INTERNET FAMILY HISTORY GAME INTERACTING WITH DATABASES

• US 20120264521A1
• Filed: 06/11/2012
• Published: 10/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Funium, LLC
• Original Assignee: Funium, LLC
• Inventors: Wells, Jeffrey L., Pugh, Scott C., Wolfley, Ross S.
• Application Number:
  US13/493,881
• Publication Number:
  US 20120264521A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/63 by the player, e.g. authoring using a level editor
• 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 13/69 by enabling or updating specific game elements, e.g. unlocking hidden features, items, levels or versions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/85 Providing additional services to players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/87 Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5533 using program state or machine event data, e.g. server keeps track of the state of multiple players on in a multiple player game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5553 user representation in the game field, e.g. avatar
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6018 where the game content is authored by the player, e.g. level editor or by game device at runtime, e.g. level is created from music data on CD
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/69 Involving elements of the real world in the game world, e.g. measurement in live races, real video
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8094 Unusual game types, e.g. virtual cooking

Abstract

An family history game in which progress is measured at least partially by a player'"'"'s family history research. In some embodiments, the family history game may comprise a computer game that may be played online to facilitate interaction between a player and a database. The player may use avatars that represent real people, who may or may not be related to or otherwise associated with the player. The player may retrieve documents or other information from searching one or more online databases that include information about a real person who corresponds to an avatar used by the player. Multiple players may interact with one another in the family history game through online social media. User-provided content may be provided by the players and shared with other players of the family history game.

Claims

1. An online family history gaming network, comprising:

a game server configured to execute an online family history game that enables a player to control one or more avatars in a virtual world, each of the one or more avatars representing a real person; and

an internal database configured to store and manage real-world information associated with at least one real person represented by a corresponding avatar.

2. The online family history gaming network of claim 1, wherein the internal database is stored within the game server.

3. The online family history gaming network of claim 1, wherein the game server is further configured to request user-provided content from the player associated with one or more avatars of the player'"'"'s virtual world.

4. The online family history gaming network of claim 3, wherein the user-provided content includes real-world documents associated with the real person represented by the one or more avatars of the player'"'"'s virtual world.

5. The online family history gaming network of claim 3, wherein the internal database is configured to store and associate the user-provided content with the appropriate real person represented by the one or more avatars when the user-provided content is uploaded by the player.

6. The online family history gaming network of claim 5, wherein the internal database is further configured to enable other players of the online family history game to access the user-provided content uploaded by the player.

7. The online family history gaming network of claim 6, wherein the other players enabled to access the user-provided content uploaded by the player are linked to the player.

8. The online family history gaming network of claim 7, wherein the other players enabled to access the user-provided content uploaded by the player are linked to the player in a social media network.

9. The online family history gaming network of claim 6, wherein the other players enabled to access the user-provided content uploaded by the player are unlinked to the player.

10. The online family history gaming network of claim 6, wherein the other players enabled to access the user-provided content uploaded by the player are unknown to the player.

11. The online family history gaming network of claim 3, wherein the user-provided content is a real-world file selected from the group consisting of an image file, a document file, an audio file, and a video file.

12. The online family history gaming network of claim 3, wherein the user-provided content includes one or more of a photograph, a writing, and a certificate.

13. A method for managing family history information of a player of an video game, the method comprising:

associating real-world information for a plurality of avatars representing real people in a virtual world;

querying at least one database for the real-world information in response to a request from a player of a family history game; and

sending the real-world information to the player responsive to the request.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein querying the at least one database includes querying an external database of the family history game.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the external database includes at least one of a U.S. Federal Census database, a grave database, a newspaper archive database, a government records database, a birth records database, a military records database, a marriage records database, an immigration records database, and a foreign records database.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein querying the at least one database includes querying an internal database of the family history game.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising updating the internal database with user-provided content uploaded by at least one player of the family history game.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising sharing the user-provided content with other players of the family history game.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein sharing the user-provided content is limited to a sub-set of players of the family history game.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein querying the at least one database includes querying both an external database of the family history game and an internal database of the family history game for the real-world information in response to the request.