Mapping online service user ID to portal user ID

• US 7,685,241 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2006
• Issued: 03/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cahill, John, Crawford, Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Abdullahi; Salad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nano; Sargon N
• Application Number:
  US11/383,177
• Publication Number:
  US 20060258417A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,411 Days
• Field of Search: 709/227, 709/206, 709/228, 463/42
• US Class Current: 709/206
• 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 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet

Abstract

A system and method are directed towards mapping a first user ID, such as an alias game ID, which may be used by multiple users, to a second user ID, such as a portal messenger ID. A user registers with an intermediary service, such as a game data aggregation service, and provides both the first user ID and the second user ID. The aggregation service detects when the first user ID is being used by one or more users in a first service, such as an online game service. The aggregation service also detects when a client probe reports to a second service, such as a portal messenger service, that the second user ID is participating in the same service. The aggregation service determines whether one instance of the first user ID from the first service corresponds to the second user ID from the second service.

Claims

1. A method for mapping a first user identification (ID) to a second user ID between separate online services, comprising:

storing an association between the first user ID of a user and the second user ID of the same user;

accessing a monitor service that monitors at least a first online service and is independent of each monitored online service, wherein the first online service comprises an online name service, wherein the first user ID comprises an alias that is associated with a fixed ID registered with the first online service, and wherein the fixed ID is not equivalent to the second user ID;

determining from the monitor service that the first user ID is actively participating in the first online service;

accessing a second online service that receives a message from a client identified by the second user ID, wherein the message indicates that the client detected the second user ID actively participating in the first online service, wherein the second online service comprises an online portal service that is independent of the online game service and the online portal service provides a messaging service, and wherein the second user ID is registered with the online portal service, but the second user ID is not registered with the online game service; and

determining from the association that the first user ID corresponds to the client identified by the second user ID.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first online service is remote from the second online service, and the monitor service provides participation information about users of the first online service, wherein the participation information can be aggregated in a data warehouse for use by registered members of the second online service that is independent from the first online service.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein accessing the second online service comprises one of:

periodically requesting an update from the second online service for the message from the client; and

receiving a notice from the second online service that the message was received from the client.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the message is received by the second online service from the client when the client detects execution of a client program that interacts with the first online service.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the message comprises an instant message and the second online service includes an instant messenger service.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing an indication that the second user ID is certified as having participated in the first online service.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein storing the association comprises receiving an indication from the client that the first user ID is associated with the second user ID.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the message also indicates one of a plurality of addresses associated with the first online service and the monitor service indicates that the first user ID is actively participating in the first online service at the one of the plurality of addresses.

9. A computer readable storage medium, comprising processor executable instructions that when executed by a processor perform actions, including:

storing, with the processor, an association between a first user ID of a user and a second user ID of the same user;

accessing a monitor service that monitors at least a first online service and is independent of each monitored online service, wherein the first online service comprises an online name service, wherein the first user ID comprises an alias that is associated with a fixed ID registered with the first online game, and wherein the fixed ID is not equivalent to the second user ID;

determining from the monitor service that the first user ID is actively participating in the first online service;

accessing a second online service that receives a message from a client identified by the second user ID, wherein the message indicates that the client detected the second user ID actively participating in the first online service, wherein the second online service comprises an online portal service that is independent of the online game service and the online portal service provides a messaging service, and wherein the second user ID is registered with the online portal service, but the second user ID is not registered with the online name service; and

determining from the association that the first user ID corresponds to the client identified by the second user ID.

10. A server device for mapping a first user identification (ID) to a second user ID between separate online services, comprising:

a communication interface in communication with a monitor service and a second online service;

a memory for storing instructions; and

a processor in communication with the communication interface and with the memory, wherein the processor performs actions based at least in part on the stored instructions, including;

storing an association between the first user ID of a user and the second user ID of the same user;

accessing the monitor service that monitors at least a first online service and is independent of each monitored online service, wherein the first online service comprises an online name service, wherein the first user ID comprises an alias that is associated with a fixed ID registered with the first online service, and wherein the fixed ID is not equivalent to the second user ID;

determining from the monitor service that the first user ID is actively participating in the first online service;

accessing the second online service that receives a message from a client identified by the second user ID, wherein the message indicates that the client detected the second user ID actively participating in the first online service, wherein the second online service comprises an online portal service that is independent of the online game service and the online portal service provides a messaging service, and wherein the second user ID is registered with the online portal service, but the second user ID is not registered with the online game service; and

determining from the association that the first user ID corresponds to the client identified by the second user ID.

11. The server device of claim 10, wherein the server device comprises a data warehouse that further communicates with the monitor service to obtain participation information about users of the first online service, and further aggregates the participation information for use by registered members of the second online service that is independent of the first online service.

12. The server device of claim 10, wherein the message is received by the second online service from the client when the client detects execution of a client program that interacts with the first online service.

13. The server device of claim 10, wherein the message also indicates one of a plurality of addresses associated with the first online service and the monitor service indicates that the first user ID is actively participating in the first online service at the one of the plurality of addresses.

14. The server device of claim 10, wherein the processor further performs the action of storing an indication that the second user ID is certified as having participated in the first online service.

15. A client device for mapping a first user identification (ID) to a second user ID between separate online services, comprising:

a communication interface in communication with a first online service, a second online service, and a data warehouse service, wherein the first online service comprises an online name service, wherein the first user ID comprises an alias that is associated with a fixed ID registered with the first online service, wherein the fixed ID is not equivalent to the second user ID, wherein the second online service comprises an online portal service that is independent of the online game service and the online portal service provides a messaging service, and wherein the second user ID is registered with the online portal service, but the second user ID is not registered with the online game service;

a memory for storing instructions; and

a processor in communication with the communication interface and with the memory, wherein the processor performs actions based at least in part on the stored instructions, including;

providing to the data warehouse service an association between the first user ID of a user and the second user ID of the same user;

executing a client service that actively participates in the first online service with the first user ID;

using a client probe to monitor a client process list and the communication interface to determine that the client service is actively participating in the first online service; and

communicating a message to the second online service using the second user ID, wherein the message notifies the second online service that the client service is executing, and the message includes an address to the first online service, but the message does not include a reference to the first user ID; and

wherein;

the message is provided by the second online service to the data warehouse service such that that data warehouse service is notified that the second user ID is actively participating in the first online service;

the data warehouse service accesses a monitor service that monitors at least the first online service to determine that the first user ID is actively participating in the first online service and is independent of each monitored online service; and

the data warehouse service determines that the first user ID corresponds to the client device identified by the second user ID.