Method for an online player game payment system

Abstract

An online multiple player game payment system includes one or more game clients, master servers, game hosts, payment gateways and statistics monitors. A game client has software that displays visual game information on a remote computer and allows the computer to send and receive user data to and from the game host utilizing existing communications hardware located in the remote computer. A master server includes software that collects information on currently operating game hosts and receives requests from game clients for this information. A game host includes software that controls game client interaction in various contests of skill and utilizes existing communications hardware to send and receive user data to and from game clients, payment gateways and statistics monitors. A payment gateway is provided by software executing on a computer to receive user data from a game host and verifying that data against an existing database of credit information, in addition to sending user data back to the game host containing the results of the verification. A statistics monitor receives user data from a game host containing information regarding the outcome of the various contests of skill and records this information in a database for the purposes of accounting.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for online multiple player game payment and play, comprising the steps of: 
 receiving a request from at least one game client for a listing of available games resident on a game host;    sending a list of available games to said at least one game client;    receiving a game selection, specifying a game, from said at least one game client;    sending credit information to a payment gateway;    awaiting approval of the credit information from said payment gateway;    beginning the game, on receipt of said approval, and sending data to said at least one game client so that representations of the game are rendered to a user;    receiving user data from said at least one game client to register actions by said user in the game; and    sending information to said payment gateway upon completion of the game to update an account balance for said user.    
     
     
         2 . A method for online multiple player game payment and play according to  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises: 
 sending statistical information on said game, upon completion of said game, to a statistics monitor to update a statistics database.    
     
     
         3 . A method for online multiple player game payment and play according to  claim 2 , wherein said step of sending statistical information on said game further comprises updating a ranking for said user.  
     
     
         4 . A method for online multiple player game payment and play according to  claim 3 , wherein said at least one game client comprises multiple game clients, each game client having a selected user, based on said ranking for each of said selected users, and the method further comprises: 
 coordinating user data received from said multiple game clients to manage interactions of said selected users, and sending data to said multiple game clients that represents said interactions to be rendered to said selected users.    
     
     
         5 . A method for online multiple player game payment and play according to  claim 1 , wherein said data sent to said at least one game client is three-dimensional data about viewed objects in the game to render a visual scene to the user.  
     
     
         6 . A method for online multiple player game payment and play according to  claim 1 , wherein said at least one game client comprises multiple game clients and the method further comprises: 
 coordinating user data received from said multiple game clients to manage interactions of multiple users of said multiple game clients, and sending data to said multiple game clients that represents said interactions to be rendered to the multiple users.    
     
     
         7 . A method for online multiple player game payment and play according to  claim 6 , wherein the coordinating of user data received from said multiple game clients is performed by a three-dimensional physics engine that manages interaction of representations of the multiple users with each other and three dimensional elements of the game.  
     
     
         8 . A method for online multiple player game payment and play according to  claim 6 , wherein the method further comprises 
 increasing the account balance for a particular user of said multiple users, upon completion of the game, when said particular user wins the game;    wherein an amount of said increase in the account balance of said particular user is related to a total number of said multiple users.    
     
     
         9 . A method for online multiple player game payment and play according to  claim 1 , wherein before the step of receiving a game selection, the method further comprises a step of requesting and receiving credit information from said at least one game client.  
     
     
         10 . A method for online multiple player game payment and play according to  claim 1 , wherein before the step of receiving a game selection, the method further comprises: 
 determining whether predetermined account information exists for said at least one game client or said user; and    accessing said predetermined account information for said at least one game client or said user.    
     
     
         11 . A method for online multiple player game payment and play according to  claim 1 , wherein the account balance for said user is increased in value, upon completion of the game, when said user wins the game.  
     
     
         12 . A method for online multiple player game payment and play according to  claim 1 , wherein said user is a spectator user and said step of receiving user data from said at least one game client to register actions by said user in the game comprises receiving spectator user data related to a desired view of the game selected by the spectator user.  
     
     
         13 . A method for online multiple player game payment and play comprising the steps of: 
 selecting a game to play from a game host, wherein said game host sends credit information to a payment gateway;    receiving data to render the game when the credit information is verified and approved; and    sending user data to said game host to register actions of a user in the game; and    sending information indicating or acknowledging a completion of the game, wherein update information is subsequently sent to said payment gateway to update an account balance for the user.    
     
     
         14 . A method for online multiple player game payment and play according to  claim 13 , wherein the received data to render the game is three-dimensional data representing viewed objects in the game to render a visual scene to the user.  
     
     
         15 . A method for online multiple player game payment and play according to  claim 13 , wherein the received data to render the game includes representations of other users, corresponding to multiple users, interacting with said game host playing the game.  
     
     
         16 . A method for online multiple player game payment and play according to claim  15 , wherein said step of sending information indicating or acknowledging a completion of the game includes sending statistical information on said game to a statistics monitor and assigning said user a ranking.  
     
