INTERACTIVE INSTALLATION FOR INTERACTIVE GAMING

• US 20080039206A1
• 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: Jordan, Charles, Ackley, Jonathan, Blossom, Jonathan
• Granted Patent: US 8,043,156 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 13/30 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 2300/206 Game information storage, e.g. cartridges, CD ROM's, DVD's, smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/537 for exchanging game data using a messaging service, e.g. e-mail, SMS, MMS
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5573 player location
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3218 wherein at least part of the system is portable
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3237 about the players, e.g. profiling, responsible gaming, strategy/behavior of players, location of players
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• 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: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera constructional features concerning the integration of cameras in portable phones H04M1/0264
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information

Abstract

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

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting a presence of a game participant in a gaming area in response to detection of a signature associated with said game participant at said gaming area;

transmitting information associated with said game participant to a device associated with a human judge in response to said detecting said presence; and

receiving one or more messages from said human judge indicative of an attempt by said game participant to complete a task.

2. The method of claim 1, and further comprising setting a location server to announce an arrival of said mobile device in response to detecting a gaming state associated with said game participant and/or said mobile device, and wherein said detecting said presence comprises receiving a message from said location server announcing said arrival.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said one or more messages comprise information indicating whether said game participant had successfully completed said task as observed by said human judge.

4. The method of claim 1, and further comprising selectively advancing said game participant to a subsequent game state based, at least in part, on said received one or more messages.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said device associated with said human judge comprises a mobile device, and wherein said method further comprises:

detecting said device associated with said human judge in said gaming area; and

registering said human judge in response to receipt of an input from said human judge at said device associated with said human judge.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said signature is associated with a device co-located with said participant.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said detecting said presence of said game participant comprises detecting an RFID code at an RFID reader at said gaming area, said RFID code being associated with said game participant.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said detecting said presence of said game participant comprises detecting a barcode signature at a barcode reader at said gaming area, said barcode signature being associated with said game participant.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said signature comprises a biometric signature associated with said participant.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein said detecting said presence of said game participant comprises detecting an RFID code at an RFID reader at said gaming area, said RFID code being associated with said game participant.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein said detecting said presence of said game participant comprises detecting a barcode signature at a barcode reader at said gaming area, said barcode signature being associated with said game participant.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein said detecting said presence of said game participant comprises detecting a biometric signature associated with said game participant.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein said information unique to said participant is indicative of a gender of said game participant.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein said information unique to said participant is indicative of an age of said game participant.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein said information unique to said participant is indicative of a birth date of said game participant.

17. The method of claim 8, wherein said information unique to said participant is indicative of one or more personal preferences of said game participant.

38. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein said means for detecting said presence of said game participant comprises means for detecting a biometric signature associated with said game participant.

10. A method comprising:

detecting a presence of a game participant in a gaming area;

transmitting information indicative of said detection of said presence;

in response to said transmission of said information indicative of said detection, receiving metadata indicative of at least a portion of a game state, said metadata comprising information unique to said game participant; and

generating a special effect based, at least in part, on said information unique to said participant.

18. An apparatus comprising:

a computing platform, said computing platform being adapted to;

detect a presence of a game participant in a gaming area in response to detection of a signature associated with said game participant;

transmit information associated with a game participant to a device associated with a human judge in response to detecting a location of said participant in a gaming area; and

receive one or more messages from said human judge indicative of an attempt by said game participant to complete a task.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said one or more messages comprise information indicating whether said game participant had successfully completed said task as observed by said human judge.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said computing platform is further adapted to advance said game participant to a subsequent game state based, at least in part, on said received one or more messages.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said computing platform is adapted to detect said presence of said game participant in response to detection of an RFID code at an RFID reader at said gaming area, said RFID code being associated with said game participant.

22. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said computing platform is adapted to detect said presence of said game participant in response to detection of a barcode signature at a barcode reader at said gaming area, said barcode signature being associated with said game participant.

23. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said signature comprises a biometric signature associated with said participant.

24. An apparatus comprising:

a computing platform, said computing platform being adapted to;

detect a presence of a game participant in a gaming area;

transmit information indicative of said detection of said presence;

in response to said transmission of said information indicative of said detection, receive metadata indicative of at least a portion of a game state, said metadata comprising information unique to said game participant; and

initiate generation of a special effect based, at least in part, on said information unique to said participant.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said computing platform is adapted to detect said presence of said game participant in response to detecting an RFID code at an RFID reader at said gaming area, said RFID code being associated with said game participant.

26. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said computing platform is adapted to detect said presence of said game participant in response to detection of a barcode signature at a barcode reader at said gaming area, said barcode signature being associated with said game participant.

27. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said computing platform is adapted to detect said presence in response to detection of a biometric signature associated with said game participant.

28. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said information unique to said participant is indicative of a gender of said game participant.

29. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said information unique to said participant is indicative of an age of said game participant.

30. An apparatus comprising:

means for detecting a presence of a game participant in a gaming area in response to detection of a signature associated with said game participant at said gaming area;

means for transmitting information associated with said game participant to a device associated with a human judge in response to said detecting said presence; and

means for receiving one or more messages from said human judge indicative of an attempt by said game participant to complete a task.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, and further comprising means for selectively advancing said game participant to a subsequent game state based, at least in part, on said received one or more messages.

32. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein said means for detecting said presence of said game participant comprises means for detecting an RFID code at an RFID reader at said gaming area, said RFID code being associated with said game participant.

33. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein said means for detecting said presence of said game participant comprises means for detecting a barcode signature at a barcode reader at said gaming area, said barcode signature being associated with said game participant.

34. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein said signature comprises a biometric signature associated with said participant.

35. An apparatus comprising:

means for detecting a presence of a game participant in a gaming area;

means for transmitting information indicative of said detection of said presence;

means for receiving metadata indicative of at least a portion of a game state in response to said transmission of said information indicative of said detection, said metadata comprising information unique to said game participant; and

means for generating a special effect based, at least in part, on said information unique to said participant.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein said means for detecting said presence of said game participant comprises means for detecting an RFID code at an RFID reader at said gaming area, said RFID code being associated with said game participant.

37. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein said means for detecting said presence of said game participant comprises means for detecting a barcode signature at a barcode reader at said gaming area, said barcode signature being associated with said game participant.

39. An article comprising:

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

detect a presence of a game participant in a gaming area in response to detection of a signature associated with said game participant;

transmit information associated with a game participant to a device associated with a human judge in response to detecting a location of said participant in a gaming area; and

receive one or more messages from said human judge indicative of an attempt by said game participant to complete a task.

40. The article of claim 39, wherein said one or more messages comprise information indicating whether said game participant had successfully completed said task as observed by said human judge.

41. The article of claim 39, and wherein said instructions, if executed, are further adapted to cause said computing platform to advance said game participant to a subsequent game state based, at least in part, on said received one or more messages.

42. An article comprising:

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

initiate transmission of information indicative of a presence of a game participant in a gaming area in response to detection of said presence;

in response to said transmission of said information indicative of said detection, receive metadata indicative of at least a portion of a game state, said metadata comprising information unique to said game participant; and

initiate generation of a special effect based, at least in part, on said information unique to said participant.