In-vehicle gaming system

• US 9,327,189 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2014
• Issued: 05/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audible Incorporated (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Audible Incorporated (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bavitz, Graham James, Goldsmid, Aaron Payne, Goldstein, Douglas Scott, Hwang, Douglas Cho, Spector, Pamela R., Story, Guy Ashley Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Milap
• Application Number:
  US14/280,396
• Publication Number:
  US 20140256426A1
• Time in Patent Office: 718 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463 29- 31, 463 40- 43, 701/36, 702/182, 340/435, 340/436, 340/500, 340/525, 340/540
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/217 using environment-related information, i.e. information generated otherwise than by the player, e.g. ambient temperature or humidity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/48 Starting a game, e.g. activating a game device or waiting for other players to join a multiplayer session
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/65 automatically by game devices or servers from real world data, e.g. measurement in live racing competition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/67 adaptively or by learning from player actions, e.g. skill level adjustment or by storing successful combat sequences for re-use
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/24 Electric games; Games using electronic circuits not otherwise provided for video games A63F13/00; computerized gaming systems G07F17/32

Abstract

An in-vehicle gaming system may be played by a driver alone, or simultaneously or individually by a driver and/or one or more other users. The in-vehicle gaming system may be activated or controlled by, for example, touch, voice, or gesture. Gameplay is dynamically adjusted based at least in part on environmental factors such that the driver is not distracted from driving the vehicle. Game content is generated based at least in part on environmental factors and user data.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an electronic data store configured to store items of gameplay content;

a sensor of a vehicle; and

a computing device in communication with the sensor and the electronic data store, the computing device configured to;

retrieve an item of gameplay content from the electronic data store;

cause presentation, to a user operating the vehicle, of the item of gameplay content for game play;

receive, from the sensor of the vehicle, environmental data detected by the sensor of the vehicle, wherein the environmental data is related to at least one of the vehicle as the user operates the vehicle or the user as the user operates the vehicle;

calculate a distraction index of the user operating the vehicle based at least in part on the environmental data; and

modify, as the item of gameplay content is presented for continued game play to the user operating the vehicle, the item of gameplay content based at least in part on the distraction index, wherein the item of gameplay content is modified to reduce the distraction index of the user.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is embedded in the vehicle.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is further configured to:

cause presentation of the item of gameplay content to the user at least one of aurally, visually, or tactilely.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is further configured to:

receive input from the user in response to the modified item of gameplay content.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is further configured to:

determine that the distraction index satisfies a predefined threshold; and

not present the item of gameplay content to the user.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is further configured to:

modify the item of gameplay content to be at least one of more difficult, less difficult, presented aurally, presented visually, presented tactilely, of a different genre, or of a different gameplay type.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is further configured to:

receive an indication of an acceptance of a liability agreement by the user before the item of gameplay content is presented to the user.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the environmental data includes a driving history of the user.

9. The system of claim 4, wherein the input received from the user is at least one of voice, touch, or gesture.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is further configured to calculate the distraction index by at least:

accessing a weighting formula indicating a first weight to apply to a first item of the environmental data and a second weight to apply to a second item of the environmental data;

calculating a first weighted item of the environmental data by weighting the first item of the environmental data according to the first weight;

calculating a second weighted item of the environmental data by weighting the second item of the environmental data according to the second weight; and

combining the first weighted item of the environmental data and the second weighted item of the environmental data into the distraction index.

11. A computer-implemented method comprising:

under control of one or more computing devices configured with specific computer executable instructions,

causing presentation of an in-vehicle game to a user in a vehicle while the user operates the vehicle;

receiving, from a sensor of the vehicle, environmental data detected by the sensor of the vehicle, wherein the environmental data is related to at least one of;

the vehicle while the user operates the vehicle as the in-vehicle game is presented to the user in the vehicle for game play, or the user while the user operates the vehicle and as the in-vehicle game is presented to the user in the vehicle for game play;

calculating a distraction index of the user operating the vehicle based at least in part on the environmental data; and

modifying, for continued game play by the user and based at least in part on the distraction index, the in-vehicle game while the vehicle is in operation, wherein the in-vehicle game is modified to reduce the distraction index of the user.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11 further comprising, under control of the one or more computing devices configured with specific computer executable instructions:

receiving input from the user in response to the presented in vehicle game.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12 further comprising, under control of the one or more computing devices configured with specific computer executable instructions:

determining the distraction index satisfies a threshold; and

in response to determining that the distraction index satisfies the threshold, prohibiting input from the user.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the environmental data includes a driving history of the user.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the user is an operator of the vehicle.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having a computer executable module for modifying items of gameplay content associated with an in-vehicle game, the computer executable module being configured to:

retrieve an item of gameplay content from an electronic data store, the item of gameplay content associated with the in-vehicle game;

cause presentation, to a user operating a vehicle, of the retrieved item of gameplay content for game play;

receive, from a sensor of the vehicle, environmental data detected by the sensor of the vehicle, wherein the environmental data is related to at least one of;

the vehicle the user operates the vehicle and interacts with the presented item of gameplay content, or the user as the user operates the vehicle and interacts with the presented item of gameplay content;

calculate a distraction index of the user operating the vehicle based at least in part on the environmental data; and

modify, as the item of gameplay content is presented for continued game play to the user operating the vehicle, the item of gameplay content presented to the user based at least in part on the distraction index, wherein the item of gameplay content is modified to reduce the distraction index of the user.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the computer-executable module is further configured to:

receive input from the user in response to the presented item of gameplay content, wherein the input received from the user is at least one of voice, touch, or gesture.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the computer-executable module is further configured to:

determine the distraction index satisfies a predefined threshold; and

in response to determining that the distraction index satisfies the predefined threshold, not accept input from the user.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the computer-executable module is further configured to:

receive an indication of an acceptance of a liability agreement by the user before the item of gameplay content is presented to the user.