Location Based Gaming System

• US 20080039203A1
• Filed: 08/02/2007
• Published: 02/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Ackley, Jonathan, Blossom, Jonathan, Jordan, Charles
• Granted Patent: US 8,668,585 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/40
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/216 using geographical information, e.g. location of the game device or player using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/332 using wireless networks, e.g. cellular phone networks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1012 involving biosensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat, limb activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/205 for detecting the geographical location of the game platform
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/405 being a wireless ad hoc network, e.g. Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Pico net
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/406 Transmission via wireless network, e.g. pager or GSM
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5573 player location

Abstract

The subject matter disclosed herein relates to systems for providing an interactive experience to game participants.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a message from a mobile device;

obtaining information regarding a location of said mobile device in response to said message; and

responding to said message by initiating presentation of one or more special effects based, at least in part, on a game state associated with said mobile device and obtained location information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving said message comprises receiving said message while said mobile device is located at an interactive installation.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said message is transmitted according to a wireless communication protocol.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving said message comprises receiving a text message from said mobile device forwarded through a mobile communication service provider.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said location information is determined, at least in part, in response to detection of a presence of a radio frequency identification (RFID) device proximate to an interactive gaming installation at a known location.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said RFID device is capable of transmitting information associated with said mobile device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said location information is determined, at least in part, based upon detection of a barcode signature proximate to an interactive gaming installation at a known location.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said location information is determined, at least in part, from an association of one or more radio frequency identification (RFID) codes associated with game participants in proximity to an interactive installation, and said method further comprises determining whether said mobile device is associated with said one or more RFID codes.

9. A method comprising:

determining a game state associated with a game participant; and

in response to said determining said game state, requesting an alert upon detection of an arrival of said game participant at a location to initiate a responsive action in response to said arrival.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said determining said game state comprises receiving a message from a mobile device associated with said game participant.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said responsive action comprises changing said game state.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein said responsive action comprises presentation of a special effect.

13. The method of claim 9, and further comprising detecting said arrival based, at least in part, on detection of a biometric signature associated with said game participant at said location.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said biometric signature is obtained from a retinal scan.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein said biometric signature comprises a finger print.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein said biometric signature comprises a palm print.

17. A method comprising:

receiving a message indicating an event occurring at an interactive installation;

identifying one or more mobile devices in proximity to said interactive installation; and

affecting an application hosted on said one or more mobile devices in response to said event.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said identifying said one or more mobile devices further comprises detecting a presence of an RFID device in proximity to said interactive station, said RFID device being associated with at least one of said one or more mobile devices.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein said event comprises an action by a game participant detected at an interactive installation.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein said message is transmitted in response to an input to a graphical user interface of at least one of said one or more mobile devices.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein said message comprises a text message transmitted from at least one of said one or more mobile devices via a service provider.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein said affecting said application on said one or more mobile devices further comprises initiating a visual and/or audio presentation.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said initiating said presentation comprises transmitting one or more messages to at least one of said one or more mobile devices.

24. The method of claim 17, and further comprising affecting a game state associated with said one or more mobile devices in response to said event.

25. The method of claim 17, and further comprising presenting one or more special effects at said interactive installation in response to said event.

26. A system comprising:

middleware capable of communicating with a plurality of geographically dispersed and atomic interactive installations through a communication interface, said middleware comprising an application programming interface enabling communication with said interactive installations; and

a context-specific game logic adapted to communicate with said dispersed interactive installations via said application programming interface to provide a context-specific gaming experience to at least one game participant based, at least in part, on detection of a presence of said at least one game participant at said dispersed interactive installations.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein said middleware is scalable to incorporate additional atomic interactive installations.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein said middleware is further adapted to transmit messages between said context-specific game logic and mobile devices associated with said game participants.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein said middleware is further adapted to:

queue messages for transmission to individual ones of said mobile devices in response to calls from said context-specific game logic; and

selectively transmit a subsequent message in a queue associated with a particular mobile device in response detection of receipt of a previous message in said queue at said particular mobile device.

30. The system of claim 28, and further comprising a communication layer adapted to:

transmit messages between said middleware and said mobile devices; and

transmit heartbeat messages to said mobile devices.

