Location-based mobile storytelling using beacons

• US 10,455,035 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2019
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Murdock, Malcolm, Porter, Kimberly, Ginter, Richard, Poswal, Mohammad, Wells, Michele
• Primary Examiner(s): Augustine, Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US16/375,151
• Publication Number:
  US 20190230173A1
• Time in Patent Office: 201 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/30 Services specially adapted for particular environments, situations or purposes

Abstract

There is provided a system and method for location-based mobile storytelling using beacons. The system including a memory storing a storytelling software application, the storytelling software application configured to generate a story that includes a plurality of segments, each segment of the plurality of segments of the story being associated with one of a plurality of beacons, and a processor configured to execute the storytelling software application to receive a first message transmitted from a first beacon of the plurality of beacons, determine a first beacon identity of the first beacon using the first message, generate a first segment of the plurality of segments of the story based on the first beacon identity, the first segment of the story being associated with the first beacon, and play the first segment of the story.

Claims

1. A server for use in a system including a mobile device, the server comprising:

a memory storing a storytelling database and a beacon database, the storytelling database having a story that includes a plurality of segments, each segment of the plurality of segments of the story being associated with one of a plurality of beacons stored in the beacon database; and

a processor configured to;

receive, from the mobile device, a first message transmitted by a first beacon of the plurality of beacons to the mobile device when the mobile device being carried by a user is at a first location;

determine a first beacon identity of the first beacon using the first message;

obtain a first segment of the plurality of segments of the story based on the first beacon identity, the first segment of the story being associated with the first beacon;

provide the first segment of the story for the user to the mobile device;

receive, from the mobile device after providing the first segment of the plurality of segments of the story to the mobile device, a second message transmitted by a second beacon of the plurality of beacons to the mobile device when the mobile device being carried by the user is at a second location;

determine a second beacon identity of the second beacon using the second message;

obtain a second segment of the plurality of segments of the story based on the second beacon identity, the second segment of the story being associated with the second beacon; and

provide the second segment of the story for the user to the mobile device.

2. The server of claim 1, wherein the mobile device includes a display, and wherein the processor provides the first segment of the story by playing the first segment of the story on the display of the mobile device.

3. The server of claim 1, wherein before receiving the second message, the processor is further configured to:

provide instructions to the user of the mobile device to move from the first location to the second location for locating the second beacon.

4. The server of claim 1, wherein the first beacon is located in a defined geographic location, and wherein to obtain the first segment of the plurality of segments of the story the processor is configured to:

determine the defined geographic location using the first beacon identity of the first beacon; and

obtain the first segment of the story based on the defined geographic location.

5. The server of claim 4, wherein the defined geographic location includes at least one of a room in a house and a geographic location within a park.

6. The server of claim 1, wherein the first beacon is part of an object, and wherein to obtain the first segment of the plurality of segments of the story the processor is configured to:

determine an object identity of the object using the first beacon identity of the first beacon; and

obtain the first segment of the story based on the object identity, wherein the first segment of the story includes an animated character that corresponds to the object.

7. The server of claim 1, wherein before receiving the first message, the processor is further configured to:

receive a plurality of beacon identities including the first beacon identity; and

associate each of the plurality of beacon identities including the first beacon identity with one of the plurality of beacons including the first beacon.

8. The server of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of beacons includes a Bluetooth device, and wherein the first message is received by the mobile device from the first beacon using the Bluetooth device.

9. The server of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

associate each segment of the plurality of segments with one of the plurality beacons according to the user'"'"'s selection prior to receiving the first message.

10. A method for use by server for use in a system including a mobile device, the server having a memory storing a storytelling database and a beacon database, the storytelling database having a story that includes a plurality of segments, each segment of the plurality of segments of the story being associated with one of a plurality of beacons stored in the beacon database, the method comprising:

receiving, from the mobile device, a first message transmitted by a first beacon of the plurality of beacons to the mobile device when the mobile device being carried by a user is at a first location;

determining a first beacon identity of the first beacon using the first message;

obtaining a first segment of the plurality of segments of the story based on the first beacon identity, the first segment of the story being associated with the first beacon;

providing the first segment of the story for the user to the mobile device;

receiving, from the mobile device after providing the first segment of the plurality of segments of the story to the mobile device, a second message transmitted by a second beacon of the plurality of beacons to the mobile device when the mobile device being carried by the user is at a second location;

determining a second beacon identity of the second beacon using the second message;

obtaining a second segment of the plurality of segments of the story based on the second beacon identity, the second segment of the story being associated with the second beacon; and

providing the second segment of the story for the user to the mobile device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the mobile device includes a display, and wherein providing the first segment of the story plays the first segment of the story on the display of the mobile device.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein before receiving the second message, the method further comprises:

providing instructions to the user of the mobile device to move from the first location to the second location for locating the second beacon.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the first beacon is located in a defined geographic location, and wherein for obtaining the first segment of the plurality of segments of the story the method further comprises:

determining the defined geographic location using the first beacon identity of the first beacon; and

obtaining the first segment of the story based on the defined geographic location.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the defined geographic location includes at least one of a room in a house and a geographic location within a park.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the first beacon is part of an object, and wherein for obtaining the first segment of the plurality of segments of the story the method further comprises:

determining n object identity of the object using the first beacon identity of the first beacon; and

obtaining the first segment of the story based on the object identity, wherein the first segment of the story includes an animated character that corresponds to the object.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein before receiving the first message, the method further comprises:

receiving a plurality of beacon identities including the first beacon identity; and

associating each of the plurality of beacon identities including the first beacon identity with one of the plurality of beacons including the first beacon.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of beacons includes a Bluetooth device, and wherein the first message is received by the mobile device from the first beacon using the Bluetooth device.

18. The method of claim 10 further comprises:

associating each segment of the plurality of segments with one of the plurality beacons according to the user'"'"'s selection prior to receiving the first message.

19. A device comprising:

a memory storing a storytelling database and a beacon database, the storytelling database having a story that includes a plurality of segments, each segment of the plurality of segments of the story being associated with one of a plurality of beacons stored in the beacon database; and

a processor configured to;

receive a first message transmitted from a first beacon of the plurality of beacons;

determine a first object identity associated with the first beacon using the first message;

obtain a first segment of the plurality of segments of the story including a first animation of a first object corresponding to the first object identity;

play the first segment of the story including the first animation of the first object;

receive, after playing the first segment of the plurality of segments of the story, a second message transmitted from a second beacon of the plurality of beacons;

determine a second object identity associated with the second beacon using the second message;

obtain a second segment of the plurality of segments of the story including a second animation of a second object corresponding to the second object identity;

play the second segment of the story including the second animation of the second object.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the device is one of a mobile device and a server, and wherein the first beacon is part of the first object and the second beacon is part of the second object.