Methods And Devices For Maintaining Sessions Based On Presence Status Information

Abstract

Sessions, such as on-line gaming sessions, are maintained by proxy agents on behalf of users even when the users are inactive. The agents, along with other components, form a novel “always-on” architecture that greatly reduces the time it takes to initiate and carry out sessions.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method for forming one or more groups associated with one or more on-line gaming sessions comprising:
 receiving one or more identities of one or more third party users;   determining the availability of the identified third party users;   comparing profiles of the identified and available third party users, with attributes of a request to initiate an on-line gaming session of a game by a user, to determine the gaming skill level of the third party users;   forming a gaming group containing those third party users that are not currently involved in a gaming session of the game, and have the substantially same gaming skill level as that required by the request from the compared, identified and available users along with the user that initiated the request; and   initiating the on-line gaming session of the game for the formed gaming group.   
     
     
         2 . The method as in  claim 1  further comprising:
 forwarding requirements of the request on to a third party lobby to identify the third party users that satisfy the request; 
 receiving an identification of each third party user that satisfies the request; and 
 forming the gaming group containing those third party users that are not currently involved in a gaming session of the game and satisfy the request along with the user that initiated the request. 
 
     
     
         3 . The method as in  claim 1  further comprising:
 monitoring a presence status of a client device associated with the user; and 
 maintaining an on-line gaming session on behalf of the user even when the status indicates the client device is inactive. 
 
     
     
         4 . The method as in  claim 3  further comprising forwarding messages to the client device when the client device is active, wherein the messages were received when the client device was inactive. 
     
     
         5 . The method as in  claim 4  wherein the messages are forwarded wirelessly. 
     
     
         6 . The method as in  claim 3  further comprising forwarding messages to the client device in order to update one or more indicators, wherein at least one of the indicators is associated with presence status information of the one or more third party users. 
     
     
         7 . The method as in  claim 1  further comprising:
 forwarding the request from the client device, to initiate an on-line gaming session, to a proxy agent; and 
 receiving messages at the client device from the proxy agent during an active presence state, wherein the messages were originally received by the agent when the client device was inactive. 
 
     
     
         8 . The method as in  claim 7  further comprising exchanging signaling messages between the client device and the proxy agent using short binary messages. 
     
     
         9 . The method as in  claim 7  wherein the request is forwarded wirelessly from the client device to the proxy agent. 
     
     
         10 . The method as in  claim 7  further comprising receiving one or more messages from the agent at the client device, wherein at least one of the messages is used to update at least one indicator associated with presence status information of the one or more third party users. 
     
     
         11 . A system for forming one or more groups associated with one or more on-line gaming sessions comprising:
 a memory storing instructions to implement a lobby, the lobby operable to:
 receive one or more identities of one or more third party users; 
 determine the availability of the identified third party users; 
 compare profiles of the identified and available third party users with attributes of a request to initiate an on-line gaming session of a game by a user, to determine the gaming skill level of the third party users; 
 forming a gaming group containing those third party users that are not currently involved in a gaming session of the game, and have the substantially same gaming skill level as that required by the request from the compared, identified and available users along with the user that initiated the request; and 
 initiate the on-line gaming session of the game for the formed gaming group. 
   
     
     
         12 . The system as in  claim 11  wherein the memory comprises instructions further operable to:
 forward requirements of the request on to a third party lobby to identify the third party users that satisfy the request; 
 receive an identification of each third party user that satisfies the request; and 
 form the gaming group containing those third party users that are not currently involved in a gaming session of the game, and satisfy the request along with the user that initiated the request. 
 
     
     
         13 . The system as in  claim 11  further comprising:
 a proxy agent, the agent operable to monitor a presence status of a client device associated with the user; and 
 maintain an on-line gaming session on behalf of the user even when the status indicates the client device is inactive. 
 
     
     
         14 . The system as in  claim 13 , wherein the proxy agent is further operable to forward messages to the client device when the client device is active, wherein the messages were received when the client device was inactive. 
     
     
         15 . The system as in  claim 14 , wherein the messages are forwarded wirelessly. 
     
     
         16 . The system as in  claim 13 , wherein the proxy agent is further operable to collect presence status information concerning the one or more third party users even when the client device is inactive. 
     
     
         17 . The system as in  claim 13 , wherein the proxy agent is further operable to forward messages to the client device in order to update one or more indicators, wherein at least one of the indicators is associated with presence status information of the one or more third party users. 
     
     
         18 . The system as in  claim 11  further comprising:
 a client device, the device operable to:
 forward the request to a proxy agent; and 
 receive messages from the proxy agent during an active presence state, wherein the messages were originally received by the agent when the client device was inactive. 
 
 
     
     
         19 . The system as in  claim 18 , wherein the device is further operable to exchange signaling messages with the proxy agent using short binary messages. 
     
     
         20 . The system as in  claim 18 , wherein the device is operable to forward the request wirelessly to the proxy agent. 
     
     
         21 . The system as in  claim 18 , wherein the device is further operable to receive one or more messages from the agent, wherein at least one of the messages is used to update at least one indicator associated with presence status information of the one or more third party users.