System and method for application management through threshold events

System and procedure for application management through threshold events

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

I. Field of the invention

This invention generally relates to computer networks and wireless communications. More specifically, the present invention relates to the management of remote applications in a wireless communications network where threshold events occur during application execution.

II. Description of the related technique

Mobile communications devices, such as cell phones and personal digital assistants, have computer platforms capable of providing more services than simple voice or data communications services. Existing mobile phones can receive "short messages," such as paging messages, or emails. A mobile phone can also act as a web browser, allowing users to browse the Internet. The current mobile device processor typically handles all resident applications, and the device processor will only run the application and will not interact with a server or other computer device on the wireless network.

In wireless networks, unidirectional communications are common, an example being a short message downloaded from a server to a mobile device, such as a paging or email address. These unidirectional communications generally use a limited amount of the expensive bandwidth of the cellular network. Bidirectional communications are reserved for voice calls between parties over the network.

It is also known to have a multi-user environment and a substantially real-time interaction between personal computing devices on a wired LAN or the Internet. This interaction usually occurs through, or in selective communication with a server on the Internet or LAN, and the server can store records of multiple user interactions with any purpose the server wishes, such as application management, gather Marketing data and spread software patches and updates. However, such application management and interaction has been unnecessary and impractical in wireless devices due to bandwidth restrictions and the lack of an interactive multi-user environment.

EP 1 124 368 A1 discloses a signal converter that is connected to a server through a communication line to deliver control data to the server, which comprises a signal conversion unit that converts a DTMF signal from a connected telephone terminal through a public communication line in predetermined control data and a data transmission unit that transmits the control data to the server through the communication line.

WO 01/11347 A1 refers to the communication of digital data to a portable wireless device. A wireless data system includes a plurality of portable wireless devices capable of receiving digital data comprising a first part of digital data and at least a second part of digital data.

Finally, from US 5,292,254 a procedure is known for simulating a minefield that includes a number of soldiers and vehicles that each include a player detection device or a vehicle detection device. Player detection devices and vehicle detection devices determine and transmit their respective locations to a central computer. The central computer or a player determines if the player is within a radius of activation of a mine in the minefield. The central computer or player has established a bitmap of the minefield with indications of the exact location of the mines within the minefield. If a player (troop or vehicle) is within the radius of the activation of a mine, the central computer or player saves the identity of the spent mine in the minefield bitmap by changing its indication from active to inactive. A central computer or player detection device can determine the effects of the spent mine on the troop or vehicle.

Consequently, it would be advantageous to provide a system and a procedure that allows remote management of applications on mobile and remote computing devices in a wireless network. Therefore, it is to the provision of a system and a procedure that the present invention is directed principally.

Summary of the Invention

The invention is defined in independent claims 1,15, 22, 33.

An example is a system, procedure and program to provide interactive games or applications between multiple users located in different geographical locations, where the system handles applications depending on threshold events that occur in applications. Such threshold events can occur for individual users or for a collective group of users in a shared application.

The system includes a server connected to a wireless communications network, and, optionally, a database accessible by the server. The server communicates with a plurality of wireless communication devices, such as mobile phones or other portable devices, through the wireless communication network. One or more users can start an application by connecting to the server and selecting an application. The server identifies the user through the identification information associated with the portable device and retrieves the appropriate access, level or applications available to the one or more users. The server can also send an invitation for other users who are identified as the user's teammates, or can acquire other users for a multi-user environment, if desired. If the application requires an opponent, the server can send a list of the opponents and let the user choose an opponent. Once the user has chosen an opponent, the server can send an invitation to the adversary and establish the application between the two parties.

In one embodiment, the server selects applications available to the user according to the user data of previous applications, such as score achieved or the duration of use of the application. The server therefore compares the application data to determine if a threshold event has been reached by said user or group of users, and if the threshold event has been reached, the server can modify the present request in the user, provide a different level of access to the user, or record the event that has been reached.

A server or other database tracks and stores application event data for the user or group for a particular application used remotely, thus eliminating the possibility that threshold data is manipulated by the user.

In another embodiment, the server executes the selected application with display information sent to the screens on each mobile communications device, with each user entering data from their mobile communications device, and the inputs are transmitted from the mobile device to the server through of the wireless communication network. The server takes the entries and incorporates them into the application. The output of the application is transmitted by the server to each portable device for viewing with the server following the events of the interaction of several users.

