Updating virtual worlds based on interactions between real-world items

• US 8,574,076 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2011
• Issued: 11/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Inventors: Mahajan, Amitt, Ocko, Matthew Adam
• Primary Examiner(s): Suhol, Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): LARSEN, CARL VICTOR
• Application Number:
  US13/244,814
• Publication Number:
  US 20130005466A1
• Time in Patent Office: 771 Days
• Field of Search: 463/36, 463/40, 463/41
• US Class Current: 463/36
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/216 using geographical information, e.g. location of the game device or player using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5378 for displaying an additional top view, e.g. radar screens or maps using two or more virtual cameras concurrently A63F13/5252
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/61 using advertising information
• 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 13/69 by enabling or updating specific game elements, e.g. unlocking hidden features, items, levels or versions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/798 for assessing skills or for ranking players, e.g. for generating a hall of fame computing the game score A63F13/46
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/822 Strategy games; Role-playing games A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/87 Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5566 by matching opponents or finding partners to build a team, e.g. by skill level, geographical area, background, play style
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5573 player location
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/575 for trading virtual items
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/69 Involving elements of the real world in the game world, e.g. measurement in live races, real video

Abstract

A method of updating virtual worlds based on interactions between real-world items is disclosed. An interaction between a first real-world item and a second real-world item is detected. The first real-world item is a real-world item that is associated with a first player of a computer-implemented game and the second real-world item is a real-world item that is associated with a second player of the computer-implemented game. A virtual world of the computer-implemented game is updated based on the detection of the interaction.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

associating a first real-world item with a first virtual-world item;

associating a second real-world item with a second virtual-world item;

associating a combining of the first virtual-world item and the second virtual-world item with an effect on a virtual world of a computer-implemented game;

detecting an interaction between the first real-world item and the second real-world item; and

interpreting the interaction between the first real-world item and the second real-world item as the combining of the first virtual-world item and the second virtual-world, wherein the first virtual item is a first ingredient of a third virtual-world item and the second virtual item is a second ingredient of the third virtual-world item; and

implementing the effect on the virtual world of the computer-implemented game based on the interpreting, wherein the third virtual-world item is consumable by the at least one of a player character of the first player of the computer-implemented game and a player character of the second player of the computer-implemented game.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a location of the first real-world item and determining a location of the second real-world item, and wherein the interpreting of the interaction between the first real-world item and the second real-world item as the combining of the first virtual-world item and the second virtual-world item is based on the location of the first real-world item in relation to the location of second the real-world item.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the detection of the interaction between the first real-world item and the second real-world item is based on a receiving of a communication from at least one of the first real-world item and the second real-world item.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the receiving of the communication from at least one of the first real-world item and the second real-world item is enabled by a wireless device embedded in the at least one of the first real-world item and the second real-world item.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the the implementing of the effect on the virtual world of the computer-implemented game includes changing at least one of an attribute of a player character of a first player of the computer-implemented game and an attribute of a player character of a second player of the computer-implemented game.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the the implementing of the effect on the virtual world of the computer-implemented game includes adding a third virtual-world item to an inventory of a player character of at least one of a first player of the computer-implemented game and a second player of the computer-implemented game.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting an end of the interaction between the first real-world item and the second real-world item; and

updating the virtual world of the computer-implemented game based on the detection of the ending of the interaction.

8. A system comprising:

a processor-implemented game networking system configured to;

associate a first real-world item with a first virtual-world item;

associate a second real-world item with a second virtual-world item;

associate a combining of the first virtual-world item and the second virtual-world item with an effect on a virtual world of a computer-implemented game;

detect an interaction between the first real-world item and the second real-world item;

interpret the interaction between the first real-world item and the second real-world item as the combining of the first virtual-world item and the second virtual-world item, wherein the first virtual item is a first ingredient of a third virtual-world item and the second virtual item is a second ingredient of the third virtual-world item; and

implement the effect on the virtual world of the computer-implemented game based on the interpreting, wherein the third virtual-world item is consumable by the at least one of a player character of the first player of the computer-implemented game and a player character of the second player of the computer-implemented game.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor-implemented game networking system is further configured to determine a location of the first real-world item and determine a location of the second real-world item, and wherein the interpreting of the interaction between the first real-world item and the second real-world item as the combining of the first virtual-world item and the second virtual-world item is based on the location of the first real-world item in relation to the location of second the real-world item.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the detection of the interaction between the first real-world item and the second real-world item is based on a receiving of a communication from at least one of the first real-world item and the second real-world item.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the receiving of the communication from at least one of the first real-world item and the second real-world item is enabled by a wireless device embedded in the at least one of the first real-world item and the second real-world item.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the the implementing of the effect on the virtual world of the computer-implemented game includes changing at least one of an attribute of a player character of a first player of the computer implemented game and an attribute of a player character of a second player of the computer-implemented game.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the the implementing of the effect on the virtual world of the computer-implemented game includes adding a virtual item to an inventory of a player character of at least one of a first player of the computer-implemented game and a second player of the computer-implemented game.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor-implemented game networking system is further configured to:

detect an end of the interaction between the first real-world item and the second real-world item; and

update the virtual world of the computer-implemented game based on the detection of the ending of the interaction.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising a set of instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a computer system, cause the computer system to perform operations comprising:

associating a first real-world item with a first virtual-world item;

associating a second real-world item with a second virtual-world item;

associating a combining of the first virtual-world item and the second virtual-world item with an effect on a virtual world of a computer-implemented game, wherein the first virtual item is a first ingredient of a third virtual-world item and the second virtual item is a second ingredient of the third virtual-world item;

detecting an interaction between the first real-world item and the second real-world item; and

interpreting the interaction between the first real-world item and the second real-world item as the combining of the first virtual-world item and the second virtual-world item; and

implementing the effect on the virtual world of the computer-implemented game-based on the interpreting, wherein the third virtual-world item is consumable by the at least one of a player character of the first player of the computer-implemented game and a player character of the second player of the computer-implemented game.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, the operations further comprising determining a location of the first real-world item and determining a location of the second real-world item, and wherein the interpreting of the interaction between the first real-world item and the second real-world item as the combining of the first virtual-world item and the second virtual-world item is based on the location of the first real-world item in relation to the location of second the real-world item.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the the implementing of the effect on the virtual world of the computer-implemented game includes changing at least one of an attribute of a player character of a first player of the computer-implemented game and an attribute of a player character of a second player of the computer-implemented game.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the the implementing of the effect on the virtual world of the computer-implemented game includes adding a virtual item to an inventory of a player character of at least one of a first player of the computer-implemented game and a second player of the computer-implemented game.