Mobile device configured point and shoot type weapon

• US 9,319,842 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2011
• Issued: 04/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2011
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Milap
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pinheiro, Jason
• Application Number:
  US13/169,829
• Publication Number:
  US 20120329538A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,758 Days
• Field of Search: 463/2
• 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 13/20 Input arrangements for video game devices
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/215 comprising means for detecting acoustic signals, e.g. using a microphone
• 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 13/332 using wireless networks, e.g. cellular phone networks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/424 involving acoustic input signals, e.g. by using the results of pitch or rhythm extraction or voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/46 Computing the game score
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/537 using indicators, e.g. showing the condition of a game character on screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/837 Shooting of targets
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/406 Transmission via wireless network, e.g. pager or GSM
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/513 server hierarchy, e.g. local, regional, national or dedicated for different tasks, e.g. authenticating, billing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5573 player location
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/64 for computing dynamical parameters of game objects, e.g. motion determination or computation of frictional forces for a virtual car
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8076 Shooting
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/026 using orientation information, e.g. compass
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/185 by embedding added-value information into content, e.g. geo-tagging

Abstract

A mobile device is configured as a point and shoot type weapon for gaming, training, or the like. Utilizing the mobile device based weapon, such as a smart phone for example, a user thereof can simply aim the mobile device at a target and shoot. Shooting may be accomplished by tapping the mobile device, activating a button or soft key on the mobile device, making a gesture (e.g., moving a finger as if a trigger is being pulled), providing an audible command (e.g., “shoot”), or the like.

Claims

1. A device 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 an indication of the device firing a virtual element;

determining a location of the device at a time of firing the virtual element;

determining, based on information received from a sensor, an aim angle at which the device was positioned at the time of firing the virtual element;

determining a target effect area relative to the determined location and determined aim angle;

generating a geocast shot message based on the target effect area for the virtual element, wherein the geocast shot message comprises;

an indication of the determined location; and

an indication of the determined aim angle; and

providing the geocast shot message, via a geocast protocol, to each member of a set of devices occupying a geocast region, the geocast region comprising the target effect area.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the virtual element is at least one of a beam, a projectile, or a grenade.

3. The device of claim 1, further operations comprising:

receiving an arbitration message from a targeted device, the arbitration message comprising a depth of the targeted device; and

determining whether the targeted device was hit by the virtual element.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises one more of the following:

a GPS-based position sensor, an accelerometer, a motion detector, an acoustic sensor, a tilt sensor, a pressure sensor, or a temperature sensor.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the indication of the device firing the virtual element comprises an audible command.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the geocast region is large enough to include a location of any other device that may move into the target effect area within a determined amount of time from the time of firing the virtual element.

7. The device of claim 1, the operation further comprising:

receiving a geocast shot message, via the geocast protocol, from another device;

the geocast shot message from the other device comprising;

an indication of a shooter position, the shooter position being a determined location of the other device at a trigger pull time of the other device; and

an indication of a shooter aim angle, the shooter aim angle being a determined aim angle of the other device at the trigger pull time of the other device;

determining if the device is within a target effect area associated with the geocast shot message from the other device at a determined point in time;

when the device is determined to be in the target effect area associated with the geocast shot message from the other device at the determined point in time, determining that the device has been hit; and

when the device is determined not to be in the target effect area associated with the geocast shot message from the other device at the determined point in time, determining that the device has been missed.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the determination as to whether the device is in the target effect area associated with the geocast shot message from the other device at the determined point in time is based on a result of an adjudication function.

9. The device of claim 7, the operations further comprising:

determining a current location of a round associated with the geocast shot message from the other device;

determining a current location of the device;

determining a distance between the current location of the device and determining a distance between the current location of a round and the current location of the device;

determining if the distance between the current location of a round and the current location of the device is less than or equal to a calculated distance;

when the distance between the current location of a round and the current location of the device is less than or equal to the calculated distance, the device is determined to have been hit by the round; and

when the distance between the current location of a round and the current location of the device is greater than the calculated distance, the device is determined to have been missed by the round.

10. A method comprising:

receiving, by a device, an indication of the device firing a virtual element;

determining a location of the device at a time of firing the virtual element;

determining, based on information received from a sensor, an aim angle at which the device was positioned at the time of firing the virtual element; and

determining a target effect area relative to the determined location and determined aim angle;

generating a geocast shot message based on the target effect area for the virtual element, wherein the geocast shot message comprises;

an indication of the determined location; and

an indication of the determined aim angle; and

providing the geocast shot message, via a geocast protocol, to each member of a set of devices occupying a geocast region, the geocast region comprising the target effect area.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the virtual element is at least one of a beam, a projectile, or a grenade type.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the indication of the device firing the virtual element comprises at least one of tapping the device, a gesture, or an audible command.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the geocast region is large enough to include a location of any other device that may move into the target effect area within a determined amount of time from the time of firing the virtual element.

14. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

receiving a geocast shot message, via the geocast protocol, from another device;

the geocast shot message from the other device comprising;

an indication of a shooter position, the shooter position being a determined location of the other device at a time of firing the virtual element of the other device; and

an indication of a shooter aim angle, the shooter aim angle being a determined aim angle of the other device at the time of firing the virtual element of the other device;

determining if the device is within a target effect area associated with the geocast shot message from the other device at a determined point in time;

when the device is determined to be in the target effect area associated with the geocast shot message from the other device at the determined point in time, determining that the device has been hit; and

when the device is determined not to be in the target effect area associated with the geocast shot message from the other device at the determined point in time, determining that the device has been missed.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the determination as to whether the device is in the target effect area associated with the geocast shot message from the other device at the determined point in time is based on a result of an adjudication function.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

determining a current location of a round associated with the geocast shot message from the other device;

determining a current location of the device;

determining a distance between the current location of the device and

determining a distance between the current location of a round and the current location of the device;

determining if the distance between the current location of a round and the current location of the device is less than or equal to a calculated distance;

when the distance between the current location of a round and the current location of the device is less than or equal to the calculated distance, determining that the device has been hit by the round; and

when the distance between the current location of a round and the current location of the device is greater than the calculated distance, determining that the device has been missed by the round.

17. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions, that when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform steps of:

receiving, by a device, an indication of the device firing a virtual element;

determining a location of the device at a time of firing the virtual element;

determining, based on information received from a sensor, an aim angle at which the device was positioned at the time of firing the virtual element; and

determining a target effect area relative to the determined location and determined aim angle;

generating a geocast shot message based on the target effect area for the virtual element, wherein the geocast shot message comprises;

an indication of the determined location; and

an indication of the determined aim angle; and

providing the geocast shot message, via a geocast protocol, to each member of a set of devices occupying a geocast region, the geocast region comprising the target effect area.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the indication of the device firing the virtual element is accomplishable without visually observing a display of the device.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the indication of the device firing the virtual element comprises at least one of tapping the device, a gesture, or an audible command.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, the executable instructions further for causing the processor to perform steps of:

receiving a geocast shot message, via the geocast protocol, from another device;

the geocast shot message from the other device comprising;

an indication of a shooter position, the shooter position being a determined location of the other device at a time of firing the virtual element of the other device; and

an indication of a shooter aim angle, the shooter aim angle being a determined aim angle of the other device at the time of firing the virtual element of the other device;

determining if the device is within a target effect area associated with the geocast shot message from the other device at a determined point in time;

when the device is determined to be in the target effect area associated with the geocast shot message from the other device at the determined point in time, determining that the device has been hit; and

when the device is determined not to be in the target effect area associated with the geocast shot message from the other device at the determined point in time, determining that the device has been missed.