Mechanism to control game usage on user devices

• US 20060063590A1
• Filed: 09/21/2004
• Published: 03/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: THQ Wireless, Inc. (THQ Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: THQ Wireless, Inc. (THQ Incorporated)
• Inventors: Riley, Robert, Abassi, Paul
• Application Number:
  US10/946,943
• Publication Number:
  US 20060063590A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/29
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/332 using wireless networks, e.g. cellular phone networks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/71 using secure communication between game devices and game servers, e.g. by encrypting game data or authenticating 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 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• 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 2300/5513 involving billing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/609 for unlocking hidden game elements, e.g. features, items, levels

Abstract

A method and system for controlling game usage on user devices are described. In one embodiment, the method includes identifying a game selected by a user for a first user device, determining that the game has been previously purchased by the user for a second user device, and causing the game to be available to the user for playing on the first user device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying a game selected by a user for a first user device;

determining that the game has been previously purchased by the user for a second user device; and

causing the game to be available to the user for playing on the first user device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the first user device is a wireless device associated with a first wireless carrier; and

the second user device is wireless device associated with a second wireless carrier.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the first user device is a wireless device; and

the second user device is any one of a personal computer, a hand-held computer, and a video game console.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein determining that the game has been previously purchased by the user comprises:

receiving user identifying information; and

finding matching user identifying information associated with the game in a database.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

receiving the matching user identifying information when the user purchases the game for the second user device; and

storing the matching user identifying information in association with the game in the database.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the user identifying information comprises a user identifier and a password.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein the user identifying information comprises a unique code associated with the game.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

prior to causing the game to be available to the user, determining that the user satisfies one or more game unlocking criteria.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining that the user satisfies one or more game locking criteria; and

causing user access to the game to discontinue.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying the game selected by the user comprises:

detecting a user request to download a demo version of the game to the first user device.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the demo version of the game provides restricted functionality of the game.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein causing the game to be available to the user comprises:

causing restrictions associated with the demo version of the game to be disabled.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

notifying the user about a new game;

receiving a user consent to try the new game;

downloading a demo of the new game to the first user device; and

upon determining that the user has purchased the new game, causing the new game to be available to the user for playing on the first user device.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving metrics of the game from the first user device; and

storing the metrics received from the first user device with the game metrics received from the second user device.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

maintaining a list of scores for the game, the list of scores covering a plurality of players of the game across a plurality of device platforms; and

displaying the list of scores to the user.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

analyzing stored data associated with the user; and

selecting advertisements to be displayed to the user based on the analyzed data.

17. A method comprising:

receiving from a wireless device a request to unlock a game residing on the wireless device;

determining that a user of the wireless device satisfies unlock criteria; and

communicating to the wireless device an instruction to unlock the game.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

upon determining that the user of the wireless device satisfies the unlock criteria, sending a request to bill the user for a price of the game to a billing system; and

sending data identifying a billed amount to the wireless device.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein:

the game residing on the client device operates in a restricted mode prior to unlocking; and

the instruction to unlock the game causes the game to operate in a full mode.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

determining that the user does not satisfy the unlocking criteria; and

communicating to the wireless device an instruction to lock the game.

21. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

determining that the game is active only on one wireless device prior to communicating the instruction to unlock the game.

22. A method comprising:

receiving, from a client device, a request to unlock a game each time a user of the client device attempts to start the game; and

communicating to the client device an instruction to unlock the game each time a billable event is issued for starting the game.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the game is automatically locked each time the game is completed.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein the billable event is issued upon receiving a request of the user to unlock the game.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising:

causing an account of the user to be charged with a fee for starting the game when receiving the request of the user to unlock the game.

26. The method of claim 22 wherein the billable event is issued upon determining that an e-wallet account of the user contains funds sufficient to cover a fee for starting the game.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising:

debiting the e-wallet account of the user for the fee.

28. The method of claim 26 further comprising:

determining that the e-wallet account of the user does not contain funds sufficient to cover the fee for starting the game;

allowing the user to recharge the e-wallet account; and

determining that the user added funds sufficient to cover the fee for starting the game to the e-wallet account.

29. The method of claim 22 wherein the client device is any one of a mobile phone, a personal computer, a hand-held computer, and a video game console.

30. A system comprising:

a database to store data pertaining to a user; and

a game usage controller to identify a game selected by the user for a first user device, to search the database to determine that the game has been previously purchased by the user for a second user device, and to cause the game to be available to the user for playing on the first user device.

31. A system comprising:

a database to store data pertaining to a user of a wireless device; and

a game usage controller to receive from the wireless device a request to unlock a game residing on the wireless device, to determine that a user of the wireless device satisfies unlock criteria using the data pertaining to the user, and to communicate to the wireless device an instruction to unlock the game.

32. A system comprising:

a game usage controller to receive, from a client device, a request to unlock a game each time a user of the client device attempts to start the game, and to communicate to the client device an instruction to unlock the game each time a billable event is issued for starting the game.

33. An apparatus comprising:

means for identifying a game selected by a user for a first user device;

means for determining that the game has been previously purchased by the user for a second user device; and

means for causing the game to be available to the user for playing on the first user device.

34. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving from a wireless device a request to unlock a game residing on the wireless device;

means for determining that a user of the wireless device satisfies unlock criteria; and

means for communicating to the wireless device an instruction to unlock the game.

35. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving, from a client device, a request to unlock a game each time a user of the client device attempts to start the game; and

means for communicating to the client device an instruction to unlock the game each time a billable event is issued for starting the game.

36. A computer readable medium comprising executable instructions which when executed on a processing system cause said processing system to perform a method comprising:

identifying a game selected by a user for a first user device;

determining that the game has been previously purchased by the user for a second user device; and

causing the game to be available to the user for playing on the first user device.

37. A computer readable medium comprising executable instructions which when executed on a processing system cause said processing system to perform a method comprising:

receiving from a wireless device a request to unlock a game residing on the wireless device;

determining that a user of the wireless device satisfies unlock criteria; and

communicating to the wireless device an instruction to unlock the game.

38. A computer readable medium comprising executable instructions which when executed on a processing system cause said processing system to perform a method comprising:

receiving, from a client device, a request to unlock a game each time a user of the client device attempts to start the game; and

communicating to the client device an instruction to unlock the game each time a billable event is issued for starting the game.