Augmented reality gaming via geographic messaging

• US 8,751,159 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2009
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hall, Robert J
• Primary Examiner(s): Badii, Behrang
• Assistant Examiner(s): TESTARDI, DAVID A
• Application Number:
  US12/644,293
• Publication Number:
  US 20110102459A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,631 Days
• Field of Search: 701/465, 701/467, 434/11, 434/38, 345/633, 340/10.32, 342/45, 463/41, 463/42
• US Class Current: 701/467
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/216 using geographical information, e.g. location of the game device or player using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/31 Communication aspects specific to video games, e.g. between several handheld game devices at close range
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/40 Processing input control signals of video game devices, e.g. signals generated by the player or derived from the environment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/812 Ball games, e.g. soccer or baseball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/95 Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1093 using visible light
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/406 Transmission via wireless network, e.g. pager or GSM
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/66 for rendering three dimensional images
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/69 Involving elements of the real world in the game world, e.g. measurement in live races, real video
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/59 for emergency or urgency
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1845 broadcast or multicast in a specific location, e.g. geocast protocols for adapting network applications to user terminal location H04L67/52; services specially adapted for wireless communication networks making use of the location of users or terminals H04W4/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 : using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 : Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 : Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 : Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 : Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 : Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

Geographic gaming via a scalable, wireless geographic broadcast protocol enables multiplayer gaming between communication devices without relying on traditional network elements. Games can be fully distributed over an ad hoc network of mobile communications devices. The scalable nature of the wireless geographic broadcast protocol enables multiplayer games to function equally well in both remote areas with no or little network service and in crowded areas containing both game players and other users of mobile communications devices. Wireless geographic broadcast messages distributed among multiplayer game participants can be used to control gameplay features and/or game elements of multiplayer games. Embodiments include simulated artillery battles, simulated throw and catch games, and simulated reconnaissance elements.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by an apparatus, a request to initiate a scan, via a virtual reconnaissance element having simulated movement, of a geographic region;

responsive to receiving the request, transmitting, by the apparatus, to the geographic region, a query signal corresponding to a simulated location of the virtual reconnaissance element, the query signal formatted in accordance with a scalable geographic broadcast protocol comprising a geographic query address portion corresponding to the geographic region;

receiving, by the apparatus, a query response signal from a sending device within the geographic region;

determining, based on the received query response signal, a location of the sending device; and

providing, by the apparatus, a designation of the location of the sending device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

characterizing the sending device as one of a friend or a foe; and

providing the designation in accordance with the characterization.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a designation of a waypoint;

determining a current location of the virtual reconnaissance element;

determining a distance between the waypoint and the current location;

calculating a travel time between the current location and the waypoint based upon the distance and virtual reconnaissance element characteristics; and

transmitting, at the elapse of the travel time, a second query signal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the query signal comprises an indication of an intended recipient of the query signal; and

the query signal comprises an indication of a response to the query signal be one of mandatory or voluntary.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising rendering an indication of the location of the sending device on the apparatus.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the designation is visually rendered as an overlay on a map of the geographic region.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising rendering the location of the sending device on the apparatus based on the sending device being designated as friend or foe.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the designation of friend or foe is rendered as an overlay on a map of the geographic region.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a second query signal is transmitted in accordance with a rescan time.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

memory coupled to the processor, the memory comprising executable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to effectuate operations comprising;

receiving a request to initiate a scan, via a virtual reconnaissance element having simulated movement, of a geographic region;

responsive to receiving the request, transmitting to the geographic region, a query signal corresponding to a simulated location of the virtual reconnaissance element, the query signal formatted in accordance with a scalable geographic broadcast protocol comprising a geographic query address portion corresponding to the geographic region;

receiving, via an ad hoc network, a query response signal from a sending device within the geographic region;

determining, based on the received query response signal, a location of the sending device; and

providing a designation of the location of the sending device.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, the operations further comprising:

characterizing the sending device as one of a friend or a foe; and

providing the designation in accordance with the characterization.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, the operations further comprising:

receiving a designation of a waypoint;

determining a current location of the virtual reconnaissance element;

determining a distance between the waypoint and the current location;

calculating a travel time between the current location and the waypoint based upon the distance and virtual reconnaissance element characteristics; and

transmitting, at the elapse of the travel time, a second query signal.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:

the query signal comprises an indication of an intended recipient of the query signal; and

the query signal comprises an indication of a response to the query signal be one of mandatory or voluntary.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, the operations further comprising rendering an indication of the location of the sending device on the apparatus.

15. A computer-readable storage medium that is not a propagating signal, the computer-readable storage medium comprising executable instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to effectuate operations comprising:

receiving, by an apparatus, a request to initiate a scan, via a virtual reconnaissance element having simulated movement, of a geographic region;

responsive to receiving the request, transmitting, by the apparatus, to the geographic region, a query signal corresponding to a simulated location of the virtual reconnaissance element, the query signal formatted in accordance with a scalable geographic broadcast protocol comprising a geographic query address portion corresponding to the geographic region;

receiving, via an ad hoc network, a query response signal from a sending device within the geographic region;

determining, based on the received query response signal, a location of the sending device; and

providing a designation of the location of the sending device.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, the operations further comprising:

characterizing the sending device as one of a friend or a foe; and

providing the designation in accordance with the characterization.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, the operations further comprising:

receiving a designation of a waypoint;

determining a current location of the virtual reconnaissance element;

determining a distance between the waypoint and the current location;

calculating a travel time between the current location and the waypoint based upon the distance and virtual reconnaissance element characteristics; and

transmitting, at the elapse of the travel time, a second query signal.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein:

the query signal comprises an indication of an intended recipient of the query signal; and

the query signal comprises an indication of a response to the query signal be one of mandatory or voluntary.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, the operations further comprising rendering an indication of the location of the sending device on the apparatus.