System and method of providing access to virtual spaces that are associated with physical analogues in the real world

• US 9,403,087 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2008
• Issued: 08/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Riley, Sean
• Primary Examiner(s): PHANTANA ANGKOOL, DAVID
• Application Number:
  US12/135,832
• Publication Number:
  US 20090307611A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,976 Days
• Field of Search: 715/757, 715/789
• 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 13/65 automatically by game devices or servers from real world data, e.g. measurement in live racing competition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5573 player location
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6676 by dedicated player input
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/69 Involving elements of the real world in the game world, e.g. measurement in live races, real video
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/435 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/444 Spatial browsing, e.g. 2D maps, 3D or virtual spaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/487 using geographical or spatial information, e.g. location
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality

Abstract

A system and method for associating virtual spaces with physical analogs in the real world. Associating virtual spaces with physical analogs may enable various aspects of the virtual spaces, such as the content of the virtual spaces, the manner in which the virtual spaces are accessed by users, and/or other aspects of the virtual spaces, to correspond to the real world. For example, upon initiation of a client that provides a view of one or more virtual spaces to a user, the user may automatically be provided with a view of a virtual space associated with one or more physical analogs that are proximate to the user in the real world. As another example, content within the virtual space may reflect ambient conditions at or near associated physical analog(s), the presence and/or condition of objects at or near the associated physical analog(s), the location and/or condition of the physical analog(s), and/or other information related to the physical analog in the real world.

Claims

1. A server configured to provide access to virtual spaces based on current location in the real world, the server comprising:

one or more processors configured to execute computer program modules, the computer program modules comprising;

a request module configured to receive requests from client computing platforms for access to virtual spaces;

a location module configured to obtain, in real time or near real time, a current location in the real world of a first client computing platform associated with a first user;

a space correlation module configured to, responsive to reception of a request from the first client computing platform for virtual space access, correlate the current location in the real world of the first client computing platform with one of a plurality of virtual spaces by comparing the current real world location of the first client computing platform with the real world locations of physical analogues that are associated with the different virtual spaces, wherein the virtual spaces are separate simulated spaces, and wherein the virtual spaces comprise a first virtual space and a second virtual space; and

a server access module configured to provide access for the first client computing platform to the virtual space with which the current location of the first client computing platform has been correlated such that, responsive to the current location of the first client computing platform being correlated with the first virtual space, access to the first virtual space is provided for the first client computing platform by facilitating communication between the first client computing platform and a space server executing an instance of the first virtual space, wherein such communication enables an avatar associated with the first client computing platform to be controlled within the instance of the first virtual space from the first client computing platform to interact in the instance of the first virtual space with avatars being controlled by other client computing platforms.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the physical analogue associated with the first virtual space is either a physical location or a physical object in the real world.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the physical analogue associated with the first virtual space is mobile in the real world.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the server access module is further configured such that an initial view of the instance of the first virtual space received by the first client computing platform reflects the location of the first client computing platform in the real world.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the server access module is further configured such that the initial view is from a point of view at a location in the instance of the first virtual space that corresponds to the location of the first client computing platform in the real world.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the avatar controlled from the first client computing platform is a character associated with a user account that corresponds to a first user of the first client computing platform.