SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING ENHANCED SERVICES TO A USER OF A GAMING APPLICATION

• US 20130017890A1
• Filed: 09/14/2012
• Published: 01/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Interactive Games Limited (BGC Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Interactive Games Limited (BGC Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Leen, Fergus A., Lawrence, Sam B., McNally, David G., Hetherington, Clive, McDowell, David M., O'Neal, Kevin R.
• Granted Patent: US 9,111,417 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3234 about the performance of a gaming system, e.g. revenue, diagnosis of the gaming system
• 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 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• 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 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3286 Type of games
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack

Abstract

A system for providing enhanced services to users of a gaming application comprises a server and a platform remotely coupled to the server. The server executes a gaming application. The platform receives a request for enhanced services, and establishes an enhanced services session with a user of the gaming application in response to the request for enhanced services. The enhanced services session corresponds in time at least in part with the execution of the gaming application. The platform further provides enhanced services to the user of the gaming application during the enhanced services session.

Claims

1. A system for providing enhanced services to users of a gaming application, comprising:

a server operable to execute a gaming application; and

a platform remotely coupled to the server and operable to;

receive a request for enhanced services;

establish an enhanced services session with a user of the gaming application in response to the request for enhanced services, wherein the enhanced services session corresponds in time at least in part with the execution of the gaming application; and

provide enhanced services to the user of the gaming application during the enhanced services session.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the enhanced services session comprises a first enhanced services session, the system further comprising a second server operable to execute a second gaming application, wherein the platform is further operable to:

receive a second request for enhanced services;

establish a second enhanced services session with a user of the second gaming application in response to the second request for enhanced services, wherein the second enhanced services session corresponds in time at least in part with the execution of the second gaming application; and

provide enhanced services to the user of the second gaming application during the second enhanced services session.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the platform establishes a communication path with a client operated by the user during the enhanced services session.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the server is further operable to:

monitor a plurality of game events during the execution of the gaming application;

communicate first event information associated with a first game event; and

communicate second event information associated with a second game event.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein each game event comprises an action performed during the execution of the gaming application that changes the state of the gaming application.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the first event information comprises first data and second data and the server processes the first event information to remove the second data prior to communicating the first event information.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein the first event information comprises:

a gaming application identifier;

a user identifier;

an event type;

an event value; and

an event timestamp.

8. The system of claim 2, wherein the second enhanced services session corresponds in time at least in part with the first enhanced services session.

9. The system of claim 4, wherein the platform is further operable to receive the first event information and the second event information, and the enhanced services comprise storing at least a portion of the first event information and the second event information.

10. The system of claim 4, wherein the platform is further operable to receive the first event information and the second event information, and the enhanced services comprise generating statistics information based at least in part upon the first event information and the second event information.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the statistics information comprises:

a gaming application identifier;

a user identifier;

a statistic type; and

a statistic value.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the platform is further operable to store profile information associated with the user and the enhanced services further comprise:

comparing the statistics information and the profile information associated with the user; and

auditing the execution of the gaming application by the user based at least in part upon the comparison of the statistics information and the profile information.

13. The system of claim 4, wherein the platform is further operable to receive the first event information and the second event information, and the enhanced services comprise generating profile information associated with the user based at least in part upon the first event information and the second event information.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the profile information comprises:

a user identifier;

statistics information;

user attributes; and

selection criteria.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the profile information comprises first profile information and the user comprises a first user, the platform further operable to store second profile information associated with a second user and the enhanced services further comprising:

comparing the first profile information associated with the first user and the second profile information associated with the second user; and

matching the first user against the second user in a competition based at least in part upon the comparison of the first profile information and the second profile information, wherein the competition is associated with the execution of the gaming application.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the enhanced services comprise establishing a wager between a first user and a second user.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the platform is further operable to receive event information from the server and the enhanced services comprise determining the outcome of the wager based at least in part upon the event information.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the platform is further operable to receive event information from the server and the enhanced services comprise providing game advice to the user based at least in part upon the event information.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the request for enhanced services is generated in response to at least one of a log-in event, a game event, and input by the user.

20. A method for providing enhanced services to a user executing a gaming application, the method comprising:

receiving a request for enhanced services;

establishing an enhanced services session with a user of a gaming application hosted by a remote server, wherein the enhanced services session corresponds in time at least in part with the execution of the gaming application; and

providing enhanced services to the user of the gaming application during the enhanced services session.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the enhanced services session comprises a first enhanced services session and the method further comprising:

receiving a second request for enhanced services;

establishing a second enhanced services session with a user of a second gaming application in response to the second request for enhanced services, wherein the second enhanced services session corresponds in time at least in part with the execution of the second gaming application; and

providing enhanced services to the user of the second gaming application during the second enhanced services session.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising establishing a communication path with a client operated by the user during the enhanced services session.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

receiving first event information associated with a first game event, wherein the first game event is associated with the execution by the user of the gaming application;

receiving second event information associated with a second game event, wherein the second game event is associated with the execution by the user of the gaming application; and

wherein the enhanced services are provided based at least in part upon the first event information and the second event information.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein each game event comprises an action performed during the execution of the gaming application that changes the state of the gaming application.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the first event information comprises:

a gaming application identifier;

a user identifier;

an event type;

an event value; and

an event timestamp.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein the second enhanced services session corresponds in time at least in part with the first enhanced services session.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein the enhanced services comprise storing at least a portion of the first event information and the second event information.

28. The method of claim 23, wherein the enhanced services comprise generating statistics information based at least in part upon the first event information and the second event information.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the statistics information comprises:

a gaming application identifier;

a user identifier;

a statistic type; and

a statistic value.

30. The method of claim 28, further comprising storing profile information associated with the user and the enhanced services further comprise:

comparing the statistics information and the profile information associated with the user; and

auditing the execution of the gaming application by the user based at least in part upon the comparison of the statistics information and the profile information.

31. The method of claim 23, wherein the enhanced services comprise generating profile information associated with the user based at least in part upon the first event information and the second event information.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the profile information comprises:

a user identifier;

statistics information;

user attributes; and

selection criteria.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the profile information comprises first profile information and the user comprises a first user, the method further comprising storing second profile information associated with a second user and the enhanced services further comprising:

comparing the first profile information associated with the first user and the second profile information associated with the second user; and

matching the first user against the second user in a competition based at least in part upon the comparison of the first profile information and the second profile information, wherein the competition is associated with the execution of the gaming application.

34. The method of claim 20, wherein the enhanced services comprise establishing a wager between a first user and a second user.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising receiving event information, wherein the enhanced services comprise determining the outcome of the wager based at least in part upon the event information.

36. The method of claim 20, further comprising receiving event information, wherein the enhanced services comprise providing game advice to the user based at least in part upon the event information.

37. The method of claim 20, wherein the request for enhanced services is generated in response to at least one of a log-in event, a game event, and input by the user.