# US 9,517,413 B1 · Combining games suited for synchronous play with games suited for asynchronous play

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- Number: US 9,517,413 B1
- Document ID: US9517413B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 13/485,919
- Filed: 2012-06-01
- Granted: 2016-12-13
- Earliest claimed: 2011-07-28
- Assignees: Zynga Inc.
- Applicants: Justin Wickett; Shane Ishmael Sareli; Michael Kane; Justin Potter Driemeyer; Lamberto Alvaro
- Inventors: Justin Wickett; Shane Ishmael Sareli; Michael Kane; Justin Potter Driemeyer; Lamberto Alvaro
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9517413B1

## CPC

- G07F 17/3267: {Game outcomes which determine the course of the subsequent game, e.g. double or quits, free games, higher payouts, different new games}
- A63F 13/35: Details of game servers
- A63F 13/48: Starting a game, e.g. activating a game device or waiting for other players to join a multiplayer session
- A63F 13/60: Generating or modifying game content before or while executing the game program, e.g. authoring tools specially adapted for game development or game-integrated level editor
- A63F 13/79: involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
- A63F 13/795: for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
- A63F 13/85: Providing additional services to players
- G06F 16/27: Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
- G06Q 10/48: using social graphs
- G07F 17/326: {Game play aspects of gaming systems}
- G07F 17/3279: {wherein the competition is one-to-one, e.g. match}
- G07F 17/3293: {Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack}
- G07F 17/34: depending on the stopping of moving members {in a mechanical slot machine}, e.g. "fruit" machines
- A63F 13/533: for prompting the player, e.g. by displaying a game menu
- A63F 13/69: by enabling or updating specific game elements, e.g. unlocking hidden features, items, levels or versions
- A63F 13/87: Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
- A63F 13/88: Mini-games executed independently while main games are being loaded
- A63F 2300/556: Player lists, e.g. online players, buddy list, black list
- A63F 2300/636: involving process of starting or resuming a game
- 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
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

A method of combining games suited for synchronous play with games suited for asynchronous play is disclosed. It is identified that a first player and a second player are playing a primary game. The primary game has been determined to require the first player and the second player to be online simultaneously while they are playing the primary game. The first player and a third player are provided with an option to play a secondary game simultaneously with the first game. The secondary game is adapted such that it is determined that the secondary game does not require the first player and the third player to be online simultaneously while they are playing the secondary game.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method comprising:
receiving a notification at a game networking system from a device of a first player, the notification identifying that the first player is playing a first computer game as a primary game
determining a level of interactivity of the first computer game, the determination of the level of interactivity of the first computer game based at least in part on an amount of idle time of the first player with respect to the first computer game;
generating a modified form of a second computer game at the game networking system for storage in one or more data stores of the game networking system, the generating based on a comparison between the level of interactivity of the first computer game, a level of interactivity of a standard form of the second computer game, and a level of interactivity of the modified form of the second computer game, the comparison including comparing the amount of idle time of the first player with respect to the first computer game, an average number of computer-input actions expected to be performed by the first player over a time period in the standard form of the second computer game, and an average number of computer-input actions expected to be performed by the first player over the time period in the modified form of the second computer game, the creating of the modified form of the second computer game including changing an aspect of the second computer game such that the average number of computer-input actions expected to be performed by the first player in the modified form of the second computer game is different from the average number of computer-input actions expected to be performed by the first player in the standard form of the second computer game; and
selecting the modified form of the second game from a plurality of previously-generated computer games stored in the one or more data stores of the game networking system while the first player is playing the first computer game, the selecting based on a level of compatibility between the average number of computer-input actions expected to be performed by the first player in the modified form of the second game and the amount of idle time of the first player with respect to the first computer game;
communicating a user interface to the device of the first player while the first player is playing the first computer game, the user interface configured to provide the first player with an option to play the selected modified form of the second computer game as a secondary game of the first computer game when the first player has some of the amount of idle time available, one or more modules incorporated into a game networking system to configure the game networking system to perform the receiving, determining, generating, selecting, and communicating, the one or more modules implemented by one or more processors of the game networking system.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the level of interactivity of the second computer game based on an amount of time the first player has to respond to an action by a second player within the second computer game.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the creating of the modified form of the second game includes at least one of removing an action and response cycle relative to the standard form of the second computer game and increasing an amount of time that the first player has to respond to an action by a second player relative to the standard form of the second computer game.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the providing of the first player with an option to play the second computer game as the secondary game of the first computer game includes providing the first player with an option to perform an action in the second computer game based on a determination that the first player has idle time with respect to the first computer game.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the providing of the first player with an option to play the second computer game as the secondary game of the first computer game includes providing to the first player a user interface for the second computer game within a user interface of the first computer game.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the providing of the first player with an option to play the second computer game as a secondary game of the first computer game includes changing a focus from the user interface for the second computer game to the user interface of the first computer game based on a determination that idle time of the first player with respect to the first computer game has ended.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting a card game as the second computer game based on the first computer game being a casino game.

