Management of online trading services using mediated communications

• US 8,996,409 B2
• Filed: 01/19/2010
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Chopra, Vivek, Gaxiola, David, Szeto, Nicholas, Maegawa, Hirotoshi, Iima, Shin
• Primary Examiner(s): ALLEN, WILLIAM J
• Application Number:
  US12/690,048
• Publication Number:
  US 20110119151A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,897 Days
• Field of Search: 705 144- 1473, 705 261- 272, 705 51- 59, 463 1- 47, 902/23, 715/706, 725 86-153
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/12 Protecting executable software
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 2220/10 Usage protection of distributed data files
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0607 Regulated
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0619 Neutral agent

Abstract

Systems and methods for mediation of online trading services are provided. Supplemental content related to a content title may be listed in a market or store for content. A client device sends a mediated communication to a trading server; the mediated communication may include mediation data and a request concerning the transfer of supplemental content. A user account associated with the client device is identified and the supplemental content may then be assigned to the user account. A report regarding activity associated with the assignment of the supplemental content may be generated in accordance with mediation data.

Claims

1. A method for managing online trading services associated with digital content, the method comprising:

receiving at a trading server a mediated communication sent from a client device, the client device including a memory and a processor for executing instructions stored in the memory, the mediated communication including a request concerning a transfer of supplemental content related to a content title played on the client device and at least one token, the at least one token including configuration information about the client device, in which the mediated communication and the token are used by a mediation server to determine and provide a set of permissions, in which the set of permissions provides a basis upon which the client device can access the requested service, the set of permissions being based on market segment information included in the mediated communication; and

executing instructions stored in memory of the trading server, wherein execution of the instructions by a processor of the trading server;

identifies a user account associated with the mediated communication, and

assigns the supplemental content to the identified user account, wherein the assigned supplemental content is available to the user account for use during play of the content title.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a report from the trading server to a reporting server regarding activity associated with the assignment of the supplemental content, the report being generated in accordance with the at least one token.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the assignment of the supplemental content to the user account further includes a transfer of virtual or real money from the user account to an account of an entity offering the supplemental content.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the transfer of virtual or real money from the user account to the account of the entity offering the supplement content includes an intermediate transfer of the virtual or real money to an escrow account.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the supplemental content is generated by the entity offering the supplement content, the entity being another user of the content title.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the supplemental content was found by the entity during play of the content title.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the supplemental content is hosted in a marketplace of content available for trading, the supplemental content being listed in the marketplace by an entity offering the supplemental content.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising creating a user account associated with the trading server, the user account based on information provided in the mediated communication sent by the client device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the user account is further associated with a game server, the game server providing a service related to play of the content title played on the client device.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the user account is further associated with a marketplace server, the marketplace server hosting the supplemental content available for trading.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the content title is associated with a game server and further comprising transferring information regarding the supplemental content to the game server associated with the content title.

12. A system for managing online trading services associated with digital content, the system comprising:

a mediation server configured to mediate communication from or to a client device, the client device including a memory and a processor for executing instructions stored in memory, configured to play a content title; and

a trading server for;

receiving a mediated communication from the client device, the mediated communication including a request concerning a transfer of supplemental content from a marketplace to the client device and at least one token, the at least one token including configuration information about the client device, the supplemental content being related to the content title and indicated as being available for trading, the mediated communication and the token being used by the mediation server to determine and provide a set of permissions, in which the set of permissions provides a basis upon which the client device can access the requested service, the set of permissions being based on market segment information included in the mediated communication,

identifying a user account associated with the mediated communication, and

assigning the supplemental content to the identified user account, wherein the assigned supplemental content is available to the user account for use during play of the content title via the user account.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the marketplace of the supplemental content available for trading is hosted by the trading server.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the reporting server further receives a report from the client device, the report being generated in accordance with the mediation data.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the marketplace of the supplemental content available for trading is hosted by a marketplace server, wherein access to the marketplace server by the client device is mediated by the mediation server.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the trading server further sends a report to the reporting server regarding activity associated with the assignment of the supplemental content, the report being generated in accordance with the at least one token.

17. The system of claim 12, further comprising a reporting server configured to receive reports from the client device, the marketplace server, and/or the trading server.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the reporting server generates a compilation of information for a partner.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the assignment of the supplemental content to the user account further includes a transfer of virtual or real money from the user account to an account of an entity offering the supplemental content.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the transfer of virtual or real money from the user account to the entity account comprises an intermediate transfer of the virtual or real money to an escrow account.

21. The system of claim 12, further comprising a game server associated with the content title, wherein the trading server transfers information regarding the supplemental content to the game server.

22. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having embodied thereon a program, the program being executable by a processor to perform a method for managing online trading services associated with digital content, the method comprising:

receiving a mediated communication, the mediated communication including a request concerning a transfer of supplemental content related to a content title played on a client device, the client device including a memory and a processor for executing instructions stored in the memory, and at least one token, the at least one token including configuration information about the client device, in which the mediated communication and the token are used by a mediation server to determine and provide a set of permissions, in which the set of permissions provides a basis upon which the client device can access the requested service, the set of permissions being based on market segment information included in the mediated communication;

identifying a user account associated with the mediated communication; and

assigning the supplemental content to the identified user account, wherein the assigned supplemental content is available to the user account for use during play of the content title.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 22, further comprising instructions executable to send a report regarding activity associated with the assignment of the supplemental content, the report being generated in accordance with the at least one token.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein the assignment of the supplemental content to the user account further includes a transfer of virtual or real money from the user account to an account of an entity offering the supplemental content.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein the supplemental content is hosted in a marketplace of content available for trading, the supplemental content being listed in the marketplace by an entity offering the supplemental content.