Online asynchronous game with player-matching mechanic

Abstract

A player-matching mechanic selects users for an online asynchronous game where players specify moves at different times. Values from instances of the game are used to determine characteristics of the users including at least one of gameplay characteristics or chat characteristics. Users can be chosen for instances of the game by comparing values corresponding to these characteristics.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A method of matching users, comprising:
 receiving one or more values, each of a plurality of users playing in instances of an online asynchronous game being characterized by one or more of said values, the online asynchronous game being performed by at least one hardware device;   deriving, using one or more hardware processors, one or more user characteristics based on the one or more values;   classifying, using the one or more hardware processors, each of the plurality of users into one or more sub-groups in a data structure based on one or more of the user characteristics, each user characteristic corresponding to a type of group, each type of group having a plurality of sub-groups, each of the plurality of sub-groups corresponding to a range of user characteristic values; and   matching, using the one or more hardware processors, a first user and a second user for a selected instance of the online asynchronous game based on the one or more sub-groups.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the matching of the first user and the second user includes selecting the first user and the second user from an identical sub-group. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the matching of the first user and the second user includes:
 selecting the first user from a first sub-group with a first user characteristic value range, and   selecting the second user from a second sub-group with a second user characteristic value range that is a threshold distance from the first user characteristic value range.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more values are derived in a first type of online asynchronous game and the selected instance is a second type of online asynchronous game, the first type being different than the second type. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the first type of online asynchronous game and the second type of online asynchronous game share a common attribute corresponding to a family of games. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein one or more of the values characterize one or more moves of one of the plurality of users. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein one or more of the user characteristics are gameplay characteristics that are determined by using one or more of the values to identify gameplay patterns. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein one or more of the values are gameplay characteristics characterizing gameplay patterns of one of the plurality of users in relation to time or moves of the online asynchronous game and the classifying is based on one or more of the gameplay characteristics. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein each of the gameplay characteristics is one of playing frequency, playing intensity, and playing style. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the playing frequency characterizes a player delay in executing a move in the online asynchronous game, the playing intensity characterizes simultaneous instances played by the user in the online asynchronous game and the playing style characterizes repeated move patterns by the user in the online asynchronous game. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein one or more of the values characterize one or more chat communications of one of the plurality of users. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein one or more of the user characteristics are chat characteristics that are determined by using one or more of the values to identify chat patterns. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein one or more of the values are chat characteristics characterizing chat patterns of one of the plurality of users in relation to time or moves of the online asynchronous game and the classifying is based on one or more of the chat characteristics. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein each of the chat characteristics is one of chat frequency, chat intensity, and chat substance. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the chat frequency characterizes how often the user initiates chat communications related to the online asynchronous game, the chat intensity characterizes a chat-communication size related to the user in the online asynchronous game, and the chat substance characterizes how often the user includes selected text elements in chat communications related to the online asynchronous game. 
     
     
         17 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores a computer program for matching users, the computer program including instructions that, when executed by at least one computer, cause the at least one computer to perform operations comprising:
 receiving one or more values, each of a plurality of users playing in instances of an online asynchronous game being characterized by one or more of said values;   deriving one or more user characteristics based on the one or more values;   classifying each of the plurality of users into one or more sub-groups in a data structure based on one or more of the user characteristics, each user characteristic corresponding to a type of group, each type of group having a plurality of sub-groups, each of the plurality of sub-groups corresponding to a range of user characteristic values; and   matching a first user and a second user for a selected instance of the online asynchronous game based on the one or more sub-groups.   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the matching of the first user and the second user includes selecting the first user and the second user from an identical sub-group. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the matching of the first user and the second user includes:
 selecting the first user from a first sub-group with a first user characteristic value range, and   selecting the second user from a second sub-group with a second user characteristic value range that is a threshold distance from the first user characteristic value range.   
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the one or more values are derived in a first type of online asynchronous game and the selected instance is a second type of online asynchronous game, the first type being different than the second type and wherein the first type of online asynchronous game and the second type of online asynchronous game share a common attribute corresponding to a family of games. 
     
     
         21 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein one or more of the values characterize one or more moves of one of the plurality of users. 
     
     
         22 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein one or more of the user characteristics are gameplay characteristics that are determined by using one or more of the values to identify gameplay patterns. 
     
