US20070238525A1 - Method, apparatus, system and computer program product for event triggered games - Google Patents
Method, apparatus, system and computer program product for event triggered games Download PDFInfo
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- US20070238525A1 US20070238525A1 US11/393,588 US39358806A US2007238525A1 US 20070238525 A1 US20070238525 A1 US 20070238525A1 US 39358806 A US39358806 A US 39358806A US 2007238525 A1 US2007238525 A1 US 2007238525A1
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- United States
- Prior art keywords
- game
- trigger
- subscriber
- mobile terminal
- results
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- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
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Classifications
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
- A63F—CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- A63F13/00—Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions
- A63F13/30—Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
- A63F13/35—Details of game servers
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
- G07F—COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS
- G07F17/00—Coin-freed apparatus for hiring articles; Coin-freed facilities or services
- G07F17/32—Coin-freed apparatus for hiring articles; Coin-freed facilities or services for games, toys, sports, or amusements
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
- A63F—CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- A63F13/00—Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
- A63F—CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- A63F13/00—Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions
- A63F13/30—Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
- A63F—CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- A63F13/00—Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions
- A63F13/40—Processing input control signals of video game devices, e.g. signals generated by the player or derived from the environment
- A63F13/44—Processing input control signals of video game devices, e.g. signals generated by the player or derived from the environment involving timing of operations, e.g. performing an action within a time slot
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
- A63F—CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- A63F13/00—Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions
- A63F13/45—Controlling the progress of the video game
- A63F13/48—Starting a game, e.g. activating a game device or waiting for other players to join a multiplayer session
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
- A63F—CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- A63F13/00—Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions
- A63F13/70—Game security or game management aspects
- A63F13/79—Game security or game management aspects involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
- A63F13/792—Game security or game management aspects involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories for payment purposes, e.g. monthly subscriptions
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
- A63F—CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- A63F13/00—Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions
- A63F13/80—Special adaptations for executing a specific game genre or game mode
- A63F13/816—Athletics, e.g. track-and-field sports
Definitions
- Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to gaming technology and, more particularly, relate to a method, apparatus, system and computer program product for providing event triggered games.
- a user of a mobile terminal who wishes to play a micro or mini-game at the user's mobile terminal may launch an application on the mobile terminal to execute the game.
- the game is stored in a memory of the mobile terminal although the game may also be played, for example, through a connection to a server hosting the game.
- the game will have been downloaded by the user, although the game may have been installed on the mobile terminal during manufacture.
- games may be purchased or selected for download in order to provide entertainment, the scope of the user's participation in most games is limited to the game itself. In other words, the user is often engaged in a private diversion.
- a method, apparatus, system and computer program product are therefore provided that enables a user of a mobile terminal to receive and participate in mini or micro-games that are event triggered.
- a micro or mini-game may be associated with a particular event and execution of the micro or mini-game may be triggered remotely upon occurrence of the particular event.
- multiple users of a same event triggered micro or mine-game may compete in contests based on a comparison of performance data of each of the multiple users.
- a method of providing event triggered games includes operations of receiving a subscription to a game service from a subscriber, providing game content including a game to the subscriber, and enabling remote execution of the game responsive to receipt of a trigger associated with an occurrence of a predefined event of interest.
- a computer program product for providing event triggered games.
- the computer program product includes at least one computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein.
- the computer-readable program code portions include a first, second and third executable portion.
- the first executable portion is for receiving a subscription to a game service from a subscriber.
- the second executable portion is for providing game content including a game to the subscriber.
- the third executable portion is for enabling remote execution of the game responsive to receipt of a trigger associated with an occurrence of a predefined event of interest.
- an apparatus for providing event triggered games includes a processing module and a trigger module.
- the processing module is capable of receiving a subscription to a game service from the mobile terminal and directing provision of game content including a game to the mobile terminal.
- the trigger module is capable of enabling remote execution of the game responsive to receipt of a trigger associated with an occurrence of a predefined event of interest.
- a mobile terminal for providing event triggered games includes an execution module.
- the execution module is capable of sending a subscription to a game service to a game server, receiving game content including a game from the game server, and executing the game in response to receipt of a remotely transmitted trigger.
- the trigger is transmitted responsive to an occurrence of a predefined event of interest.
- a system for providing event triggered games includes a mobile terminal and a game server.
- the mobile terminal includes an execution module.
- the execution module is capable of sending a subscription to a game service to a game server, receiving game content including a game from the game server, and executing the game in response to receipt of a remotely transmitted trigger.
- the trigger is transmitted by the game server responsive to an occurrence of a predefined event of interest.
- FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a mobile terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention
- FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of a wireless communications system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 3 illustrates a block diagram of a system for providing event triggered games at a mobile terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention
- FIG. 4 illustrates a control flow diagram according to an exemplary method of providing event triggered games at a mobile terminal
- FIG. 5 is a block diagram according to an exemplary method of providing event triggered games at a mobile terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a mobile terminal 10 that would benefit from the present invention.
- a mobile telephone as illustrated and hereinafter described is merely illustrative of one type of mobile terminal that would benefit from the present invention and, therefore, should not be taken to limit the scope of the present invention.
- While several embodiments of the mobile terminal 10 are illustrated and will be hereinafter described for purposes of example, other types of mobile terminals, such as portable digital assistants (PDAs), pagers, mobile televisions, laptop computers and other types of voice and text communications systems, can readily employ the present invention.
- PDAs portable digital assistants
- pagers pagers
- mobile televisions such as a portable televisions, laptop computers and other types of voice and text communications systems
- mobile gaming devices such as those sold under the trademark Playstation Portable (PSP) and Nintendo DS, for example, may also employ embodiments of the present invention.
- PDAs portable digital assistants
- Nintendo DS Nintendo DS
- the method of the present invention may be employed by other than a mobile terminal.
- the system and method of the present invention will be primarily described in conjunction with mobile communications applications. It should be understood, however, that the system and method of the present invention can be utilized in conjunction with a variety of other applications, both in the mobile communications industries and outside of the mobile communications industries.
- the mobile terminal 10 includes an antenna 12 in operable communication with a transmitter 14 and a receiver 16 .
- the mobile terminal 10 further includes a controller 20 or other processing element that provides signals to and receives signals from the transmitter 14 and receiver 16 , respectively.
- the signals include signaling information in accordance with the air interface standard of the applicable cellular system, and also user speech and/or user generated data.
- the mobile terminal 10 is capable of operating with one or more air interface standards, communication protocols, modulation types, and access types.
- the mobile terminal 10 is capable of operating in accordance with any of a number of first, second and/or third-generation communication protocols or the like.
- the mobile terminal 10 may be capable of operating in accordance with second-generation (2G) wireless communication protocols IS-136 (TDMA), GSM, and IS-95 (CDMA) or third-generation wireless communication protocol Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA).
- the controller 20 includes circuitry required for implementing audio and logic functions of the mobile terminal 10 .
- the controller 20 may be comprised of a digital signal processor device, a microprocessor device, and various analog to digital converters, digital to analog converters, and other support circuits. Control and signal processing functions of the mobile terminal 10 are allocated between these devices according to their respective capabilities.
- the controller 20 thus may also include the functionality to convolutionally encode and interleave message and data prior to modulation and transmission.
- the controller 20 can additionally include an internal voice coder, and may include an internal data modem.
- the controller 20 may include functionality to operate one or more software programs, which may be stored in memory.
