Game-based incentives for location-based actions

• US 8,348,768 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2011
• Issued: 01/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Inventors: Lam, Serena, Makarsky, Christopher Joseph, Mosites, Donald C., Mullin, Benjamin, Talapatra, Shantanu, Waldron, Justin, Wang, Jackson, Auterio, Kathleen, Ersever, Deniz, Kheskani, Hardik
• Primary Examiner(s): Coburn, Corbett B
• Application Number:
  US13/244,937
• Publication Number:
  US 20120040746A1
• Time in Patent Office: 470 Days
• Field of Search: 463/42, 705/14.12
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/216 using geographical information, e.g. location of the game device or player using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/822 Strategy games; Role-playing games A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5573 player location
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/575 for trading virtual items
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing game-based incentives to users of online games as a reward for performing actions at physical locations are provided.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying at least one attribute associated with a physical location by accessing a location account that stores the at least one attribute for the physical location;

determining a reward to be offered to a user, the reward being an in-game asset for a computer-implemented game;

determining, using at least one processor of a machine, a location-based action based on the at least one attribute, the location-based action being an action performable by the user at the physical location, the physical location being external to the computer-implemented game; and

transmitting an offer of the reward based on performance of the location-based action to a device associated with the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one attribute comprises a type of goods or services available at the physical location.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one attribute comprises demographics of visitors to the physical location.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the demographics comprise at least one selection from the group consisting of age of the visitors, income of the visitors, type of activity performed by the visitors, and duration of activity performed by the visitors.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one attribute comprises demographics of visitors of an area surrounding the physical location.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one attribute comprises a geographic attribute of the physical location.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one attribute comprises a weather condition at the physical location.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one attribute comprises intellectual property associated with the physical location, the reward having a mark based on the intellectual property.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the reward is related to the at least one attribute associated with the physical location.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving verification that the location-based action was performed by the user; and

crediting an account of the user with the reward based on the verification.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the crediting of the account comprises adding the reward to an in-game asset list for the computer-implemented game to the account of the user.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting of the offer comprises

receiving a call from a system of the device associated with the user;

and

providing details of the offer in response to the receiving of the call, the details including a description of the reward and a description of the location-based action.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting of the offer comprises providing instructions to render the offer in a discrete section of an interface of the computer-implemented game.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating the reward to be credited to an account of the user based on performance of the location-based action.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the reward is virtually worth more for a higher value type of goods or services.

16. A non-transitory machine readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

identifying at least one attribute associated with a physical location by accessing a location account that stores the at least one attribute for the physical location;

determining a reward to be offered to a user, the reward being an in-game asset for a computer-implemented game;

determining a location-based action based on the at least one attribute, the location-based action being an action performable by the user at the physical location, the location being external to the computer-implemented game; and

transmitting an offer of the reward based on performance of the location-based action to a device associated with the user.

17. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving verification that the location-based action was performed by the user; and

crediting an account of the user with the reward based on the verification.

18. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 16, wherein the transmitting of the offer comprises:

receiving a call from a system of the device associated with the user; and

providing details of the offer in response to the receiving of the call, the details including a description of the reward and a description of the location-based action.

19. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 16, wherein the transmitting of the offer comprises providing instructions to render the offer in a discrete section of an interface of the computer-implemented game.

20. A system comprising:

at least one processor of a machine; and

a game networking system configured to;

identifying at least one attribute associated with a physical location by accessing a location account that stores the at least one attribute for the physical location;

determining a reward to be offered to a user, the reward being an in-game asset for a computer-implemented game;

determining a location-based action based on the at least one attribute, the location-based action being an action performable by the user at the location, the physical location being external to the computer-implemented game; and

transmitting an offer of the reward based on performance of the location-based action to a device associated with the user.