GEOCACHING GAMES HAVING VIRTUAL PRIZES AWARDED IN AN ASSOCIATED VIDEO GAME AND RELATED METHODS AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCTS

• US 20080167129A1
• Filed: 01/05/2007
• Published: 07/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Aaron, Jeffrey A., Ruckart, John
• Granted Patent: US 8,485,878 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• 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 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• 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 13/80 Special adaptations for executing a specific game genre or game mode
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/205 for detecting the geographical location of the game platform
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/69 Involving elements of the real world in the game world, e.g. measurement in live races, real video

Abstract

Methods of implementing geocaching games are provided in which information is provided regarding a location of a waypoint. Thereafter, it is confirmed that a player of the game physically arrived at the waypoint. After such confirmation has been obtained, the player may be awarded a virtual prize. Related geocaching games and computer program products are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of implementing a game, the method comprising:

providing information regarding a location of a waypoint;

confirming that a player of the game physically arrived at the waypoint; and

awarding the player a virtual prize after confirming that the player physically arrived at the waypoint.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual prize is associated with a video game.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the virtual prize comprises at least one of points in the video game or a key that facilitates entry into a different level of the video game.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the information regarding the location of the waypoint comprises a set of coordinates for the waypoint.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein confirming that the player physically arrived at the waypoint comprises receiving a message from the player transmitted over a location-capable wireless device, wherein the message includes information as to a current location of the location-capable wireless device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein confirming that the player physically arrived at the waypoint comprises receiving a message from the player that contains information that was obtained at the waypoint.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the information regarding the location of the waypoint is provided to the player by the video game.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual prize awarded to the player comprises one of a plurality of virtual prizes, and wherein the virtual prize awarded to the player is selected based at least in part on a time that the player is confirmed as being physically present at the waypoint.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual prize awarded to the player comprises one of a plurality of virtual prizes, and wherein the virtual prize awarded to the player is selected based at least in part on the time that the player is confirmed as being physically present at the waypoint as compared to the respective times that one or more other players are confirmed as being physically present at the waypoint.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual prize awarded to the player comprises one of a plurality of virtual prizes, and wherein the virtual prize awarded to the player is selected based at least in part on the time that the player is confirmed as being physically present at the waypoint as compared to a time that the information regarding the location of the waypoint was provided to the player.

11. The method of claim 2, further comprising using the video game to present a question to the player.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the virtual prize awarded to the player is selected at least in part based on whether the player provides a correct answer to the question.

25. The method of claim 2, wherein the game includes a plurality of players, and wherein the method further comprises displaying the physical location of at least one of the plurality of players on a display that displays the video game.

26. The method of claim 1, further comprising awarding the player the virtual prize while the player is physically present at the waypoint.

27. The method of claim 2, further comprising charging the player a fee to access the video game.

28. The method of claim 2, further comprising displaying at least one advertisement on a display used by the player to play the video game.

31. The method of claim 1, wherein the waypoint comprises a first waypoint, the method further comprising providing the player information regarding a location of a second waypoint in response to confirming that the player physically arrived at the first waypoint.

13. A video game that includes a computer usable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied in the medium, the computer readable program code comprising:

computer readable program code that is configured to implement a video game;

computer readable program code that is configured to confirm that a player of the game is physically present at a pre-selected location; and

computer readable program code that is configured to award the player a virtual prize in response to confirming that the player is physically present at the pre-selected location.

14. The video game of claim 13, wherein the video game comprises a web-based video game.

15. The video game of claim 13, wherein the virtual prize comprises points in a video game.

16. The video game of claim 13, wherein the virtual prize comprises a key that facilitates entry into a different level of a video game.

17. A method of implementing a geocaching game, the method comprising:

receiving a message from a player of the geocaching game indicating that the player visited a pre-selected waypoint;

confirming that the player visited the waypoint; and

awarding the player a virtual prize in a video game after confirming that the player visited the waypoint.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the geocaching game is a multi-player geocaching game in which the player competes against other players.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the virtual prize is selected based at least in part on a degree of difficulty associated with reaching the waypoint.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the degree of difficulty is determined based on both the location of the waypoint and a starting location of the player.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising providing information regarding the location of the waypoint to the player.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the virtual prize that is awarded is selected based at least in part on a time that the player is confirmed as being physically present at the waypoint.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the virtual prize that is awarded is selected based at least in part on a time that the player is confirmed as being physically present at the waypoint as compared to the respective times that one or more other players are confirmed as being physically present at the waypoint.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the virtual prize that is awarded is selected based at least in part on a time that the player is confirmed as being physically present at the waypoint as compared to a time that the information regarding the location of the waypoint was provided.

29. The method of claim 17, wherein the virtual prize comprises a virtual object in a virtual cache that is associated with the waypoint.

30. The method of claim 29, the method further comprising receiving a virtual object that is provided at the direction of the player into the virtual cache.

32. The method of claim 17, the method further comprising receiving from the player an entry for a virtual logbook associated with the waypoint.

33. A computer-assisted geocaching game that includes a computer usable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied in the medium, the computer readable program code comprising:

computer readable program code that is configured to confirm that a player of the game physically arrived at a pre-selected location; and

computer readable program code that is configured to present a virtual logbook to the player.

34. The computer-assisted geocaching game of claim 33, further comprising computer readable program code that is configured to add an entry into the virtual logbook that is provided by the player.

35. The computer-assisted geocaching game of claim 34, further comprising computer readable program code that is configured to provide the player the coordinates of the pre-selected location.

36. The computer-assisted geocaching game of claim 34, further comprising computer readable program code that is configured to award the player a virtual prize after it has been confirmed that the player physically arrived at the pre-selected location.