### Claim 8

A system comprising:
one or more modules implemented by one or more processors of a game networking system, the one or more modules incorporated into the game networking system to configure the game networking system to, at least:
receive a notification at a game networking system from a device of a first player, the notification identifying that the first player is playing a first computer game as a primary game
determining a level of interactivity of the first computer game, the determination of the level of interactivity of the first computer game based at least in part on an amount of idle time of the first player with respect to the first computer game;
generate a modified form of a second computer game at the game networking system for storage in one or more data stores of the game networking system, the generating based on a comparison between the level of interactivity of the first computer game, a level of interactivity of a standard form of the second computer game, and a level of interactivity of the modified form of the second computer game, the comparison including comparing the amount of idle time of the first player with respect to the first computer game, an average number of computer-input actions expected to be performed by the first player over a time period in the standard form of the second computer game, and an average number of computer-input actions expected to be performed by the first player over the time period in the modified form of the second computer game, the creating of the modified form of the second computer game including changing an aspect of the second computer game such that the average number of computer-input actions expected to be performed by the first player in the modified form of the second computer game is different from the average number of computer-input actions expected to be performed by the first player in the standard form of the second computer game; and
select the modified form of the second game from a plurality of previously-generated computer games stored in the one or more data stores of the game networking system while the first player is playing the first computer game, the selecting based on a level of compatibility between the average number of computer-input actions expected to be Performed by the first player in the modified form of the second game and the amount of idle time of the first player with respect to the first computer game;
communicate a user interface to the device of the first player while the first player is playing the first game, the user interface configured to provide the first player with an option to play the selected modified form of the second computer game as a secondary game of the first computer game when the first player has some of the amount of idle time available.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8, wherein the determination that that the second computer game is more suited for asynchronous play than for synchronous play is based on an amount of time the first player has to respond to an action by the second player within the second computer game.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8, wherein the creating of the modified form of the second computer game includes at least one of removing an action and response cycle relative to the standard form of the second computer game and increasing an amount of time that the first player has to respond to an action by a second player relative to the standard form of the second computer game.

### Claim 11

A non-transitory machine readable storage medium storing a set of instructions that, when incorporated into a game networking system as one or more modules executed by at least one processor of the game networking system, causes the at least one processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:
receiving a notification at a game networking system from a device of a first player, the notification identifying that the first player is playing a first computer game as a primary game
determining a level of interactivity of the first computer game, the determination of the level of interactivity of the first computer game based at least in part on an amount of idle time of the first player with respect to the first computer game;
generating a modified form of a second computer game at the game networking system for storage in one or more data stores of the game networking system, the generating based on a comparison between the level of interactivity of the first computer game, a level of interactivity of a standard form of the second computer game, and a level of interactivity of the modified form of the second computer game, the comparison including comparing the amount of idle time of the first player with respect to the first computer game, an average number of computer-input actions expected to be performed by the first player over a time period in the standard form of the second computer game, and an average number of computer-input actions expected to be performed by the first player over the time period in the modified form of the second computer game, the creating of the modified form of the second computer game including changing an aspect of the second computer game such that the average number of computer-input actions expected to be performed by the first player in the modified form of the second computer game is different from the average number of computer-input actions expected to be performed by the first player in the standard form of the second computer game; and
selecting the modified form of the second game from a plurality of previously-generated computer games stored in the one or more data stores of the game networking system while the first player is playing the first computer game, the selecting based on a level of compatibility between the average number of computer-input actions expected to be performed by the first player in the modified form of the second game and the amount of idle time of the first player with respect to the first computer game;
communicating a user interface to the device of the first player while the first player is playing the first game, the user interface configured to provide the first player with an option to play the selected modified form of the second computer game as a secondary game of the first computer game when the first player has some of the amount of idle time available.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 11, further comprising determining the level of interactivity of the second computer game based on an amount of time the first player has to respond to an action by a second player within the second computer game.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the creating of the modified form of the second computer game includes at least one of removing an action and response cycle relative to the standard form of the second computer game and increasing an amount of time that the first player has to respond to an action by a second player relative to the standard form of the second computer game.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the action and response cycle is included within a betting round of the second computer game.