Detecting interaction with an online service

Abstract

A system and method are directed towards detecting that a client is participating in an online service such as an online multiplayer game. A client probe module monitors an operating system process list to detect an executable file name, indicating that a client program is executing. The client probe evaluates client program communication to determine whether the communication is consistently directed to the same online service and meets a predefined communication rate threshold. The executable file name and communication rate threshold are provided before the client probe begins monitoring the process list. Meeting the threshold may cause the client program to instruct a client messaging module to send a message to contacts associated with the client through an independent portal service. The contacts may not be registered members of the online service, but the message may include information that enables the contacts to communicate with the same online service.

1 . A method for detecting participation in an online service, comprising: 
 detecting execution of a client program that is associated with the online service; and    determining that communication between the client program and the online service exceeds a predefined threshold indicating that the client program is participating in the online service.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein detecting execution of the client program comprises: 
 accessing an identifier of the client program; and    detecting the identifier in a list of executing processes.    
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the identifier is a file name of an executable file.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining comprises: 
 evaluating a header of each communication from the client program to determine that the communication is between the client program and a same online service address; and    determining that a rate of communication between the client program and the same online service address exceeds a threshold number within a predefined time period.    
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the client program executes on a client device in communication through a network with the online service.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the online service comprises an online multi-player game.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising sending a message to a remote client, indicating that the client program is participating in the online service.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the message includes access information for the online service, so that the remote client may access the online service.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the message comprises one of an instant message and an email message.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising identifying the remote client from a contact list of a client messaging service.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising communicating the message through a portal service that is independent of the online service.  
   
   
       12 . A computer readable medium, comprising executable instructions for performing actions, including: 
 detecting execution of a client program that is associated with the online service; and    determining that communication between the client program and the online service exceeds a predefined threshold indicating that the client program is participating in the online service.    
   
   
       13 . A modulated data signal for communicating data over a network, the modulated data signal comprising instructions that enable a computing device to perform the actions of: 
 detecting execution of a client program that is associated with the online service; and    determining that communication between the client program and the online service exceeds a predefined threshold indicating that the client program is participating in the online service.    
   
   
       14 . A client device for detecting participation in an online service, comprising: 
 a communication interface in communication with the online service;    a memory for storing instructions; and    a processor in communication with the communication interface and with the memory, wherein the processor performs actions based at least in part on the stored instructions, including:    detecting execution of a client program that is associated with the online service; and    determining that communication between the client program and the online service exceeds a predefined threshold indicating that the client program is participating in the online service.    
   
   
       15 . The client device of  claim 14 , wherein the processor action of detecting execution of the client program includes the actions of: 
 accessing an identifier of the client program; and    detecting the identifier in a list of executing processes.    
   
   
       16 . The client device of  claim 14 , wherein the processor action of determining includes the actions of: 
 evaluating a header of each communication from the client program to determine that the communication is between the client program and a same online service address; and    determining that a rate of communication between the client program and the same online service address exceeds a threshold number within a predefined time period.    
   
   
       17 . The client device of  claim 14 , wherein the processor actions further include sending a message to a remote client, indicating that the client program is participating in the online service.  
   
   
       18 . The client device of  claim 17 , wherein the processor actions further include communicating the message through a portal service that is independent of the online service.  
   
   
       19 . A server device for providing an identifier and corresponding threshold of an online service, comprising: 
 a communication interface in communication with a client and with the online service;    a memory for storing instructions; and    a processor in communication with the communication interface and with the memory, wherein the processor performs actions based at least in part on the stored instructions, including:    obtaining the identifier of the online service;    determining a threshold rate of communication that must occur between the online service and the client that will indicate the client is participating in the online service; and    making the identifier and the threshold rate available to the client, which detects execution of a client program that is associated with the online service and determines that communication between the client program and the online service exceeds threshold rate.    
   
   
       20 . The server device of  claim 19 , wherein the processor performs further actions including communicating a message from the client to a remote client, wherein the message includes access information for the online service, so that the remote client may access the online service.