GEO LOCATION QUESTING

• US 20150174481A1
• Filed: 12/23/2013
• Published: 06/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Tobin, John Patrick Edgar
• Granted Patent: US 11,148,042 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 13/65 automatically by game devices or servers from real world data, e.g. measurement in live racing competition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/655 by importing photos, e.g. of the player

Abstract

A method and a system of a geo-location quest game. For example, registering game participants to play a geo-location quest game within a game environment having a plurality of beacon devices which are capable of providing location information for registered game participants within the game environment. In further examples, presenting, on the beacon enabled user device, to the registered game participants, a description of a first task in the geo-location quest game and a request for first task completion information, the first task having a start and end location within the game environment. In another example, receiving the requested first task completion information from the registered game participants.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

registering game participants to play a geo-location quest game within an environment having a plurality of beacon devices capable of providing location information for registered game participants within the environment;

presenting, on user devices of the registered game participants, a description of a first task in the geo-location quest game and a request for first task completion information, the first task having a start and end location within the environment; and

receiving the requested first task completion information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting, on the user devices of the registered game participants, a description of a second task in the geo-location quest game and a request for second task completion information; and

receiving the requested second task completion information.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

verifying the requested first task completion information for the registered game participants.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting the request for the first task completion information further comprises requesting each registered game participant to send a specified picture taken with the user device of the registered game participant at or near the end location of the first task in the geo-location quest game.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving requests from user devices of the registered game participants to check-in to locations associated with beacons by location-specific sequences;

checking-in the registered game participants into locations having a matching location-specific sequences; and

providing location-based information about the registered game participants to the user devices while the user devices are within a communications range of the beacon.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

presenting location information of registered game participants to a game display scoreboard during the geo-location quest game.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

sending location-based notifications to the user devices of the registered game participants to provide hints or distractions to registered game participants during the geo-location quest game.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting a winner of the geo-location quest game based on completing the most number of tasks within a certain amount of time.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein registering the game participants to play the geo-location quest game within the environment further comprises registering one or more game participants to play the geo-location quest game within a shopping mall environment.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting on the user devices of the registered game participants, the description of the first task in the geo-location game and a request for first task completion information further comprises presenting, on the user devices of the registered game participants, location-based notifications including the description of the first task and the request for first task completion information.

11. A system, comprising:

a processor;

a network interface device, coupled to the processor, to communicate with a network; and

a memory including instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the system to;

register game participants to play a geo-location quest game within an environment having a plurality of beacon devices capable of providing location information for registered game participants within the environment;

present, on user devices of the registered game participants, a description of a first task in the geo-location quest game and a request for first task completion information, the first task having a start and end location within the environment; and

receive the requested first task completion information.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising instructions that cause the system to:

present, on the user devices of the registered game participants, a description of a second task in the geo-location quest game and a request for second task completion information; and

receive the requested second task completion information.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising instructions that cause the system to:

verify the requested first task completion information for the registered game participants.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein instructions that cause the system to present the request for the first task completion information further comprising instructions that cause the system to request each registered game participant to send a specified picture taken with the user device of the registered game participant at or near the end location of the first task in the geo-location quest game.

15. The system of claim 11, further comprising instructions that cause the system to:

receive requests from user devices of the registered game participants to check-in to locations associated with beacons by location-specific sequences;

check-in the registered game participants into locations having a matching location-specific sequences; and

provide location-based information about the registered game participants to the user devices while the user devices are within a communications range of the beacon.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising instructions that cause the system to:

present location information and competitive updates of registered game participants to a game display scoreboard during the geo-location quest game.

17. The system of claim 15, further comprising instructions that cause the system to:

send location-based notifications to the user devices of the registered game participants to provide hints or distractions to registered game participants during the geo-location quest game.

18. The system of claim 11, further comprising instructions that cause the system to:

present a winner of the geo-location quest game based on completing the most number of tasks within a certain amount of time.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein instructions that cause the system to register the game participants to play the geo-location quest game within the environment further comprising instructions that cause the system to register one or more game participants to play the geo-location quest game within a shopping mall environment.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein instructions that cause the system to present on the user devices of the registered game participants, the description of the first task in the geo-location game and a request for first task completion information further comprising instructions that cause the system to:

present, on the user devices of the registered game participants, location-based notifications including the description of the first task and the request for first task completion information.

21. A machine-readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed on a system, cause the system to:

register game participants to play a geo-location quest game within an environment having a plurality of beacon devices capable of providing location information for registered game participants within the environment;

present, on user devices of the registered game participants, a description of a first task in the geo-location quest game and a request for first task completion information, the first task having a start and end location within the environment; and

receive the requested first task completion information.

22. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 21, further comprising instructions that cause the system to:

present, on the user devices of the registered game participants, a description of a second task in the geo-location quest game and a request for second task completion information; and

receive the requested second task completion information.

23. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 21, further comprising instructions that cause the system to:

verify the requested first task completion information for the registered game participants.

24. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein instructions that cause the system to present the request for the first task completion information further comprising instructions that cause the system to:

request each registered game participant to send a specified picture taken with the user device of the registered game participant at or near the end location of the first task in the geo-location quest game.

25. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 21, further comprising instructions that cause the system to:

receive requests from user devices of the registered game participants to check-in to locations associated with beacons by location-specific sequences;

check-in the registered game participants into locations having a matching location-specific sequences; and

provide location-based information about the registered game participants to the user devices while the user devices are within a communications range of the beacon.

26. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 25, further comprising instructions that cause the system to:

present location information and competitive updates of registered game participants to a game display scoreboard during the geo-location quest game.

27. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 25, further comprising instructions that cause the system to:

send location-based notifications to the user devices of the registered game participants to provide hints or distractions to registered game participants during the geo-location quest game.

28. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 21, further comprising instructions that cause the system to:

present a winner of the geo-location quest game based on completing the most number of tasks within a certain amount of time.

29. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein instructions that cause the system to register the game participants to play the geo-location quest game within the environment further comprising instructions that cause the system to:

register one or more game participants to play the geo-location quest game within a shopping mall environment.

30. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein instructions that cause the system to present on the user devices of the registered game participants, the description of the first task in the geo-location game and a request for first task completion information further comprising instructions that cause the system to:

present, on the user devices of the registered game participants, location-based notifications including the description of the first task and the request for first task completion information.