# US 8,771,076 B2 · System, method, and apparatus for portable gaming profiles > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,771,076 B2 - Document ID: US8771076B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/169,450 - Filed: 2008-07-08 - Published: 2010-01-14 - Granted: 2014-07-08 - Earliest claimed: 2008-07-08 - Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation - Applicants: Erik J. Burckart; Steve R. Campbell; Andrew J. Ivory; Aaron K. Shook - Inventors: Erik J. Burckart; Steve R. Campbell; Andrew J. Ivory; Aaron K. Shook - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8771076B2 ## CPC - G07F 17/32: for games, toys, sports, or amusements - G07F 17/3223: {Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, leader-follower, wireless communication} - G07F 17/3237: {about the players, e.g. profiling, responsible gaming, strategy/behavior of players, location of players} - A63F 2300/406: Transmission via wireless network, e.g. pager or GSM - A63F 2300/5546: using player registration data, e.g. identification, account, preferences, game history - G07F: COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS (coin sorting G07D3/00; coin testing G07D5/00; {handling coins or paper currencies apart from payment activated apparatus G07D; payment architectures, schemes or protocols G06Q20/00}) - A63F: CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract An apparatus, system, and method for synchronizing a portable gaming profile with a gaming system. The method includes communicating with a wireless device that stores gaming profile data for a user of the gaming system. The gaming profile data describes information relating to the user. The wireless device is a device other than a gaming controller. The method also includes associating the gaming profile data with a gaming profile operating on the gaming system. The method also includes transmitting updated gaming profile data to the wireless device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer program product, comprising: a non-transitory computer useable storage medium to store a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program, when executed on a computer, causes the computer to perform operations to synchronize a portable gaming profile with a video gaming system, the operations comprising: communicate with a wireless device to store gaming profile data generated at a first video gaming system for a user of the first video gaming system on a data store of the wireless device, wherein the gaming profile data is transferred from the first video gaming system to the wireless device over a wireless signal sent from the first video gaming system to the wireless device, the gaming profile data descriptive of information relating to the user; wherein the wireless device is a separate device from a gaming controller, wherein the gaming controller is a handheld electronic device to provide user input into the video gaming system; receive the gaming profile data at a second video gaming system from the data store of the wireless device over a wireless signal sent from the wireless device to the second video gaming system; and synchronize the gaming profile data with a gaming profile to operate on the second gaming system, wherein the gaming profile is synchronized with the portable gaming profile on the wireless device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the computer readable program, when executed on the computer, causes the computer to perform an operation to search for the wireless device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the computer readable program, when executed on the computer, causes the computer to perform an operation to receive an input from the user to select the gaming profile data for association with the gaming profile on the gaming system. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the computer readable program, when executed on the computer, causes the computer to perform an operation to transmit updated gaming profile data to the wireless device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The computer program product of claim 4, wherein the computer readable program, when executed on the computer, causes the computer to perform an operation to transmit the updated gaming profile data to the wireless device in response to an input from the user. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The computer program product of claim 4, wherein the computer readable program, when executed on the computer, causes the computer to perform an operation to transmit the updated gaming profile data to the wireless device in response to a trigger. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The computer program product of claim 6, wherein the trigger comprises an in-game event. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The computer program product of claim 6, wherein the trigger comprises ending a gaming session. ### Claim 9 A system comprising: a wireless device comprising: a data store configured to store gaming profile data for a user, wherein the gaming profile data is received over a wireless signal sent from a first video gaming system to the wireless device; and a transmitter coupled to the data store, the transmitter configured to communicate the gaming profile data to a video gaming system over a wireless signal sent from the wireless device to a second video gaming system; wherein the wireless device is a separate device from a gaming controller, wherein the gaming controller is a handheld electronic device to provide user input into the video gaming system; and wherein the second gaming system comprises: a receiver configured to receive the gaming profile data from the wireless device over a wireless signal sent from the wireless device to the second video gaming system; and a gaming profile manager coupled to the receiver, the gaming profile manager to synchronize a gaming profile with the gaming profile data and to synchronize the gaming profile on the second video gaming system with a portable gaming profile on the wireless device. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the wireless device comprises a mobile phone. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the wireless device comprises a radio frequency identification (RFID). ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the receiver of the gaming system comprises a radio frequency transceiver. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the receiver of the gaming system comprises an optical transceiver. ### Claim 14 A method comprising: communicating with a wireless device, the wireless device to store gaming profile data for a user of a first video gaming system on a data store of the wireless device, the gaming profile data describing information relating to the user, and wherein the wireless device is a separate device from a gaming controller; transferring the gaming profile data over a wireless signal from the wireless device to a second video gaming system synchronizing the gaming profile data with a gaming profile operating on the second gaming system; and transmitting updated gaming profile data to the wireless device over a wireless signal to synchronize the gaming profile on the second video gaming system with a portable gaming profile on the data store of the wireless device. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the gaming profile data stored on the wireless device comprises a key that relates to the gaming profile. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising retrieving the gaming profile related to the key from a gaming profile server. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising retrieving the gaming profile from the gaming profile server over the Internet. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the gaming profile data comprises user settings. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the gaming profile data comprises a saved game. ### Claim 20 An apparatus comprising: a transceiver configured to communicate with a mobile phone and receive gaming profile data from a data store of the mobile phone over a wireless signal sent from the mobile phone to the transceiver, wherein the transceiver operates on a radio frequency (RF) protocol, wherein the gaming profile data is generated at a first video gaming system; a gaming profile manager coupled to the transceiver, the gaming profile manager to synchronize the gaming profile data with a gaming profile on a second video gaming system and to synchronize a gaming profile on the second video gaming system with a portable gaming profile on the data store of the mobile phone; and a gaming controller that is separate from the mobile phone, wherein the gaming controller is a handheld electronic device to provide user input into the video gaming system. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the RF protocol is a Bluetooth protocol. ### Claim 22 (depends on 20) The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the transceiver is further configured to decrypt the received gaming profile data. ### Claim 23 (depends on 20) The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the gaming profile manager is further configured to associate the gaming profile data with the gaming profile in response to a pass code entered by the user on the gaming system. ### Claim 24 A wireless device comprising: a data store to store gaming profile data for a user of a first video gaming system, the gaming profile data describing information relating to the user, wherein the gaming profile data is generated at the first video gaming system; a communication manager coupled to the data store, the communication manager to manage communication of the gaming profile data from the wireless device; and a transmitter coupled to the communication manager, the transmitter to transmit the gaming profile data to a second video gaming system over a wireless signal sent from the wireless device to the second video gaming system; wherein the wireless device is a device separate from a gaming controller, wherein the gaming controller is a handheld electronic device to provide user input into the video gaming system. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the communication manager is further configured to communicate the gaming profile data in response to a pass code entered by the user on the wireless device.