Patents by Inventor Clifford J. Harrington

Clifford J. Harrington has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 10322350
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to adjusting individualized content made available to users of an online game based on user gameplay information. In implementations, information relating to prospective usage of the online game is used to classify users according by user type, and content made available to the users is customized accordingly. Information relating to prospective usage may include predictive information such as demographic and geographic information, as well as game usage information for the users. User types may include resource collection, player versus player, and player versus environment. Customized content may include content made available to the users through the users in-game actions, such as exploring a map, researching a technology or skill, purchasing an in-game item, and completing an in-game achievement, including in-game items, in-game powers, in-game skills, in-game technologies, in-game pets, in-game transportation units, in-game units, and in-game buildings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: Kabam, Inc.
    Inventors: Kent Wakeford, Clifford J. Harrington, Matthew Curtis, James Koh, Kellen Christopher Smalley, Michael C. Caldarone
  • Patent number: 10293248
    Abstract: A system and method for facilitating a user defined virtual space is disclosed. One or more virtual space locations and/or activities may be correlated with user specified geolocations. In some implementations, the user specified geolocations may be verified against one or more spatial requirements prior to recording the user selected space-geolocation correlations. A user request to initiate an action or activity in the virtual space may be received. Prior to executing the requested action or activity in the virtual space, the user current geolocation may be verified against that specified in a space-geolocation correlation corresponding to a virtual space location or activity indicated in the user request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: ELECTRONIC ARTS INC.
    Inventors: Kent Wakeford, Clifford J. Harrington
  • Patent number: 10265628
    Abstract: Affiliated players in an online game often coordinate activity and communication in the online game. Affiliated players may want to coordinate activities and/or communicate with each even when one or more affiliated players may not be logged into the online game. Further, persons of higher status in an affiliation may want to control the extent to which other players in the affiliation are sent messages external to the game. As such, one aspect of the disclosure relates to facilitating communication to a group of related players of an online game outside of communication mediums available via the game, where the ability to communicate and the type of communication may depend upon permissions associated with a player in a group of affiliated players.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: Kabam, Inc.
    Inventors: Kent Wakeford, Clifford J. Harrington
  • Patent number: 10232269
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to unlocking game content for users of an online game based on amounts of collaborative gameplay. Groups of users interacting with the online game cooperatively are identified and amounts of cooperative gameplay engaged in by the individual groups are quantified. Content in the online game is made available to the groups of users based on the quantified amounts of cooperative gameplay. In implementations, the quantification of the amount of cooperative gameplay engaged in by the groups is made independent from achievement and/or successful accomplishment of any game objective in the online game by the groups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Kabam, Inc.
    Inventors: Clifford J. Harrington, Kent Wakeford
  • Patent number: 10220313
    Abstract: A game server may maintain a game state for an online game. The game state may represent a plurality of game state attributes and attribute values of a virtual world in which an online game takes place. One or more game state attributes may be related to another game state attribute, whereby changing a value for a first game state attribute may affect the values available to a second game state attribute. A command entered by a first player may affect a first game state attributes (and, accordingly, one or more other game state attributes). To ensure consistency in the way that the virtual world of the online game is presented to other players, one or more related game state attributes may be locked along with the first game state attribute when executing the first command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: Electronic Arts Inc.
    Inventor: Clifford J. Harrington
  • Publication number: 20190051105
    Abstract: One aspect of the disclosure relates to implementing a system to encourage cross platform operation in an online game. The online game may provide the ability to provide incentives for participating in cross platform game play. The system may monitor the player's performance on a particular console and provide incentives to accomplish tasks through game play on a different platform than the player is currently operating to play the game.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2018
    Publication date: February 14, 2019
    Inventors: Clifford J. HARRINGTON, Kent Wakeford
  • Publication number: 20190038974
    Abstract: Recommendations for in-game content are provided to players of an online game. An instance of a virtual space is executed in which an online game is conducted and implemented to facilitate presentation of a view of the virtual space to users through client computing platforms associated with the users. Device specification sets of the client computing devices are determined and recommendations for in-game content are presented to the users based on the obtained device specification sets of the client computing devices associated with the users.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2018
    Publication date: February 7, 2019
    Inventors: Clifford J. Harrington, Kent Wakeford
  • Patent number: 10159903
    Abstract: One aspect of the disclosure relates to facilitating the development and provision of enhanced video of game playback, including the ability to augment a video of game playback with information relating to the game state of the game. A video may be generated based on game state information associated with one or more selected portions of the game. The video may include visual features that may not have been present in corresponding views that were presented to the user during game play of those one or more portions of the game. The user may augment the video with displayed information based on game logic for the online game. For example, displayed information may include commentary, tips on how the user could have maximized his game play, influential plays from the one or more portions of the game, and/or other information based on the game logic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: Electronics Arts Inc.
    Inventors: Kent Wakeford, Clifford J. Harrington
  • Patent number: 10127769
    Abstract: One aspect of the disclosure relates to implementing a system to encourage cross platform operation in an online game. The online game may provide the ability to provide incentives for participating in cross platform game play. The system may monitor the player's performance on a particular console and provide incentives to accomplish tasks through game play on a different platform than the player is currently operating to play the game.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: Kabam, Inc.
