IP Library Granted Patent US 11,192,023
Granted Patent B2
US 11,192,023 · App. 16/834,629 · Granted Dec 7, 2021

Systems and methods of automatic game creation

Inventors: Abhinav Agrawal (San Francisco, CA); Adam Ja Ming Yim (San Francisco, CA); Kohta Aoki Wajima (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: Zynga Inc.
A63F13/30A63F13/63A63F13/795
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,192,023
App. No.
16/834,629
Granted
Dec 7, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system, machine-readable storage medium storing at least one program, and a computer-implemented method for automatic game creation are presented. An access module can access player information for a receiver and an originator. Additionally, a matching module can determine that the receiver and the originator have a connection based on the player information. Furthermore, a game invitation module can detect that a recipient game is installed on an originator device of the originator and that the recipient game is not installed on a receiver device of the receiver. Subsequently, the game invitation module can send, to the receiver device, a game invitation to play the recipient game based on the determination and the detection, with the game invitation including information associated with the originator.

Claims (49)

1. A system comprising:

one or more computer processor devices; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more computer processor devices, configure the system to perform operations comprising:

accessing player information for players of a multiplayer online game managed over a distributed computer network by the system;

processing the player information to identify one of the players as a recruiting player for the game, the recruiting player having an associated user device on which is installed a client game application executable by the user device to enable playing of the game via the user device;

identifying as a target recruit a user who satisfies predefined connection criteria with respect to the recruiting player, the target recruit having a respectively associated user device capable of executing the client game application;

establishing absence of installation of the client game application on the user device of the target recruit; and

responsive to and conditional upon establishing the absence of installation of the client game application on the user device of the target recruit, generating and transmitting to the user device of the target recruit, without involvement of or initiation by the recruiting player, a game invitation for the recruiting player and the target recruit to play an instance of the game together, the game invitation being configured to appear as having been initiated by the recruiting player.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions configure the system to transmit the game invitation to the target recruit on behalf of the recruiting player.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further configure the system to:

responsive to acceptance of the game invitation by the target recruit, automatically cause installation of the client game application for the game on the user device of the target recruit.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the game invitation includes a selectable link to an application store to download the client game application for the target game to the user device of the target recruit.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the instructions further configure the system to:

receive a notification from the application store that the client game application for the game has been installed on the user device of the target recruit;

responsive to receiving the notification from the application store, automatically generate and transmit a request from the target recruit for gameplay with the recruiting player; and

based on the request, initiate a game instance of the game between the recruiting player and the target recruit.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the connection criteria comprise that the target recruit and the recruiting player are connected in a social network.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the social network is an out-of-game network.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the connection criteria comprise that the target recruit and the recruiting player have played each other in a further game hosted by the system, the further game being different from the game to which the game invitation pertains.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the instructions further configure the system to:

quantify a number of game instances of the further game that the target recruit has played over a predefined period of time; and

wherein the generation and transmission of the game invitation is further conditional upon the number of game instances transgressing a predetermined threshold.

10. A method comprising:

accessing player information for players of a multiplayer online game managed over a distributed computer network by a gaming server system comprising one or more game servers;

processing the player information to identify one of the players as a recruiting player for the game, the recruiting player having an associated user device on which is installed a client game application executable by the user device to enable playing of the game via the user device;

in an automated operation performed one or more computer processor devices configured therefor, identifying as a target recruit a user who satisfies predefined connection criteria with respect to the recruiting player, the target recruit having a respectively associated user device capable of executing the client game application;

establishing absence of installation of the client game application on the user device of the target recruit; and

in an automated procedure performed responsive to and conditional upon establishing the absence of installation of the client game application on the user device of the target recruit, generating and transmitting to the user device of the target recruit, without involvement of or initiation by the recruiting player, a game invitation for the recruiting player and the target recruit to play an instance of the game together, the game invitation being configured to appear as having been initiated by the recruiting player.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the gaming server system transmits the game invitation to the target recruit on behalf of the recruiting player.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

responsive to acceptance of the game invitation by the target recruit, automatically causing, by operation of the gaming server system, installation of the client game application for the game on the user device of the target recruit.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the game invitation includes a selectable link to an application store to download the client game application for the target game to the user device of the target recruit.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

receiving a notification from the application store that the client game application for the game has been installed on the user device of the target recruit;

responsive to receiving the notification from the application store, automatically generating and transmitting a request from the target recruit for gameplay with the recruiting player; and

based on the request; initiating a game instance of the game between the recruiting player and the target recruit.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the connection criteria comprise that the target recruit and the recruiting player are connected in a social network.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the social network is an out-of-game network.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein the connection criteria comprise that the target recruit and the recruiting player have played each other in a further game hosted by the gaming server system, the further game being different from the game to which the game invitation pertains.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

quantifying a number of game instances of the further game that the target recruit has played over a predefined period of time; and

wherein the generation and transmission of the game invitation is further conditional upon the number of game instances transgressing a predetermined threshold.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, the computer-readable storage medium including instructions that when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform operation comprising:

accessing player information for players of a multiplayer online game managed over a distributed computer network by a gaming server system comprising one or more game servers;

processing the player information to identify one of the players as a recruiting player for the game, the recruiting player having an associated user device on which is installed a client game application executable by the user device to enable playing of the game via the user device;

identifying as a target recruit a user who satisfies predefined connection criteria with respect to the recruiting player, the target recruit having a respectively associated user device capable of executing the client game application;

establishing absence of installation of the client game application on the user device of the target recruit; and

responsive to and conditional upon establishing the absence of installation of the client game application on the user device of the target recruit, generating and transmitting to the user device of the target recruit, without involvement of or initiation by the recruiting player, a game invitation for the recruiting player and the target recruit to play an instance of the game together, the game invitation being configured to appear as having been initiated by the recruiting player.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19 , wherein the instructions cause the gaming server system to transmit the game invitation to the target recruit on behalf of the recruiting player.

Assignments (3)
TERMINATION AND RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded May 23, 2022
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: ZYNGA INC.
Reel/Frame 060163/0437 →
NOTICE OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Dec 14, 2020
From: ZYNGA INC.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 054719/0490 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 6, 2020
From: AGRAWAL, ABHINAV; YIM, ADAM JA MING; WAJIMA, KOHTA AOKI
To: ZYNGA INC.
Reel/Frame 052322/0789 →