31. The system of claim 28, and further comprising a communication layer adapted to:

transmit messages between said middleware and said mobile devices; and

sever connections with particular ones of said mobile devices in the absence of a receipt of one or more heartbeat messages from said particular ones of said mobile devices.

32. The system of claim 28, wherein said middleware is further adapted to route messages between said mobile devices and scripts of said context-specific game logic via said communication layer.

33. The system of claim 28, wherein said middleware is adapted to communicate with a location server to determine locations of said mobile devices.

34. The system of claim 28, wherein said middleware is further adapted to determine said locations based, at least in part, on indications from said location sever as to proximity of said mobile devices to one or more of said interactive installations.

35. The system of claim 28, wherein said middleware is further adapted to request a location server for an alert upon detection of one or more of said mobile devices being in proximity to one or more of said interactive installations in response to a call from said context-specific game logic.

36. The system of claim 28, wherein said context-specific game logic is adapted to issue said call in response to detection of a game state associated with said one or more of said mobile devices.

37. The system of claim 26, wherein said middleware is further adapted to route queries from said context-specific game logic to a database layer, and route responses to said queries from said database layer to said context-specific game logic.

38. The system of claim 26, and wherein said middleware is capable of communicating with said interactive installations to simultaneously provide multiple gaming experiences in response to associated context-specific game logic modules coupled to said applications programming interface.

39. An apparatus comprising:

a computing platform, said computing platform being adapted to;

receive a message from a mobile device;

obtain information regarding a location of said mobile device in response to said message; and

respond to said message by initiating presentation of a special effect based, at least in part, on a game state associated with said mobile device and said obtained information.

40. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein said message comprises a message transmitted by said mobile device while said mobile device is located at an interactive installation.

41. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein said location information is determined, at least in part, in response to detection of a presence of an RFID device proximate to an interactive gaming installation at a known location.

42. An apparatus comprising:

a computing platform, said computing platform being adapted to;

determine a game state associated with a game participant; and

in response to said determination of said game state, request an alert upon detection of an arrival of said game participant at a location to initiate a responsive action in response to said arrival.

43. The apparatus of claim 42, wherein said computing platform is adapted to detect said game state based, at least in part, on a message from a mobile device associated with said game participant.

44. An apparatus comprising:

a computing platform, said computing platform being adapted to;

receive a message indicating an event occurring at an interactive installation;

identify one or more mobile devices in proximity to said interactive installation; and

affect an application hosted on said one or more mobile devices in response to said event.

45. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein said event comprises an action by a game participant detected at an interactive installation.

46. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein said computing platform is adapted to affect said application on said one or more mobile devices by initiating a visual and/or audio presentation on said one or more mobile devices.

47. An article comprising:

a storage medium comprising machine-readable instructions stored thereon which, if executed, are adapted to cause a computing platform to;

obtain information regarding a location of said mobile device in response to receipt of a message from a mobile device; and

respond to said message by initiating presentation of a special effect based, at least in part, on a game state associated with said mobile device and said obtained information.

48. The article of claim 47, wherein said message comprises a text message from said mobile device forwarded through a mobile communication service provider.

49. The article of claim 47, wherein said location information is determined, at least in part, in response to detection of a presence of an RFID device proximate to an interactive gaming installation at a known location.

50. An article comprising:

a storage medium comprising machine-readable instructions stored thereon which, if executed, are adapted to cause a computing platform to;

determine a game state associated with a game participant; and

in response to said determination of said game state, request an alert upon detection of an arrival of said game participant at a location to initiate a responsive action in response to said arrival.

51. The article of claim 50, wherein said responsive action comprises presentation of a special effect.

52. The article of claim 50, wherein said instructions, if executed, are adapted to cause said computing platform to detect said arrival based, at least in part, on detection of a biometric signature associated with said game participant at said location.

53. An article comprising:

a storage medium comprising machine-readable instructions stored thereon which, if executed, are adapted to cause a computing platform to;

identify one or more mobile devices in proximity to an interactive installation; and

affect an application hosted on said one or more mobile devices in response to a message indicating an event occurring at said interactive installation.

54. The article of claim 53, wherein said instructions, if executed, are further adapted to affect a game state associated with said one or more mobile devices in response to said event.

55. The article of claim 53, wherein said instructions, if executed, are further adapted to initiate presentation of one or more special effects at said interactive installation in response to said event.