- the controller 20 may be capable of operating a connectivity program, such as a conventional Web browser. The connectivity program may then allow the mobile terminal 10 to transmit and receive Web content, such as location-based content, according to a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), for example.
- WAP Wireless Application Protocol
- the mobile terminal 10 also comprises a user interface including an output device such as a conventional earphone or speaker 22 , a ringer 24 , a microphone 26 , a display 28 , and a user input interface, all of which are coupled to the controller 20 .
- the user input interface which allows the mobile terminal 10 to receive data, may include any of a number of devices allowing the mobile terminal 10 to receive data, such as a keypad 30 , a touch display (not shown) or other input device.
- the keypad 30 includes the conventional numeric (0-9) and related keys (#, *), and other keys used for operating the mobile terminal 10 .
- the mobile terminal 10 further includes a battery 34 , such as a vibrating battery pack, for powering various circuits that are required to operate the mobile terminal 10 , as well as optionally providing mechanical vibration as a detectable output.
- the mobile terminal 10 may further include a user identity module (UIM) 38 .
- the UIM 38 is typically a memory device having a processor built in.
- the UIM 38 may include, for example, a subscriber identity module (SIM), a universal integrated circuit card (UICC), a universal subscriber identity module (USIM), a removable user identity module (R-UIM), etc.
- SIM subscriber identity module
- UICC universal integrated circuit card
- USIM universal subscriber identity module
- R-UIM removable user identity module
- the UIM 38 typically stores information elements related to a mobile subscriber.
- the mobile terminal 10 may be equipped with memory.
- the mobile terminal 10 may include volatile memory 40 , such as volatile Random Access Memory (RAM) including a cache area for the temporary storage of data.
- RAM volatile Random Access Memory
- the mobile terminal 10 may also include other non-volatile memory 42 , which can be embedded and/or may be removable.
- the non-volatile memory 42 can additionally or alternatively comprise an EEPROM, flash memory or the like, such as that available from the SanDisk Corporation of Sunnyvale, Calif., or Lexar Media Inc. of Fremont, Calif.
- the memories can store any of a number of pieces of information, and data, used by the mobile terminal 10 to implement the functions of the mobile terminal 10 .
- the memories can include an identifier, such as an international mobile equipment identification (IMEI) code, capable of uniquely identifying the mobile terminal 10 .
- IMEI international mobile equipment identification
- the system includes a plurality of network devices.
- one or more mobile terminals 10 may each include an antenna 12 for transmitting signals to and for receiving signals from a base site or base station (BS) 44 .
- the base station 44 may be a part of one or more cellular or mobile networks each of which includes elements required to operate the network, such as a mobile switching center (MSC) 46 .
- MSC mobile switching center
- the mobile network may also be referred to as a Base Station/MSC/Interworking function (BMI).
- BMI Base Station/MSC/Interworking function
- the MSC 46 is capable of routing calls to and from the mobile terminal 10 when the mobile terminal 10 is making and receiving calls.
- the MSC 46 can also provide a connection to landline trunks when the mobile terminal 10 is involved in a call.
- the MSC 46 can be capable of controlling the forwarding of messages to and from the mobile terminal 10 , and can also control the forwarding of messages for the mobile terminal 10 to and from a messaging center. It should be noted that although the MSC 46 is shown in the system of FIG. 2 , the MSC 46 is merely an exemplary network device and the present invention is not limited to use in a network employing an MSC.
- the MSC 46 can be coupled to a data network, such as a local area network (LAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), and/or a wide area network (WAN).
- the MSC 46 can be directly coupled to the data network.
- the MSC 46 is coupled to a GTW 48
- the GTW 48 is coupled to a WAN, such as the Internet 50 .
- devices such as processing elements (e.g., personal computers, server computers or the like) can be coupled to the mobile terminal 10 via the Internet 50 .
- the processing elements can include one or more processing elements associated with a computing system 52 (two shown in FIG. 2 ), origin server 54 (one shown in FIG. 2 ) or the like, as described below.
- the BS 44 can also be coupled to a signaling GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) support node (SGSN) 56 .
- GPRS General Packet Radio Service
- the SGSN 56 is typically capable of performing functions similar to the MSC 46 for packet switched services.
- the SGSN 56 like the MSC 46 , can be coupled to a data network, such as the Internet 50 .
- the SGSN 56 can be directly coupled to the data network. In a more typical embodiment, however, the SGSN 56 is coupled to a packet-switched core network, such as a GPRS core network 58 .
- the packet-switched core network is then coupled to another GTW 48 , such as a GTW GPRS support node (GGSN) 60 , and the GGSN 60 is coupled to the Internet 50 .
- the packet-switched core network can also be coupled to a GTW 48 .
- the GGSN 60 can be coupled to a messaging center.
- the GGSN 60 and the SGSN 56 like the MSC 46 , may be capable of controlling the forwarding of messages, such as MMS messages.
- the GGSN 60 and SGSN 56 may also be capable of controlling the forwarding of messages for the mobile terminal 10 to and from the messaging center.
- devices such as a computing system 52 and/or origin server 54 may be coupled to the mobile terminal 10 via the Internet 50 , SGSN 56 and GGSN 60 .
- devices such as the computing system 52 and/or origin server 54 may communicate with the mobile terminal 10 across the SGSN 56 , GPRS core network 58 and the GGSN 60 .
- the mobile terminals 10 may communicate with the other devices and with one another, such as according to the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), to thereby carry out various functions of the mobile terminals 10 .
- HTTP Hypertext Transfer Protocol
- the mobile terminal 10 may be coupled to one or more of any of a number of different networks through the BS 44 .
- the network(s) can be capable of supporting communication in accordance with any one or more of a number of first-generation (1G), second-generation (2G), 2.5G and/or third-generation (3G) mobile communication protocols or the like.
- one or more of the network(s) can be capable of supporting communication in accordance with 2G wireless communication protocols IS-136 (TDMA), GSM, and IS-95 (CDMA).
- one or more of the network(s) can be capable of supporting communication in accordance with 2.5G wireless communication protocols GPRS, Enhanced Data GSM Environment (EDGE), or the like. Further, for example, one or more of the network(s) can be capable of supporting communication in accordance with 3 G wireless communication protocols such as Universal Mobile Telephone System (UMTS) network employing Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) radio access technology.
- UMTS Universal Mobile Telephone System
- WCDMA Wideband Code Division Multiple Access
- Some narrow-band AMPS (NAMPS), as well as TACS, network(s) may also benefit from embodiments of the present invention, as should dual or higher mode mobile stations (e.g., digital/analog or TDMA/CDMA/analog phones).
- the mobile terminal 10 can further be coupled to one or more wireless access points (APs) 62 .
- the APs 62 may comprise access points configured to communicate with the mobile terminal 10 in accordance with techniques such as, for example, radio frequency (RF), Bluetooth (BT), infrared (IrDA) or any of a number of different wireless networking techniques, including wireless LAN (WLAN) techniques such as IEEE 802.11 (e.g., 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n, etc.), WiMAX techniques such as IEEE 802.16, and/or ultra wideband (UWB) techniques such as IEEE 802.15 or the like.
- the APs 62 may be coupled to the Internet 50 .
