Information types for an app rating system

Abstract

A technique to automatically provide assistance with the selection of an app for an electronic game is described. An apparatus may comprise an app rating application arranged to receive as input game performance information representing gameplay of an electronic game. The app rating application may process the game performance information and output an app rating indicator of an app corresponding to the app identifier parameter based on the performance information to assist a user in selecting the app. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

1 .- 30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a processor circuit; and   an app rating application operative on the processor circuit to receive performance information for use of a software application and an app identifier parameter identifying an app used in combination with the software application to assist in the use, and output an app rating indicator of the app based on the performance information to assist a user in selecting the app, the performance information comprising information of assistance provided by the app in the use of the software application.   
     
     
         32 . The apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein the information of assistance provided by the app comprises at least one of: direct information of assistance provided by the app in the use of the software application and indirect information of assistance provided by the app in the use of the software application. 
     
     
         33 . The apparatus of  claim 32 , wherein the direct information explicitly evidences that the app improves performance of a user of the software application, and indirect information implicitly evidences that the app improves performance of a user of the software application. 
     
     
         34 . The apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein the performance information comprises one or more performance parameters, the app rating application comprising a performance monitor component operative to receive the one or more performance parameters associated with the software application, aggregate the one or more performance parameters, and output an aggregated performance parameter. 
     
     
         35 . The apparatus of  claim 34 , wherein the performance monitor component is operative to receive a user identifier parameter representing an identifier for a user of the software application, retrieve the app identifier parameter from a user profile associated with the user identifier parameter and the software application, and determine whether to generate the app rating indicator for the app corresponding to the app identifier parameter based on the one or more performance parameters. 
     
     
         36 . The apparatus of  claim 34 , the performance monitor component operative to receive an identifier parameter representing an identifier of the at least one software application associated with the app, a user identifier parameter representing an identifier for a user of the software application, and an app identifier parameter from a user profile associated with the user identifier parameter and determine whether or not to generate the app rating indicator for the app based on the one or more performance parameters. 
     
     
         37 . The apparatus of  claim 34 , the performance monitor component operative to receive a user identifier parameter representing an identifier for a user of the software application, a identifier parameter from a user profile associated with the user identifier parameter and the software application, and the app identifier parameter from the user profile associated with the identifier parameter. 
     
     
         38 . The apparatus of  claim 37 , the performance monitor component operative to determine whether to generate an app rating indicator based on the app identifier parameter in response to the one or more performance parameters for the software application. 
     
     
         39 . The apparatus of  claim 37 , the performance monitor component operative to store the one or more performance parameters associated with the software application in a datastore device. 
     
     
         40 . The apparatus of  claim 34 , the app rating application comprising an app rating component operative to retrieve the one or more aggregated performance parameters from the performance monitor component, weigh each of the one or more aggregated performance parameters with one or more weighting factors, and combine the weighted performance parameters to output the app rating indicator. 
     
     
         41 . The apparatus of  claim 40 , wherein the app rating application is operative to send the app rating indicator to an app server on which the app, associated with the software application, is available to a different user. 
     
     
         42 . The apparatus of  claim 34 , wherein the app identifier parameter is a first app identifier parameter corresponding to a first app, the performance information is first performance information associated with the use of the software application, the app rating indicator is a first app rating indicator, and the app is a first app, the app rating application operative to receive second performance information and a second app identifier parameter associated with the use of the software application and output a second app rating indicator of a second app corresponding to the second app identifier parameter based on the second performance information, the app rating application comprising an app ranking component operative to receive the first and second app rating indicators and assign an app ranking parameter to each of the first and second apps based on the respective app rating indicators. 
     
     
         43 . The apparatus of  claim 42 , wherein the app ranking component is operative to rank the first and second apps based on the app ranking parameters. 
     
     
         44 . The apparatus of  claim 43 , wherein the app ranking component is operative to send the app ranking parameters to an app server on which the first and second apps, associated with the software application, are available to a different user. 
     
