Systems and Methods for Turning Social Networking Website Usage Information into a Social Networking Website Game

• US 20140101239A1
• Filed: 10/09/2013
• Published: 04/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Esposito Intellectual Enterprises, LLC
• Original Assignee: Esposito Intellectual Enterprises, LLC
• Inventors: Esposito, Brian J.
• Application Number:
  US14/049,462
• Publication Number:
  US 20140101239A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/46 Computing the game score
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/655 by importing photos, e.g. of the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/798 for assessing skills or for ranking players, e.g. for generating a hall of fame computing the game score A63F13/46
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1091 Interfacing with client-server systems or between P2P systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

A method and system are disclosed for providing a game within a social networking website that uses usage information from the social networking website to score the game. Social networking website usage information of a social networking website for one or more users is stored in one or more databases. The social networking website usage information is accessed from the one or more databases using one or more computer servers. A game score is calculated for one or more users of the social networking website based on the social networking website usage information using the one or more computer servers. The game score is displayed to the one or more users on one or more client devices using the one or more computer servers.

Claims

1. A system for providing a game within a social networking website that uses usage information from the social networking website to score the game, comprising:

one or more client devices;

one or more databases that store social networking website usage information of a social networking website; and

one or more computer servers in communication with the one or more client devices and the one or more databases and that

access the social networking website usage information from the one or more databases,

calculate a game score for one or more users of the social networking website based on the social networking website usage information, and

display the game score to the one or more users on the one or more client devices.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more client devices are one or more of smartphones, wearable computers, tablet computers, personal digital assistants, music players, game players, or personal computers.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein data elements of the social networking website usage information include number of photographs uploaded, number of posts, number of likes, number of links posted, number of friends, number of times profile updated, number of times profile photograph updated, number of posts viewed, number of logins, or number of recommendations made.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more computer servers calculate a game score for one or more users by

creating a scoring template with one or more data elements from the usage information,

multiplying each data element by a weighting factor, and

combining the weighted data elements into the game score.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein combining the weighted elements into the game score comprises adding the weighted data elements.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more computer servers further display a specific number of bonus points to be awarded to the one or more users after one or more incentive activities are completed and store the number of bonus points in the one or more databases.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the one or more incentive activities include activities performed within the social networking website.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the incentive activities include uploading a photograph, posting, liking, posting a link, friending or linking other members, updating profile, updating profile photograph, viewing posts, logging in, or recommending other members.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the one or more computer servers monitor the one or more databases for usage information related to the one or more incentive activities, and upon determining that an incentive activity has occurred, access the one or more databases to determine a number of bonus points for the determined incentive activity and combine the number of bonus points with the total score for a user who performed the determined incentive activity.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the one or more incentive activities include activities performed outside of the social networking website.

11. A method for providing a game within a social networking website that uses usage information from the social networking website to score the game, comprising:

accessing social networking website usage information from one or more databases that store the social networking website usage information of a social networking website using one or more computer servers;

calculating a game score for one or more users of the social networking website based on the social networking website usage information using the one or more computer servers; and

displaying the game score to the one or more users on one or more client devices using the one or more computer servers.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein data elements of the social networking website usage information include number of photographs uploaded, number of posts, number of likes, number of links posted, number of friends, number of times profile updated, number of times profile photograph updated, number of posts viewed, number of logins, or number of recommendations made.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein calculating a game score comprises

creating a scoring template with one or more data elements from the usage information,

multiplying each data element by a weighting factor, and

combining the weighted data elements into the game score.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein combining the weighted elements into the game score comprises adding the weighted data elements.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising

displaying a specific number of bonus points to be awarded to the one or more users after one or more incentive activities are completed and storing the number of bonus points in the one or more databases using the one or more computer servers.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the one or more incentive activities include activities performed within the social networking website.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the incentive activities include uploading a photograph, posting, liking, posting a link, friending or linking other members, updating profile, updating profile photograph, viewing posts, logging in, or recommending other members.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising

monitoring the one or more databases for usage information related to the one or more incentive activities using the one or more computer servers, and

upon determining that an incentive activity has occurred, accessing the one or more databases to determine a number of bonus points for the determined incentive activity and combining the number of bonus points with the total score for a user who performed the determined incentive activity using the one or more computer servers.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the one or more incentive activities include activities performed outside of the social networking website.

20. A computer program product, comprising a non-transient, tangible computer-readable storage medium whose contents include a program with instructions being executed on a processor so as to perform a method for providing a game within a social networking website that uses usage information from the social networking website to score the game, the method comprising:

providing a system, wherein the system comprises distinct software modules, and wherein the distinct software modules comprise a storage module, an analysis module, and a display module;

accessing social networking website usage information from one or more databases that store the social networking website usage information of a social networking website using the storage module;

calculating a game score for one or more users of the social networking website based on the social networking website usage information using the analysis module; and

displaying the game score to the one or more users on one or more client devices using the display module.