- the APs 62 can be directly coupled to the Internet 50 . In one embodiment, however, the APs 62 are indirectly coupled to the Internet 50 via a GTW 48 . Furthermore, in one embodiment, the BS 44 may be considered as another AP 62 . As will be appreciated, by directly or indirectly connecting the mobile terminals 10 and the computing system 52 , the origin server 54 , and/or any of a number of other devices, to the Internet 50 , the mobile terminals 10 can communicate with one another, the computing system, etc., to thereby carry out various functions of the mobile terminals 10 , such as to transmit data, content or the like to, and/or receive content, data or the like from, the computing system 52 .
- data As used herein, the terms “data,” “content,” “information” and similar terms may be used interchangeably to refer to data capable of being transmitted, received and/or stored in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. Thus, use of any such terms should not be taken to limit the spirit and scope of the present invention.
- the mobile terminal 10 and computing system 52 may be coupled to one another and communicate in accordance with, for example, RF, BT, IrDA or any of a number of different wireline or wireless communication techniques, including LAN, WLAN, WiMAX and/or UWB techniques.
- One or more of the computing systems 52 can additionally, or alternatively, include a removable memory capable of storing content, which can thereafter be transferred to the mobile terminal 10 .
- the mobile terminal 10 can be coupled to one or more electronic devices, such as printers, digital projectors and/or other multimedia capturing, producing and/or storing devices (e.g., other terminals).
- the mobile terminal 10 may be configured to communicate with the portable electronic devices in accordance with techniques such as, for example, RF, BT, IrDA or any of a number of different wireline or wireless communication techniques, including USB, LAN, WLAN, WiMAX and/or UWB techniques.
- techniques such as, for example, RF, BT, IrDA or any of a number of different wireline or wireless communication techniques, including USB, LAN, WLAN, WiMAX and/or UWB techniques.
- game will be referred to hereinafter, it should be understood that such term is meant to encompass micro or mini-games which are well known, and any other recreational and interactive activity capable of execution by the mobile terminal 10 such as, for example, a riddle, puzzle, trivia question, test of skill, etc.
- FIG. 3 An exemplary embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to FIG. 3 , in which certain elements of a system for providing event triggered games at a mobile terminal are displayed.
- the system of FIG. 3 may be employed, for example, on the mobile terminal 10 of FIG. 1 and the computing system 52 or the origin server 54 of FIG. 2 .
- the system of FIG. 3 may also be employed on a variety of other devices, both mobile and fixed, and therefore, the present invention should not be limited to application on devices such as the mobile terminal 10 of FIG. 1 .
- FIG. 3 illustrates one example of a configuration of a system for providing event triggered games, numerous other configurations may also be used to implement the present invention.
- the system includes at least one game execution module 70 and a game control module 72 .
- the game execution module 70 may be any means or device embodied in hardware, software or a combination of hardware and software that is capable of storing instructions for executing a game in response to a trigger from the game control module 72 and thereafter transmitting the results of the game to the game control module 72 .
- the game execution module 70 is software stored at a mobile terminal 10 .
- the game control module 72 may be any means or device embodied in hardware, software or a combination of hardware and software that is capable of storing instructions for remotely triggering execution of a game at a plurality of execution modules responsive to manual or automatic notification of the occurrence of an event of interest and thereafter receiving and processing results of the game from the game execution module or modules.
- the game control module 72 may include separate modules for triggering execution of the game and processing the results.
- the game control module 72 may include a trigger module 80 and a processing module 81 .
- the game control module 72 is embodied in software as instructions that are stored on a network server called a game server 74 (see FIG. 4 ).
- the system of FIG. 3 is a client-server architecture.
- the game execution module 70 is a game client and the game control module 72 is a server.
- the game server 74 is hosted by an organizer or organizers of a real world event, such as a sporting event or other live performance.
- An exemplary embodiment of the present invention may be practiced in response to a mobile terminal user obtaining a subscription to a game service.
- the subscription may be, for example, for one event, for a given number of events, for a given time period, for a season, etc.
- the game execution module 70 may receive a trigger 75 from the trigger module 80 of the game control module 72 .
- the trigger 75 is wirelessly transmitted to the game execution module 70 via any suitable wireless protocol.
- the trigger 75 may be embodied, for example, as a short message service (SMS) message indicating a start of the game, or the trigger 75 may cause an application to launch and execute the game if, for example, the game execution module 70 has established a wireless connection to the game control module 72 .
- SMS short message service
- the game execution module 70 launches the game and the mobile terminal user plays the game.
- Game play typically involves display of visual and/or audio stimuli at the mobile terminal and user interaction via the input interface.
- Game results 76 are then transmitted to the processing module 81 of the game control module 72 for further processing as described below. It should be noted that although FIG. 3 only shows one game execution module 70 , the game control module 72 is capable of simultaneous communication with a plurality of game execution modules.
- the trigger 75 may be transmitted in response to a random occurrence of a predefined event of interest associated with a particular real world event such as a sporting event.
- the trigger 75 may be transmitted in response to a slam dunk at a basketball game, a touchdown in a football game, a homerun in a baseball game, a goal in hockey or soccer, etc.
- the trigger 75 may be one of multiple possible triggers, in which each trigger is associated with a particular game and each trigger is transmitted in response to the occurrence of a particular event having a predefined association with the particular game.
- a three point competition game may be triggered in response to a successful three point shot by the home basketball team, while a bricklaying competition may be triggered when the opponent misses an easy basket.
- the trigger 75 may be transmitted by the trigger module 80 in response to a manual prompt, i.e., an operator may manually instruct the trigger module 80 to send a trigger 75 .
- the manual prompt may be executed in response to any particular event of interest such as the end of a period, a score, fast break, etc.
- the trigger 75 may be transmitted by the trigger module 80 in response to an automatically generated prompt. For example, statistics normally kept during a sporting event may be tied to appropriate triggers.
- the trigger module 80 may be in communication with a statistical database and, responsive to the real-time statistical entries, transmit appropriate triggers associated with events indicated by the real-time statistical entries. It should be understood that any suitable method of causing the trigger 75 to be transmitted in response to an event or occurrence related to the real world event with which the subscription is associated is contemplated.
- FIG. 4 illustrates a control flow diagram according to an exemplary method of providing event triggered games at a mobile terminal.
- the mobile terminal 10 is assumed to include an exemplary game execution module 70 and the game server 74 is assumed to include an exemplary game control module 72 .
- the method of providing event triggered games at the mobile terminal 10 may be considered to include three states or phases related to provision of a game service. First, during a pre-game phase 77 , conditions that enable game play are met. In other words, the pre-game phase 77 is a set up state of the method, in which mobile terminal users may subscribe to the game service. Next, during an in-game phase 78 , event triggered games are played by players who subscribed to the game service.
- the in-game phase 78 may include one or multiple occurrences of either different games or the same game being played in response to event related triggers. Finally, during an optional post game phase 79 , results from games played during the in-game phase 78 may be tallied to determine an overall winner from among the players.
- the pre-game phase 77 may be considered a set-up phase in which game software is downloaded and installed on the mobile terminal 10 .
- a MIDP2 application jar packet, or other game related content associated with an already installed application may be downloaded during the pre-game phase 77 .
- the pre-game phase 77 of an exemplary embodiment may include a subscription 82 to the game service which may be embodied as a message sent from the mobile terminal 10 to the game server 74 .
- the subscription 82 may also be accomplished either before (i.e., when purchasing a ticket) or during the real world event (however, subscribing during the real world event may hamper the subscriber's ability to win an overall competition due to possible missed games).
- the subscription 82 may be accomplished by any suitable means, such as by calling a particular telephone number associated with the game service.
