METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR INTEGRATED REAL AND VIRTUAL GAME PLAY FOR MULTIPLE REMOTELY-CONTROLLED AIRCRAFT

• US 20170173451A1
• Filed: 11/16/2016
• Published: 06/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2015
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: QFO Labs, Inc.
• Original Assignee: QFO Labs, Inc.
• Inventors: Pedersen, Brad D., Condon, John P., Fairman, James E.
• Granted Patent: US 10,258,888 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 13/792 for payment purposes, e.g. monthly subscriptions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 2200/00 Computerized interactive toys, e.g. dolls
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 27/12 Helicopters A63H27/04 takes precedence; Flying tops
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 30/04 using wireless transmission

Abstract

Gaming systems and methods facilitate integrated real and virtual game play among multiple remote control objects, including multiple remotely-controlled aircraft, within a locally-defined, three-dimensional game space using gaming “apps” (i.e., applications) running on one or more mobile devices, such as tablets or smartphones, and/or a central game controller. The systems and methods permit game play among multiple remotely-controlled aircraft within the game space. Game play may be controlled and/or displayed by a gaming app running on one or more mobile devices and/or a central game controller that keeps track of multiple craft locations and orientations with reference to a locally-defined coordinate frame of reference associated with the game space. The gaming app running on one or more mobile devices and/or central game controller also determine game play among the various craft and objects within the game space in accordance with the rules and parameters for the game being played.

Claims

1. A gaming system integrating three-dimensional real-world game play and virtual game play, the system comprising:

at least two remotely-controlled aircraft and at least two controllers, each aircraft uniquely paired with and controlled by a corresponding one of the at least two controllers via a radio-frequency (RF) communication protocol implemented between the corresponding controller and the remote-control craft that transmits at least craft control communications between a particular pair of a controller and a remotely-controlled aircraft based on a pair identification information contained in the RF communication protocol, the RF communication protocol further including communication of sensor and positional information;

a game space recognition system including;

at least two fiducial elements placed relative to on another to define a three-dimensional game space, and

a locating engine configured to utilize the at least two fiducial elements and sensor and positional information received via the RF communication protocol to determine a relative position and orientation of each of the at least two remotely-controlled aircraft craft within a locally-defined coordinate frame of reference associated with the game space; and

at least one mobile computing device configured to execute a gaming application wherein the relative position of each of the at least two remotely-controlled aircraft is utilized by the gaming application to determine game play associated with an integrated real and virtual game played among at least two remotely-controlled aircraft within the three-dimensional game space in accordance with a set of rules and parameters for the integrated real and virtual game.