Zynga Patent Grants

Methods and systems relating to obtaining game asset value

Granted: October 11, 2016
Patent Number: 9463389
A system, computer-readable storage medium storing at least one program, and a computer-implemented method for obtaining game asset value is provided. One or more requests to add one or more first game assets to a game user interface of a player is received from a client device of the player. The first game assets are provided in response to the first requests. A second request to obtain a value associated with the second game asset on the game user interface is received, where the…

System for user interaction around a common computer game objective

Granted: October 4, 2016
Patent Number: 9457278
A computer-implemented method comprises identifying a user of a computer-implemented game to interact with a further user in pursuit of a common game objective. The identifying is performed based at least partially on the user not being directly related, as reflected within relationship data, with the further user. Interactions, within the computer implemented-game, between the further user and the user in the pursuit of the common game objective of the computer-implemented game are…

Graphical user interfaces in computer-implemented multiplayer games

Granted: October 4, 2016
Patent Number: 9457274
This disclosure generally relates to systems and methods to provide graphical user interfaces in computer-implemented multiplayer games. The graphical user interface includes a friends panel that is operable between a collapsed condition and an expanded condition. The friends panel provides friends information display functionality, social network management functionality, and/or messaging functionality both in the collapsed condition and in the expanded condition. In the collapsed…

Animation processing of linked object parts

Granted: September 20, 2016
Patent Number: 9449416
The invention relates to a method and system of forming an animation of a virtual object within a virtual environment, and a storage medium storing a computer program for carrying out such a method. The virtual object comprises a plurality of object parts, and one or more predetermined object part groups each being a sequence of linked object parts. The method includes generating a target configuration for the parts of the object part group, using a scale factor to scale the target…

Package manager verifier

Granted: September 20, 2016
Patent Number: 9448780
An RPM verifier is described. A master configuration file and a list of host servers are retrieved. The master configuration file defines rules for approved versions of software packages installed on each host server in the list. The RPM verifier queries each host server in the list for a version identifier of one or more software packages installed on each host server. The rules are applied to the version identifier to identify one or more mis-configured software packages on each host…

Public gameplay

Granted: September 20, 2016
Patent Number: 9446321
A system, computer-readable storage medium storing at least one program, and a computer-implemented method for providing public gameplay is provided. Gameboard display data is generated to display a gameboard of a game. A move associated with the game is received from a client device of a player. The gameboard display data and move display data are provided to the client device to display the move on the gameboard. The gameboard display data and the move display data are also sent to a…

Localization framework for dynamic text

Granted: September 13, 2016
Patent Number: 9442924
An apparatus and method providing a localization framework capable of localizing dynamic text is disclosed herein. The localization framework is configured to automatically identify and prioritize certain text contained within an application code base to be translated. Such text is pre-processed prior to translation to facilitate accurate and complete translation in a target language.

Managing location-based meta games

Granted: September 13, 2016
Patent Number: 9440146
In a method of managing a location-based meta game, a presence of a device is detected at a location. The device is configured to execute a computer-implemented game. Based on the detecting of the presence of the device, the device is instructed to present a user of the computer-implemented game with an option to participate in a computer-implemented meta game associated with the location.

Social game systems and methods

Granted: September 6, 2016
Patent Number: 9433855
Systems and methods that provide online social game contests are described. In some embodiments, a method determines a start time and an end point associated with an online social game contest. Multiple users participating in the online game contest are identified, and the contest is initiated at the start time. Each of the multiple users has a separate online social game environment in which they participate in the contest. The online social game contest ends upon reaching the end…

Sharing an application configuration among social networks

Granted: August 23, 2016
Patent Number: 9426212
A machine may generate and store a correlation among multiple identifiers of the user that enable access to an application through multiple systems. For example, the user may have a first identifier for using a first social network system, and a second identifier for using a second social network system, and the machine may generate and store a correlation between the first identifier and the second identifier. The machine may identify the user based on the first identifier and access a…

System and methods to display icons based on messaging activity

Granted: August 23, 2016
Patent Number: 9421453
A system, computer-readable storage medium storing at least one program, and a computer-implemented method to display icons based on messaging activity is provided. A request to access a game user interface of the first player is received from a client device of a first player, the game user interface being associated with a computer-implemented game. First player messaging activity information associated with messaging activity of the first player is accessed, the messaging activity of…

Method and apparatus for linked play gaming

Granted: August 9, 2016
Patent Number: 9412218
The invention includes a system and method for providing linked play via gaming and other devices. In some embodiments, a casino server registers a group for linked play and a group objective and format are established. The linked play commences according to the group format on the gaming devices while the casino server, or another device, concurrently facilitates interaction between the group members operating the gaming devices. The linked play is terminated according to the group…

Apparatuses, methods and systems for an online game manager

Granted: August 2, 2016
Patent Number: 9403095
The APPARATUSES, METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR AN ONLINE GAME MANAGER (“OGM”) transform user social graph and online behavioral pattern data inputs via OGM components into optimized server computational load reports. In one embodiment, the OGM may process a user server migration request for a user by obtaining user social graph data identifying co-users, and social activity pattern data associated with the user and the co-users. The OGM may also obtain server load indices of servers…

Apparatuses, methods and systems for a social networking application updater

Granted: July 26, 2016
Patent Number: 9400645
The apparatuses, methods and systems for application update includes determining a module dependency graph for a current version of the application, when an indication to generate an updated version of the application is received. A code database is queried to obtain all version numbers for dependent modules identified in the module dependency graph. Recent versions of all dependent modules are selected for an updated version of the application to generate an initial set of dependent…

Dynamic update of applications as code is checked-in

Granted: July 26, 2016
Patent Number: 9400644
Software receives a message from a client device requesting an update check for an app deployed on the client device. The message includes a version number for the app. The software determines that a count of messages requesting an update check for the app exceeds a specified number. The software obtains an executable for the app from an app database, using the received version number. The software generates a dependency analysis by scanning the executable. The dependency analysis…

Dynamically variable advertising incentive rewards in online games

Granted: July 19, 2016
Patent Number: 9396608
A system and method for managing a computer-implemented online game provides dynamically variable rewards to incentivize player interaction with sponsored content presented within the game. The particular reward offered to incentivize player interaction with particular sponsored content (e.g., a particular advertisement) can be dynamically variable based on the attributes of the player, thus providing user-specific custom rewards for interaction with sponsored content. Properties of…

Apparatus, method and computer readable storage medium for guiding game play via a show me button

Granted: July 12, 2016
Patent Number: 9387406
An apparatus, method and computer-readable storage medium for guiding a player to the completion of a task during game play. The player selects a control device in a graphical user interface device generated by a processor. In response to the selection, a hint is provided to the user in the graphical user interface that presents a game board to a player. The player may use the hint to accomplish the task.

Asset transfers between interactive social games

Granted: July 12, 2016
Patent Number: 9387403
A method and system to transfer assets between interactive social games is described. In some embodiments, the method generates a visual expression of a transfer mechanism in a first computer-implemented game. The method further generates the visual expression of the transfer mechanism in a second computer-implemented game. The transfer mechanism is capable of transferring an in-game asset from the first computer-implemented game to the second computer-implemented game. The method…

Portion of display screen with graphical user interface

Granted: June 21, 2016
Patent Number: D759691