- the particular telephone number could be, for example, posted on a billboard at a sporting event, or on a ticket stub.
- the subscription 82 may also be embodied as an SMS message from the mobile terminal 10 to the game server 74 .
- the subscription 82 may be made in response to an invitation from the game server 74 , such as by an SMS message inviting a user of the mobile terminal 10 to subscribe.
- the subscription 82 may be accomplished by the user of the mobile phone selecting a subscription to the game service at a web page associated with the game service.
- the subscription 82 may be accomplished by a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag and an associated reader.
- RFID radio frequency identification
- game content is downloaded to the mobile terminal 10 via content data 84 .
- the content data 84 may be stored in the memory of the mobile terminal 10 waiting for execution responsive to receipt of an event related trigger.
- the content data 84 may include one or more games, which are executable responsive to a particular event related trigger.
- the in-game phase 78 of an exemplary embodiment may include an event trigger message 86 , which includes a trigger 75 as described above.
- organizers of the real world event i.e., sporting event or other performance
- the organizers may configure the game server 74 for automatic or manual transmission of the event trigger message 86 .
- the organizers may define particular triggers to be associated with particular triggering events.
- the mobile terminal 10 executes a game that has been predefined to be associated with the trigger 75 included in the event trigger message 86 .
- the event trigger message 86 may include additional game content.
- the additional game content may include a modification to an existing game, or a completely new game to be played when an associated trigger is received.
- the event trigger message 86 may reconfigure one or more of the games.
- the user of the mobile terminal 10 plays the game that was triggered by the event trigger message 86 .
- the mobile terminal 10 sends game results 90 to the game server 74 .
- the game server 74 collects game results from each subscriber and processes the game results at operation 92 .
- a notification message 94 may then be sent to each subscriber to inform each subscriber of a winner of the game.
- the notification message 94 may inform each subscriber of top performers and their corresponding times or scores.
- the notification message 94 may inform each subscriber of their score or time relative to the winner or the top performers. Additionally, the notification message 94 may inform each subscriber what the winner or the top performers have won for their achievement. Sponsorship or other advertisement information may also be included in the notification message 94 .
- the in-game phase 78 may include a plurality of sequences of the above-described operations (i.e., trigger game, play game, send results, determine winner, notify players).
- the post game phase 79 of an exemplary embodiment includes calculating total results for all games played during the real world event at operation 96 .
- each subscriber's scores for each of the games are tallied and an overall winner, or overall top performers are determined.
- the winner or top performers of each of the different types of games may be determined.
- the game service included a subscription option lasting over an entire sports season, or if results from all games over the entire sports season are considered, a season winner or top performer list may be determined.
- Winners or top performers in a total game or seasonal competition may be announced via a total game or seasonal notification message 98 that is similar to the notification message above.
- phase may be arbitrarily defined and it is rather the operations performed in each of the phases that define embodiments of the present invention and not the arbitrarily chosen phases.
- the phases and operations described above may be modified. For example, download of a game and game play could be conducted simultaneously. In other words, a subscriber could subscribe to a game and begin downloading the game content and still play a game in response to receipt of a trigger before the download is complete.
- the game server 74 may be programmed to stop receiving game results after a predetermined time in order to ensure that game results are received and winners or top performers can be determined in a reasonable time.
- the game server 74 is not required to await receipt of game results from all subscribers. It should also be noted that game results may be measured locally at each mobile terminal. Thus, particularly for timed events, a subscriber who receives the trigger 75 after a delay of any kind will not be handicapped relative to other subscribers. In other words, the game results in one embodiment are locally determined. Alternatively, responses may be provided by a subscriber to a remote game control module, which in turn determines the results.
- the responses provided by the subscribers may include respective time stamps associated with the commencement of the game at the subscriber's mobile terminal and the entry and/or transmission of the response such that the relevant time may be determined by the game control module without unfair consideration of transmission or other delays not attributable to the subscriber's response.
- FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a system, method and program product according to exemplary embodiments of the invention. It will be understood that each block or step of the flowcharts, and combinations of blocks in the flowcharts, can be implemented by various means, such as hardware, firmware, and/or software including one or more computer program instructions. For example, one or more of the procedures described above may be embodied by computer program instructions. In this regard, the computer program instructions which embody the procedures described above may be stored by a memory device of the mobile terminal or the game server and executed by a built-in processor in the mobile terminal or the game server.
- any such computer program instructions may be loaded onto a computer or other programmable apparatus (i.e., hardware) to produce a machine, such that the instructions which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus create means for implementing the functions specified in the flowcharts block(s) or step(s).
- These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable memory that can direct a computer or other programmable apparatus to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory produce an article of manufacture including instruction means which implement the function specified in the flowcharts block(s) or step(s).
- the computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer-implemented process such that the instructions which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide steps for implementing the functions specified in the flowcharts block(s) or step(s).
- blocks or steps of the flowcharts support combinations of means for performing the specified functions, combinations of steps for performing the specified functions and program instruction means for performing the specified functions. It will also be understood that one or more blocks or steps of the flowcharts, and combinations of blocks or steps in the flowcharts, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-based computer systems which perform the specified functions or steps, or combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions.
- one embodiment of a method for providing event triggered games includes receiving, at a game server, a subscription to a game service from a mobile terminal at operation 100 .
- the subscription may be for any suitable time period.
- the subscription could be to a short term game service lasting for only for a few hours or for one real world event (i.e., sporting event or other performance).
- the subscription may be for a long term game service such as for a predetermined period of time (i.e., for an hour, a month, a week, etc.), or a predetermined number of real world events (i.e., for an entire season, or for a specified number of games).
- the mobile terminal is provided with game content that executes responsive to a trigger initiated remotely from the mobile terminal.
- the game content is related to the game service.
- the trigger is issued responsive to an occurrence of a predefined event of interest.
- the trigger is transmitted to the mobile terminal.
- the mobile terminal executes the game content responsive to receipt of the trigger at operation 130 .
- the mobile terminal sends game results to the game server.
- the game server calculates performance results (e.g., a winner or top performers) from among all players or subscribers.
- the game server notifies the players or subscribers of the performance results.
- an additional operation may involve determining total performance results associated with a plurality of different game results from all players or subscribers. Accordingly, a winner or top performers for a season or at least for multiple real world events covered by a subscription to the game service may be determined.
- the above described functions may be carried out in many ways. For example, any suitable means for carrying out each of the functions described above may be employed to carry out the invention. In one embodiment, all or a portion of the elements of the invention generally operate under control of a computer program product.
- the computer program product for performing the methods of embodiments of the invention includes a computer-readable storage medium, such as the non-volatile storage medium, and computer-readable program code portions, such as a series of computer instructions, embodied in the computer-readable storage medium.
- a computer-readable storage medium such as the non-volatile storage medium
- computer-readable program code portions such as a series of computer instructions
Abstract
Description
- Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to gaming technology and, more particularly, relate to a method, apparatus, system and computer program product for providing event triggered games.
- The modern communications era has brought about a tremendous expansion of wireline and wireless networks. Computer networks, television networks, and telephony networks are experiencing an unprecedented technological expansion, fueled by consumer demand. Wireless and mobile networking technologies have addressed related consumer demands, while providing more flexibility and immediacy of information transfer.
