Supply delivery for interactive social games

• US 8,137,193 B1
• Filed: 09/26/2011
• Issued: 03/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Inventors: Kelly, Sean Uberoi, Le, Alexander Michael Minh Khiem
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Milap
• Application Number:
  US13/244,896
• Time in Patent Office: 176 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463/9, 463/10, 463/13, 463 30- 35, 463 40- 43, 705/26.1, 705/26.2, 705/26.43
• US Class Current: 463/31
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/44 involving timing of operations, e.g. performing an action within a time slot
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/533 for prompting the player, e.g. by displaying a game menu
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/537 using indicators, e.g. showing the condition of a game character on screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/85 Providing additional services to players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/87 Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5593 involving scheduling aspects
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/575 for trading virtual items
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8082 Virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0605 Supply or demand aggregation

Abstract

Systems and methods that deliver supplies in interactive social games are described. In some embodiments, a method receives a request for supplies from a first player in an interactive social game. A graphical expression of a supply delivery vehicle is presented to the first player. The supply delivery vehicle offers multiple supply options, each having an associated processing time. A supply option selection is received from the first player as well as an identity of additional players. The method distributes a supply fulfillment invitation to the additional players using the graphical expression of the supply delivery vehicle. An in-game benefit is provided to the additional players in response to acceptance of the supply fulfillment invitation. The first player is notified upon completion of the processing time for the selected supply option, which indicates availability of the requested supplies to the first player.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a request for in-game supplies from a first player in an interactive social game;

presenting, using one or more processors, a graphical expression of a supply delivery vehicle in a game instance of the first player in response to receiving the request, the supply delivery vehicle offering a plurality of supply options, each supply option having an associated processing time;

receiving a supply option selection from the first player, the supply option selection indicating selection of one of the plurality of supply options;

receiving an identity of a second player from the first player;

distributing a supply fulfillment invitation to the second player based on the supply option selected by the first player, the supply fulfillment invitation being presented in a game instance of the second player using the graphical expression of the supply delivery vehicle and being associated with an expiration time;

providing an in-game benefit to the second player in response to acceptance of the supply fulfillment invitation prior to the expiration time; and

notifying the first player upon completion of the processing time for the supply option selected by the first player, the notifying indicating availability of the requested in-game supplies to the first player.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising shortening the processing time associated with the selected supply option in response to acceptance of the supply fulfillment invitation by the second player.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein shortening the processing time is conditional on acceptance of the supply fulfillment invitation by the second player prior to the expiration time.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising the first player accessing the graphical expression of the supply delivery vehicle after distributing the supply fulfillment invitation, the supply delivery vehicle displaying a remaining time of the associated processing time for the selected supply option.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, the supply delivery vehicle further displaying a number of second players to which supply fulfillment invitations were distributed.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, the supply delivery vehicle further displaying an option to distribute additional supply fulfillment invitations using a second graphical expression of the supply delivery vehicle.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising the first player accessing the graphical expression of the supply delivery vehicle after distributing the supply fulfillment invitation, the supply delivery vehicle displaying a plurality of supply fulfillment invitations initiated by the first player.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising the first player accessing the graphical expression of the supply delivery vehicle after distributing the supply fulfillment invitation, the supply delivery vehicle displaying a cost to generate another supply delivery vehicle associated with a particular supply option.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein distributing the supply fulfillment invitation to each of the second players includes inviting the second player to supply at least a portion of the in-game supplies requested by the first player.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the in-game benefit includes virtual currency having value in the interactive social game.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the second player is not actively playing the interactive social game at the time of distributing the supply fulfillment invitation to the second player.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the graphical expression of the supply delivery vehicle includes at least one of a train, a truck, a ship and a delivery van.

13. An apparatus comprising:

an interface to communicate with players of an interactive social game;

a memory to store data associated with the interactive social game; and

one or more processors coupled to the interface and the memory, the one or more processors configured to;

receive a request for in-game supplies from a first player in the interactive social game;

present a graphical expression of a supply delivery vehicle in a game instance of the first player in response to receiving the request, the supply delivery vehicle offering a plurality of supply options, each supply option having an associated processing time;

receive a supply option selection from the first player, the supply option selection indicating selection of one of the plurality of supply options;

dispatch a graphical expression of a supply delivery vehicle, the supply delivery vehicle being associated with the supply option selection received from the first player and being associated with a supply fulfillment invitation to a second player, the supply fulfillment invitation being associated with an expiration time; and

notify the first player upon completion of the processing time for the selected supply option, the notifying indicating availability of the requested in-game supplies to the first player.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising the first player accessing the graphical expression of the supply delivery vehicle after dispatching the supply delivery vehicle, the supply delivery vehicle displaying a remaining time of the processing time for the selected supply option.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising the first player accessing the graphical expression of the supply delivery vehicle after dispatching the supply delivery vehicle, the supply delivery vehicle displaying an option to dispatch an additional supply delivery vehicle using a second graphical expression of the supply delivery vehicle.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising the first player accessing the graphical expression of the supply delivery vehicle after dispatching the supply delivery vehicle, the supply delivery vehicle displaying a cost to generate another supply delivery vehicle associated with a particular supply option.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the graphical expression of the supply delivery vehicle includes at least one of a train, a truck, a ship and a delivery van.

18. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

receiving a request for in-game supplies from a first player in an interactive social game;

presenting a graphical expression of a supply delivery vehicle in a game instance of the first player in response to receiving the request, the supply delivery vehicle offering a plurality of supply options, each supply option having an associated processing time;

receiving a supply option selection from the first player, the supply option selection indicating selection of one of the plurality of supply options;

receiving an identity of one or more second players from the first player;

distributing a supply fulfillment invitation to each of the second players based on the supply option selected by the first player, the supply fulfillment invitation being presented in a game instance of the one or more second players using the graphical expression of the supply delivery vehicle and being associated with an expiration time;

providing an in-game benefit to the second player in response to acceptance of the supply fulfillment invitation prior to the expiration time; and

notifying the first player upon completion of the processing time for the supply option selected by the first player, the notifying indicating availability of the requested in-game supplies to the first player.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the machine further performs operations comprising accessing, by the first player, the graphical expression of the supply delivery vehicle after distributing the supply fulfillment invitation, the supply delivery vehicle displaying a remaining time of the processing time for the selected supply option.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the machine further performs operations comprising the supply delivery vehicle further displaying a number of second players to which supply fulfillment invitations were distributed.