Managing objectives associated with a virtual space based on characters made accessible responsive to corresponding tokens being detected

• US 9,387,407 B2
• Filed: 12/26/2012
• Issued: 07/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Vignocchi, John G., Bals, Jared, Leavitt, Troy, Gosztyla, Jeffrey, Shen, Christopher, Neber, Manfred, Liddell, Chad
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, ANH TUAN V
• Application Number:
  US13/727,460
• Publication Number:
  US 20140176534A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,294 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/21 characterised by their sensors, purposes or types
• 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 13/95 Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/00 3D [Three Dimensional] image rendering

Abstract

Objectives, an environment, and/or a theme associated with a virtual space may be managed based on characters made accessible responsive to corresponding tokens being detected. Tokens, including a first token associated with a first character or a second token associated with a second character, may be detected based on signals received from one or more token readers. The first character may be made accessible in the virtual space responsive to the first token being detected and the second character may be made accessible in the virtual space responsive to the second token being detected. Responsive to one or both of the first token being detected or the second token being detected, a given objective associated with the virtual space may be effectuated in the virtual space, an environment of the virtual space may be modified, and/or a theme of the virtual space being modified.

Claims

1. A system configured to manage objectives within a virtual space based on characters made accessible responsive to corresponding tokens being detected, the system comprising:

one or more physical processors configured by machine-readable instructions to;

execute an instance of a virtual space and implement the instance of the virtual space to determine views of the virtual space;

detect tokens based on signals received from one or more token readers, a given token being a standalone physical object, the tokens including a first token associated with a first character and depicting an appearance of the first character, and a second token associated with a second character and having a physical appearance that is different from the first token, the first token being detectable based on a first signal conveying information associated with the first token, and the second token being detectable based on a second signal conveying information associated with the second token, the first character being accessible in the instance of the virtual space responsive to the first token being detected, and the second character being accessible in the instance of the virtual space responsive to the second token being detected; and

manage objectives for characters within the virtual space, a given objective for a given character being a purpose or goal that efforts or actions of the given character within the virtual space are intended to attain or accomplish, the objectives including a first objective and a second objective, the first objective being effectuated in the instance of the virtual space that includes the first character responsive to the first token being detected, and the second objective being effectuated in the instance of the virtual space that includes the second character responsive to the second token being detected, wherein virtual space content associated with the objectives is stored at a location other than the one or more tokens;

wherein the first character is assigned the first objective responsive to the first objective being effectuated in the instance of the virtual space; and

wherein the first character is assigned the second objective responsive to the second objective being effectuated in the instance of the virtual space.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first token is a toy figurine.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the tokens further include a third token, the third token having a physical appearance that is different from the first token, the third token being detectable based on a third signal conveying information associated with the third token;

the objectives further include a third objective, the third objective being effectuated in the virtual space responsive to the third token being detected; and

wherein first character is assigned the third objective responsive to the third objective being effectuated in the instance of the virtual space.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein a third objective is effectuated in the instance of the virtual space responsive to both the first token and the second token being detected, the third objective including one or more attributes of the first objective and one or more attributes of the second objective;

and wherein first character is assigned the third objective responsive to the third objective being effectuated in the instance of the virtual space.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first objective is modified responsive to the second objective being effectuated in the instance of the virtual space.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more physical processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions to record objectives effectuated in the instance of the virtual space.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the one or more physical processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions such that, based on the recorded objectives:

a given combination of objectives is not effectuated more than once in the instance of the virtual space,

a given objective is not effectuated more than once in the instance of the virtual space, or

a given objective is not assigned to the same character more than once.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more physical processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions to provide a user selection interface, the user selection interface being configured to receive user selections associated with the objectives effectuated in the instance of the virtual space.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the user selection interface facilitates user selection of which objectives are assigned to a given character in the instance of the virtual space.

10. A computer-implemented method for managing objectives within a virtual space based on characters made accessible responsive to corresponding tokens being detected, the method being performed by a computer system including one or more physical processors and storage media storing machine-readable instructions, the method comprising:

executing an instance of a virtual space and implementing the instance of the virtual space to determine views of the virtual space;

detecting tokens based on signals received from one or more token readers, a given token being a standalone physical object, the tokens including a first token associated with a first character and depicting an appearance of the first character, and a second token associated with a second character and having a physical appearance that is different from the first token, the first token being detectable based on a first signal conveying information associated with the first token, the second token being detectable based on a second signal conveying information associated with the second token;

effectuating accessibility of the first character in the instance of the virtual space, the first character being accessible in the instance of the virtual space responsive to the first token being detected;

effectuating accessibility of the second character in the instance of the virtual space, the second character being accessible in the instance of the virtual space responsive to the second token being detected; and

managing objectives for characters within the virtual space, a given objective being a purpose or goal that efforts or actions for a given character within the virtual space are intended to attain or accomplish, the objectives including a first objective and a second objective, the first objective being effectuated in the instance of the virtual space that includes the first character responsive to the first token being detected, and the second objective being effectuated in the instance of the virtual space that includes the second character responsive to the second token being detected, wherein virtual space content associated with the objectives is stored at a location other than the one or more tokens;

wherein the first character is assigned the first objective responsive to the first objective being effectuated in the instance of the virtual space; and

wherein the first character is assigned the second objective responsive to the second objective being effectuated in the instance of the virtual space.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first token is a toy figurine.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the tokens further comprise a third token, the third token having a physical appearance that is different from the first token, the third token being detectable based on a third signal conveying information associated with the third token;

the objectives further include a third objective, the third objective being effectuated in the virtual space responsive to the third token being detected; and

wherein the method further comprises assigning the first character the third objective responsive to the third objective being effectuated in the instance of the virtual space.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising effectuating a third objective in the instance of the virtual space responsive to both the first token and the second token being detected, the third objective including one or more attributes of the first objective and one or more attributes of the second objective;

and

wherein first character is assigned the third objective responsive to the third objective being effectuated in the instance of the virtual space.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising modifying the first objective responsive to the second objective being effectuated in the instance of the virtual space.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising recording objectives effectuated in the instance of the virtual space.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein, based on the recorded objectives:

a given combination of objectives is not effectuated more than once in the instance of the virtual space,

a given objective is not effectuated more than once in the instance of the virtual space, or

a given objective is not assigned to the same character more than once.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising providing a user selection interface, the user selection interface being configured to receive user selections associated with the objectives effectuated in the instance of the virtual space.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the user selection interface facilitates user selection of which objectives are assigned to a given character in the instance of the virtual space.