Method and/or system for mobile interactive gaming

• US 8,814,689 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2007
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Ackley, Jonathan, Blossom, Jonathan, Jordan, Charles Ryan
• Primary Examiner(s): Hylinski, Steven J
• Application Number:
  US11/833,161
• Publication Number:
  US 20080039205A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,581 Days
• Field of Search: 463/29, 463/40, 463/42, 701 1- 45, 701400-418, 701/500
• US Class Current: 463/41
• 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 13/216 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 13/332 using wireless networks, e.g. cellular phone networks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/302 specially adapted for receiving control signals not targeted to a display device or game input means, e.g. vibrating driver's seat, scent dispenser
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/406 Transmission via wireless network, e.g. pager or GSM
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/537 for exchanging game data using a messaging service, e.g. e-mail, SMS, MMS
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5573 player location
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3218 wherein at least part of the system is portable
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3237 about the players, e.g. profiling, responsible gaming, strategy/behavior of players, location of players
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera constructional features concerning the integration of cameras in portable phones H04M1/0264

Abstract

The subject matter disclosed herein relates to systems for providing an interactive experience to game participants.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a location of a mobile device responsive to detection of said mobile device in a geographic area comprising said location by detecting, at said location, a signature associated with an object co-located with said mobile device, said signature not being detectable at said location unless said object is in proximity to said location, wherein said object co-located with said mobile device comprises a barcode signature, and wherein said determining said location of said mobile device comprises scanning said barcode signature at said location;

receiving one or more messages from said mobile device transmitted through a mobile communication service provider; and

providing a response to said one or more messages based, at least in part, on said location and a game state associated with said mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said providing said response comprises affecting an application hosted on said mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said game state is associated with a task to be completed for progressing to a subsequent game state.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining said location comprises associating said location with an interactive installation, and wherein said providing said response further comprises transmitting one or more messages to said interactive installation.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said providing said response further comprises initiating a special effect at said interactive installation.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said object co-located with said mobile device comprises a radio frequency identification (RFID) device, and wherein said determining said location of said mobile device comprises detecting at an RFID reader an RFID code associated with said RFID device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating said detected signature with an identity of a game participant;

and wherein said providing said response further comprises providing said response based, at least in part, on said identity.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said one or more messages are transmitted substantially according to a text messaging protocol.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said text messaging protocol comprises a short message service (SMS) protocol.

10. A method comprising:

providing an interactive gaming experience to one or more game participants associated with mobile communication devices in a geographic area;

determining a location of at least one of said mobile communication devices in said geographic area responsive to detection of a signature associated with an object co-located with said at least one of said mobile communication devices, said signature not being detectable at said location unless said object is in proximity to said location, wherein said determining said location further comprises detecting a signature from a barcode signature co-located with said at least one of said mobile communication devices at a known location; and

responsive at least in part to determination of said location, initiating presentation of media content at said at least one of said mobile communication devices and initiating a special effect via an interactive installation physically de-coupled from and external to said at least one of said mobile communication devices, said presentation of said media content and said special effect being based, at least in part, on said location of said at least one of said mobile communication devices in said geographic area and a game state associated with said at least one of said mobile communication devices.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said initiating presentation of said media content further comprises transmitting a universal resource identifier to said at least one of said mobile communication devices.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein said initiating presentation of said media content further comprises streaming media content to said at least one of said mobile communication devices.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein said determining said location further comprises receiving location information derived from pseudorange measurements from said at least one of said mobile communication devices.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein said determining said location further comprises detecting a presence of a radio frequency identification (RFID) device associated with said at least one of said mobile communication devices at an RFID reader at a known location.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein said known location comprises said interactive installation.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein said media content is pre-stored on said at least one of said mobile communication devices, and wherein said initiating presentation of said media content comprises transmitting a command to an application hosted on said at least one of said mobile communication devices to render said pre-stored media content.

