US 12,420,202 B2
System and method for providing conditional access to virtual gaming items
Brandon Myles Zien, Sherman Oaks, CA (US)
Assigned to Activision Publishing, Inc., Santa Monica, CA (US)
Filed by Activision Publishing, Inc., Santa Monica, CA (US)
Filed on Jul. 31, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/362,505.
Application 18/362,505 is a continuation of application No. 17/086,594, filed on Nov. 2, 2020, granted, now 11,712,627.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/933,209, filed on Nov. 8, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2023/0372823 A1, Nov. 23, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A63F 13/73 (2014.01); A63F 13/533 (2014.01); A63F 13/69 (2014.01); A63F 13/80 (2014.01)
CPC A63F 13/73 (2014.09) [A63F 13/533 (2014.09); A63F 13/69 (2014.09); A63F 13/80 (2014.09); A63F 2300/5533 (2013.01); A63F 2300/575 (2013.01); A63F 2300/638 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A computer-implemented method for managing conditional access to a virtual gaming item within a multiplayer video game environment comprising a plurality of concurrently executing game instances hosted by at least one server, the method comprising:
using the at least one server, generating a virtual gaming item configured for use within the video game, wherein the virtual gaming item is assigned to a first player and is associated with a unique product identifier stored in a game database;
creating, within an electronically stored data structure in the game database, a record of the virtual gaming item including metadata comprising the item's attributes, an identifier of the first player, one or more predefined conditions for access, and a time duration for temporary access;
receiving, from a plurality of remote client devices associated with respective players and in communication with the at least one server over a multiplayer video game network, generating gameplay data during real-time execution of the video game;
monitoring using a conditional access module executed by the at least one server, evaluating the gameplay data of a second player to determine whether the second player satisfies the one or more predefined conditions associated with the virtual gaming item, wherein the one or more predefined conditions comprises at least one of reaching a specified gameplay level and transferring a predefined amount of virtual value to the first player;
upon determining that the second player has satisfied the one or more predefined conditions, modifying the game database to update the data structure by adding the second player's identifier, recording a start time associated with granting access, modifying the inventory of the second player to include the virtual gaming item for the temporary access time duration, and updating the inventory of the first player to reflect inaccessibility of the virtual gaming item during the temporary access time duration;
broadcasting a notification to the second player via a graphical user interface that the virtual gaming item is accessible;
recording a countdown or elapsed time since the start time;
upon determining that the temporary access time duration has elapsed, revoking the second player's access to the virtual gaming item, restoring the virtual gaming item to the inventory of the first player, and updating the data structure to reflect a termination of access and a restored status of the item to the first player; and
publishing, to a distributed ledger implemented using a blockchain network, a transaction entry indicating that the virtual gaming item was temporarily made accessible to the second player and that access was subsequently revoked.