Site News  |   Monitor Keywords  |   Monitor Archive  |   Organizer  |   Account Info  |

System and method for initiating a gaming session using event-based exchange of information between communication devices

System and method for initiating a gaming session using event-based exchange of information between communication devices description/claims

The present patent application is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/644,307, filed Aug. 23, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,996,072, entitled “Method and Apparatus for Exchange of Information in a Communication Network,” U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/686,990, filed Oct. 17, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,922,721, entitled “Exchange of Information in a Communication System,” U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/906,621, filed Jul. 18, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,977,909, entitled “Method and Apparatus for Exchange of Information in a Communication Network,” and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/766,500, filed on Feb. 12, 2004, now U.S. Patent Publication No. 2004/0205170, entitled “Method and Apparatus for Exchange of Data Objects Between Network Nodes Depending on Terminal Capability,” which are all hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

The present disclosure relates generally to a system and method for event-based exchange of information in a communication system. More specifically, the invention relates to a system and method for initiating a gaming session using event-based exchange of information between communication devices.

Mobile communication systems and data packet networks (notably, the Internet) have both enjoyed significant success in recent years. Mobile communication systems deliver real-time voice communication between users in either analog or digital formats (or in a hybrid format). One well known example of a mobile communication system is the Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM). This standard provides voice communication to its subscribers using circuit-switched communication technology. In this approach, the system allocates communication resources to a call for the entire duration of the call. On the other hand, the Internet primarily delivers digital information to users using data packet technology. In this approach, the system uses communication resources only during the periods in which data is being transmitted.

Efforts have long been underway to merge aspects of traditional mobile communication systems with data networks. The evolution of these efforts may be divided into a number of stages or “generations.” For example, first generation (1G) technology generally pertains to analog “voice-centric” services. Second generation (2G) technology generally pertains to “voice-centric” digital communication services. Third generation (3G) technology generally pertains to high-speed broadband services with optional multimedia communication of voice, video, graphics, audio and other information. Further, 2.5-generation (2.5G) technology generally pertains to high-speed services having aspects of both 2G and 3G services. For instance, 2.5G technology may utilize General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) systems or Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution (EDGE) systems.

As a result of this evolving technology, communication by voice and data are becoming more and more integrated. For example, a mobile communication device (e.g., a mobile phone, smartphone, PDA, handheld computer, or other similar device), in addition to voice, may include various integrated functionalities, such as Short Message Service (SMS), Multimedia Message Service (MMS), GPRS location identification, etc. More recently, these communication technologies are becoming increasingly applicable to gaming environments as well.

A video game is a game that typically involves user interaction with a controller interface to generate visual feedback on an electronic video screen. Although traditionally played on platforms such as personal computers or specialized video game consoles, video games are now being played across a full range of platforms and devices ranging from large computers (e.g., mainframes, servers, etc.) down to smaller hand-held devices (e.g., mobile phones, PDAs, smart phones, laptops, etc.).

One of the traditional benefits of video games is the ability to involve multiple users. Whether a game involves sports, adventure, racing, action, shooting, role-playing, puzzle, simulation, strategy, or a combination thereof, multiplayer functionality has typically stimulated healthy competition and increased social interactivity, which generally enhances the overall gaming experience.

Because many video game platforms now include communications capability, access to video games and interactivity between users are also adapting to this technology. Traditional access of video games involved physically purchasing a video game from a video game dealer, in which the video game is likely stored on a memory storage element, such as a cartridge, CD, DVD, or other similar memory element. While this remains the popular method of acquiring video games for console systems, communication-capable platforms and devices currently make it possible to purchase and download video games without physically going to a store. These communication-capable gaming platforms/devices may utilize a variety of broadband or mobile communications network technologies, such as infrared connection, Bluetooth, memory storage element, GPRS, 3G, WiFi, and other similar communication protocols, to perform the purchase and download functionalities.

Alternatively, if is also possible for a communication device to directly access and play video games without downloading. For example, a user may choose not too spend excessive time and energy downloading a game he or she is only going to play a handful of times. Instead, the user may elect to “rent” the game by only paying for the rights to play the game for a certain number of times from a video game dealer who hosts the video game at a remote server. As a result, the user may access and play the video game directly from the host system/server. This “rental” approach is advantageous for several reasons. First, the approach does not require storing the video game at the communications device. Second, a user saves on time and costs since renting a game to play a few times would be significantly more cost effective than purchasing a game that is hardly played. Third, since the video game server is not local, this approach may facilitate and promote a multiplayer gaming experience and improved interactivity by users.

However, despite the benefits of this “rental” approach, there remains a variety of problems with initiating interactive multiplayer games in this environment. For example, at least one problem exists in how to initiate a multiplayer video game for which rights to play or participate in that game are centrally-controlled and not originating from the initiating communications device itself. In other words, the necessary “rights” to play a game originate from the game source. However, if the party initiating the game session is not the source, distribution of these necessary rights to various participants may be rather cumbersome or altogether impracticable. Another problem that currently exists is a lack of user control in initiating a multiplayer game with players he or she desires to play with in either a single session or concurrently with another established session (multi-session). In other words, a user cannot initiate a multiplayer game while he or she is currently participating in another established session on the user's communication device.

In view of the foregoing, it would be desirable to provide a system and method for initiating a gaming session using event-based exchange of information between communication devices to overcome the above-described inadequacies and shortcomings.

The present disclosure overcomes the above identified deficiencies of identifying and finding a data object and navigate between a set of data objects by applying a novel connection between a data-communications network and a telecommunications network by an event-based exchange of information between mobile communication devices to initiate a multiplayer video game.

In accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure, a method for initiating a multiplayer gaming session may comprise establishing a transaction at a communication device with a data object server, completing the transaction by obtaining one or more rights for multiplayer gaming from the data object server, and receiving one or more data objects at the communication device for initiating a multiplayer gaming session.

In accordance with further aspects of this particular exemplary embodiment, the method may further comprise sending the one or more data objects from the communication device to one or more additional communication devices to establishing a multiplayer gaming session with one or more additional communication devices.

In accordance with additional aspects of this particular exemplary embodiment, the one or more data objects comprises the one or more rights and/or one or more references to obtain the one or more rights for multiplayer gaming.

In accordance with another aspects of this particular exemplary embodiment, the transaction comprises identifying a predetermined number of participants and the one or more identities corresponding to the predetermined number of participants.

In accordance with other aspects of this particular exemplary embodiment, the method may further comprise accepting, declining, postponing, or rescheduling the gaming session at the one or more data objects.

According to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for initiating a multiplayer gaming session may comprise establishing a first session at a communication device with one or more additional communication devices, establishing a second transaction session at the communication device with a data object server, completing the second transaction session by obtaining one or more rights for multiplayer gaming from the data object server, and receiving one or more data objects at the communication device for initiating a multiplayer gaming session.

• Provisional Patent
• Utility Patent

• What Is a Patent?
• What Is a Trademark or Servicemark?
• What Is a Copyright?
• Patent Laws