GEOGAME FOR MOBILE DEVICE

• US 20110081973A1
• Filed: 10/28/2010
• Published: 04/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hall, Robert J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,702,506 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/00 Card games aspects of games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions showing representations related to the game A63F13/00; card games played on a gaming machine G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/216 using geographical information, e.g. location of the game device or player using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/332 using wireless networks, e.g. cellular phone networks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/44 involving timing of operations, e.g. performing an action within a time slot
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/49 Saving the game status; Pausing or ending the game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/52 involving aspects of the displayed game scene
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5372 for tagging characters, objects or locations in the game scene, e.g. displaying a circle under the character controlled by the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/80 Special adaptations for executing a specific game genre or game mode
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/406 Transmission via wireless network, e.g. pager or GSM
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5573 player location

Abstract

In a geographic location based game (geogame), players, utilizing wireless devices, are required to continuously physically move within a defined boundary throughout the geogame. The wireless devices, with the aid of a location system, such as GPS, track the movements of the players. As players move, virtual tails are generated behind each player, and their locations are determined and geocast, via a wireless geographic broadcast protocol, to all players of the geogame. Each player observes all players movements and tail locations on his/her wireless device. If a player stops moving, the player is expelled from the game. If a player exits the confines of the boundary, the player is expelled from the game. If a player crosses a virtual tail, the player is expelled from the game. If two virtual tails cross, both players are expelled from the game. The last player remaining is the winner.

Claims

1. A wireless device comprising:

a processor portion configured to;

determine a boundary for a geographic location based game;

upon commencement of the geographic location based game;

determine a current location of the device;

determine if the device is within the boundary; and

if it is determined that the device is not within the boundary, determine that a player utilizing the device to participate in the game is penalized;

an input/output portion configured to;

geocast the indication of the boundary, wherein geocasting the indication comprises providing the indication via a geocast protocol comprising an indication of a location of a geographic region of intended reception;

geocast the indication of the current location of the device;

geocast an indication that the player is penalized; and

receive geocasts from other devices participating in the game; and

a user interface portion configured to;

render a representation of the boundary;

render a representation of the current location of the device;

render a representation of a current location of another device participating in the game;

render an indication that a player is penalized.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein:

the input/output portion further is configured to geocast an indication why the player was penalized; and

the user interface portion further is configured to;

render an indication why a player was penalized.

3. The device of claim 1:

the processing portion further configured to;

determine a velocity of motion of the device;

determine if the velocity is equal to or less than a threshold velocity; and

if it is determined that the velocity is equal to or less than the threshold velocity, determine that a player utilizing the device to participate in the game is penalized.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the threshold velocity is equal to zero.

5. The device of claim 1:

the processing portion further configured to;

generate a virtual tail for the device, the virtual tail having a first end and a second end, the first end representing a least recent location of the device, the second end representing a most recent location of the device, the virtual tail representing a path taken by the device;

determine if a device crosses a virtual tail; and

if it is determined that the device crosses a virtual tail, determine that a player utilizing the device to participate in the game is penalized; and

the input/output portion further configured to geocast an indication of the virtual tail; and

the user interface portion further configured to;

render a representation of the virtual tail of the device; and

render a representation of a virtual tail of another device participating in the game.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein:

the first end of the virtual tail represents a location of the device at the start of the game; and

the second end of the virtual tail represents a current location of the device.

7. The device of claim 5, the processor portion further configured to:

determine if the device has jumped over a virtual tail; and

if it is determined that the device jumped over a virtual tail, determine that the device has not crossed a virtual tail.

8. The device of claim 5:

the processing portion further configured to;

determine if the virtual tail of the device crosses a virtual tail of another device; and

if it is determined that the virtual tail of the device crosses a virtual tail of another device, determine that a player utilizing the device is penalized.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the boundary represents regions located at distinct, different, physical locations.

