Method and/or system for adaptive gaming experience

• US 9,044,678 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2012
• Issued: 06/02/2015
• 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:
  US13/524,969
• Publication Number:
  US 20120252572A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,082 Days
• Field of Search: 463 29- 30, 463 36- 37, 463/39, 463 42- 43
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 2300/1012 involving biosensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat, limb activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/405 being a wireless ad hoc network, e.g. Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Pico net
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/406 Transmission via wireless network, e.g. pager or GSM
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5573 player location

Abstract

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

Claims

1. A computer program product comprising a storage device having a computer readable program stored thereon, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to:

detect, at an interactive installation, a mobile telephone that has an identifier and is within a detection range of the interactive installation, the identifier uniquely identifying the mobile telephone;

extract, at the interactive installation, an identifier code from a signal emitted by the mobile telephone, the signal being associated with an identity of a game participant;

send a plurality of data packets from a wireless access point that is positioned at the interactive installation and is in communication with the mobile telephone to a location server that determines an approximate location of the game participant based upon the plurality of data packets, the plurality of data packets identifying the mobile telephone and/or the wireless access point according to the identifier;

emit the identifier code from the interactive installation to a game server;

receive an instruction from the game server to provide a gaming experience to the game participant, the instruction being based upon game participant specific information; and

provide, at the interactive installation, the gaming experience to the game participant according to the instruction.

2. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the identifier is a radio frequency identifier.

3. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the identifier is a barcode.

4. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the identifier is a photograph of the game participant.

5. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the identifier is a biometric indicator of the game participant.

6. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the gaming experience is a special effect.

7. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the game participant specific information is stored in a database.

8. A method comprising:

detecting, at an interactive installation, a mobile telephone that has an identifier and is within a detection range of the interactive installation;

extracting, at the interactive installation, an identifier code from a signal emitted by the mobile telephone, the signal being associated with an identity of a game participant, the identifier code being a barcode;

sending a plurality of data packets from a wireless access point that is positioned at the interactive installation and is in communication with the mobile telephone to a location server that determines an approximate location of the game participant based upon the plurality of data packets, the plurality of data packets identifying the mobile telephone and/or the wireless access point;

emitting the identifier code from the interactive installation to a game server;

receiving an instruction from the game server to provide a gaming experience to the game participant, the instruction being based upon game participant specific information; and

providing, at the interactive installation, the gaming experience to the game participant according to the instruction.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the identifier is a radio frequency identifier.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the identifier is a photograph of the game participant.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the identifier is a biometric indicator of the game participant.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the gaming experience is a special effect.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the game participant specific information is stored in a database.

14. A system comprising:

an interactive installation that detects a mobile telephone that has an identifier and is within a detection range of the interactive installation, extracts an identifier code from a signal emitted by the mobile telephone, sends a plurality of data packets from a wireless access point that is positioned at the interactive installation and is in communication with the mobile telephone to a location server that determines an approximate location of the game participant based upon the plurality of data packets, emits the identifier code from the interactive installation to a game server, receives an instruction from the game server to provide a gaming experience for the game participant, provides the gaming experience to the game participant according to the instruction, the signal being associated with an identity of a game participant, the plurality of data packets identifying the mobile telephone and/or the wireless access point according to the identifier, the identifier uniquely identifying the mobile telephone.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the identifier is a radio frequency identifier.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the identifier is a barcode.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the identifier is a photograph of the game participant.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the identifier is a biometric indicator of the game participant.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the gaming experience is a special effect.