# US 9,751,020 B2 · System and methods to display icons based on messaging activity > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,751,020 B2 - Document ID: US9751020B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/214,166 - Filed: 2016-07-19 - Published: 2016-12-01 - Granted: 2017-09-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-07-23 - Assignees: Zynga Inc. - Applicants: Zynga Inc. - Inventors: Raja Ramachandran; Ross W. Danielson; Sachin B. Pansuria; Dylan A. Tarre - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9751020B2 ## CPC - A63F 13/10 - A63F 13/87: Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat - A63F 13/00: Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions - A63F 13/12 - A63F 13/20: Input arrangements for video game devices - A63F 13/23: for interfacing with the game device, e.g. specific interfaces between game controller and console - A63F 13/25: Output arrangements for video game devices - A63F 13/30: Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers - A63F 13/32: using local area network [LAN] connections - A63F 13/335: using Internet - A63F 13/45: Controlling the progress of the video game - 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 2300/308: Details of the user interface - A63F 2300/556: Player lists, e.g. online players, buddy list, black list - A63F 2300/636: involving process of starting or resuming a game - A63F: CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract A system, computer-readable storage medium storing at least one program, and a computer-implemented method to display icons based on messaging activity is provided. A request to access a game user interface of the first player is received from a client device of a first player, the game user interface being associated with a computer-implemented game. First player messaging activity information associated with messaging activity of the first player is accessed, the messaging activity of the first player including receipt of a message from one or more players associated with the computer-implemented game. A first manner of displaying one or more icons each identifying the one or more players is determined including determining the first manner based on the first player messaging information. Display data to display the one or more icons in the first manner within the game user interface is provided to the client device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer-implemented method, comprising: identifying messaging activity information indicating a particular social network friend most recently messaged by a first player of an online game provided by a game networking system; determining a manner of displaying icons, based in part on the messaging activity information, for a communication user interface of the first player, each icon representative of a respective social network friend of the first player, wherein at least one of the respective social network friends corresponds to an additional player of the online game; generating first communication interface display data for display of the icons in the first manner in the communication user interface within a game user interface provided via the game networking system while the online game is loaded into the game user interface; receiving, via the communication user interface displayed at a client device of the first player, a request to communicate with a second player represented by a respective icon of the icons displayed in the first manner, wherein the second player is associated with the game networking system without being associated with the social networking system; and initiating a first communication session between the first player and the second player in response to the request to communicate with the second player, the communication session allowing communication via the game networking system between the first player and the second player within the communication user interface. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the icons are representative of a first set of players associated with the game networking system without being associated with the social networking system and a second set of additional players being associated with the game networking system and the social networking system. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The computer-implemented method of claim 2, comprising updating the messaging activity information based on first communication session including a most recent communication of the first player; determining a second manner of displaying the icons according to updated messaging activity information; and generating second communication interface display data for display of the icons in the second manner in the communication user interface within the game user interface. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The computer implemented method of claim 1, comprising: receiving, via the communication user interface displayed at the client device of the first player, a request to communicate with a third player represented by another respective icon of the icons displayed in the first manner, wherein the second player is associated with the game networking system and the social networking system; and initiating a second communication session between the first player and the third player in response to the request to communicate with the third player. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein initiating the second communication session comprises: initiating the second communication session to be displayed, concurrently with the first communication session, at the client device of the first player. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: generating the messaging activity information to indicate currently offline additional players. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: generating the messaging activity information to indicate currently online additional players. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: generating the messaging activity information to indicate at least one game level achieved by a respective additional player. ### Claim 9 A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing executable instructions thereon, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising: identifying messaging activity information indicating a particular social network friend most recently messaged by a first player of an online game provided by a game networking system; determining a manner of displaying icons, based in part on the messaging activity information, for a communication user interface of the first player, each icon representative of a respective social network friend of the first player, wherein at least one of the respective social network friends corresponds to an additional player of the online game; generating first communication interface display data for display of the icons in the first manner in the communication user interface within a game user interface provided via the game networking system while the online game is loaded into the game user interface; receiving, via the communication user interface displayed at a client device of the first player, a request to communicate with a second player represented by a respective icon of the icons displayed in the first manner, wherein the second player is associated with the game networking system without being associated with the social networking system; and initiating a first communication session between the first player and the second player in response to the request to communicate with the second player, the communication session allowing communication via the game networking system between the first player and the second player within the communication user interface. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the icons are representative of a first set of players associated with the game networking system without being associated with the social networking system and a second set of additional players being associated with the game networking system and the social networking system. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, comprising: updating the messaging activity information based on first communication session including a most recent communication of the first player; determining a second manner of displaying the icons according to updated messaging activity information; and generating second communication interface display data for display of the icons in the second manner in the communication user interface within the game user interface. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, comprising: receiving, via the communication user interface displayed at the client device of the first player, a request to communicate with a third player represented by another respective icon of the icons displayed in the first manner, wherein the second player is associated with the game networking system and the social networking system; and initiating a second communication session between the first player and the third player in response to the request to communicate with the third player. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein initiating the second communication session comprises: initiating the second communication session to be displayed, concurrently with the first communication session, at the client device of the first player. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, further comprising: generating the messaging activity information to indicate currently offline additional players. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, further comprising: generating the messaging activity information to indicate currently online additional players. ### Claim 16 (depends on 9) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, further comprising: generating the messaging activity information to indicate at least one game level achieved by a respective additional player. ### Claim 17 A computer system comprising: a processor; a memory device holding an instruction set executable on the processor to cause the computer system to perform operations comprising: identifying messaging activity information indicating a particular social network friend most recently messaged by a first player of an online game provided by a game networking system; determining a manner of displaying icons; based in part on the messaging activity information, for a communication user interface of the first player, each icon representative of a respective social network friend of the first player, wherein at least one of the respective social network friends corresponds to an additional player of the online game; generating first communication interface display data for display of the icons in the first manner in the communication user interface within a game user interface provided via the game networking system while the online game is loaded into the game user interface; receiving, via the communication user interface displayed at a client device of the first player, a request to communicate with a second player represented by a respective icon of the icons displayed in the first manner, wherein the second player is associated with the game networking system without being associated with the social networking system; and initiating a first communication session between the first player and the second player in response to the request to communicate with the second player, the communication session allowing communication via the game networking system between the first player and the second player within the communication user interface. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The computer system of claim 17, wherein the icons are representative of a first set of players associated with the game networking system without being associated with the social networking system and a second set of additional players being associated with the game networking system and the social networking system. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The computer system of claim 18, comprising: updating the messaging activity information based on first communication session including a most recent communication of the first player; determining a second manner of displaying the icons according to updated messaging activity information; and generating second communication interface display data for display of the icons in the second manner in the communication user interface within the game user interface.