- Current and future networking technologies continue to facilitate ease of information transfer and convenience to users. Concurrent with the technological expansion of networking technologies has been a consumer demand for improved wireless network based services. For example, web browsing and other web based services, short message services, email and many services capable of deployment at a mobile terminal are continuously being developed. One area in which there is a demand to provide improved mobile terminal service relates to micro and mini-games. Such games have been popular with users of mobile terminals, such as mobile telephones, due to the ability of such games to provide the users with mobile entertainment. Accordingly, many such games continue to be developed. Micro-games are typically games that last only a few seconds, while mini-games last longer, although still a relatively short period of time.
- In current applications, a user of a mobile terminal who wishes to play a micro or mini-game at the user's mobile terminal may launch an application on the mobile terminal to execute the game. Typically, the game is stored in a memory of the mobile terminal although the game may also be played, for example, through a connection to a server hosting the game. Often the game will have been downloaded by the user, although the game may have been installed on the mobile terminal during manufacture. Although such games may be purchased or selected for download in order to provide entertainment, the scope of the user's participation in most games is limited to the game itself. In other words, the user is often engaged in a private diversion. However, it may be desirable to provide a mechanism by which a game player's experience is tied to real world events. Thus, the game player's enjoyment of both the real world event and the game may be enhanced.
- A method, apparatus, system and computer program product are therefore provided that enables a user of a mobile terminal to receive and participate in mini or micro-games that are event triggered. Thus, for example, a micro or mini-game may be associated with a particular event and execution of the micro or mini-game may be triggered remotely upon occurrence of the particular event. Furthermore, multiple users of a same event triggered micro or mine-game may compete in contests based on a comparison of performance data of each of the multiple users.
- In one exemplary embodiment, a method of providing event triggered games is provided. The method includes operations of receiving a subscription to a game service from a subscriber, providing game content including a game to the subscriber, and enabling remote execution of the game responsive to receipt of a trigger associated with an occurrence of a predefined event of interest.
- In another exemplary embodiment, a computer program product for providing event triggered games is provided. The computer program product includes at least one computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein. The computer-readable program code portions include a first, second and third executable portion. The first executable portion is for receiving a subscription to a game service from a subscriber. The second executable portion is for providing game content including a game to the subscriber. The third executable portion is for enabling remote execution of the game responsive to receipt of a trigger associated with an occurrence of a predefined event of interest.
- In another exemplary embodiment, an apparatus for providing event triggered games is provided. The apparatus includes a processing module and a trigger module. The processing module is capable of receiving a subscription to a game service from the mobile terminal and directing provision of game content including a game to the mobile terminal. The trigger module is capable of enabling remote execution of the game responsive to receipt of a trigger associated with an occurrence of a predefined event of interest.
- In another exemplary embodiment, a mobile terminal for providing event triggered games is provided. The mobile terminal includes an execution module. The execution module is capable of sending a subscription to a game service to a game server, receiving game content including a game from the game server, and executing the game in response to receipt of a remotely transmitted trigger. The trigger is transmitted responsive to an occurrence of a predefined event of interest.
- In another exemplary embodiment, a system for providing event triggered games is provided. The system includes a mobile terminal and a game server. The mobile terminal includes an execution module. The execution module is capable of sending a subscription to a game service to a game server, receiving game content including a game from the game server, and executing the game in response to receipt of a remotely transmitted trigger. The trigger is transmitted by the game server responsive to an occurrence of a predefined event of interest.
- Having thus described the invention in general terms, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:
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FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a mobile terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; -
FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of a wireless communications system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; -
FIG. 3 illustrates a block diagram of a system for providing event triggered games at a mobile terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; -
FIG. 4 illustrates a control flow diagram according to an exemplary method of providing event triggered games at a mobile terminal; and -
FIG. 5 is a block diagram according to an exemplary method of providing event triggered games at a mobile terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. - Embodiments of the present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all embodiments of the invention are shown. Indeed, the invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout.
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FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of amobile terminal 10 that would benefit from the present invention. It should be understood, however, that a mobile telephone as illustrated and hereinafter described is merely illustrative of one type of mobile terminal that would benefit from the present invention and, therefore, should not be taken to limit the scope of the present invention. While several embodiments of themobile terminal 10 are illustrated and will be hereinafter described for purposes of example, other types of mobile terminals, such as portable digital assistants (PDAs), pagers, mobile televisions, laptop computers and other types of voice and text communications systems, can readily employ the present invention. Furthermore, mobile gaming devices such as those sold under the trademark Playstation Portable (PSP) and Nintendo DS, for example, may also employ embodiments of the present invention. - In addition, while several embodiments of the method of the present invention are performed or used by a
mobile terminal 10, the method may be employed by other than a mobile terminal. Moreover, the system and method of the present invention will be primarily described in conjunction with mobile communications applications. It should be understood, however, that the system and method of the present invention can be utilized in conjunction with a variety of other applications, both in the mobile communications industries and outside of the mobile communications industries. - The
mobile terminal 10 includes anantenna 12 in operable communication with atransmitter 14 and areceiver 16. Themobile terminal 10 further includes acontroller 20 or other processing element that provides signals to and receives signals from thetransmitter 14 andreceiver 16, respectively. The signals include signaling information in accordance with the air interface standard of the applicable cellular system, and also user speech and/or user generated data. In this regard, themobile terminal 10 is capable of operating with one or more air interface standards, communication protocols, modulation types, and access types. By way of illustration, themobile terminal 10 is capable of operating in accordance with any of a number of first, second and/or third-generation communication protocols or the like. For example, themobile terminal 10 may be capable of operating in accordance with second-generation (2G) wireless communication protocols IS-136 (TDMA), GSM, and IS-95 (CDMA) or third-generation wireless communication protocol Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA). - It is understood that the
controller 20 includes circuitry required for implementing audio and logic functions of themobile terminal 10. For example, thecontroller 20 may be comprised of a digital signal processor device, a microprocessor device, and various analog to digital converters, digital to analog converters, and other support circuits. Control and signal processing functions of themobile terminal 10 are allocated between these devices according to their respective capabilities. Thecontroller 20 thus may also include the functionality to convolutionally encode and interleave message and data prior to modulation and transmission. Thecontroller 20 can additionally include an internal voice coder, and may include an internal data modem. Further, thecontroller 20 may include functionality to operate one or more software programs, which may be stored in memory. For example, thecontroller 20 may be capable of operating a connectivity program, such as a conventional Web browser. The connectivity program may then allow themobile terminal 10 to transmit and receive Web content, such as location-based content, according to a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), for example. - The