17. An apparatus comprising a computing platform, said computing platform being adapted to:

determine a location of a mobile device responsive to detection of said mobile device in a geographic area comprising said location by detecting, at said location, a signature associated with an object co-located with said mobile device, said signature not being detectable at said location unless said object is in proximity to said location, wherein said object co-located with said mobile device comprises a barcode signature, and wherein said computing platform is further adapted to determine said location of said mobile device based, at least in part, on a barcode signature associated with said barcode signature detected at said location;

receive one or more messages from said mobile device transmitted through a mobile communication service provider; and

provide a response to said one or more messages based, at least in part, on said location and a game state associated with said mobile device.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said game state is associated with a task to be completed for progressing to a subsequent game state.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said computing platform is further adapted to:

associate said location with an interactive installation; and

transmit one or more messages to said interactive installation for providing said response.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said object co-located with said mobile device comprises a radio frequency identification (RFID) device, and wherein said computing platform is further adapted to determine said location of said mobile device based, at least in part, on detection at an RFID reader of an RFID code associated with said RFID device.

21. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said computing platform is further adapted to:

associate said detected signature with an identity of a game participant; and

provide said response based, at least in part, on said identity.

22. An apparatus comprising a computing platform, said computing platform being adapted to:

provide an interactive gaming experience to one or more game participants associated with mobile communication devices in a geographic area;

determine a location of at least one of said mobile communication devices in said geographic area responsive to detection of a signature associated with an object co-located with said at least one of said mobile communication devices, said signature not being detectable at said location unless said object is in proximity to said location, wherein said computing platform is further adapted to determine said location based, at least in part, on a detection of a presence of a barcode signature at a barcode scanner at a known location; and

responsive at least in part to determination of said location, initiate presentation of media content at said at least one of said mobile communication devices and initiate a special effect via an interactive installation physically de-coupled from and external to said at least one of said mobile communication devices, said presentation of said media content and said special effect being based, at least in part, on said location of said at least one of said mobile communication devices in said geographic area and a game state associated with said at least one of said mobile communication devices.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said computing platform is further adapted to determine said location based, at least in part, on a detection of a presence of a radio frequency identification (RFID) device associated with said at least one of said mobile communication devices at an RFID reader at a known location.

24. An apparatus comprising:

means for determining a location of a mobile device responsive to detection of said mobile device in a geographic area comprising said location by detecting, at said location, a signature associated with an object co-located with said mobile device, said signature not being detectable at said location unless said object is in proximity to said location, wherein said means for determining said location of said mobile device comprises means for detecting a presence of a barcode signature associated with said mobile device at a barcode scanner;

means for receiving one or more messages from said mobile device transmitted through a mobile communication service provider; and

means for providing a response to said one or more messages based, at least in part, on said location and a game state associated with said mobile device.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said game state is associated with a task to be completed for progressing to a subsequent game state.

26. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said means for determining said location of said mobile device comprises means for detecting a presence of a radio frequency identification (RFID) device associated with said mobile device at an RFID reader.

27. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said means for determining said location of said mobile device comprises means for detecting a presence of a barcode signature associated with said mobile device at a barcode scanner.

28. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said one or more messages are transmitted according to a text messaging protocol.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein said text messaging protocol comprises a short message service (SMS) protocol.

30. An apparatus comprising:

means for providing an interactive gaming experience to one or more game participants associated with mobile communication devices in a geographic area;

means for determining a location of at least one of said mobile communication devices responsive to detection of a signature associated with an object co-located with said at least one of said mobile communication devices, said signature not being detectable at said location unless said object is in proximity to said location, wherein said means for determining said location further comprises means for detecting a presence of a barcode signature associated with said at least one of said mobile communication devices at a barcode scanner at a known location; and

means for initiating presentation of media content, responsive at least in part to determination of said location, to said at least one of said mobile communication devices and initiating a special effect physically de-coupled from and external to said at least one of said mobile communication devices, said presentation of said media content and said special effect being based, at least in part, on said location of said at least one of said mobile communication devices in said geographic area and a game state associated with said at least one of said mobile communication devices.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein said means for determining said location further comprises means for detecting a presence of a radio frequency identification (RFID) device associated with said at least one of said mobile communication devices at an RFID reader at a known location.