In an alternative embodiment, the selected application can be downloaded for each mobile device and run on it. In this embodiment, the user enters the entry and the mobile device executes the entry locally and also transmits the application data to a server in the network. Thus, a server-side user can determine threshold events that occur on a single mobile device.

The system, procedure, program and therefore provide an advantage in handling applications on remote mobile devices, and control access to the server-side application and provide benefits to users through the determination of events of server side threshold. The invention can be used with one or a group of users of a common application in the devices, which is therefore scalable for a multi-user application. And because the application data for the mobile device is kept at least on the server side, the data is safe against tampering by the user.

Other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent after review of the Brief Description of the Drawings, Detailed Description of the Invention, and the claims set forth hereafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 is an architecture of a wireless communications network.

Figure 2 is a block diagram of an embodiment of an application that is managed through threshold events.

Figure 3 is a block diagram of an alternative embodiment of an application that is managed through threshold events.

Figure 4 is a flow chart of an embodiment of a running process on a mobile device for receiving and executing a game application.

Figure 5 is a flow chart of another embodiment of the process running on a wireless network server to manage the game application running on the device of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a flow chart of the process that runs on the mobile device that executes commands during the execution of an application, such as a game.

Figure 7 is a flow chart for the server that receives and executes commands sent from the mobile device in Figure 6.

Figure 8 is an example of application data stored in a server-side database.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In this description, the terms "game" and "application" are used interchangeably; "punctuation" and "threshold event" are used interchangeably, and similar numbers refer to similar elements in the various views. As third generation (3G) wireless communications technologies mature, more and more service providers are beginning to update the data type and communication capabilities of wireless networks. With 3G technology, the transmission speed can be increased up to 2.4 million bits per second (mbps) in a fixed environment or 500 kilobits per second (kbps) in a mobile environment. This increase in transmission speed provides more bandwidth for mobile communications, as well as other mobile applications that can communicate data between other mobile and fixed computing devices over the wireless network.

Mobile communications devices, such as cell phones and personal digital assistants, have computer platforms capable of providing more services than simple voice or data communications services. A 3G mobile phone can act as a web browser, allowing users to browse the Internet

or connect to servers and download software applications. With the highest possible data rates in 3G cell phone networks, very fast unidirectional or bidirectional communication is possible that can allow an interactive computer session with multiple users. These interactive sessions may include games or other computer applications that require mobile units to carry out significant data download and upload during application execution.

This increase in bandwidth in the wireless communications network allows interactive applications with graphic display to be reproduced among several users, in addition to providing normal telecommunications services between these users. A wireless communication network 100 shown in Figure 1 includes a plurality of communication towers 102, each connected to a base station 104 and serving users with communication devices 106. Communication devices 106 may be cell phones , locators, PDAs, laptops, or other portable or stationary communication devices that use a wireless and cellular telecommunications network. Commands and data entry by each user are transmitted as digital data to a communications tower 102. Communication between a user using a communication device 106 and the communication tower 102 can be based on different technologies, such as code division multiplexed access (CDMA), time division multiplexed access (TDMA), multiplexed access by frequency division (FDMA), global system for mobile communications (GSM) or other protocols that can be used in a wireless communications network or a data communications network.

The data of each user is sent from the communication tower 102 to a base station (BS) 104, and is forwarded to a mobile switching center (MSC) 108, which may be connected to a public switched telephone network (PSTN) 110 The MSC 108 sends the data to a server 112 that can be connected directly to the MSC 108 or to the PSTN 110.

The server 112 executes an application, which can be a special computer program that analyzes the data and provides a response accordingly. The answer can be a graphic screen, a command or data. The response is transmitted to one or more users through the wireless communication network 100.

The application executed by the server 112 may have an architecture 200 shown in the block diagram of Figure 2, in which the application is run on the server, block 202. The application can access a database, block 204, in which application data is stored. The application communicates with the computer applications running on a mobile communication device, block 206, via the download link 208 or the upload link 210. The applet receives orders or data from the application and modifies the screen 212 on the communication device. The applet also receives information from users through the 214 input device and loads the application into the server. The applet can be a simple software application that runs independently on the communication device.

