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Computer-based gaming groupsRelated Patent Categories: Amusement Devices: Games, Including Means For Processing Electronic Data (e.g., Computer/video Game, Etc.), With Communication Link (e.g., Television Broadcast, Etc.), Network Type (e.g., Computer Network, Etc.)Computer-based gaming groups description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070173324, Computer-based gaming groups. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
COPYRIGHT NOTICE/PERMISSION [0001] A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material, which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever. The following notice applies to the software and data as described below and in the drawings hereto: Copyright.COPYRGT. 2004, Microsoft Corporation, All Rights Reserved. TECHNICAL FIELD [0002] The technical field generally relates to gaming and multimedia devices, and more particularly relates to on-line gaming. BACKGROUND [0003] Computer-based game players tend to participate in games as individuals. Further, game players (gamers) tend to focus activities around a game. For example, it is not uncommon for an individual on-line gamer to attempt to become the best player of a specific game title (e.g., HALO). This game player may also, as an individual, attempt to become the best player at other game titles (e.g., PROJECT GOTHAM RACING, PGR). This type of behavior does not afford the gamer an opportunity to enjoy the benefits of social interaction with other players. Further, typical on-line game systems do not provide mechanisms to encourage social interaction. SUMMARY [0004] This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description Of The Illustrative Embodiments. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. [0005] A group of gamers is identified in an on-line gaming environment. The identity of the group, based on a group profile, is maintained within a single game title, across multiple sessions of a game title, and across multiple game titles. Groups are formed based on social relationships between players. A computer-based gaming system provides the ability to create a group, to delete a group, to manage group membership, to provide message communications between members of a group, to determine if members of a group are present, to accumulate and aggregate achievements and statistics pertaining to the group, to edit a group profile, and to allow group competitions. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0006] The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of computer-based gaming groups, is better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating computer-based gaming groups, there is shown in the drawings exemplary constructions thereof; however, computer-based gaming groups are not limited to the specific methods and instrumentalities disclosed. In the drawings: [0007] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary computer network environment in which aspects of computer-based gaming groups can be implemented; [0008] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary console that can be incorporated into a network computing environment such as the network computing environment of FIG. 1; [0009] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the interaction of a console with the remote service; [0010] FIG. 4 illustrates sources of information that provide input to a Gamer Profile; [0011] FIG. 5 through FIG. 13 illustrate various graphical user interfaces in accordance with the present invention; and [0012] FIG. 14 is a flow diagram of an exemplary process for computer-based gaming group creation and interaction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS [0013] Groups are formed, in a computer-based (e.g., on-line) gaming environment, and the groups are maintained across different games and across multiple session of the same game. The groups are based on social relationships between players. The group is assigned an identity, and the identity of the group is maintained within a single game title, across multiple sessions of a game title, and across multiple game titles. The group can interact within the gaming environment much like an individual user can interact. Group interaction provides a mechanism for social and cooperative game play. Groups can play games with other groups. Group members can play games with each other. Group statistics and achievements can be accumulated and aggregated. Group profiles provide information about the group, such as a list of the members of the group. Via group profiles, a member of a group can see information about other members of the group, such as other groups to which they belong. Group members can send and receive intra-group messages. To facilitate an understanding of computer-based gaming groups, a description of an exemplary gaming environment is provided followed by a more detailed description of computer-based gaming groups. [0014] FIG. 1 is diagram of an exemplary computer network that serves to illustrate aspects of group interaction in a computer-based gaming environment. Here computers 100a-100e can host various ones of the computing objects such as games and other applications. Although the physical environment shows the connected devices as computers, such illustration is merely exemplary and can comprise various digital devices such as PDAs, game consoles, etc. Moreover, communications network 160 can itself comprise a number of computers, servers and network devices such as routers and the like. [0015] There is a variety of systems, components, and network configurations that support distributed computing environments. For example, computing systems can be connected together by wireline or wireless systems, by local networks or widely distributed networks. Currently, many of the networks are coupled to the Internet, which provides the infrastructure for widely distributed computing and encompasses many different networks. Aspects of computer-based gaming groups can be usable to distribute computer-readable instructions, code fragments, applications and the like to various distributed computing devices. [0016] The network infrastructure enables a host of network topologies such as client/server, peer-to-peer, or hybrid architectures. The "client" is a member of a class or group that uses the services of another class or group to which it is not related. Thus, in computing, a client is a process (i.e., roughly a set of instructions or tasks) that requests a service provided by another program. The client process utilizes the requested service without having to "know" any working details about the other program or the service itself. In a client/server architecture, particularly a networked system, a client is usually a computer that accesses shared network resources provided by another computer (i.e., a server). A server is typically a remote computer system accessible over a remote network such as the Internet. The client process can be active in a first computer system, and the server process can be active in a second computer system, communicating with one another over a communications medium, thus providing distributed finctionality and allowing multiple clients to take advantage of the information-gathering capabilities of the server. [0017] Clients and servers communicate with one another utilizing the functionality provided by a protocol layer. For example, Hypertext-Transfer Protocol (HTTP) is a common protocol that is used in conjunction with the World Wide Web (WWW) or, simply, the "Web." Typically, a computer network address such as a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) or an Internet Protocol (IP) address is used to identify the server or client computers to each other. Communication among computing devices is provided over a communications medium. In particular, the client and server can be coupled to one another via TCP/IP connections for high-capacity communication. [0018] In general, the computer network can comprise both server devices and client devices deployed in a network environment (in a peer-to-peer environment devices can be both clients and servers). Communications network 160 can be a LAN, WAN, intranet or the Internet, or a combination of any of these that facilitates communication among a number of computing devices 100a-100e. Moreover, communication network 160 can comprise wireless, wireline, or combination wireless and wireline connections. Additionally, the computer network can comprise a distributed computing environment. In such an environment a computing task can be spread over a number of computing devices that are addressable elements in a computer network. Continue reading about Computer-based gaming groups... Full patent description for Computer-based gaming groups Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Computer-based gaming groups patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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