Wireless gaming system using standard cellular telephones

• US 6,863,610 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2002
• Issued: 03/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: UTStarcom Incorporated (UTStarcom Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: UTStarcom Incorporated (UTStarcom Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Vancraeynest, Jan
• Primary Examiner(s): SAGER, MARK ALAN
• Application Number:
  US10/119,448
• Publication Number:
  US 20030190956A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,064 Days
• Field of Search: 434/16, 434 20- 22, 434/27, 273/311, 273/313, 463 1- 2, 463/5, 463/7, 463 49- 57, 463 40- 42, 379/67.1, 379/88.12, 379/90.01, 379/93.13, 455/414.4, 340/323.R
• US Class Current: 463/41
• 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 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/87 Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/401 Secure communication, e.g. using encryption or authentication
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/406 Transmission via wireless network, e.g. pager or GSM
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/50 characterized by details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/532 using secure communication, e.g. by encryption, authentication
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/537 for exchanging game data using a messaging service, e.g. e-mail, SMS, MMS
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5573 player location
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/572 Communication between players during game play of non game information, e.g. e-mail, chat, file transfer, streaming of audio and streaming of video

Abstract

A method for providing interactive wireless gaming using standard wireless communication devices comprising; receiving a target identity and a delivery location for a game related action from a first game subscriber, wherein the target identity corresponds to a second game subscriber; determining an actual location of the second game subscriber; comparing the actual location of the second game subscriber to the delivery location; and performing game related actions based on the comparison.

Claims

1. A method for providing interactive wireless gaming using standard wireless communication devices, wherein a plurality of subscribers participate in a wireless game by interacting with each other through a wireless gaming center, the method comprising:

(a) receiving at least an ordinate delivery location and a specified action in a short message for a chosen one of a plurality of game related actions from a first game subscriber;

(b) obtaining an actual location of at least a second game subscriber based on the last known location of the second game subscriber to a location service center;

(c) comparing the actual location to the delivery location; and

(d) performing game related actions based on the comparison.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a target identity corresponding to an identity of the second subscriber.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a delivery time of the game related action from the first game subscriber.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the actual location of the second game subscriber is determined by the location service center using land based communication between at least a second game subscriber cellular telephone device and the location service center.

5. A method for providing interactive wireless gaming using standard wireless communication devices, wherein a plurality of subscribers participate in a wireless game by interacting with each other through a wireless gaming center, the method comprising:

(a) receiving a target identity and a delivery location for a bullet from a first game subscriber in a short message, wherein the target identity corresponds to a second game subscriber;

(b) obtaining an actual location of the second game subscriber;

(c) comparing the actual location of the second game subscriber to the delivery location;

(d) recording a hit or a miss based on the results of the comparison and other game related rules; and

(e) sending notifications through a short message to the first game subscriber and the second game subscriber informing of the results of the bullet.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

receiving a delivery time of the bullet from the first game subscriber.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

(a) receiving a target identity and a delivery location through a short message for a bomb from a first game subscriber, wherein the target identity is not defined;

(b) determining the plurality of game subscribers located within a defined range of the delivery location;

(c) recording a hit corresponding to a game subscriber based on his location and other game related rules; and

(d) sending notifications to the first game subscriber and at least a subset of the plurality of game subscribers informing of the results of the bomb.

8. The method of claim 7 further wherein the range is defined by the first game subscriber.

9. An apparatus for providing interactive wireless gaming using standard wireless communication devices, wherein a plurality of subscribers participate in a wireless game by interacting with each other through a wireless gaming center, the apparatus comprising:

(a) a standard wireless communication device for transmitting a target identity and a delivery location for a game related action from a first game subscriber through a short message, wherein the target identity corresponds to a second game subscriber;

(b) a second standard wireless communication device for obtaining an actual location of the second game subscriber through a location service center;

(c) means for comparing the actual location of the second game subscriber to the delivery location; and

(d) means for performing game related actions based on the comparison results.

10. An apparatus for providing interactive wireless gaming as defined in claim 9 further comprising means for transmitting a short message to the second subscriber notifying of a result of the game related action.

11. A wireless gaming system for providing interactive gaming, wherein a plurality of subscribers participate in a wireless game by interacting with each other, the system comprising:

(a) a wireless gaming network providing wireless communications between a plurality of wireless gaming subscribers through standard wireless communication devices;

(b) a short message service center for processing short messages over the wireless gaming network;

(c) a wireless gaming center for performing game related functions, wherein the wireless gaming center interacts with the wireless gaming network through short messages; and

(d) a location service center for providing game subscriber locations to the wireless gaming center.

12. A computer program product embodied in a computer readable medium for providing interactive wireless gaming using standard wireless communication devices, wherein a plurality of subscribers participate in a wireless game by interacting with each other through a wireless gaming center, comprising:

(a) code means for receiving a target identity and a delivery location for one of a plurality of game related actions from a first game subscriber from a first standard wireless communication device through a short message, wherein the target identity corresponds to a second game subscriber;

(b) code means for obtaining an actual location of the second game subscriber from a second standard wireless communication device through a location service center;

(c) code means for comparing the actual location of the second game subscriber to the delivery location; and

(d) code means for performing game related actions based on the comparison.

13. The computer program product of claim 12 further comprising:

code means for receiving a delivery time of the game related action from the first game subscriber.