SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PRESENTING PRIZES IN A GAME

• US 20060003826A1
• Filed: 05/27/2005
• Published: 01/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Walker Digital LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Original Assignee: Walker Digital LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Inventors: TULLEY, Stephen C., WALKER, Jay S., GELMAN, Geoffrey M., TEDESCO, Daniel E., TEDESCO, Robert C., SUAREZ, Jose A., HEINEMANN, Kurt H.
• Application Number:
  US10/908,853
• Publication Number:
  US 20060003826A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/9
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/216 using geographical information, e.g. location of the game device or player using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/46 Computing the game score
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/65 automatically by game devices or servers from real world data, e.g. measurement in live racing competition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/798 for assessing skills or for ranking players, e.g. for generating a hall of fame computing the game score A63F13/46
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/205 for detecting the geographical location of the game platform
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/208 for storing personal settings or data of the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5546 using player registration data, e.g. identification, account, preferences, game history
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5573 player location
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/558 by assessing the players' skills or ranking
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/61 Score computation
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/69 Involving elements of the real world in the game world, e.g. measurement in live races, real video
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0218 based on score

Abstract

According to some embodiments of the present invention a system and method are provided for acquiring customers for local merchants. In some embodiments, products and/or discounts may be made available to a user based on location of or geographic information associated with a user, a merchant, or both.

Claims

1. A game system comprising:

a computer; and

a game server in communication with the computer, the game server comprising;

a processor, and

a storage device in communication with the processor, the storage device storing instructions adapted to be executed by the processor for;

determining a geographic location;

determining geographic data about a merchant;

determining game content based on the geographic location and the geographic data about the merchant; and

transmitting the game content to the computer.

2. A method comprising:

receiving information about a plurality of merchants, each merchant being associated with respective first geographic data;

determining second geographic data that is associated with a user;

determining a set of local products based on the first geographic data and the second geographic data;

determining a measure of performance of the user;

determining, based on the measure of performance, whether to provide the user with at least one entitlement; and

providing the user with at least one entitlement,

in which each at least one provided entitlement is associated with a respective local product from the set of local products.

3. The method of claim 2, in which determining the measure of performance of the user comprises:

increasing the measure of performance based on play of a game by the user.

4. The method of claim 2, in which determining the measure of performance of the user comprises:

decreasing the measure of performance based on play of a game by the user.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

displaying an indication of the measure of performance to the user.

6. The method of claim 2, in which the measure of performance comprises a credit amount.

7. The method of claim 2, in which the measure of performance comprises a price.

8. The method of claim 2, in which the measure of performance comprises a number of entitlements.

9. A method comprising:

determining geographic data that is associated with a customer;

determining a plurality of products based on the geographic data;

initiating a game;

determining a measure of performance of the customer in the game;

determining, based on the measure of performance, whether to allow the customer to select at least one product from the plurality of products; and

receiving an indication of a selection by the customer of at least one product.

10. A method comprising:

determining information about a product;

determining a first discount associated with the product;

determining a second discount associated with the product;

determining geographic information associated with a user; and

determining whether to provide the first discount or the second discount to the user based on the geographic information.

11. A method comprising:

determining information about a first product of a merchant;

determining information about a second product of the merchant;

determining geographic information associated with a customer; and

determining, based on the geographic information, whether to provide to the customer an entitlement to the first product or an entitlement to the second product.