MULTIPLAYER GAMING USING GPS-ENABLED PORTABLE GAMING DEVICES
First Claim
1. A system for implementing a multiplayer mobile gaming experience, comprising:
- a first portable computing device operated by a first user, the first portable computing device including a first geospatial location sensor, a first geospatial orientations sensor, a first user aiming portion, and a first wireless communication link to a user tracking application server;
a plurality of second portable computing devices, each operated by a separate second user, each second portable computing device including a second geospatial location sensor, a second geospatial orientation sensor, a second user aiming portion, and a second wireless communication link to the user tracking application server;
first communication routines for transmitting a representation of substantially current data from the first geospatial location sensor and the first orientation sensor from the first portable computing device to the user tracking application server;
second communication routines for repeatedly transmitting a representation of substantially current data from the second geospatial location sensor of each of the plurality of second portable computing devices to the user tracking application server;
gaming software routines running upon or in conjunction with the user tracking application server, the gaming software routines;
receiving an indication that the first user of the first portable computing device has fired a simulated weapon as a result of engaging an appropriate user interface element of the first portable computing device;
determining, for a time period associated with the simulated weapon fire, if the aiming portion of the first portable computing device was aimed substantially at the location of a particular second portable computing device, the determining being performed at least in part based upon the data from the first geospatial location sensor and first geospatial orientation sensor of the first portable computing device, and the second geospatial location sensor of the particular second portable computing device; and
assessing whether a user of the first portable computing device scored a simulated weapon hit upon a user of a particular second portable computing device based at least in part upon the receiving and the determining.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of providing a mobile gaming experience to a group of users of portable computing devices within a predefined spatial area. Positional data and orientational data from each of the portable computing devices is received and stored in a tracking database. Position and orientation sensors local for a first portable computing device are read to determine a current location and a current targeting vector for the first portable computing device. A targeting area within a real physical world is determined based on the current location and the current targeting vector. A determination is made regarding whether the first portable computing device scores a hit on a second portable computing device within the targeting area.
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Citations
34 Claims
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1. A system for implementing a multiplayer mobile gaming experience, comprising:
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a first portable computing device operated by a first user, the first portable computing device including a first geospatial location sensor, a first geospatial orientations sensor, a first user aiming portion, and a first wireless communication link to a user tracking application server;
a plurality of second portable computing devices, each operated by a separate second user, each second portable computing device including a second geospatial location sensor, a second geospatial orientation sensor, a second user aiming portion, and a second wireless communication link to the user tracking application server;
first communication routines for transmitting a representation of substantially current data from the first geospatial location sensor and the first orientation sensor from the first portable computing device to the user tracking application server;
second communication routines for repeatedly transmitting a representation of substantially current data from the second geospatial location sensor of each of the plurality of second portable computing devices to the user tracking application server;
gaming software routines running upon or in conjunction with the user tracking application server, the gaming software routines;
receiving an indication that the first user of the first portable computing device has fired a simulated weapon as a result of engaging an appropriate user interface element of the first portable computing device;
determining, for a time period associated with the simulated weapon fire, if the aiming portion of the first portable computing device was aimed substantially at the location of a particular second portable computing device, the determining being performed at least in part based upon the data from the first geospatial location sensor and first geospatial orientation sensor of the first portable computing device, and the second geospatial location sensor of the particular second portable computing device; and
assessing whether a user of the first portable computing device scored a simulated weapon hit upon a user of a particular second portable computing device based at least in part upon the receiving and the determining. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method for implementing a multiplayer mobile gaming experience, comprising:
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receiving, over a wireless communication link, substantially current first geospatial location and first orientation data for a first portable computing device;
receiving, over the wireless communication link, substantially current second geospatial location data for each of a plurality of second portable computing devices;
receiving, over the wireless communication link, an indication that a first user of the first portable computing device has fired a simulated weapon by engaging an appropriate user interface element of the first portable computing device;
determining, for a time period associated with the simulated weapon fire, if an aiming portion of the first portable computing device was aimed substantially at a location of a particular second portable computing device, the determining being performed at least in part based upon the data from the substantially current first geospatial location and first orientation data for the first portable computing device, and the substantially current second geospatial location data for the particular second portable computing device; and
assessing whether the first user of the first portable computing device scored a simulated weapon hit upon a second user of a particular second portable computing device. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A method of providing a gaming experience to a group of portable gaming devices within a predefined spatial area, comprising:
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receiving and storing positional data and orientational data from each of the portable gaming devices in a tracking database;
reading position and orientation sensors local for a first portable gaming device to determine a current location and a current targeting vector for the first portable gaming device;
determining a targeting area within a real physical world based on the current location and the current targeting vector;
determining whether the first portable gaming device scores a hit on a second portable gaming device within the targeting area; and
updating a gaming score value based at least in part upon an affirmative determination that the first portable gaming device scores a hit on a second portable gaming device. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34)
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Specification