     
         17 . A method for online multiple player game payment and play according to  claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises 
 increasing the account balance for a particular user of said multiple users, upon completion of the game, when said particular user wins the game; 
 wherein an amount of said increase in the account balance of said particular user is related to a total number of said multiple users.  
   
     
     
         18 . A method for online multiple player game payment and play according to  claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises 
 increasing the account balance for a particular user of said multiple users, upon completion of the game, when said particular user wins the game; 
 wherein an amount of said increase in the account balance of said particular user is a fixed amount.  
   
     
     
         19 . A method for online multiple player game payment and play according to  claim 13 , further comprising the steps of: 
 sending a request to a master server for a list of available game hosts;    receiving the list of available game hosts from said master server; and    selecting said game host from the list of available game hosts.    
     
     
         20 . A method for online multiple player game payment and play according to claim  13 , wherein before the step of selecting a game from a game host, the method further comprises a step of sending said credit information to said game host upon a request from said game host for said credit information.  
     
     
         21 . A method for online multiple player game payment and play according to  claim 13 , wherein predetermined account information exists for said user and access to said predetermined account information by said game host is permitted.  
     
     
         22 . A method for online multiple player game payment and play according to  claim 13 , wherein the account balance for said user is increased in value, upon completion of the game, when said user wins the game.  
     
     
         23 . A method for online multiple player game payment and play according to  claim 13 , wherein said user is a spectator user and said step of sending user data to said game host to register actions by said user in the game comprises sending spectator user data related to a desired view of the game selected by the spectator user.  
     
     
         24 . A method for online multiple player game payment and play according to  claim 15 , wherein said user is a spectator user and said multiple users are spectator users and whereby the spectator users interact with the game host to view the game and interact with each other.  
     
     
         25 . A method for online multiple player game payment and play according to  claim 24 , wherein said update information is based on interactions between the spectator users.  
     
     
         26 . A method for online multiple player game payment and play according to  claim 25 , wherein the account balance for said spectator user is changed in value, upon completion of the game, based upon the spectator user's interaction with others of said spectator users.  
     
     
         27 . A method for online multiple player game payment and play, comprising the steps of: 
 awaiting a request from at least one game client for a listing of available game hosts;    receiving said request from said at least one game client;    sending a list of available game hosts to said at least one game client;    awaiting completion of a game by a user at said at least one game client;    receiving payment information, with respect to said user, upon said completion of said game;    sending statistical information on said game played by said user, upon said completion of said game, to a statistical monitor to update a statistics database.    
     
     
         28 . A method for online multiple player game payment and play according to  claim 27 , wherein said step of sending statistical information on said game further comprises updating a ranking for said user.  
     
     
         29 . A method for online multiple player game payment and play according to  claim 28 , wherein said step of awaiting a request from at least one game client comprises awaiting a plurality of requests from a plurality of game clients; a plurality of users, at said plurality of game clients, play said game; and said step of sending statistical information comprises sending statistical information on said game related to results of said plurality of game clients in said game.  
     
     
         30 . A method for online multiple player game payment and play according to  claim 29 , wherein said plurality of users are selected based on said ranking for each of said plurality of users.  
     
     
         31 . A method for online multiple player game payment and play according to  claim 29 , further comprising: 
 increasing an account balance for a particular user of said multiple users, upon completion of the game, when said particular user wins the game; wherein an amount of said increase in the account balance of said particular user is related to a total number of said multiple users.    
     
     
         32 . A method for online multiple player game payment and play according to  claim 27 , wherein said step of receiving payment information includes updating an account balance for said user using said payment information; and wherein said account balance is increased in value, upon completion of the game, when said user wins the game.  
     
     
         33 . An online multiple player game payment system, comprising: 
 at least one game client;    one or more game hosts, with each game host having a selection of games that are playable in conjunction with said at least game client;    a master server, supplying a listing of said game hosts upon receipt of a request from said at least game client;    a payment gateway, for verifying and approving user credit information sent from said at least one game client, said one or more game hosts, or said master server upon selection of one of said games; and    a statistics monitor, for receiving data regarding an outcome of said game from one or more game hosts and recording said data in a database.    
     
     
         34 . An online multiple player game payment system according to  claim 33  wherein said statistics monitor assigns a ranking for a user, playing said game at said at least one game client, based on the outcome of said game.  
     
     
         35 . An online multiple player game payment system according to  claim 34  wherein said at least one game client comprises multiple game clients each having a particular user of multiple users, said one or more game hosts is configured such that said multiple game clients play said game and each of said multiple users is selected based on said ranking for each of said multiple users.  
     
     
         36 . An online multiple player game payment system according to  claim 33  wherein said at least one game client comprises multiple game clients each having a particular user of multiple users, said one or more game hosts is configured such that said multiple game clients play said game and each of said multiple users is selected based on a ranking for each of said multiple users.  
     
     
         37 . An online multiple player game payment system according to  claim 33  wherein said selection of games that are playable in conjunction with said at least game client are also playable in a spectator mode such that actions by a user at said at least one game client have no influence on the game.