mobile terminal 10 also comprises a user interface including an output device such as a conventional earphone orspeaker 22, aringer 24, amicrophone 26, adisplay 28, and a user input interface, all of which are coupled to thecontroller 20. The user input interface, which allows themobile terminal 10 to receive data, may include any of a number of devices allowing themobile terminal 10 to receive data, such as akeypad 30, a touch display (not shown) or other input device. In embodiments including thekeypad 30, thekeypad 30 includes the conventional numeric (0-9) and related keys (#, *), and other keys used for operating themobile terminal 10. Themobile terminal 10 further includes abattery 34, such as a vibrating battery pack, for powering various circuits that are required to operate themobile terminal 10, as well as optionally providing mechanical vibration as a detectable output. - The
mobile terminal 10 may further include a user identity module (UIM) 38. TheUIM 38 is typically a memory device having a processor built in. TheUIM 38 may include, for example, a subscriber identity module (SIM), a universal integrated circuit card (UICC), a universal subscriber identity module (USIM), a removable user identity module (R-UIM), etc. TheUIM 38 typically stores information elements related to a mobile subscriber. In addition to theUIM 38, themobile terminal 10 may be equipped with memory. For example, themobile terminal 10 may includevolatile memory 40, such as volatile Random Access Memory (RAM) including a cache area for the temporary storage of data. Themobile terminal 10 may also include othernon-volatile memory 42, which can be embedded and/or may be removable. Thenon-volatile memory 42 can additionally or alternatively comprise an EEPROM, flash memory or the like, such as that available from the SanDisk Corporation of Sunnyvale, Calif., or Lexar Media Inc. of Fremont, Calif. The memories can store any of a number of pieces of information, and data, used by themobile terminal 10 to implement the functions of themobile terminal 10. For example, the memories can include an identifier, such as an international mobile equipment identification (IMEI) code, capable of uniquely identifying themobile terminal 10. - Referring now to
FIG. 2 , an illustration of one type of system that would benefit from the present invention is provided. The system includes a plurality of network devices. As shown, one or moremobile terminals 10 may each include anantenna 12 for transmitting signals to and for receiving signals from a base site or base station (BS) 44. Thebase station 44 may be a part of one or more cellular or mobile networks each of which includes elements required to operate the network, such as a mobile switching center (MSC) 46. As well known to those skilled in the art, the mobile network may also be referred to as a Base Station/MSC/Interworking function (BMI). In operation, theMSC 46 is capable of routing calls to and from themobile terminal 10 when themobile terminal 10 is making and receiving calls. TheMSC 46 can also provide a connection to landline trunks when themobile terminal 10 is involved in a call. In addition, theMSC 46 can be capable of controlling the forwarding of messages to and from themobile terminal 10, and can also control the forwarding of messages for themobile terminal 10 to and from a messaging center. It should be noted that although theMSC 46 is shown in the system ofFIG. 2 , theMSC 46 is merely an exemplary network device and the present invention is not limited to use in a network employing an MSC. - The
MSC 46 can be coupled to a data network, such as a local area network (LAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), and/or a wide area network (WAN). TheMSC 46 can be directly coupled to the data network. In one typical embodiment, however, theMSC 46 is coupled to aGTW 48, and theGTW 48 is coupled to a WAN, such as theInternet 50. In turn, devices such as processing elements (e.g., personal computers, server computers or the like) can be coupled to themobile terminal 10 via theInternet 50. For example, as explained below, the processing elements can include one or more processing elements associated with a computing system 52 (two shown inFIG. 2 ), origin server 54 (one shown inFIG. 2 ) or the like, as described below. - The
BS 44 can also be coupled to a signaling GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) support node (SGSN) 56. As known to those skilled in the art, theSGSN 56 is typically capable of performing functions similar to theMSC 46 for packet switched services. TheSGSN 56, like theMSC 46, can be coupled to a data network, such as theInternet 50. TheSGSN 56 can be directly coupled to the data network. In a more typical embodiment, however, theSGSN 56 is coupled to a packet-switched core network, such as aGPRS core network 58. The packet-switched core network is then coupled to anotherGTW 48, such as a GTW GPRS support node (GGSN) 60, and theGGSN 60 is coupled to theInternet 50. In addition to theGGSN 60, the packet-switched core network can also be coupled to aGTW 48. Also, theGGSN 60 can be coupled to a messaging center. In this regard, theGGSN 60 and theSGSN 56, like theMSC 46, may be capable of controlling the forwarding of messages, such as MMS messages. TheGGSN 60 andSGSN 56 may also be capable of controlling the forwarding of messages for themobile terminal 10 to and from the messaging center. - In addition, by coupling the
SGSN 56 to theGPRS core network 58 and theGGSN 60, devices such as acomputing system 52 and/ororigin server 54 may be coupled to themobile terminal 10 via theInternet 50,SGSN 56 andGGSN 60. In this regard, devices such as thecomputing system 52 and/ororigin server 54 may communicate with themobile terminal 10 across theSGSN 56,GPRS core network 58 and theGGSN 60. By directly or indirectly connectingmobile terminals 10 and the other devices (e.g.,computing system 52,origin server 54, etc.) to theInternet 50, themobile terminals 10 may communicate with the other devices and with one another, such as according to the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), to thereby carry out various functions of themobile terminals 10. - Although not every element of every possible mobile network is shown and described herein, it should be appreciated that the
mobile terminal 10 may be coupled to one or more of any of a number of different networks through theBS 44. In this regard, the network(s) can be capable of supporting communication in accordance with any one or more of a number of first-generation (1G), second-generation (2G), 2.5G and/or third-generation (3G) mobile communication protocols or the like. For example, one or more of the network(s) can be capable of supporting communication in accordance with 2G wireless communication protocols IS-136 (TDMA), GSM, and IS-95 (CDMA). Also, for example, one or more of the network(s) can be capable of supporting communication in accordance with 2.5G wireless communication protocols GPRS, Enhanced Data GSM Environment (EDGE), or the like. Further, for example, one or more of the network(s) can be capable of supporting communication in accordance with 3G wireless communication protocols such as Universal Mobile Telephone System (UMTS) network employing Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) radio access technology. Some narrow-band AMPS (NAMPS), as well as TACS, network(s) may also benefit from embodiments of the present invention, as should dual or higher mode mobile stations (e.g., digital/analog or TDMA/CDMA/analog phones). - The
mobile terminal 10 can further be coupled to one or more wireless access points (APs) 62. TheAPs 62 may comprise access points configured to communicate with themobile terminal 10 in accordance with techniques such as, for example, radio frequency (RF), Bluetooth (BT), infrared (IrDA) or any of a number of different wireless networking techniques, including wireless LAN (WLAN) techniques such as IEEE 802.11 (e.g., 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n, etc.), WiMAX techniques such as IEEE 802.16, and/or ultra wideband (UWB) techniques such as IEEE 802.15 or the like. TheAPs 62 may be coupled to theInternet 50. Like with theMSC 46, theAPs 62 can be directly coupled to theInternet 50. In one embodiment, however, theAPs 62 are indirectly coupled to theInternet 50 via aGTW 48. Furthermore, in one embodiment, theBS 44 may be considered as anotherAP 62. As will be appreciated, by directly or indirectly connecting themobile terminals 10 and thecomputing system 52, theorigin server 54, and/or any of a number of other devices, to theInternet 50, themobile terminals 10 can communicate with one another, the computing system, etc., to thereby carry out various functions of themobile terminals 10, such as to transmit data, content or the like to, and/or receive content, data or the like from, thecomputing system 52. As used herein, the terms “data,” “content,” “information” and similar terms may be used interchangeably to refer to data capable of being transmitted, received and/or stored in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. Thus, use of any such terms should not be taken to limit the spirit and scope of the present invention. - Although not shown in
FIG. 2 , in addition to or in lieu of coupling themobile terminal 10 tocomputing systems 52 across theInternet 50, themobile terminal 10 andcomputing system 52 may be coupled to one another and communicate in accordance with, for example, RF, BT, IrDA or any of a number of different wireline or wireless communication techniques, including LAN, WLAN, WiMAX and/or UWB techniques. One or more of thecomputing systems 52 can additionally, or alternatively, include a removable memory capable of storing content, which can thereafter be transferred to themobile terminal 10. Further, themobile terminal 10 can be coupled to one or more electronic devices, such as printers, digital projectors and/or other multimedia capturing, producing and/or storing devices (e.g., other terminals). Like with thecomputing systems 52, themobile terminal 10 may be configured to communicate with the portable electronic devices in accordance with techniques such as, for example, RF, BT, IrDA or any of a number of different wireline or wireless communication techniques, including USB, LAN, WLAN, WiMAX and/or UWB techniques. - Although the term game will be referred to hereinafter, it should be understood that such term is meant to encompass micro or mini-games which are well known, and any other recreational and interactive activity capable of execution by the