An alternative embodiment of the architecture 300 is shown in the block diagram of Figure 3, where a copy of the application is downloaded to each communication device, block 302, and a simple applet is executed on the server, block 304. In this embodiment, the applet on the server performs a simple task of receiving inputs from each communication device and broadcasts them to all communication devices 106 that are running the same application. The input is received by each communication device and executed by the application in the communication device 106. In most cases, each application changes the graphic display on the communication device 106.

The applet on the server, block 304, is also responsible for tracking the scores or threshold events and for accessing the application data in the database, block 204. When a user on the communication device 1 scores against another user to communication device 2, the score or the event is transmitted from the communication device 1 to the server. The applet on the server receives the score or event, and transmits it to the communication device 2. At the end of the application, the applet saves the score or event information in the server-side database 204. When storing scoring information in database 204, the system avoids possible manipulation of the score by users. Scoring or other threshold data, such as the duration of use of the application or other criteria for use of the application, can be stored in the database through which the network server can provide special services to (the) application user (s), such as advanced application availability, contest entry, application or other updates to a user (s) in the event of a threshold event.

Figure 4 illustrates an example flow chart of a communication device process 400 for playing a game that includes changes in the availability of the game application that occur in threshold events. A user initiates the process of communication device 400 by activating communication device 106 and connects to server 112. The user can connect to server 112 by dialing a predefined access number assigned to server 112. The connection between the communication device 106 and the server 112 can also be through a predefined data communications channel and according to a predefined communication protocol. Once the communication device 106 is connected to the server 112, the communication device 106 sends the identification information to the server 112, block 402. The identification can be, as an example, the user identification information, such as the user's initials or a personal identification number (PIN), or the mobile identification number (MIN) assigned to the portable device,

or the electronic serial number (ESN) or the device identification number (EID) of the portable device, or a combination thereof.

After sending the identification information, the communication device 106 receives a user-adapted menu, block 404, and displays it on a display screen in the communication device 106. The menu received by the communication device may change depending on of the user. The menu may be a list of the applications available to the user and may include a list of contents. The user's access to more advanced levels depends on the previous results of the user at the lower levels, and the user's score at a lower level is preferably stored in the database 204. For applications that do not involve prizes or competitions, the User score can be stored locally in the communication device 106.

The user can select an application from the menu, block 406, and if there are multiple levels for the selected application, the user can also select an application level. However, in a multi-level application, server 112 can automatically determine the application level. Server 112 determines the application level by retrieving the user score associated with said application and comparing the result with a score table. The result of the comparison determines the level that the user should play. Therefore, if the user achieves a game duration threshold event, the advanced game application can be delivered to the user's communication device 106.

After the user selects the application, the selection is sent to server 112, block 408, and server 112 will send the application to the communication device 106 for execution. The communication device 106 receives the request, block 410, and executes the application, block 412. The execution of the application on the communication device is explained in more detail in Figure 6. Server 112 can also send an applet associated with the application as discussed above.

Figure 5 is an example flowchart for a server process 500 for managing the game application running on the communication device 106. The server 112 receives the identification information of a communication device 106, block 502, and compares it with a user table or a subscriber table. If the user is a subscriber or otherwise authorized user, the server delivers a menu to the communication device, block 504. If the user is a visitor, the server has to retrieve its information from its main server before allowing the user to access the system.

After the user makes a selection, the server receives the selection, block 506, and retrieves the user's score from the database, block 508. The score is associated with each application and is stored in the database. The server compares the user's score with a score table to determine if the user is enabled to play the application or to play the application at a certain level, block 510. The server selects an application based on the score, block 512, and sends the request to the communication device 106, block 514.

If the selected application is a team application, that is, it involves more than one user and the communication device 106, the server may ask the user to obtain information about other teammates, and then invite the teammates, block 518. The invitation can be produced by locating and sending a message to another communication device 106 that have indicated that they want to play a team game when the members are available. Teammate information can also be stored in the database, and the server can retrieve it from the database before the invitation.

If the selected application is a competition application, that is, it implies opponents, then the server can retrieve a list of opponents from the database and send the list of opponents to the communication device, block 522. The list of opponents It can be predefined by all users who have played this application before or it can be predefined by the user. After the user selects the opponent, which can be an individual or a team of several people, the server receives the rival selection and invites the opponent, block 526.

