein at least part of the system is portable
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3237 about the players, e.g. profiling, responsible gaming, strategy/behavior of players, location of players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3239 Tracking of individual players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3241 Security aspects of a gaming system, e.g. detecting cheating, device integrity, surveillance computer security G06F21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3272 Games involving multiple players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3295 : Games involving skill, e.g. dexterity, memory, thinking

Abstract

A method for providing interactive communications services to a plurality of users using a corresponding plurality of communications devices via a wireless network which may degrade performance of the communications services including initiating the communications services. State information is requested from at least two of the communications devices indicative of whether the wireless network is degrading the initiated communications services after a predetermined temporal period. Data indicative of the requested state information is received and tested for differences. Smoothing the communications services occurs using at least one of the communications devices if differences detected exceed a given threshold.

Claims

1. A method for providing interactive communications services to a plurality of users using a corresponding plurality of communications devices via a wireless network that may degrade performance of said communications services, said method comprising:

requesting state information from at least two of said communications devices indicative of degradation of said initiated communications services after a predetermined temporal period;

receiving data indicative of said requested state information and detecting differences between said at least two communications devices using said requested state information; and

,

alleviating a perception of said degradation by smoothing said communications services using at least one of said communications devices if differences detected exceed a given threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising logging at least one of said users on to said wireless communications network.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising receiving requests for said communications services.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising identifying at least one of said plurality of users logged on.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising identifying a skill level associated with said communications services of at least one of said identified users.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising communicating said identified skill level to at least one other of said users logged on.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising retrieving data associated with said identified at least one other logged on user.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising retrieving data associated with said communications services.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said smoothing comprises adjusting a state of at least one of said communications devices.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising querying at least one of said communications devices to determine at least one capability.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining locations respectively associated with said at least two of said communications devices.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said determining locations comprises receiving data indicative of said locations from said at least two communications devices.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising establishing a peer-to-peer communications session associated with said communications services between said at least two communications devices if said locations associated with said at least two communications devices are within a given threshold.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising terminating said peer-to-peer communications session and uploading data indicative of said interactive communications services via said wireless communications network.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising querying said at least two communications devices for data indicative of at least one capability.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said at least one capability comprises a processing capability.

17. The device of claim 15, wherein said at least one capability comprises a display capability.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising determining at least one capability common to said queried communications devices and using said common capability for said communications services.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising querying said at least two communications devices for data indicative of respective signal strengths.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein said requesting state information comprises querying said at least two communications devices for data indicative of at least one latency associated with said wireless communications network, respectively.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein said smoothing comprises adjusting a state of at least one of said at least two communications devices to substantially match that of at least one other of said at least two communications devices.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said adjusting comprises snapping.

23. The method of claim 1, further comprising initiating said communications services.