     
         45 . The apparatus of  claim 34 , comprising a server device implementing the processor circuit and the app rating application, the server device comprising a communications component operative to receive the performance information and the app identifier parameter associated with the use and send the app rating indicator to an app server on which the app associated with the software application is available to a different user. 
     
     
         46 . The apparatus of  claim 45 , wherein the server device comprises a processing component operative to process operations for the app rating application. 
     
     
         47 . A computer-implemented method, comprising:
 determining, by a processor circuit, whether a user of a software application utilizes an app in combination with the software application based on user identifier information and an app identifier parameter;   receiving performance information representing a use of the software application by the user, the performance information comprising information of assistance provided by the app in the use of the software application; and   determining an app rating indicator associated with the app based on the received performance information.   
     
     
         48 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 47 , wherein the information of assistance comprises at least one of: direct information of assistance provided by the app in the use of the software application, and indirect information of assistance provided by the app in the use of the software application. 
     
     
         49 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 47 , comprising sending the app rating indicator to an app server on which the app, associated with the software application, is available to a different user. 
     
     
         50 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 47 , comprising:
 monitoring one or more performance parameters of the performance information after the user has obtained the app associated with the software application for a predetermined length of time;   aggregating the one or more received performance parameters;   weighing each of the one or more aggregated performance parameters with one or more weighting factors; and   combining the weighted performance parameters to output the app rating indicator.   
     
     
         51 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 47 , comprising:
 receiving a user identifier parameter representing an identifier for the user;   retrieving an app identifier parameter from a user profile associated with the user identifier parameter; and   generating the app rating indicator for the app based on the retrieved app identifier parameter and the performance information of the software application.   
     
     
         52 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 47 , wherein the app rating indicator is a first app rating indicator and the performance information is first performance information, the computer implemented method comprising:
 receiving the first app rating indicator for the app;   receiving second performance information representing a use of the software application using a second app;   determining a second app rating indicator associated with the second app based on the received second performance information;   comparing the first app rating indicator with the second app rating indicator; and   assigning an app ranking value to the first and second apps based on the first and second app rating indicators; and   sending the app ranking values to an app server on which the first and second apps, associated with the software application, are available to a different user.   
     
     
         53 . One or more tangible computer-readable storage media storing instructions that cause a system to:
 determine whether a user of a software application utilizes an app in the use of the software application based on user identifier information and an app identifier parameter;   receive performance information representing the use of the software application, the performance information comprising information of assistance provided by the app in the use of the software application; and   determine an app rating indicator associated with the app based on the received performance information.   
     
     
         54 . The one or more tangible computer-readable storage media of  claim 53 , wherein the information of assistance provided by the app in the use of the software application comprises at least one of: direct information of assistance provided by the app in the use of the software application, and indirect information of assistance provided by the app in the use of the software application. 
     
     
         55 . The one or more tangible computer-readable storage media of  claim 54 , wherein the direct information explicitly evidences that the app improves performance of a user of the software application, and indirect information implicitly evidences that the app improves performance of a user of the software application. 
     
     
         56 . The one or more tangible computer-readable storage media of  claim 53 , comprising instructions to cause a system to send the app rating indicator to an app server on which the app, associated with the software application, is available to a different user. 
     
     
         57 . The one or more tangible computer-readable storage media of  claim 53 , comprising instructions to cause a system to:
 monitor one or more performance parameters of the performance information after the user has obtained the app associated with the software application for a predetermined length of time;   aggregate the one or more received performance parameters;   weigh each of the one or more aggregated performance parameters with one or more weighting factors; and   combine the weighted performance parameters to output the app rating indicator.   
     
     
         58 . The one or more tangible computer-readable storage media of  claim 53 , comprising instructions to cause a system to:
 receive a user identifier parameter representing an identifier for the user;   retrieve an app identifier parameter from a user profile associated with the user identifier parameter; and   generate the app rating indicator for the app based on the retrieved app identifier parameter and the game performance information of the software application.