US 2006/0135264 A1 · Social matching of game players on-line

Abstract

A social matchmaking service selects matches of on-line game players based on personal/social characteristics of the players. The social matching service evaluates several criteria to obtain a list of available, socially compatible, game sessions. Criteria about the player include a player's friends, positive feedback about the player, negative feedback about the player, games completed with other players, players to avoid, and the player's gamer zone, country and language. Criteria about hosts of potentially compatible game sessions are also considered. Social matching utilizes a multi-pass approach, applying rules for prioritizing social criteria at each pass. The multi-pass approach starts with a narrow search and broadens the search at each successive pass. At each successive pass, sessions are added to the list of potential sessions until a reasonable number of sessions is achieved. Game sessions are assigned session values in accordance with affiliations between players.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method for socially matching game players on-line, said method comprising:

receiving a plurality of affiliations between players;
determining a session value of at least one game session in accordance with said affiliations;
and
providing at least one compatible game session in accordance with at least one determined game session value.

1 more element

A system for socially matching game players on-line, said system comprising:

a plurality of databases comprising a plurality of affiliations between game players, said affiliations comprising at least one of:
an affiliation indicative of a player being added to a friend list of another player;
an affiliation indicative of a player having submitted positive comments about another player;
an affiliation indicative of a player having previously completed a game session with another player;
an affiliation indicative of a player having submitted negative comments about another player;
and
an affiliation indicative of another player having submitted negative comments about a player;
and
a service for:
determining a session value of at least one game session in accordance with said affiliations and in accordance with at least one of:
a social rating of a player searching for a compatible game session;
a social rating of a player hosting a game session;
a gamer zone selected by said player searching for a compatible game session,
a gamer zone being indicative of a range of socially acceptable game sessions;
a gamer zone selected by said player host a game session;
a country selected by said player searching for a compatible game session;
and
a language selected by said player searching for a compatible game session;
and
providing at least one compatible game session in accordance with at least one determined game session value.

17 more elements

A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the acts of:

receiving a plurality of affiliations between players;
determining a session value of at least one game session in accordance with said affiliations;
determining a session value of a game session in accordance with a weighted combination of affiliations between a player searching for a compatible session and each player in a game session;
providing at least one compatible game session in accordance with at least one determined game session value;
and
providing an indication of a session value for each provided game session.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

11/312,781Filed 20 Dec 2005

Priority

8 Dec 2004

Published

22 Jun 2006

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

A63F 13/12
A63F 13/795
Involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories: for finding other players; for building a team; for…
A63F 13/30
Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions: interconnection arrangements between game servers…
A63F 13/35
Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection…: details…

Family

Application11/007,893Continuation in part · filed 8 Dec 2004

Application11/312,781Continuation in part · filed 20 Dec 2005

US 2006/0121990 A1Published application

US 7,677,970 B2Related patent

US 9,375,641 B2Related patent

US 2006/0135264 A1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Social matching of game players on-line

Life of this patent

Social matching of game players on-line

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20