Location-aware distributed sporting events
First Claim
1. A method for facilitating a distributed sporting event, the method comprising:
- aggregating a plurality of individual sporting activities into a distributed sporting event comprising a plurality of players that are each performing one of the individual sporting activities, that are each competing against one another by traveling over courses that are remotely located from one another, and that each have a corresponding client device, by;
receiving from each of the plurality of client devices information about a current location of the corresponding player;
causing each of the plurality of client devices to present indications of positions of at least some of the other players with respect to the corresponding player, the indicated positions based on the current locations of the at least some of the plurality of players;
asserting a course to each of the plurality of players by causing each of the client devices to display specific instructions to the corresponding player to travel over a specified path;
determining whether one of the plurality of players is within boundaries of the asserted course; and
issuing at least one of a warning, penalty, or disqualification to a player who is not within boundaries of the asserted course.
3 Assignments
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Accused Products
Abstract
Various embodiments facilitate location-aware distributed competitions. In one embodiment, a system facilitates a distributed sporting event that includes multiple players traveling over courses that are remote from one another. The system includes a manager that receives state information, such as location information, from client devices used by each of the players. The manager then transmits location information for each of the players to the client devices, which are each configured to present a graphical representation, such as a map annotated with the locations of each of the players. The manager asserts a course to each of the players, by providing specific instructions to travel along a particular path. The client devices provide the players with the appearance of competing over the same course, even though they are all actually competing over courses remote from one another.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method for facilitating a distributed sporting event, the method comprising:
aggregating a plurality of individual sporting activities into a distributed sporting event comprising a plurality of players that are each performing one of the individual sporting activities, that are each competing against one another by traveling over courses that are remotely located from one another, and that each have a corresponding client device, by; receiving from each of the plurality of client devices information about a current location of the corresponding player; causing each of the plurality of client devices to present indications of positions of at least some of the other players with respect to the corresponding player, the indicated positions based on the current locations of the at least some of the plurality of players; asserting a course to each of the plurality of players by causing each of the client devices to display specific instructions to the corresponding player to travel over a specified path; determining whether one of the plurality of players is within boundaries of the asserted course; and issuing at least one of a warning, penalty, or disqualification to a player who is not within boundaries of the asserted course. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A computer-readable storage medium whose non-transitory contents, when executed, cause a computing system to facilitate a distributed sporting event, by performing a method comprising:
aggregating a plurality of individual sporting activities into a distributed sporting event comprising a plurality of players that are each performing one of the individual sporting activities, that are each competing against one another by traveling over courses that are remotely located from one another, and that each have a corresponding client device, by; receiving from each of the plurality of client devices information about a current location of the corresponding player; causing each of the plurality of client devices to graphically depict a virtual overlay of positions of at least some of the other players with respect to the corresponding player, such that the at least some players appear to be competing alongside the corresponding player, the depicted positions based on the current locations of the at least some of the players; asserting a course to each of the plurality of players by causing each of the client devices to present instructions to the corresponding player to travel in a specified direction, thereby controlling movements of the corresponding player relative to the distributed sporting event; determining whether one of the plurality of players is within boundaries of the asserted course; and issuing at least one of a warning, penalty, or disqualification to a player who is not within boundaries of the asserted course.
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17. A system configured to facilitate a distributed sporting event, the system comprising:
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a memory; an event controller stored on the memory and configured, when executed, to aggregate a plurality of individual sporting activities into a distributed sporting event comprising a plurality of players that are each performing one of the individual sporting activities, that are each competing concurrently against one another by traveling over courses that are remotely located from one another, and that each have a corresponding client device, by; receiving from each of the plurality of client devices information about a current location of the corresponding player; asserting a course to each of the plurality of players by causing each of the client devices to present instructions to the corresponding player to travel in a specified direction; causing each of the plurality of client devices to present indications of positions of at least some of the other players with respect to the corresponding player, the indications of the positions presented upon a depiction of the asserted course; and determining whether one of the plurality of players is within boundaries of the asserted course; and issuing at least one of a warning, penalty, or disqualification to a player who is not within boundaries of the asserted course. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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Specification