Amusement devices: games – Including means for processing electronic data – With communication link
Reexamination Certificate
2000-11-17
2003-11-04
Harrison, Jessica (Department: 3714)
Amusement devices: games
Including means for processing electronic data
With communication link
C463S029000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06641481
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention generally relates to online user matching. More particularly, the invention relates to systems and methods for matching suitable users in an interactive online environment.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Conventional online matchmaking services typically require users to make several choices and/or search through a list of potential partners as part of a matchmaking process. For example, the MSN® Gaming Zone (Zone.com) and other matchmaking services use a matchmaking model that is based on requiring a user to explore a set of meeting places to find other suitable players. Generally, a user must select a “Room” (or “Lobby”) based on a general description of the type of people that can be expect to be found there, or based on different capabilities and settings of the various Rooms. Once in a Room, a user must decide to create a new game instance, or find a game instance that is already created, but is not full. The user then waits until the selected game instance has a sufficient enough players present to begin the game.
This conventional matchmaking model presents many significant usability problems. For example, most novice players find the level of complexity daunting, and more advanced users are frustrated by the amount of time required to find opponents.
Consequently, what is needed is a way to match game players in real-time over a computer network, such as the Internet, so that each user experiences an exceptionally quick and simple online
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a way to match game players in real-time over a computer network, such as the Internet, so that each user experiences an exceptionally quick and simple online matchmaking process.
The advantages of the present invention are provided by a method for matching users over a computer network, such as the Internet, for the purpose of participating in interactive online sessions, in which, through server-side automation, a user need only perform a single client-side action (i.e., a request to be matchmade). The client may optionally gather system and/or user setting information (where the user settings are configurable through a process that is unrelated to the matchmaking process) and send the information to the server along with the matchmaking request so that the server can improve matchmaking decisions.
According to the invention, the one-action input can be a click on a button within a graphical user interface associated with the computer on which the requesting client application is executing, or a single selected keystroke on a keyboard connected to the computer on which the requesting client application is executing. The system and/or user setting information relates to some number of operating parameters of the computer on which the requesting client application is executing and can include some number of user-defined parameters relating to the requesting user. The system and/or user setting information are stored within the computer using a process that is unrelated to and separate from the one-action input received from the user. Then, at least one message is sent from the requesting client application to a host computer connected to the computer network. The message contains information relating to a request for initiating a matchmaking process on the host computer that matches the requesting user with other suitable users, such that each suitable user is connected to the computer network through a client application that is compatible with the requesting client application. When the process completes, at least one message is received from the host computer containing information relating to the other suitable users matched to the requesting user by the matchmaking process on the host computer.
The host computer receives the at least one message from the requesting client application and begins the matchmaking process. Each suitable user determined to match the requesting user is matched to the requesting user during a first predetermined period of time based on a client application corresponding to the requesting client application and on information relating to at least one operating parameter of the computer on which the requesting client application is executing and/or at least one user-defined parameter relating to the requesting user. When the predetermined number of suitable users is not found during the first predetermined period of time, each suitable user determined to match the requesting user is matched to the requesting user during a second predetermined period of time based on a client application corresponding to the requesting client application and on information relating to at least one operating parameter of the computer on which the requesting client application is executing and/or at least one user-defined parameter relating to the requesting user. The restrictions for “suitable user” are more inclusive during the second predetermined period of time. This continues for more predetermined periods of time, with increasingly inclusive restrictions. When all of the predetermined periods of time expire before a predetermined number of suitable users are found, the host computer matches each suitable user determined to match the requesting user based on at least a client application corresponding to the requesting client application and, optionally, on information relating to zero or more operating parameters of the computer on which the requesting client application is executing and/or zero or more user-defined parameters relating to the requesting user, using more inclusive restrictions on “suitable user” than were used during any of the preceding predetermined periods of time. When the requesting user has a predetermined user status with respect to the requesting client application, such as a user status that relates to a predetermined number of abandoned games or a particular skill level, the host computer matches the requesting user during another predetermined period of time with other users that have the predetermined user status with respect to a client application corresponding to the requesting client application, at the expiry of which the user is treated as any other user without a predetermined user status would at the hosts' initial receipt of a matchmaking request. The host computer sends a matchmaking complete message to the requesting user and to each user matched with the requesting user when the matchmaking process has completed (i.e., the user has been matched with a predetermined number of suitable users). The matchmaking message includes information relating to each other user matched with the requesting user.
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patent: 6023729 (2000-02-01), Samuel et al.
patent: 6203433 (2001-03-01), Kume
patent: 6322451 (2001-11-01), Miura
patent: 6352479 (2002-03-01), Sparks, II
patent: 2002/0115488 (2002-08-01), Berry et al.
Brown Justin David
Im Hoon
Mai Jason
Coburn Corbett B.
Harrison Jessica
Microsoft Corporation
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