Apparatus and method with physical location check-in that triggers a status change in a virtual game

• US 8,663,014 B2
• Filed: 01/17/2012
• Issued: 03/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Inventors: Buell, Tanya Yin Wa, Kirmse, Christopher Michael, Xu, Minglei, Chhabra, Puneet, CARSON, Heidi Kay
• Primary Examiner(s): PIERCE, DAMON JOSEPH
• Application Number:
  US13/352,243
• Publication Number:
  US 20120196682A1
• Time in Patent Office: 777 Days
• Field of Search: 463/9, 463 30- 34, 463 40- 42, 463/37, 463/39, 706/45, 700/91, 700/92
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/216 using geographical information, e.g. location of the game device or player using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/533 for prompting the player, e.g. by displaying a game menu
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/61 using advertising information
• 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 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5506 using advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5553 user representation in the game field, e.g. avatar
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/556 Player lists, e.g. online players, buddy list, black list
• 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 2300/609 for unlocking hidden game elements, e.g. features, items, levels
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8094 Unusual game types, e.g. virtual cooking

Abstract

A computer readable storage medium includes executable instructions to receive a check-in indication from a physical location with a corresponding virtual location in a virtual game. An attribute in the virtual game is altered based upon the check-in indication. The attribute may be earned points for a user, a virtual object earned by a user or an enhanced popularity measure for the virtual location.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium embodying a set of instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

receiving an indication of a presence of a user at a physical location corresponding to a virtual location in a virtual game;

determining a popularity score of the virtual location in the virtual game; and

altering a popularity score of the user based upon the indication of the presence of the user at the physical location and the popularity score of the virtual location in the virtual game.

2. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the indication of the presence of the user at the physical location includes physical location coordinates from a mobile device.

3. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, the operations further including altering earned points for the user based on the receiving of the indication of the presence of the user at the physical location.

4. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 3, wherein the earned points include points for physical check-ins, port actions and referral actions awarded in different amounts based on predetermined relative values.

5. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, the operations further including providing a virtual object to the user based on the indication of the presence of the user at the physical location.

6. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, the operations further including altering a popularity score of the virtual location in the virtual game based upon the popularity score of the user.

7. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 5, the operations further including allowing a follower of the user to access the object without the follower providing an indication of a presence of the follower at the physical location.

8. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, the operations further including supplying a list of physically proximate establishments to the user that are configured to raise the popularity score of the user based on a visiting of the physically proximate establishments by the user.

9. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8, the operations further including ordering the list in accordance with predetermined criteria selected from physical proximity, establishment popularity, establishment category and paid placement.

10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, the operations further including assigning points for physical location indications in view of specified criteria selected from physical distance traveled by the user, frequency of a user at the physical location, popularity of the user, and time of day.

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, the operations further including forming a merged virtual location with merged virtual game participants based on a number of users at the physical location.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, the operations further including splintering virtual locations with splintered virtual game participants based on a number of users at the physical location.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, the operations further comprising accepting a user-specified physical location to create a corresponding user-specified virtual location in the virtual game.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, the operations further including accepting requests to organize users into teams for purposes of porting at the physical location.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, the operations further comprising receiving a specification of privacy controls from the user, the privacy controls specifying a level of anonymity associated with porting by the user at the physical location.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, the operations further including allowing an entity associated with the physical location to provide virtual advertisements in the virtual game that encourage porting by the user at the physical location.

17. A system comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more modules implemented by the one or more processors and configured to;

receive an indication of a presence of a user at a physical location corresponding to a virtual location in a virtual game;

determine a popularity score of the virtual location in the virtual game; and

alter a popularity score of the user based on the indication of the presence of the user at the physical location and the popularity score of the virtual location in the virtual game.

18. A method comprising:

receiving an indication of a presence of a user at a physical location corresponding to a virtual location in a virtual game;

determining a popularity score of the virtual location in the virtual game; and

altering a popularity score of the user based on the indication of the presence of the user at the physical location and the popularity score of the virtual location in the virtual game, the altering being implemented by one or more processors configured to perform the altering.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the indication of the presence of the user at the physical location includes physical location coordinates from a mobile device.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising altering earned points for the user based on the receiving of the indication of the presence of the user at the physical location.