    Inventors: Clifford J. Harrington, Kent Wakeford
  • Publication number: 20180318714
    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. 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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2018
    Publication date: November 8, 2018
    Inventors: Kent Wakeford, Clifford J. Harrington
  • Publication number: 20180304152
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to facilitating collaboration between multiple players in an online game to achieve a goal in the game. Achievement of the goal may result in provision of an award related to the goal to one or more of the multiple players and/or to one or more affiliations associated with the multiple player. The goal may comprise a predetermined set of tasks required to be completed by more than one player, or may just comprise a predetermined set of tasks that may be completed by one or more players. Responsive to achieving the goal, the award may be provided to one or more recipients. The recipients may comprise, for example, players that initiated the completion of the goal, one or more players who provided the most input to the goal, one or more affiliations associated with respective one or more players involved in achieving the goal, and/or other entities.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2018
    Publication date: October 25, 2018
    Inventors: Kent Wakeford, Clifford J. Harrington
  • Patent number: 10099128
    Abstract: Recommendations for in-game content are provided to players of an online game. An instance of a virtual space is executed in which an online game is conducted and implemented to facilitate presentation of a view of the virtual space to users through client computing platforms associated with the users. Device specification sets of the client computing devices are determined and recommendations for in-game content are presented to the users based on the obtained device specification sets of the client computing devices associated with the users.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: Kabam, Inc.
    Inventors: Clifford J. Harrington, Kent Wakeford
  • Patent number: 10086280
    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 interact with the virtual space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: Electronic Arts Inc.
    Inventors: Kent Wakeford, Clifford J. Harrington
  • Patent number: 10086263
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to facilitating collaboration between multiple players in an online game to achieve a goal in the game. Achievement of the goal may result in provision of an award related to the goal to one or more of the multiple players and/or to one or more affiliations associated with the multiple player. The goal may comprise a predetermined set of tasks required to be completed by more than one player, or may just comprise a predetermined set of tasks that may be completed by one or more players. Responsive to achieving the goal, the award may be provided to one or more recipients. The recipients may comprise, for example, players that initiated the completion of the goal, one or more players who provided the most input to the goal, one or more affiliations associated with respective one or more players involved in achieving the goal, and/or other entities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: Kabam, Inc.
    Inventors: Kent Wakeford, Clifford J. Harrington
  • Publication number: 20180243654
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to a system and methodology for dynamically adjusting a game based on predictions made during game account creation in accordance with one or more implementations. The system may be configured to receive user information included in platform level accounts which were previously created by users on an online platform and assign one or more user types to the user based on that user information. The system may be configured such that game adjustments associated with one or more user types for future play by users associated with that user type may be modified over time based on historical and ongoing game activities undertaken by users associated with one or more user types.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2018
    Publication date: August 30, 2018
    Inventors: Kent Wakeford, Clifford J. Harrington
  • Publication number: 20180243658
    Abstract: Affiliated players in an online game often coordinate activity and communication in the online game. Affiliated players may want to coordinate activities and/or communicate with each even when one or more affiliated players may not be logged into the online game. Further, persons of higher status in an affiliation may want to control the extent to which other players in the affiliation are sent messages external to the game. As such, one aspect of the disclosure relates to facilitating communication to a group of related players of an online game outside of communication mediums available via the game, where the ability to communicate and the type of communication may depend upon permissions associated with a player in a group of affiliated players.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2018
    Publication date: August 30, 2018
    Inventors: Kent Wakeford, Clifford J. Harrington
  • Publication number: 20180236351
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to adjusting virtual item bundles made available to users of on online game based on user gameplay information. In implementations, information relating to prospective usage of the online game is used to classify users according by user type. Responsive to the determined user type of a user, customizations of item bundles in the online game made available to individual users for purchase within the online game may be determined.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2018
    Publication date: August 23, 2018
    Inventors: Kent Wakeford, Clifford J. Harrington, Matthew Curtis, James Koh, Kellen Christopher Smalley, Michael C. Caldarone
  • Patent number: 10022627
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: Electronic Arts Inc.
    Inventors: Kent Wakeford, Clifford J. Harrington
  • Patent number: 10026404
    Abstract: A system and method for dynamically selecting speech recognition functionality on a client device for recognizing user speech inputs are disclosed. Such selection may be made based on speech recognition functionalities actually available on the client devices. The speech functionalities that may be dynamically selected may include, without limitation, speech recognition software and/or services, speech libraries, kernel drivers, speech recognition hardware, audio hardware, and/or any other speech functionality available on a client device. User speech inputs may be processed via the selected speech functionality for generating control commands in a virtual space. In some implementations, remote speech recognition support may be evoked when a client device does not have any speech recognition functionality on the client device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: Electronic Arts Inc.
    Inventors: Kent Wakeford, Clifford J. Harrington
  • Publication number: 20180197375
    Abstract: One aspect of the disclosure relates to implementing a system to encourage cross platform operation in an online game. The online game may provide the ability to provide incentives for participating in cross platform game play. The system may monitor the player's performance on a particular console and provide incentives to accomplish tasks through game play on a different platform than the player is currently operating to play the game.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2018
    Publication date: July 12, 2018
    Inventors: Clifford J. HARRINGTON, Kent Wakeford