Method and system for matchmaking connections within a gaming social network

• US 9,289,686 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2012
• Issued: 03/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Inventors: Hall, Shane, McCaffrey, Daniel, Sproule, Dylan, Hall, Ben, Catlin, Timothy J. O., Allen, Jason, Stark, Clayton
• Primary Examiner(s): McClellan, James S
• Application Number:
  US13/560,838
• Publication Number:
  US 20130165234A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,334 Days
• Field of Search: 463/40, 463/42
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• 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 13/335 using Internet
• 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 13/87 Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/556 Player lists, e.g. online players, buddy list, black list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/558 by assessing the players' skills or ranking
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/807 Role playing or strategy games

Abstract

Techniques for recommending and establishing connections between users within a gaming social network, designed for connecting users having common gaming interests or characteristics. Embodiments include methods for recommending connections from members of an out-of-game social network, the gaming social network, and gaming activity participants; evaluating user profile information and user characteristics in a gaming social network and gaming activity in a game networking system to determine an appropriate set of connections for a selected user; and presenting graphical user interface content and configurations to enable the suggestion, review, and accepting of recommended connections in the gaming social network.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving game play information, at a server, from devices coupled to the server, wherein each device is associated with at least one of a plurality of users;

generating a recommendation of a potential connection from the plurality of users for a selected user in a social network based on user profile information maintained for the selected user within the social network and the game play information associated with the plurality of users;

causing display of the recommendation at a client device associated with a selected user, wherein the display of the recommendation includes simultaneous display of the recommendation and at least a portion of the game play information characterizing game play of a recommended candidate user; and

in response to receiving player input indicating acceptance of the display recommendation, establishing a connection between the selected user and the recommended candidate user within the social network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the recommendation advises participation by the recommended candidate user in a game, the recommended candidate user being a member of a first social graph corresponding to a second social network.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving the first social graph from the second social network, and receiving a first gaming graph from a gaming network;

wherein the recommendation of the potential connection for the selected user is based on the first gaming graph, the first social graph, game play information associated with a plurality of users in the first social graph, and game play information associated with a plurality of users in the first gaming graph.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the recommendation of the potential connection is based on game play information that includes:

a history of game play, a game play frequency, a prior favorable gaming outcome, reputation data, or past cooperation or competition with the user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the user profile information includes a contact list provided by the user that is separate from the social network.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

combining a first social graph with a first gaming graph to generate the social network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the connection is limited to a specific game, a specific type of game, or a user criteria.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

maintaining separate social networks for a plurality of games offered in the game networking system.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

recommending game play participants to the user based on the game-play state of a plurality of players in a user'"'"'s game-play graph and based on the game-play state of a plurality of players in a user'"'"'s social graph.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the recommended game play participants match a preference provided by the user.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the preference provided by the user includes:

a geographic location, a geographic proximity, an age range, a degree of connection in the social or the game-play graph, or a level of the game play participants gaming participation.

12. A non-transitory machine readable medium comprising computer-readable instructions, the instructions operable with a computer to:

receive game play information from a plurality of user devices;

generate a recommendation of a potential connection for a selected user in a social network based on user profile information maintained for the selected user within the social network and the game play information from the plurality of users;

cause display of the recommendation at a client device associated with the selected user device for presentation to the selected user, wherein the display of the recommendation includes simultaneous display of the recommendation and at least a portion of the game play information characterizing game play of a recommended candidate user; and

in response to receiving player input indicating acceptance of the display recommendation, establish a connection between the selected user and the recommended candidate user within the social network.

13. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 12, comprising computer-readable instructions to:

receive connection data from a contact list outside of a social network or a gaming network.

14. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 12, comprising computer-readable instructions to:

generate potential connection recommendations based on a history of play, a game play frequency, a player provided preference, a prior favorable gaming outcome, or past cooperation or competition with the user.

15. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 12, comprising computer-readable instructions to:

maintain separate social networks for a plurality of games offered in the game networking system.

16. A computing system, comprising:

a storage module configured to store user profile information of a plurality of users in a gaming social network, wherein the user profile information includes game play data;

a communication module configured to receive and process various communications occurring within the gaming social network, and cause display of recommended connections at a client device associated with a selected user, wherein the display of the recommended connections includes simultaneous display of the recommendation and at least a portion of game play information characterizing a recommended candidate user;

a connection recommendation module configured to generate the recommended connections between the plurality of users in the gaming social network based on the user profile information, and communication within the gaming social network; and

an analysis module configured to extract data elements from the user profile information, and the gaming social network interactions between the plurality of users for use by the connection recommendation module.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the game play data includes:

a history of game play, a game play frequency, a prior favorable gaming outcome, reputation data, or past cooperation or competition with the user.

18. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

a connection to a social network separate from the gaming social network, and the communication module being configured to receive and process game play and user data communications from the social network.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the recommended connections include users in both the gaming social network and the social network that are participating in a game the user is playing.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the connection recommendation module receives a first social graph from the social network, and is configured to generate recommended connections based on the first social graph.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the user profile information includes a recommendation preference provided by the user that includes:

a geographic location, a geographic proximity, an age range, a degree of connection in the social or the game-play graph, or a level of the game play participants gaming participation.

22. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

an interface module configured to provide a graphical user interface to individual users in connection with the gaming social network.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the interface module is configured to communicate the recommended connections to the user with the graphical user interface.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the graphical user interface is configured to provide the user with recommendation information that includes social graph information retrieved from the social network.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein the graphical user interface is configured to provide game play information associated with recommended connections to the user.