mobile terminal 10 such as, for example, a riddle, puzzle, trivia question, test of skill, etc. - An exemplary embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to
FIG. 3 , in which certain elements of a system for providing event triggered games at a mobile terminal are displayed. The system ofFIG. 3 may be employed, for example, on themobile terminal 10 ofFIG. 1 and thecomputing system 52 or theorigin server 54 ofFIG. 2 . However, it should be noted that the system ofFIG. 3 , may also be employed on a variety of other devices, both mobile and fixed, and therefore, the present invention should not be limited to application on devices such as themobile terminal 10 ofFIG. 1 . It should also be noted, however, that whileFIG. 3 illustrates one example of a configuration of a system for providing event triggered games, numerous other configurations may also be used to implement the present invention. - Referring now to
FIG. 3 , a system for providing event triggered games at a mobile terminal is provided. The system includes at least onegame execution module 70 and agame control module 72. Thegame execution module 70 may be any means or device embodied in hardware, software or a combination of hardware and software that is capable of storing instructions for executing a game in response to a trigger from thegame control module 72 and thereafter transmitting the results of the game to thegame control module 72. In an exemplary embodiment, thegame execution module 70 is software stored at amobile terminal 10. Thegame control module 72 may be any means or device embodied in hardware, software or a combination of hardware and software that is capable of storing instructions for remotely triggering execution of a game at a plurality of execution modules responsive to manual or automatic notification of the occurrence of an event of interest and thereafter receiving and processing results of the game from the game execution module or modules. Thegame control module 72 may include separate modules for triggering execution of the game and processing the results. For example, thegame control module 72 may include atrigger module 80 and aprocessing module 81. In an exemplary embodiment, thegame control module 72 is embodied in software as instructions that are stored on a network server called a game server 74 (seeFIG. 4 ). The system ofFIG. 3 is a client-server architecture. As such, thegame execution module 70 is a game client and thegame control module 72 is a server. In an exemplary embodiment, thegame server 74 is hosted by an organizer or organizers of a real world event, such as a sporting event or other live performance. - An exemplary embodiment of the present invention may be practiced in response to a mobile terminal user obtaining a subscription to a game service. The subscription may be, for example, for one event, for a given number of events, for a given time period, for a season, etc. Following subscription of a user of the
game execution module 70 to a game service that provides event triggered games, thegame execution module 70 may receive atrigger 75 from thetrigger module 80 of thegame control module 72. In an exemplary embodiment, thetrigger 75 is wirelessly transmitted to thegame execution module 70 via any suitable wireless protocol. Thetrigger 75 may be embodied, for example, as a short message service (SMS) message indicating a start of the game, or thetrigger 75 may cause an application to launch and execute the game if, for example, thegame execution module 70 has established a wireless connection to thegame control module 72. Upon receipt of thetrigger 75, thegame execution module 70 launches the game and the mobile terminal user plays the game. Game play typically involves display of visual and/or audio stimuli at the mobile terminal and user interaction via the input interface. Game results 76 are then transmitted to theprocessing module 81 of thegame control module 72 for further processing as described below. It should be noted that althoughFIG. 3 only shows onegame execution module 70, thegame control module 72 is capable of simultaneous communication with a plurality of game execution modules. - The
trigger 75 may be transmitted in response to a random occurrence of a predefined event of interest associated with a particular real world event such as a sporting event. For example, thetrigger 75 may be transmitted in response to a slam dunk at a basketball game, a touchdown in a football game, a homerun in a baseball game, a goal in hockey or soccer, etc. Furthermore, thetrigger 75 may be one of multiple possible triggers, in which each trigger is associated with a particular game and each trigger is transmitted in response to the occurrence of a particular event having a predefined association with the particular game. For example, a three point competition game may be triggered in response to a successful three point shot by the home basketball team, while a bricklaying competition may be triggered when the opponent misses an easy basket. Thetrigger 75 may be transmitted by thetrigger module 80 in response to a manual prompt, i.e., an operator may manually instruct thetrigger module 80 to send atrigger 75. The manual prompt may be executed in response to any particular event of interest such as the end of a period, a score, fast break, etc. Alternatively, thetrigger 75 may be transmitted by thetrigger module 80 in response to an automatically generated prompt. For example, statistics normally kept during a sporting event may be tied to appropriate triggers. In other words, thetrigger module 80 may be in communication with a statistical database and, responsive to the real-time statistical entries, transmit appropriate triggers associated with events indicated by the real-time statistical entries. It should be understood that any suitable method of causing thetrigger 75 to be transmitted in response to an event or occurrence related to the real world event with which the subscription is associated is contemplated. -
FIG. 4 illustrates a control flow diagram according to an exemplary method of providing event triggered games at a mobile terminal. InFIG. 4 , themobile terminal 10 is assumed to include an exemplarygame execution module 70 and thegame server 74 is assumed to include an exemplarygame control module 72. As shown inFIG. 4 , the method of providing event triggered games at themobile terminal 10 may be considered to include three states or phases related to provision of a game service. First, during apre-game phase 77, conditions that enable game play are met. In other words, thepre-game phase 77 is a set up state of the method, in which mobile terminal users may subscribe to the game service. Next, during an in-game phase 78, event triggered games are played by players who subscribed to the game service. The in-game phase 78 may include one or multiple occurrences of either different games or the same game being played in response to event related triggers. Finally, during an optionalpost game phase 79, results from games played during the in-game phase 78 may be tallied to determine an overall winner from among the players. - The
pre-game phase 77 may be considered a set-up phase in which game software is downloaded and installed on themobile terminal 10. For example, a MIDP2 application jar packet, or other game related content associated with an already installed application (such as a MIDP2 application) may be downloaded during thepre-game phase 77. Thepre-game phase 77 of an exemplary embodiment may include asubscription 82 to the game service which may be embodied as a message sent from themobile terminal 10 to thegame server 74. Thesubscription 82 may also be accomplished either before (i.e., when purchasing a ticket) or during the real world event (however, subscribing during the real world event may hamper the subscriber's ability to win an overall competition due to possible missed games). Thesubscription 82 may be accomplished by any suitable means, such as by calling a particular telephone number associated with the game service. The particular telephone number could be, for example, posted on a billboard at a sporting event, or on a ticket stub. Thesubscription 82 may also be embodied as an SMS message from themobile terminal 10 to thegame server 74. In an exemplary embodiment, thesubscription 82 may be made in response to an invitation from thegame server 74, such as by an SMS message inviting a user of themobile terminal 10 to subscribe. As another alternative, thesubscription 82 may be accomplished by the user of the mobile phone selecting a subscription to the game service at a web page associated with the game service. As yet another alternative, thesubscription 82 may be accomplished by a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag and an associated reader. Following thesubscription 82, game content is downloaded to themobile terminal 10 viacontent data 84. Thecontent data 84 may be stored in the memory of themobile terminal 10 waiting for execution responsive to receipt of an event related trigger. Thecontent data 84 may include one or more games, which are executable responsive to a particular event related trigger. - The in-
