System and method for switching between an instant messaging conversation and a game in progress

• US 8,677,250 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2010
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Wormald, Christopher R., Klassen, Gerhard Dietrich, Zinn, Ronald Scotte, Fahmy, Samer
• Primary Examiner(s): RIEGLER, PATRICK F
• Application Number:
  US12/962,405
• Publication Number:
  US 20110077084A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,197 Days
• Field of Search: 715/751, 715/733, 715/753, 715/758, 715/767, 715/794, 715/795, 715/796, 709/204, 709/205, 709/206, 463/40, 463/41, 463/42
• US Class Current: 715/751
• 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 13/50 Controlling the output signals based on the game progress
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/533 for prompting the player, e.g. by displaying a game menu
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/87 Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/406 Transmission via wireless network, e.g. pager or GSM
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/556 Player lists, e.g. online players, buddy list, black list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/572 Communication between players during game play of non game information, e.g. e-mail, chat, file transfer, streaming of audio and streaming of video
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3272 Games involving multiple players
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/043 using or handling presence information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services

Abstract

A system and method are provided for enabling a game to be played on an electronic device, comprising: enabling a game application on the electronic device to utilize a contact list for an instant messaging application, during a game in progress with a particular contact in the contact list, preparing game messages to be sent to the particular contact by including game progress data, communicating at least one game message during the game in progress with the particular contact using an instant messaging system used by the instant messaging application; displaying at least one instant message in an instant messaging conversation user interface; and displaying a game in progress user interface associated with the game play, after detecting a selection in the instant messaging conversation user interface to switch to the game in progress.

Claims

1. A method of enabling a game to be played on an electronic device, the method comprising:

enabling a game application on the electronic device to utilize a contact list for an instant messaging application for playing games with contacts in the contact list by identifying game play in the contact list;

during a game in progress with a particular contact in the contact list, preparing game messages to be sent to the particular contact by including game progress data in an instant messaging message and an identifier to associate the data with the game application;

communicating at least one game message during the game in progress with the particular contact using an instant messaging system used by the instant messaging application;

displaying at least one instant message in an instant messaging conversation user interface associated with the particular contact indicative of game progress, the instant messaging conversation user interface enabling additional instant messages to be sent to the particular contact in addition to instant messages indicating game play; and

displaying a game in progress user interface associated with the game play, after detecting a selection in the instant messaging conversation user interface to switch to the game in progress.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising maintaining the game progress data based on the game messages.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising updating the game progress data upon communicating a game message.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising associating a contact list entry in the contact list with a game in progress associated with the game messages.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising displaying the game in progress user interface upon detecting selection of the contact list entry associated with the game in progress.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising maintaining the game progress data upon switching away from the game in progress user interface to enable the game in progress to be resumed upon a re-invocation of the game in progress user interface.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising, upon the game in progress ending, removing the game in progress association with the contact list entry.

8. The method according to claim 4, further comprising displaying a notification of a new move received for the game in progress in a new game message.

9. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising computer executable instructions for enabling a game to be played on an electronic device, the computer readable medium comprising instructions for:

enabling a game application on the electronic device to utilize a contact list for an instant messaging application for playing games with contacts in the contact list by identifying game play in the contact list;

during a game in progress with a particular contact in the contact list, preparing game messages to be sent to the particular contact by including game progress data in an instant messaging message and an identifier to associate the data with the game application;

communicating at least one game message during the game in progress with the particular contact using an instant messaging system used by the instant messaging application;

displaying at least one instant message in an instant messaging conversation user interface associated with the particular contact indicative of game progress, the instant messaging conversation user interface enabling additional instant messages to be sent to the particular contact in addition to instant messages indicating game play; and

displaying a game in progress user interface associated with the game play, after detecting a selection in the instant messaging conversation user interface to switch to the game in progress.

10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 9, further comprising instructions for maintaining the game progress data based on the game messages.

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 10, the computer readable storage medium further comprising instructions for updating the game progress data upon communicating a game message.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 9, further comprising instructions for associating a contact list entry in the contact list with a game in progress associated with the game messages.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 12, further comprising instructions for displaying the game in progress user interface upon detecting selection of the contact list entry associated with the game in progress.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 13, further comprising instructions for maintaining the game progress data upon switching away from the game in progress user interface to enable the game in progress to be resumed upon a re-invocation of the game in progress user interface.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 14, further comprising instructions for, upon the game in progress ending, removing the game in progress association with the contact list entry.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 12, further comprising instructions for displaying a notification of a new move received for the game in progress in a new game message.

17. An electronic device comprising a processor, display, an instant messaging application, and a memory, the memory storing computer executable instructions for enabling a game to be played on the electronic device, the computer executable instructions comprising instructions for:

enabling a game application on the electronic device to utilize a contact list for an instant messaging application for playing games with contacts in the contact list by identifying game play in the contact list;

during a game in progress with a particular contact in the contact list, preparing game messages to be sent to the particular contact by including game progress data in an instant messaging message and an identifier to associate the data with the game application;

communicating at least one game message during the game in progress with the particular contact using an instant messaging system used by the instant messaging application;

displaying at least one instant message in an instant messaging conversation user interface associated with the particular contact indicative of game progress, the instant messaging conversation user interface enabling additional instant messages to be sent to the particular contact in addition to instant messages indicating game play; and

displaying a game in progress user interface associated with the game play, after detecting a selection in the instant messaging conversation user interface to switch to the game in progress.

18. The electronic device according to claim 17, further comprising instructions for maintaining the game progress data based on the game messages.

19. The electronic device according to claim 18, the memory further comprising instructions for updating the game progress data upon communicating a game message.

20. The electronic device according to claim 17, further comprising instructions for associating a contact list entry in the contact list with a game in progress associated with the game messages.

21. The electronic device according to claim 20, further comprising instructions for displaying the game in progress user interface upon detecting selection of the contact list entry associated with the game in progress.

22. The electronic device according to claim 21, further comprising instructions for maintaining the game progress data upon switching away from the game in progress user interface to enable the game in progress to be resumed upon a re-invocation of the game in progress user interface.

23. The electronic device according to claim 22, further comprising instructions for, upon the game in progress ending, removing the game in progress association with the contact list entry.

24. The electronic device according to claim 20, further comprising instructions for displaying a notification of a new move received for the game in progress in a new game message.