     
         23 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein one or more of the values are gameplay characteristics characterizing gameplay patterns of one of the plurality of users in relation to time or moves of the online asynchronous game and the classifying is based on one or more of the gameplay characteristics. 
     
     
         24 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 22 , wherein each of the gameplay characteristics is one of playing frequency, playing intensity, and playing style and wherein the playing frequency characterizes a player delay in executing a move in the online asynchronous game, the playing intensity characterizes simultaneous instances played by the user in the online asynchronous game and the playing style characterizes repeated move patterns by the user in the online asynchronous game. 
     
     
         25 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein one or more of the values characterize one or more chat communications of one of the plurality of users. 
     
     
         26 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein one or more of the user characteristics are chat characteristics that are determined by using one or more of the values to identify chat patterns. 
     
     
         27 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein one or more of the values are chat characteristics characterizing chat patterns of one of the plurality of users in relation to time or moves of the online asynchronous game and the classifying is based on one or more of the chat characteristics. 
     
     
         28 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 26 , wherein each of the chat characteristics is one of chat frequency, chat intensity, and chat substance and wherein the chat frequency characterizes how often the user initiates chat communications related to the online asynchronous game, the chat intensity characterizes a chat-communication size related to the user in the online asynchronous game, and the chat substance characterizes how often the user includes selected text elements in chat communications related to the online asynchronous game. 
     
     
         29 . An apparatus to match users, the apparatus comprising at least one computer to perform operations for computer-executable modules including:
 a value-receiving module, implemented using one or more hardware processors, configured to receive one or more values, each of a plurality of users playing in instances of an online asynchronous game being characterized by one or more of said values;   a user characteristics module, implemented using the one or more hardware processors, configured to derive one or more user characteristics based on the one or more values;   a classification module, implemented using the one or more hardware processors, configured to classify each of the plurality of users into one or more sub-groups in a data structure based on one or more of the user characteristics, each user characteristic corresponding to a type of group, each type of group having a plurality of sub-groups, each of the plurality of sub-groups corresponding to a range of user characteristic values; and   a user-matching module, implemented using the one or more hardware processors, configured to match a first user and a second user for a selected instance of the online asynchronous game based on the one or more sub-groups.   
     
     
         30 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein the matching of the first user and the second user includes selecting the first user and the second user from an identical sub-group. 
     
     
         31 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein the matching of the first user and the second user includes:
 selecting the first user from a first sub-group with a first user characteristic value range, and   selecting the second user from a second sub-group with a second user characteristic value range that is a threshold distance from the first user characteristic value range.   
     
     
         32 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein the one or more values are derived in a first type of online asynchronous game and the selected instance is a second type of online asynchronous game, the first type being different than the second type and wherein the first type of online asynchronous game and the second type of online asynchronous game share a common attribute corresponding to a family of games. 
     
     
         33 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein one or more of the values characterize one or more moves of one of the plurality of users. 
     
     
         34 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein one or more of the user characteristics are gameplay characteristics that are determined by using one or more of the values to identify gameplay patterns. 
     
     
         35 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein one or more of the values are gameplay characteristics characterizing gameplay patterns of one of the plurality of users in relation to time or moves of the online asynchronous game and the classifying is based on one or more of the gameplay characteristics. 
     
     
         36 . The apparatus of  claim 34 , wherein each of the gameplay characteristics is one of playing frequency, playing intensity, and playing style and wherein the playing frequency characterizes a player delay in executing a move in the online asynchronous game, the playing intensity characterizes simultaneous instances played by the user in the online asynchronous game and the playing style characterizes repeated move patterns by the user in the online asynchronous game. 
     
     
         37 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein one or more of the values characterize one or more chat communications of one of the plurality of users. 
     
     
         38 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein one or more of the user characteristics are chat characteristics that are determined by using one or more of the values to identify chat patterns. 
     
     
         39 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein one or more of the values are chat characteristics characterizing chat patterns of one of the plurality of users in relation to time or moves of the online asynchronous game and the classifying is based on one or more of the chat characteristics. 
     
     
         40 . The apparatus of  claim 38 , wherein each of the chat characteristics is one of chat frequency, chat intensity, and chat substance and wherein the chat frequency characterizes how often the user initiates chat communications related to the online asynchronous game, the chat intensity characterizes a chat-communication size related to the user in the online asynchronous game, and the chat substance characterizes how often the user includes selected text elements in chat communications related to the online asynchronous game.