Peering system for gaming service providers

Abstract

A distributed loosely coupled unified on-line gaming system comprises a central service provider, gaming service customers providing gaming service customer located equipment connected to the central service provider through a broadband network, and gaming service providers connected to the central service provider through the broadband network. The different gaming service costumers are connected to different gaming service providers. A method for providing a distributed loosely coupled unified on-line gaming service comprises the steps of connecting a plurality of gaming service customers and a central service provider through at least a broadband access network, connecting gaming service providers and the central service provider through a broadband access network, establishing a connection between gaming service customers and the plurality of gaming service providers through the central service provider, and establishing multi-customer interactions between the gaming service customers through the central service provider.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for providing a distributed loosely coupled unified on-line gaming service system, the method comprising the steps of: 
 connecting a plurality of gaming service customers and a central service provider through at least a broadband access network,    connecting a plurality of gaming service providers and the central service provider through the at least a broadband access network;    establishing a connection between the plurality of gaming service customers and the plurality of gaming service providers through the central service provider; and    establishing multi-customer interactions between the plurality of gaming service customers through the central service provider;    wherein different gaming service costumers out of the plurality of gaming service customers are connected to different gaming service providers out of the plurality of gaming service providers.    
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of: 
 establishing a group of gaming service customers out of the plurality of gaming service customers; and    playing a game between gaming service customers belonging to the group of gaming service customers;    wherein the group of gaming service customers is established by a selection made by different gaming service customers, the selection based on a list of gaming service customers connected to the plurality of gaming service providers through the central service provider, the list provided by the central service provider.    
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the game is played according to gaming data provided to the group of gaming service customers by the plurality of gaming service providers, the gaming data provided from the plurality of gaming service providers to the group of gaming service customers through the central service provider.  
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the plurality of gaming service providers send gaming data in a same data format to the central service provider; the central service provider sending the gaming data to each gaming service customer out of the group of gaming service customers.  
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the plurality of gaming service providers send gaming data in a different data format to the central service provider, the central service provider performing data conversion and sending converted gaming data to each gamming service customer out of the group of gaming service customers, the data conversion performed according to specifications provided by each customer out of the group of gaming service customers.  
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the selection made by different gaming service customers is filtered by the central service provider according to at least a predefined criterion.  
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of providing a gaming service customer located gaming console, the gaming console comprising a flat memory space for storing gaming data, a restricted kernel for executing the gaming data, and random access memory in contact with the restricted kernel; 
 storing an ultra-thin client in random access memory of the gaming service customer located equipment;    establishing a connection between the gaming console and the central service provider through the ultra-thin client; and    controlling events taking place on the gaming console according to messages sent to and received from the plurality of gaming service providers through the central service provider.    
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the messages are filtered at the central service provider according to at least a predefined criterion.  
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the messages are filtered according to a personal profile provided by a gaming service customer to the central service system.  
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the messages include gaming requests for gaming data to be executed on the gaming console.  
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the messages include gaming data to be executed on the gaming console.  
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the step of connecting a plurality of gaming service customers and a central service provider comprises the step of connecting a plurality of service customers and a real central service provider.  
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein a gaming service provider out of the plurality of gaming service providers serves as the real central service provider.  
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the step of connecting a plurality of gaming service customers and a central service provider comprises the step of connecting a plurality of service customers and a virtual central service provider.  
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the virtual central service provider is established in a process of portal peering.  
     
     
         16 . A distributed loosely coupled unified on-line gaming system comprising: 
 a central service provider;    a plurality of gaming service customers providing gaming service customer located equipment connected to the central service provider through at least a broadband network; and    a plurality of gaming service providers connected to the central service provider through the at least one broadband network;    wherein different gaming service costumers out of the plurality of gaming service customers are connected to different gaming service providers out of the plurality of gaming service providers.    
     
     
         17 . A distributed loosely coupled unified on-line gaming system according to  claim 16 , wherein the gaming service customer located equipment includes a gaming console, the gaming console comprising a flat memory space for storing gaming data, a restricted kernel for executing the gaming data, and random access memory in contact with the restricted kernel for storing an ultra-thin client.  
     
     
         18 . A distributed loosely coupled unified on-line gaming system according to  claim 17 , wherein the ultra-thin client establishes a connection between the gaming console and the central service provider, and controls events taking place on the gaming console according to messages sent to and received from the plurality of gaming service providers through the central service provider.