System and method for communicating game parameters utilizing separate protocols

Abstract

The invention provides a client computer system, including at least one storage medium, at least one processor connected to the storage medium, and a set of instructions stored on the storage medium for execution by the processor, the set of instructions including a game having game parameters including a shared game environment, at least one game component, associated with each of a plurality of remote player computer systems, located in the shared game environment and being movable relative to the shared game environment utilizing the respective remote player computer system, game thresholds being reached as a result of movement of the game components relative to the shared game environment, and the player scores being updated when the game thresholds are reached, a first protocol generator to communicate at least a first of the game parameters over the network, and a second protocol generator to communicate at least a second of the game parameters over the network.

1 . A client computer system, comprising:
 at least one storage medium;   at least one processor connected to the storage medium; and   a set of instructions stored on the storage medium for execution by the processor, the set of instructions including:   a game having game parameters;   a first protocol generator to communicate at least a first of the game parameters over the network; and   a second protocol generator to communicate at least a second of the game parameters over the network.   
   
   
       2 . The client computer system of  claim 1  wherein the game parameters include a shared game environment, at least one game component, associated with each of a plurality of remote player computer systems, located in the shared game environment and being movable relative to the shared game environment utilizing the respective remote player computer system, game thresholds being reached as a result of movement of the game components relative to the shared game environment, and the player scores being updated when the game thresholds are reached 
   
   
       3 . The client computer system of  claim 1  wherein the first protocol generator generates one of a UDP or a TCP protocol and the second protocol generator generates one of an HTML and an HTMLS protocol. 
   
   
       4 . The client computer system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a browser residing on the storage medium, the browser having a window for displaying components in the signal; and   a plug-in residing on the storage medium, the plug-in being utilized to enhance functionality of the browser.   
   
   
       5 . The client computer system of  claim 4 , further comprising a graphical application residing on the storage medium, the graphical application utilizing graphics acceleration to render graphics, wherein the plug-in enhances functionality of the browser by embedding the graphics rendered by the graphical application in the window of the browser. 
   
   
       6 . The client computer system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a first browser residing on the storage medium, the first browser having a view for displaying components in the signal; and   a first plug-in residing on the storage medium, the first plug-in being utilized to enhance functionality of the first browser,   wherein the first plug-in enhances functionality of the first browser by communicating with a second remote computer system over the network.   
   
   
       7 . The client computer system of  claim 1 , wherein the first browser has browser functionality and the plug-in places a view of the shared game environment in the first browser, and the game has game functionality. 
   
   
       8 . The client computer system of  claim 1 , wherein the first plug-in enhances functionality of the first browser by communicating with the second plug-in on the second remote computer system over the network, the second plug-in being utilized to enhance functionality of the second browser by communicating with the first plug-in. 
   
   
       9 . The client computer system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a three-dimensional engine that creates a three-dimensional rendering of the shared game environment and the game components.   
   
   
       10 . A computer communications method, comprising:
 receiving a signal from first and second remote computer systems over a network, the signal including components for display by the remote computer receiving the signal;   executing a game having game parameters including a shared game environment displayed by the remote player computer systems, at least one game component, associated with each of a plurality of remote player computer systems, located in the shared game environment and being movable relative to the shared game environment, utilizing the respective remote player computer system, game thresholds being reached as a result of movement of the game components relative to the shared game environment, and the player scores being updated when the game thresholds are reached;   utilizing a first protocol to communicate at least a first of the game parameters over the network; and   utilizing a second protocol to communicate at least a second of the game parameters over the network.   
   
   
       11 . The computer communications method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 running a browser application residing on the second remote computer system, the browser having a view that displays components received in the signal; and   utilizing a plug-in on the second remote computer system to enhance functionality of the browser.   
   
   
       12 . The computer communications method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 rendering graphics with a graphical application residing on at least one of the remote computer systems, the graphical application utilizing graphics acceleration to render graphics; and   embedding the graphics rendered by the graphical application in the window of the browser utilizing the plug-in.   
   
   
       13 . The computer communications method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 generating window management events for or by the browser; and   communicating the window management events with the graphical application.   
   
   
       14 . The computer communications method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 tracking user input events with the browser; and   communicating the user input events with the graphical application.   
   
