SYSTEM, APPARATUS, AND METHOD OF MONITORING INTERACTIONS

• US 20160346694A1
• Filed: 06/14/2016
• Published: 12/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ravenoak Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: Legacy Game Systems LLC
• Inventors: FISHER, Sidney F., GRAHAM, Matthew J., IVEY, Ford M., JAIN, Vipresh, MCGLAUFLIN, Brian T.
• Granted Patent: US 9,901,825 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/212 using sensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat or leg activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/216 using geographical information, e.g. location of the game device or player using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/245 specially adapted to a particular type of game, e.g. steering wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/31 Communication aspects specific to video games, e.g. between several handheld game devices at close range
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/327 using wireless networks, e.g. Wi-Fi® or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/34 using peer-to-peer connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/352 involving special game server arrangements, e.g. regional servers connected to a national server or a plurality of servers managing partitions of the game world
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/49 Saving the game status; Pausing or ending the game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/58 by computing conditions of game characters, e.g. stamina, strength, motivation or energy level
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/822 Strategy games; Role-playing games A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/86 Watching games played by other players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/575 for trading virtual items

Abstract

An apparatus and method for monitoring live-action gameplay interactions may be provided. A weapon device, body sensors, and a hub may be used to detect interactions, such as weapon strikes or casting of a spell. Interactions may be communicated to a game application on a mobile device for updating gameplay data.

Claims

1. An apparatus for monitoring interactions, comprising:

a weapon device associated with each participant;

at least one body sensor located on each participant'"'"'s body; and

a hub associated with each participant;

wherein a weapon device of an attacker is configured to communicate the weapon device'"'"'s presence to the at least one body sensor of a defendant within communication range, the weapon device is further configured to communicate an identification and a time-stamp to the hub of the defendant within communication range when the weapon device detects a hit,

wherein the at least one body sensor of the defendant having received the communication of the weapon device'"'"'s presence is configured to communicate an identification and a time-stamp to the hub of the defendant,

wherein the hub of the defendant is configured to determine a valid interaction by matching the time-stamps communicated by the weapon device of the attacker and the at least one body sensor of the defendant, and

wherein the hub of the defendant is configured to communicate monitored interaction data to a game application on a mobile device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, the weapon device further comprising a battery, a microcontroller, an RF transmitter, an accelerometer, and a coil;

the at least one body sensor further comprising a microcontroller, an RF transmitter, a coil, and an IR emitter, and

the hub further comprising a microcontroller, an RF receiver, and a Bluetooth or WiFi transceiver.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the weapon device communicates the weapon device'"'"'s presence when the accelerometer of the weapon device detects motion.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the weapon device communicates the weapon device'"'"'s presence by emitting an inductive pulse.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one body sensor positioned on a participant'"'"'s back, at least one body sensor positioned on a participant'"'"'s chest, at least one body sensor positioned on a participant'"'"'s right side, and at least one body sensor positioned on a participant'"'"'s left side.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the hub is communicatively coupled to a mobile device by USB connection.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a game server configured to communicate with the game application.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one button for selecting a preconfigured projectile or spell, wherein a hub of an attacker is configured to read an IR transmission from a defendant'"'"'s ID-tag using an IR detector, the hub is further configured to broadcast the identification of the defendant and spell or projectile data to a hub of the defendant, and wherein the hub of the defendant may communicate the interaction data to the game application.

9. A method of monitoring a weapon strike comprising:

linking participant hardware components;

causing an attacker'"'"'s weapon device to communicate its presence when motion is detected;

allowing a defendant'"'"'s body sensor to communicate its identification and time to a defendant'"'"'s hub when the defendant'"'"'s body sensor detects the presence of the attacker'"'"'s weapon;

allowing the attacker'"'"'s weapon device to communicate an identification and time when an accelerometer of the attacker'"'"'s weapon device detects a hit;

allowing the defendant'"'"'s hub to match identification and time data from the attacker'"'"'s weapon device and the defendant'"'"'s body sensor to determine a valid strike; and

allowing the defendant'"'"'s hub to report the valid strike to a game application on a mobile device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein motion of the attacker'"'"'s weapon device is detected by an accelerometer.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the attacker'"'"'s weapon device communicates its presence with inductive pulses configured to awaken the defendant'"'"'s body sensor.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising allowing the game application to update gameplay data based on the strike.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising communicating the gameplay data to a game server.

14. A method of monitoring a casting of a spell comprising:

linking participant hardware components;

pre-programming spell data and a spell selection button;

allowing a participant to attempt to cast a spell by selecting the spell selection button;

allowing a caster'"'"'s hub to monitor for and read an ID-tag of a defendant within range;

allowing the caster'"'"'s hub to communicate the identification of the defendant within range and the spell data to a defendant hub;

allowing the defendant hub to pass the received identification and spell data to a mobile device; and

allowing a game application on the mobile device to verify the identification of the defendant hit by the spell and update gameplay data.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising allowing the game application to instruct the defendant'"'"'s hardware to monitor and report activity in accordance with spell data.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising communicating the gameplay data to a game server.