Tracking career progression based on user activities

• US 8,814,672 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2013
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Ziegler, Bonnie Ross, O'Connor, Francis, Wolfkill, Kiki, Wickham, Rich, Zucotti, Thomas, Veevaert, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahmed, Masud
• Application Number:
  US14/023,269
• Publication Number:
  US 20140011597A1
• Time in Patent Office: 350 Days
• Field of Search: 463 40- 43, 463/16, 463/29
• US Class Current: 463/29
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/46 Computing the game score
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/533 for prompting the player, e.g. by displaying a game menu
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/58 by computing conditions of game characters, e.g. stamina, strength, motivation or energy level
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/69 by enabling or updating specific game elements, e.g. unlocking hidden features, items, levels or versions
• 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: A63F 2300/558 by assessing the players' skills or ranking

Abstract

A method for generating career progression information for a user participating in one or more activities in a processing device is disclosed. User progress in the activities is tracked. The activities include game activities and non-game activities. Achievement scores for the user based on the game activities and the non-game activities are determined. The achievement scores are aggregated across the game activities and the non-game activities to generate an aggregated career score for the user. Career progression information is generated for the user, based on the aggregated career score.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for generating career progression information for a user participating in one or more activities, the method comprising:

providing one or more activities for a user by a gaming service executing on one or more processors, wherein the activities comprise one or more game activities and one or more non-game activities;

tracking user progress in the one or more game activities and the one or more non-game activities by the gaming service executing on the one or more processors;

determining one or more achievement scores for the user based on stored criteria for the one or more game activities and the one or more non-game activities by the gaming service executing on the one or more processors;

aggregating the one or more achievement scores across the one or more game activities and the one or more non-game activities to generate an aggregated career score for the user; and

generating career progression information for the user, based on the aggregated career score.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the stored criteria comprises an amount of time a user spends performing the one or more game activities and the one or more non-game activities.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein tracking user progress in the one or more game activities and the one or more non-game activities by the gaming service executing on the one or more processors further comprises tracking user progress in the one or more game activities and the one or more non-game activities being executed across a plurality of processing devices associated with the user.

4. The method of claim 1 comprising providing a career award for the user based on a career milestone, wherein the career milestone is representative of a numeric achievement level of user progress across one or more of the one or more game activities and the one or more non-game activities.

5. The method of claim 4 comprising providing a career award for the user based on the career milestone, wherein the career award is representative of user accomplishment of a specific group of career milestones related to the one or more game activities and the one or more non-game activities.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the career award is associated with a career tier, and wherein the career tier is representative of user accomplishment of a specific number of career milestones related to the one or more game activities and the one or more non-game activities.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the career progression information includes at least one of the one or more achievement scores, the aggregated career score, a career milestone and a career award associated with a user participating in the one or more game activities and the one or more non-game activities.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

tracking progress of each member of a group of users in the one or more game activities and the one or more non-game activities by the gaming service executing on the one or more processors; and

generating group career progression information for the group of users based on one or more achievement scores determined by the gaming service for each member of the group of users.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the game activities comprise playing one or more game applications.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the non-game activities comprise at least one of online transaction activities, book activities, news and event activities, movie activities and group interaction activities.

11. A system for providing career progression information for a plurality of users comprising:

a multiplayer gaming service executing on the one or more networked computers in communication with one or more processing devices, the processing devices receiving user input for the gaming service from and displaying output from the gaming service to members of a group of users, wherein the multiplayer gaming service comprises a;

a user activity service for providing the group of users with one or more activities by communicating with the one or more processing devices, wherein the activities include one or more game activities and one or more non-game activities;

a game activity tracking service for tracking user progress in the one or more game activities based on data communications with the one or more processing devices;

a non-game activity tracking service for tracking user progress in the one or more non-game activities based on data communications with the one or more processing devices; and

a career progression service, wherein the career progression service interacts with at least one or more of the user activity service, the game activity tracking service and the non-game activity tracking service to generate career progression information for the group of users participating in one or more of the activities via the one or more processing devices in communication with the gaming service executing on the one or more networked computers.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the career progression service determines an achievement score related to the one or more game activities and the one or more non-game activities based on an amount of time the group of users spends performing the one or more game activities and the one or more non-game activities using the multiplayer gaming service.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the career progression service interacts with at least one or more of the user activity service, the game activity tracking service and the non-game activity tracking service to generate an aggregated career score for the group of users wherein the aggregated career score is generated based on aggregating one or more achievement scores across the one or more game activities and the one or more non-game activities for the group of users.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the career progression service assigns a career milestone for the group of users based on the aggregated career score.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the career progression service provides a career award for the plurality of users based on the career milestone.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the career progression service generates the career progression information for the plurality of users based on at least one of the achievement scores, the aggregated career score, the career milestone and the career award.

17. One or more computer readable storage media comprising instructions for directing one or more processors to perform a method comprising:

providing one or more activities for a user via one or more processing devices which receive user input and display output related to the one or more activities for the user, the one or more activities comprising one or more game activities and one or more non-game activities;

tracking data indicating user progress in the one or more game activities and the one or more non-game activities based on the user input received by the one or more processing devices;

determining one or more achievement scores for the user based on the tracked data and stored criteria for the one or more game activities and the one or more non-game activities;

aggregating the one or more achievement scores across the one or more game activities and the one or more non-game activities to generate an aggregated career score for the user; and

generating career progression information for the user, based on the aggregated career score.

18. The one or more computer readable storage media of claim 17 wherein the career progression information includes at least one of the one or more achievement scores, the aggregated career score, a career milestone and a career award associated with a user participating in the one or more game activities and the one or more non-game activities.

19. The one or more computer readable storage media of claim 17 wherein the method further comprises:

providing one or more activities for a user via one or more processing devices which receive user input and cause output related to the one or more activities to be displayed for the user, the one or more activities comprising one or more game activities and one or more non-game activities further comprises a gaming service communicatively coupled to the one or more processing devices over the Internet providing at least one of the one or more activities for the user.

20. The one or more computer readable storage media of claim 17 wherein the stored criteria comprises an amount of time a user spends performing the one or more game activities and the one or more non-game activities.