   
       15 . The computer communications method of  claim 10 , wherein the remote computer systems are remote player computer systems, further comprising:
 utilizing a plurality of remote player computer systems to move a plurality of game components associated with the respective player computers in a shared game environment displayed by the respective remote player computer systems;   storing a plurality of player scores corresponding to the respective remote player computer systems; and   updating the player scores as game thresholds are reached as a result of movement of the game components relative to the shared game environment.   
   
   
       16 . The computer communications method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 storing the shared game environment on a game server computer system;   transmitting the shared game environment to the remote player computer systems;   storing the player scores on the game server computer system; and   transmitting the player scores to the remote player computer systems.   
   
   
       17 . The computer communications method of  claim 16 , wherein the shared game environment is a selected shared game environment among a plurality of shared game environments, further comprising:
 generating a game-specific URL;   transmitting the game-specific URL to a selected one of the remote computer systems; and   utilizing the game-specific URL at the selected remote computer system to at least view the selected game environment.   
   
   
       18 . The computer communications method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 storing a plurality of shared game environments on the game server computer system; and   associating a respective party comprising a respective subset of the remote player computer systems with each shared game environment.   
   
   
       19 . The computer communications method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 selecting a party move selector at one of the remote player computer systems associated with a first one of the parties and a first one of the shared game environments, to transmit a party move signal from the respective remote player computer system to the server computer system; and   in response to the party move signal, associating all the remote player computer systems associated with the first party in unison with a second one of the shared game environments.   
   
   
       20 . The computer communications method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 running a first browser application residing on a first remote computer system, the first browser having a view that displays components received in the signal; and   utilizing a first plug-in on the first remote computer system to enhance functionality of the browser,   wherein the first plug-in enhances functionality of the first browser by communicating with a second remote computer system over the network.   
   
   
       21 . The computer communications method of  claim 20 , wherein the browser has browser functionality and the plug-in places a view of the shared game environment in the browser, and the game has game functionality. 
   
   
       22 . The computer communications method of  claim 20 , further comprising:
 running a second browser application residing on a second remote computer system, the second browser having a view that displays components received in the signal; and   utilizing a second plug-in on the second remote computer system to enhance functionality of the browser,   wherein the first plug-in enhances functionality of the first browser by communicating with the second plug-in on the second remote computer system over the network.   
   
   
       23 . The computer communications method of  claim 15 , wherein the shared game environment, the at least one game component, the movement of the at least one game component, the player scores, and the game thresholds are game parameters, further comprising:
 utilizing a first protocol to communicate at least a first of the game parameters over the network; and   utilizing a second protocol to communicate at least a second of the game parameters over the network.   
   
   
       24 . The computer communications method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 creating a three-dimensional rendering of the shared game environment and the game components.   
   
   
       25 . A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a set of instructions which, when executed by a processor of a computer, executes a communications method, comprising:
 receiving a signal from first and second remote computer systems over a network, the signal including components for display by the remote computer receiving the signal;   executing a game having game parameters, including a shared game environment displayed by the remote player computer systems, at least one game component, associated with each of a plurality of remote player computer systems, located in the shared game environment and being movable relative to the shared game environment utilizing the respective remote player computer system, game thresholds being reached as a result of movement of the game components relative to the shared game environment, and the player scores being updated when the game thresholds are reached;   utilizing a first protocol to communicate at least a first of the game parameters over the network; and   utilizing a second protocol to communicate at least a second of the game parameters over the network.   
   
   
       26 . A network system, comprising:
 a plurality of remote player computer systems connected to a network, a signal being transmitted from a first to a second of the remote player computer systems over the network, the signal including components for display by the remote player computer receiving the signal;   a shared game environment displayed by the remote player computer systems;   at least one game component associated with each remote player computer system located in the shared game environment at each remote player computer system, and being movable relative to the shared game environment utilizing the respective remote player computer system;   a plurality of player scores stored on a computer system, each player score corresponding to a respective one of the remote player computer systems, game thresholds being reached as a result of movement of the game components relative to the shared game environment, and the player scores being updated when the game thresholds are reached, wherein the shared game environment, the at least one game component, the movement of the at least one game component, the player scores, and the game thresholds are game parameters;   a first protocol generator to communicate at least a first of the game parameters over the network; and   a second protocol generator to communicate at least a second of the game parameters over the network.