game phase 78 of an exemplary embodiment may include anevent trigger message 86, which includes atrigger 75 as described above. Typically, organizers of the real world event (i.e., sporting event or other performance) may predefine which occurrences or events will trigger theevent trigger message 86. Additionally, the organizers may configure thegame server 74 for automatic or manual transmission of theevent trigger message 86. Moreover, the organizers may define particular triggers to be associated with particular triggering events. Upon receipt of theevent trigger message 86, themobile terminal 10 executes a game that has been predefined to be associated with thetrigger 75 included in theevent trigger message 86. In an exemplary embodiment, theevent trigger message 86 may include additional game content. For example, the additional game content may include a modification to an existing game, or a completely new game to be played when an associated trigger is received. In other words, theevent trigger message 86 may reconfigure one or more of the games. Atoperation 88, the user of themobile terminal 10 plays the game that was triggered by theevent trigger message 86. Upon completion of the game, themobile terminal 10 sends game results 90 to thegame server 74. Thegame server 74 collects game results from each subscriber and processes the game results atoperation 92. Anotification message 94 may then be sent to each subscriber to inform each subscriber of a winner of the game. Alternatively, thenotification message 94 may inform each subscriber of top performers and their corresponding times or scores. As yet another alternative, thenotification message 94 may inform each subscriber of their score or time relative to the winner or the top performers. Additionally, thenotification message 94 may inform each subscriber what the winner or the top performers have won for their achievement. Sponsorship or other advertisement information may also be included in thenotification message 94. The in-game phase 78 may include a plurality of sequences of the above-described operations (i.e., trigger game, play game, send results, determine winner, notify players). - The
post game phase 79 of an exemplary embodiment includes calculating total results for all games played during the real world event atoperation 96. In other words, each subscriber's scores for each of the games are tallied and an overall winner, or overall top performers are determined. In an exemplary embodiment, if multiple games of different types were played during the real world event, then the winner or top performers of each of the different types of games may be determined. Alternatively, for example, if the game service included a subscription option lasting over an entire sports season, or if results from all games over the entire sports season are considered, a season winner or top performer list may be determined. Winners or top performers in a total game or seasonal competition may be announced via a total game orseasonal notification message 98 that is similar to the notification message above. - It should be noted that although the forgoing description describes embodiments of the present invention in terms of phases or states, such phases may be arbitrarily defined and it is rather the operations performed in each of the phases that define embodiments of the present invention and not the arbitrarily chosen phases. In addition, the phases and operations described above may be modified. For example, download of a game and game play could be conducted simultaneously. In other words, a subscriber could subscribe to a game and begin downloading the game content and still play a game in response to receipt of a trigger before the download is complete. Additionally, the
game server 74 may be programmed to stop receiving game results after a predetermined time in order to ensure that game results are received and winners or top performers can be determined in a reasonable time. In other words, thegame server 74 is not required to await receipt of game results from all subscribers. It should also be noted that game results may be measured locally at each mobile terminal. Thus, particularly for timed events, a subscriber who receives thetrigger 75 after a delay of any kind will not be handicapped relative to other subscribers. In other words, the game results in one embodiment are locally determined. Alternatively, responses may be provided by a subscriber to a remote game control module, which in turn determines the results. If the game is a timed event, the responses provided by the subscribers may include respective time stamps associated with the commencement of the game at the subscriber's mobile terminal and the entry and/or transmission of the response such that the relevant time may be determined by the game control module without unfair consideration of transmission or other delays not attributable to the subscriber's response. - It should also be noted that there is no need for subscribers to attend the real world event. In other words, for example, a subscriber could subscribe to the game service while watching a sporting event on television. In fact, a subscriber could subscribe to the game service and participate in event triggered games even though the subscriber is not watching the related real world event at all. Accordingly, participation in the event triggered games (particularly if the event triggered games are distinct for each event) may present an interesting way for a fan to monitor a sporting event which the fan cannot attend or watch on television.
-
FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a system, method and program product according to exemplary embodiments of the invention. It will be understood that each block or step of the flowcharts, and combinations of blocks in the flowcharts, can be implemented by various means, such as hardware, firmware, and/or software including one or more computer program instructions. For example, one or more of the procedures described above may be embodied by computer program instructions. In this regard, the computer program instructions which embody the procedures described above may be stored by a memory device of the mobile terminal or the game server and executed by a built-in processor in the mobile terminal or the game server. As will be appreciated, any such computer program instructions may be loaded onto a computer or other programmable apparatus (i.e., hardware) to produce a machine, such that the instructions which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus create means for implementing the functions specified in the flowcharts block(s) or step(s). These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable memory that can direct a computer or other programmable apparatus to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory produce an article of manufacture including instruction means which implement the function specified in the flowcharts block(s) or step(s). The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer-implemented process such that the instructions which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide steps for implementing the functions specified in the flowcharts block(s) or step(s). - Accordingly, blocks or steps of the flowcharts support combinations of means for performing the specified functions, combinations of steps for performing the specified functions and program instruction means for performing the specified functions. It will also be understood that one or more blocks or steps of the flowcharts, and combinations of blocks or steps in the flowcharts, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-based computer systems which perform the specified functions or steps, or combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions.
- In this regard, one embodiment of a method for providing event triggered games includes receiving, at a game server, a subscription to a game service from a mobile terminal at
operation 100. The subscription may be for any suitable time period. For example, the subscription could be to a short term game service lasting for only for a few hours or for one real world event (i.e., sporting event or other performance). Alternatively, the subscription may be for a long term game service such as for a predetermined period of time (i.e., for an hour, a month, a week, etc.), or a predetermined number of real world events (i.e., for an entire season, or for a specified number of games). Atoperation 110, the mobile terminal is provided with game content that executes responsive to a trigger initiated remotely from the mobile terminal. The game content is related to the game service. The trigger is issued responsive to an occurrence of a predefined event of interest. Atoperation 120, the trigger is transmitted to the mobile terminal. The mobile terminal executes the game content responsive to receipt of the trigger atoperation 130. Atoperation 140, the mobile terminal sends game results to the game server. Atoperation 150, the game server calculates performance results (e.g., a winner or top performers) from among all players or subscribers. Atoperation 160, the game server notifies the players or subscribers of the performance results. Optionally, an additional operation may involve determining total performance results associated with a plurality of different game results from all players or subscribers. Accordingly, a winner or top performers for a season or at least for multiple real world events covered by a subscription to the game service may be determined. - The above described functions may be carried out in many ways. For example, any suitable means for carrying out each of the functions described above may be employed to carry out the invention. In one embodiment, all or a portion of the elements of the invention generally operate under control of a computer program product. The computer program product for performing the methods of embodiments of the invention includes a computer-readable storage medium, such as the non-volatile storage medium, and computer-readable program code portions, such as a series of computer instructions, embodied in the computer-readable storage medium. It should also be noted, that although the above described principles have been applied in the context of games related to sporting events, similar principles would also apply to the delivery of games related to other live or recorded events. Moreover, while the forgoing exemplary games have involved multiplayer competition such games could involve a single subscriber working to improve his or her own score or competing against a predefined standard without comparison to other players.
- Many modifications and other embodiments of the inventions set forth herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which these inventions pertain having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the inventions are not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.
Claims (37)
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