# US 9,517,414 B2 · Online game creation using data sets > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,517,414 B2 - Document ID: US9517414B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/267,176 - Filed: 2014-05-01 - Published: 2015-11-05 - Granted: 2016-12-13 - Earliest claimed: 2014-05-01 - Assignees: IXL Learning - Applicants: IXL Learning - Inventors: Paul B. Mishkin - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9517414B2 ## CPC - 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 - G06F 3/04842: Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements (G06F3/0482 takes precedence) - G09B 7/00: Electrically-operated teaching apparatus or devices working with questions and answers (mechanically operated G09B3/00; computing arrangements G06F) - G09B 7/02: of the type wherein the student is expected to construct an answer to the question which is presented or wherein the machine gives an answer to the question presented by a student - A63F 2300/8064: Quiz - 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) - G09B: EDUCATIONAL OR DEMONSTRATION APPLIANCES; APPLIANCES FOR TEACHING, OR COMMUNICATING WITH, THE BLIND, DEAF OR MUTE; MODELS; PLANETARIA; GLOBES; MAPS; DIAGRAMS (devices for psychotechnics or for testing reaction times A61B5/16; games, sports, amusements A63; projectors, projector screens G03B) ## Abstract The disclosed embodiments provide a system that facilitates creation of an online game. During operation, the system obtains a data set and a game template for the online game. Next, the system enables a user to select one or more subsets of the data set for use with the game template. Finally, the system creates the online game from the game template and data from the one or more subsets without requiring manual input of the data into the game template by the user. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer-implemented method for facilitating creation of an online game, comprising: obtaining a data set and a game template for the online game from an online gaming framework, wherein the data set comprises a list of items and corresponding attributes for each item in the list of items, wherein the game template comprises a set of game mechanics for implementing the game, and wherein the data set and the game template are independent; enabling, at the online gaming framework, a user to select one or more subsets of the data set for use with the game template; and creating, at the online gaming framework, the online game from the game template and data from the one or more subsets without requiring manual input of the data into the game template by the user, wherein the online gaming framework enables the efficient reuse of data sets and game templates for the creation of new games. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the data set and the game template for the online game involves: providing a set of data sets and a set of game templates to the user; and enabling the user to select the data set from the set of data sets and the game template from the set of game templates. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: obtaining one or more configuration options for the online game from the user; and including the one or more configuration options in the online game. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the one or more configuration options comprise at least one of: a title; a formatting option; and a game play option. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: obtaining the data set from the user or one or more other users; and enabling modification and copying of the data set by the user or the one or more other users. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the data set is obtained through a user interface for editing a set of rows and a set of columns in the data set. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: enabling access to the online game by the user and one or more other users; and automatically propagating changes in the one or more subsets to the online game without requiring further configuration of the online game by the user or the one or more other users. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein enabling access to the online game by the user and the one or more other users involves at least one of: enabling playing of the online game by the user and the one or more other users; and providing a set of usage statistics for the online game. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the set of usage statistics comprises at least one of: a time spent; a number of users; a popularity; a score; a ranking; a correct answer; and an incorrect answer. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the data set is associated with at least one of: a set of rows and a set of columns; a key and a set of values related to the key; a compound data format; and a relational model. ### Claim 11 A system for facilitating creation of an online game, comprising: a game-editing apparatus configured to: obtain a data set and a game template for the online game from an online gaming framework, wherein the data set comprises a list of items and corresponding attributes for each item in the list of items, wherein the game template comprises a set of game mechanics for implementing the game, and wherein the data set and the game template are independent; and enable a user to select, at the online gaming framework, one or more subsets of the data set for use with the game template; and a game-management apparatus configured to create the online game, at the online gaming framework, from the game template and data from the one or more subsets without requiring manual input of the data into the game template by the user, wherein the online gaming framework enables the efficient reuse of data sets and game templates for the creation of new games. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the game-editing apparatus is further configured to obtain one or more configuration options for the online game from the user, and wherein the game-management apparatus is further configured to include the one or more configuration options in the online game. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, further comprising: a data-editing apparatus configured to: obtain the data set from the user or one or more other users; and enable modification and copying of the data set by the user or the one or more other users. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the game-management apparatus is further configured to: enable access to the online game by the user and one or more other users; and automatically propagate changes in the one or more subsets to the online game without requiring further configuration of the online game by the user or the one or more other users. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein enabling access to the online game by the user and the one or more other users involves at least one of: enabling playing of the online game by the user and the one or more other users; and providing a set of usage statistics for the online game. ### Claim 16 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for facilitating creation of an online game, the method comprising: obtaining a data set and a game template for the online game from an online gaming framework, wherein the data set comprises a list of items and corresponding attributes for each item in the list of items, wherein the game template comprises a set of game mechanics for implementing the game, and wherein the data set and the game template are independent; enabling, at the online gaming framework, a user to select one or more subsets of the data set for use with the game template; and creating, at the online gaming framework, the online game from the game template and data from the one or more subsets without requiring manual input of the data into the game template by the user, wherein the online gaming framework enables the efficient reuse of data sets and game templates for the creation of new games. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, the method further comprising: obtaining one or more configuration options for the online game from the user; and including the one or more configuration options in the online game. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, the method further comprising: obtaining the data set from the user or one or more other users; and enabling modification and copying of the data set by the user or the one or more other users. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, the method further comprising: enabling access to the online game by the user and one or more other users; and automatically propagating changes in the one or more subsets to the online game without requiring further configuration of the online game by the user or the one or more other users. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein enabling access to the online game by the user and the one or more other users involves at least one of: enabling playing of the online game by the user and the one or more other users; and providing a set of usage statistics for the online game.