10. A method of playing a geographic location based game, the method comprising:

determining a boundary for the geographic location based game, each player of the game utilizing a respective wireless device to participate in the game;

geocasting an indication of the boundary, wherein geocasting the indication comprises providing the indication via a geocast protocol comprising an indication of a location of a geographic region of intended reception, each wireless device participating in the game configured to process the geocast protocol;

for each device participating in the game;

receiving the geocast indication of the boundary;

upon commencement of the geographic location based game;

determining a current location of each respective device;

determining if each respective device is within the boundary;

if it is determined that a device is not within the boundary, determining that a player utilizing the device to participate in the game is penalized; and

for each penalized player, geocasting an indication that a respective player is penalized.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

rendering on each device, a representation of the boundary; and

rendering on each device, a representation of a current location of each device.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining a velocity of motion of each device;

determining if the velocity of each device is equal to or less than a threshold velocity; and

if it is determined that a velocity of a device is equal to or less than the threshold velocity, determining that a player utilizing a respective device to participate in the game is penalized.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising rendering on each device, a representation of a velocity of each device.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the threshold velocity is equal to zero.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

generating a virtual tail for each device, each virtual tail having a first end and a second end, each first end representing a least recent location of a respective device, each second end representing a most recent location of a respective device, each virtual tail representing a path taken by a respective device;

geocasting an indication of a virtual tail or each device;

determining if each device crosses a virtual tail;

if it is determined that a device crosses a virtual tail, determining that a player utilizing the device to participate in the game is penalized.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the first end of the virtual tail represents a location of a respective device at the start of the game; and

the second end of the virtual tail represents a current location of a respective device.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising rendering on each device, a representation of a virtual tail of each device.

18. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining if a virtual tail of a device crosses a virtual tail of another device; and

if it is determined that a virtual tail of a device crosses a virtual tail of another device, determining that a player utilizing a device whose tail has crossed another tail is penalized.

19. The method of claim 10, wherein the boundary represents regions located at distinct, different, physical locations.

20. A method of playing a geographic location based game, the method comprising:

determining a current location of a wireless device being used to participate in the game;

generating a virtual tail for the device, the virtual tail having a first end and a second end, the first end representing a least recent location of the device, the second end representing a most recent location of the device, the virtual tail representing a path taken by the device;

determining if the device crosses the virtual tail; and

if it is determined that the device crosses a virtual tail, penalizing a player utilizing the device to participate in the game.

21. A wireless device comprising a processing portion configured to:

determine a current location of a wireless device being used to participate in the game;

generate a virtual tail for the device, the virtual tail having a first end and a second end, the first end representing a least recent location of the device, the second end representing a most recent location of the device, the virtual tail representing a path taken by the device;

determine if the device crosses the virtual tail; and

if it is determined that the device crosses a virtual tail, penalizing a player utilizing the device to participate in the game.

22. A tangible storage medium having stored thereon processor-executable instruction for:

determining a boundary for the geographic location based game, each player of the game utilizing a respective wireless device to participate in the game;

geocasting an indication of the boundary, wherein geocasting the indication comprises providing the indication via a geocast protocol comprising an indication of a location of a geographic region of intended reception, each wireless device participating in the game configured to process the geocast protocol;

for each device participating in the game;

receiving the geocast indication of the boundary;

upon commencement of the geographic location based game;

determining a current location of each respective device;

determining if each respective device is within the boundary;

if it is determined that a device is not within the boundary, determining that a player utilizing the device to participate in the game is penalized; and

for each penalized player, geocasting an indication that a respective player is penalized.

23. A tangible storage medium having stored thereon processor-executable instruction for:

determining a current location of a wireless device being used to participate in the game;

generating a virtual tail for the device, the virtual tail having a first end and a second end, the first end representing a least recent location of the device, the second end representing a most recent location of the device, the virtual tail representing a path taken by the device;

determining if the device crosses the virtual tail; and

if it is determined that the device crosses a virtual tail, penalizing a player utilizing the device to participate in the game.