UNLOCKING OF VIRTUAL CONTENT THROUGH GEO-LOCATION

• US 20150050995A1
• Filed: 02/19/2014
• Published: 02/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Nelson, Robert, Lowe, Robert, Vignocchi, John G.
• Granted Patent: US 9,656,172 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/31
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/216 using geographical information, e.g. location of the game device or player using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/69 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

Abstract

This disclosure relates to a system configured to manage virtual content within a virtual space based on information associated with objects. The information associated with the objects may be updated responsive to detecting the objects at various real world physical geographic locations. The system may be configured to enhance a user'"'"'s gaming experience by enabling location based unlocking of the virtual content in the virtual space. In some implementations, the locations may be locations such as but not limited to locations within theme parks, movie theaters, restaurants, and/or stores, for example. A user may be able to transport objects to one or more geographic locations where object identification devices detect the objects. Virtual content may be unlocked responsive to the detection of objects by the object identification devices.

Claims

1. A system configured to manage virtual content within a virtual space based on information associated with objects, the information associated with the objects being updated responsive to detecting the objects at geographic locations, the system comprising:

a plurality of object identification devices associated with individual real world, geographic locations, the individual object identification devices being configured to detect one or more objects present at the geographic locations, the objects being associated with virtual entities in the virtual space, the objects including a first object associated with a first entity, the identification devices including a first identification device associated with a first geographic location; and

one or more processors configured to execute computer program modules, the computer program modules comprising;

a user module configured to maintain user accounts associated with individual users in the virtual space, the user accounts including information related to the entities in the virtual space, the user accounts including a first user account associated with a first user, the first user account including information related to the first entity;

a communication module configured to receive indications that the objects have been detected by the object identification devices; and

an update module configured to update the information related to the entities in the virtual space responsive to detection of the associated objects by the identification devices such that, responsive to reception of a first indication indicating that the first object has been detected by the first identification device associated with the first geographic location, the information associated with the first entity is updated in the virtual space to reflect the first indication.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the plurality of object identification devices are located within one or more of a theme park, a restaurant, a movie theater, or a store.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the user module is configured such that the information in the user accounts is stored electronically on a system server.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the update module is configured such that the information associated with the entities in the virtual space is updated such that additional content associated with the entities in the virtual space is unlocked.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the update module is configured such that additional content associated with the entities in the virtual space comprises one or more of skills, languages, powers, quests, pets, levels, rides, weapons, characters, mini-games, movie previews, virtual goods, or scenes.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the object identification devices are configured to detect a plurality of individual objects together responsive to the objects being in the same geographic location at the same time, wherein the plurality of individual objects include the first object associated with the first entity and a second object associated with a second entity, and wherein the first identification device associated with the first geographic location is configured to detect the first object and the second object together responsive to the first object and the second object being in the first geographic location at the same time.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the update module is configured to update information associated with multiple entities in the virtual space based on the detection of the plurality of individual objects together at the geographic locations associated with the identification devices such that:

the information associated with the first entity is updated in the virtual space based on detection of the first object with the second object by the first identification device associated with the first geographic location, and

the information associated with the second entity is updated in the virtual space based on detection of the second object with the first object by the first identification device associated with the first geographic location.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the update module is configured such that the information associated with the multiple entities is updated such that additional content associated with the multiple entities in the virtual space is unlocked, the additional content associated with the multiple entities in the virtual space comprising one or more of a group activity, a game, a scavenger hunt, a skill, a language, a power, a quest, a pet, a level, a ride, a weapon, a character, a mini-game, virtual goods, a scene, or a movie preview.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the update module is configured such that the unlocked additional content is determined stochastically, the stochastic determination based on one or more of the objects present at a given object identification device, a combination of individual objects present together at the given object identification device, or the geographic location of the given object identification device.