When teammates and / or opponents have accepted the invitation, the server transmits the request to each of them, block 528, and the server executes the application or its subprogram, block 530. At the end of the application, the server stores Scoring and application information in the database, block 532.

Figure 6 is an expansion of block 412 of Figure 4. While the communication device 106 is running the application, the communication device 106 checks for a user input, block 602. If there is a user input, the communication device 106 executes it, block 604, and also sends the input to the server, block 606. However, if the communication device 106 is running only one applet of the application, then the communication device 106 can only resend the entry to the server and not execute it locally. Each user's entries can be sent to the server as part of a data packet that includes user identification information.

The communication device 106 also checks commands from the server, block 608. When the commands are received from the server, the communication device 106 executes them in block 610. The execution of commands may include the updating of screens, the production of audio effects or other effects that the communication device 106 is equipped to do. Communication device 106 executes the steps shown in Figure 6 several times until a user input is received to terminate the application or a termination command is received from the server.

Figure 7 is an expansion of block 530 of Figure 5. While the server is running an application, the server checks for user information, block 532. If a signal is received from a user, the server executes the input , block 534, and transmits resulting commands to all communication devices 106 connected to the same application, block 536. These commands are used by communication devices 106 to synchronize with the server. If the server is running an applet of the application, then the server uses the input to update its status and transmit the information to all communication devices 106 where the individual input is executed on each communication device.

After the server transmits the commands to the communication devices, the server 112 stores the score, block 538, in its internal register. The score is stored in the database when the application ends. Server 112 executes the steps shown in Figure 7 repeatedly until the event of the final application is received. The final event of the application may be a user input or other criteria as would be known in the art.

In addition to coordinating the actions between the communication devices 106 and monitoring the score or other threshold data, the server 112 may also be responsible for billing. Users may be charging for access on time or for each application.

Figure 8 illustrates the user data of the application 800 that can be stored in the database 204. The information about the user Joe may include the applications to which he subscribes, 802, the scores for each application to which he is subscribed. subscribe, 804, the equipment to which it belongs for each application, 806, and the opponent for each application to which it subscribes, 808. If an application is not a competition application, then the rival field is left blank for that application. If the application is not a team application, the team field is left empty for that application.

The system can therefore run a multi-user competition application, in which several teams compete with each other. For example, a user can choose a basketball game against another team. When the user connects to server 112, his identification information, such as the ESN of his portable device, is sent to server 112. Server 112 validates its identification information in a database to ensure that the user has permission to access its services. As part of the validation, the server can also ask the user to enter a PIN.

After making sure that the user has permission to access their services, server 112 provides a game menu for the user to select. The user selects the basketball game, and the selection is sent to the server. 112 The server checks if the user belongs to a predefined group, and if the user belongs to a team, server 112 sends invitations to his teammates. Server 112 also checks the previous score obtained by the user's equipment and selects a list of opponents. The list of opponents is sent to the user, and the user can select an opposing team. After the opposing team is selected, server 112 sends the invitation to members of the opposing team.

With all team members and opponents in place, server 112 transmits the game to all participants. Each communication device 106 receives a copy of the game and executes it locally. The display screen is controlled locally from the game output retransmitted by the server 112.

During the game, the contributions of each user are executed locally and are also uploaded to the server. After receiving contributions from a user, the server transmits them to all players in the same game. When the communication devices 106 receive the inputs, each device executes the inputs and updates its screen accordingly. For example, if the user enters a 1 suspended shot, his communication device 106 executes the suspended shot and loads the launch with all the necessary information on the server 112. The support information may include the user's location, the angle of the shot in suspension, force of the shot in suspension, etc. The suspended shot, with all the supporting information, is received by the server 112 and transmitted by the server to all communication devices 106. Each device executes the suspended shot and if the suspended shot is good, then each device Communication shows the suspension shot in points to the user's equipment. The server 112 tracks the score in the game by receiving information from the communication devices 106. At the end of the game, the server 112 stores the score in the database, and the score will be available the next time The user choose the basketball game.

While the invention has been shown and described particularly with various embodiments thereof, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes in form and detail can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention as set forth in the following claims. .