UPDATING VIRTUAL WORLDS BASED ON INTERACTIONS BETWEEN REAL-WORLD ITEMS

• US 20130005466A1
• Filed: 09/26/2011
• Published: 01/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Inventors: Mahajan, Amitt, Ocko, Matthew Adam
• Granted Patent: US 8,574,076 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/36
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/216 using geographical information, e.g. location of the game device or player using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5378 for displaying an additional top view, e.g. radar screens or maps using two or more virtual cameras concurrently A63F13/5252
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/61 using advertising information
• 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 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/798 for assessing skills or for ranking players, e.g. for generating a hall of fame computing the game score A63F13/46
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/822 Strategy games; Role-playing games A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/87 Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5566 by matching opponents or finding partners to build a team, e.g. by skill level, geographical area, background, play style
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5573 player location
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/575 for trading virtual items
• 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

A method of updating virtual worlds based on interactions between real-world items is disclosed. An interaction between a first real-world item and a second real-world item is detected. The first real-world item is a real-world item that is associated with a first player of a computer-implemented game and the second real-world item is a real-world item that is associated with a second player of the computer-implemented game. A virtual world of the computer-implemented game is updated based on the detection of the interaction.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

associating a first real-world item with a first virtual-world item;

associating a second real-world item with a second virtual-world item;

associating a combining of the first virtual-world item and the second virtual-world item with an effect on a virtual world of a computer-implemented game;

detecting an interaction between the first real-world item and the second real-world item; and

interpreting the interaction between the first real-world item and the second real-world item as the combining of the first virtual-world item and the second virtual-world item; and

implementing the effect on the virtual world of the computer-implemented game based on the interpreting.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a location of the first real-world item and determining a location of the second real-world item, and wherein the interpreting of the interaction between the first real-world item and the second real-world item as the combining of the first virtual-world item and the second virtual-world item is based on the location of the first real-world item in relation to the location of second the real-world item.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the detection of the interaction between the first real-world item and the second real-world item is based on a receiving of a communication from at least one of the first real-world item and the second real-world item.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the updating of the virtual world of the computer-implemented game includes changing at least one of an attribute of a player character of a first player of the computer-implemented game and an attribute of a player character of a second player of the computer-implemented game.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the updating of the virtual world of the computer-implemented game includes adding a third virtual-world item to an inventory of a player character of at least one of a first player of the computer-implemented game and a second player of the computer-implemented game.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting an end of the interaction between the first real-world item and the second real-world item; and

updating the virtual world of the computer-implemented game based on the detection of the ending of the interaction.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the receiving of the communication from at least one of the first real-world item and the second real-world item is enabled by a wireless device embedded in the at least one of the first real-world item and the second real-world item.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the first virtual item is a first ingredient of the third virtual-world item and the second virtual item is a second ingredient of the third virtual-world. item.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the third virtual-world item is consumable by the at least one of the player character of the first player of the computer-implemented game and the second player of the computer-implemented game.

8. A system comprising:

a processor-implemented game networking system configured to;

associate a first real-world item with a first virtual-world item;

associate a second real-world item with a second virtual-world item;

associate a combining of the first virtual-world item and the second virtual-world item with an effect on a virtual world of a computer-implemented game;

detect an interaction between the first real-world item and the second real-world item;

interpret the interaction between the first real-world item and the second real-world item as the combining of the first virtual-world item and the second virtual-world item; and

implement the effect on the virtual world of the computer-implemented game based on the interpreting.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor-implemented game networking system is further configured to determine a location of the first real-world item and determine a location of the second real-world item, and wherein the interpreting of the interaction between the first real-world item and the second real-world item as the combining of the first virtual-world item and the second virtual-world item is based on the location of the first real-world item in relation to the location of second the real-world item.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the detection of the interaction between the first real-world item and the second real-world item is based on a receiving of a communication from at least one of the first real-world item and the second real-world item.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the updating of the virtual world of the computer-implemented game includes changing at least one of an attribute of a player character of a first player of the computer implemented game and an attribute of a player character of a second player of the computer-implemented game.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the updating of the virtual world of the computer-implemented game includes adding a virtual item to an inventory of a player character of at least one of a first player of the computer-implemented game and a second player of the computer-implemented game.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor-implemented game networking system is further configured to:

detect an end of the interaction between the first real-world item and the second real-world item; and

update the virtual world of the computer-implemented game based on the detection of the ending of the interaction.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the receiving of the communication from at least one of the first real-world item and the second real-world item is enabled by a wireless device embedded in the at least one of the first real-world item and the second real-world item.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising a set of instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a computer system, cause the computer system to perform operations comprising:

associating a first real-world item with a first virtual-world item;

associating a second real-world item with a second virtual-world item;

associating a combining of the first virtual-world item and the second virtual-world item with an effect on a virtual world of a computer-implemented game;

detecting an interaction between the first real-world item and the second real-world item; and

interpreting the interaction between the first val-world item and the second real-world item as the combining of the first virtual-world item and the second virtual-world item; and

implementing the effect on the virtual world of the computer-implemented game based on the interpreting.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, the operations further comprising determining a location of the first real-world item and determining a location of the second real-world item, and wherein the interpreting of the interaction between the first real-world item and the second real-world item as the combining of the first virtual-world item and the second virtual-world item is based on the location of the first real-world item in relation to the location of second the real-world item.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the updating of the virtual world of the computer-implemented game includes changing at least one of an attribute of a player character of a first player of the computer-implemented game and an attribute of a player character of a second player of the computer-implemented game.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the updating of the virtual world of the computer-implemented game includes adding a virtual item to an inventory of a player character of at least one of a first player of the computer-implemented game and a second player of the computer-implemented game.

17. (canceled)

20. (canceled)