10. A system configured to update electronic information stored on objects, the individual objects associated with virtual entities in a virtual space, the objects including a first object associated with a first entity, the system comprising:

a plurality of object identification devices associated with individual real world, geographic locations, the individual object identification devices being configured to detect one or more of the objects present at the geographic locations, the identification devices including a first identification device associated with a first geographic location; and

one or more processors configured to execute computer program modules, the computer program modules comprising;

an object communication module configured to receive indications that the objects have been detected by the object identification devices; and

an object update module configured to update the information stored on the objects responsive the detection of the objects by the identification devices such that, responsive to reception of a first indication indicating that the first object has been detected by the first identification device associated with the first geographic location, the object update module updates information stored on the first object associated with the first entity.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising an object identification module configured to receive individual identifiers from individual objects that identify the individual objects responsive to the individual objects being detected such that, responsive to the first indication indicating that the first object has been detected by the first identification device, the object identification module receives a first identifier from the first object.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the object update module is configured to update the information stored on the objects based on the individual identifiers such that the information stored on the first object is updated based on the first identifier.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the object update module is configured such that the information stored on the objects is updated to include information configured to facilitate unlocking virtual content associated with the entities in the virtual space such that the information stored on the first object associated with the first entity is updated to include information configured to facilitate unlocking virtual content associated with the first entity in the virtual space.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the object update module is configured such that the virtual content comprises one or more of skills, languages, powers, quests, pets, levels, rides, weapons, characters, mini-games, movie previews, virtual goods, or scenes.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the object identification devices are configured to detect a plurality of individual objects together responsive to the objects being in the same geographic location at the same time, wherein the plurality of individual objects include the first object and a second object associated with a second entity such that the first identification device associated with the first geographic location is configured to detect the first object and the second object together responsive to the first object and the second object being in the first geographic location at the same time.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the object update module is configured to update the information stored on the objects responsive to the detection of the plurality of individual objects together at the geographic locations associated with the identification devices such that the information stored on the first object associated with the first entity is updated based on the detection of the first object with the second object by the first identification device associated with the first geographic location.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the object update module is configured such that the information stored on the objects is updated to include information configured to facilitate unlocking content associated with multiple entities in the virtual space, the content associated with the multiple entities in the virtual space comprising one or more of a group activity, a game, a scavenger hunt, a skill, a language, a power, a quest, a pet, a level, a ride, a weapon, a character, a mini-game, virtual goods, a scene, or a movie preview.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the object update module is configured such that the information configured to facilitate unlocking content associated with multiple entities in the virtual space is determined stochastically, the stochastic determination based on one or more of the objects present at a given object identification device, a combination of individual objects present together at the given object identification device, or the geographic location of the given object identification device.

19. A system configured to manage virtual content within a virtual space based on electronic information stored on objects, the objects associated with virtual entities in the virtual space, the objects including a first object associated with a first entity, the system comprising:

a console reader configured to detect objects in proximity to the reader, read the electronic information stored on the objects, and generate output signals conveying information related to the electronic information stored on the objects, the electronic information stored on the objects including information related to the objects being previously detected in geographic locations; and

one or more processors configured to execute computer program modules, the computer program modules comprising;

a console communication module configured to receive the information related to the electronic information stored on the objects via the output signals;

a game content module configured to store game play information for presentation in the virtual space, the game play information including sets of geographic location content associated with the geographic locations such that a first set of geographic location content is associated with a first geographic location; and

a console update module configured to, responsive to the console communication module receiving the information related to the electronic information stored on the objects, update information related to the entities in the virtual space based on the information stored on the objects, wherein updating the information comprises unlocking one or more of the sets of geographic location content that correspond to the geographic locations where the objects were previously detected, such that updating information related to the first entity comprises unlocking the first set of geographic location content associated with the first geographic location responsive to the console communication module receiving information related to the first object being previously detected in the first geographic location.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising a console object identification module configured to receive individual identifiers from individual objects that identify the individual objects responsive to the individual objects being detected by the console reader such that, responsive to the first object being detected by the console reader, the console object identification module receives a first identifier from the first object.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the console update module is configured to update the information related to the entities in the virtual space based on the individual identifiers received from the individual objects by the console object identification module such that the console update module updates the information related to the first entity based on the first identifier.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the console reader is configured to detect a plurality of individual objects together responsive to the objects being in proximity to the reader at the same time, wherein the plurality of individual objects include the first object and a second object associated with a second entity, and the console reader is configured such that the first object and the second object are detected together responsive to the first object and the second object being in proximity to the console reader at the same time.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the console update module is configured such that the updated information related to the entities in the virtual space is determined stochastically, the stochastic determination based on the information from the individual objects detected together at the console reader.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein the electronic information stored on the objects includes information related to individual objects being previously detected in geographic locations with other individual objects.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the console update module is configured such that the updated information related to the entities in the virtual space is determined stochastically, the stochastic determination based on the information related to the individual objects being previously detected in geographic locations with other individual objects.