System and method of displaying device information for party formation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9868063-B1
Application number	US-201715466674-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Mar 22, 2017
Priority date	Nov 19, 2013
Publication date	Jan 16, 2018
Grant date	Jan 16, 2018

Abstract

A virtual space is provided to users via client computing devices. Device information related to a client computing platform used by a user to interact with the virtual space may be obtained. Customized in-game capabilities available for the user may be determined based on the device information, which may include a description of or otherwise identify the client computing platform. The device information may include or otherwise by used to obtain device capabilities such as hardware, software, network, and/or other specifications. Different users using different client computing platforms may be provided with different in-game capabilities such as user roles, content items, levels, and/or other content or actions available for the user in the virtual space based on the client computing platform used by the users to access the virtual space. The device information may be used to facilitate enhanced party formation between users of the virtual space.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An online gaming system configured to display information related to client computing platforms used by users of an online game to facilitate enhanced relationship formation, the system comprising:
one or more physical computer processors configured by machine-readable instructions to:
execute an instance of a virtual space in which the online game takes place, and to facilitate presentation of the online game to the users on client computing platforms, and to initiate formation of a relationship formed by the users to cooperatively play individual portions of the online game;
obtain device information indicative of the features and functions of different client computing platforms used by the users to interact with the instance of the virtual space, wherein the different client computing platforms have different classes of client computing platforms that are associated with different in-game actions, and wherein the device information includes a first set of information indicative of the features and functions of a first client computing platform used by a first user of the virtual space, and a second set of information indicative of the features and functions of a second client computing platform used by a second user of the virtual space;
initiate one or more relationships between users, wherein an individual relationship includes users that will be able to engage in gameplay together upon relationship formation, and wherein initiating formation of the one or more relationships includes effectuating presentation of request interfaces for viewing by the users of the virtual space, the request interfaces configured to receive entry and/or selection from the users for forming the relationships of users that will be able to engage in gameplay together, the request interfaces being presented at a time of initiation of the one or more relationships and including device information indicative of the features and functions of the different client computing platforms used by the users of the virtual space that are participating in the same game via the different client computing platforms, such that a first request interface that is configured to receive entry and/or selection from the first user to form a first relationship between two or more users that will be able to engage in gameplay together, is presented to the first user via a client computing platform associated with the first user, and wherein the users in the first relationship include the second user, and the first request interface includes, for viewing by the first user, the second set of information related to the second client computing platform used by the second user, and
responsive to receiving a request confirmation by the second user, process the request to form the first relationship including the first user and the second user by associating the first user and the second user with the first relationship directly or indirectly; and
wherein the first relationship is implemented for the first user and the second user in the virtual space.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions to:
present a second request interface that is configured to receive entry and/or selection from the second user to confirm the request to form the first relationship, the second interface including, for viewing by the second user, the first set of information related to the first client computing platform used by the first user.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions to:
identify a particular class of client computing platform via which users are able to perform a first type of in-game action using the particular class of client computing platform;
determine that the second user uses the particular class of client computing platform to interact with the instance of the virtual space based on the second set of device information; and
provide an indication that the first relationship should include the second user as a member of the first relationship, and wherein the request to form the first relationship is processed after the indication is provided.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions to:
process a query that requests to obtain information related to users of the virtual space that use a particular class of client computing platform, wherein the requested information includes an identification of the users that use the particular class of client computing platform;
identify, directly or indirectly responsive to the query, one or more users of the virtual space that use the particular class of client computing platform, wherein the second user is identified as using the particular class of client computing platform; and
provide the identified second user to the first user, wherein the request to form the first relationship is processed thereafter.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions to:
receive a provisioning request to provide device information to one or more users of the virtual space, including receiving a provisioning request to provide device information including the second set of information to one or more users of the virtual space, such that the one or more users are made aware of the device information of the second user; and
provide the device information including the second set of information to the one or more users, wherein the one or more users includes the first user.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions such that device information provided to the one or more users includes device information associated with users specifically identified by the first user or are part of a larger set of users not identified by the first user.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are is configured by machine-readable instructions such that the association of the first user and the second user to form the first relationship comprises addition of the first user to the first relationship of which the second user is already a member.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured by machine-readable instructions such that the association of the first user and the second user to form the first relationship comprises creation of a new relationship and addition of the first user and the second user to the new relationship that was created.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions to implement user roles that are associated with an ability to perform an in-game action and/or associated with access to in-game content, and wherein different classes of client computing platforms are associated with different in-game actions and/or different access to in-game content.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the one or more processors are configured by machine-readable instructions to assign one or more in-game capabilities and/or one or more access to in-game content to the first user based on the first set of device information such that the first relationship includes a member that has the one or more in-game capabilities and/or the one or more access to in-game content after the first user is associated with the first relationship.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions such that the request interface includes a device indicator such as a visu

Assignees

• Kabam Inc
• Aftershock Services Inc

Inventors

• Wakeford Kent
• Harrington Clifford J

Classifications

• A63F13/23

  for interfacing with the game device, e.g. specific interfaces between game controller and console · CPC title

• A63F13/335

  using Internet · CPC title

• A63F13/847

  Cooperative playing, e.g. requiring coordinated actions from several players to achieve a common goal · CPC title

• A63F13/537 Primary

  using indicators, e.g. showing the condition of a game character on screen · CPC title

• A63F13/40

  Processing input control signals of video game devices, e.g. signals generated by the player or derived from the environment · CPC title