Mapping real world actions to a virtual world associated with a location-based game

• US 9,539,498 B1
• Filed: 07/31/2013
• Issued: 01/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Niantic, Inc.
• Inventors: Dinkelacker, James, Hanke, John V., Aubin, Mark A., Keslin, Phillip Craig, Spirakis, Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Skaarup, Jason
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hsu, Ryan
• Application Number:
  US13/955,600
• Time in Patent Office: 1,259 Days
• Field of Search: 463/42
• 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 13/216 using geographical information, e.g. location of the game device or player using GPS
• 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 13/35 Details of 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

Abstract

Computer-implemented methods and systems for mapping real world actions to a virtual world associated with a parallel reality game are provided. The virtual world has experiences that relate to real world actions. The method includes accessing a data source associated with one or more real world actions; and modifying game data associated with the parallel reality game to generate experiences in the virtual world based at least in part on the data associated with the one or more real world actions. Generating experiences in the virtual world based on data associated with real world actions improves the link between the parallel virtual world and the real world, enhancing illusion that the virtual world is another dimension of the real world that the player can interact with through the parallel reality game.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of mapping real world actions to a virtual world associated with a parallel reality game, the virtual world having experiences that are impacted by real world actions, the method comprising:

accessing, by a computer system, game data associated with a parallel reality game, the game data providing a virtual world that is different from real world and parallels at least a portion of the real world, wherein the parallel reality game is configured to allow one or more players to navigate a range of coordinates defining a virtual space in the virtual world by navigating a range of geographic coordinates in the real world;

identifying, by the computer system, data associated with a real world action comprising a natural disaster occurring at a first area in the real world;

determining, by the computer system, a second area in the virtual world corresponding to the first area based on location data stored in a game database;

determining, by the computer system, a virtual element included within the second area in the virtual world based on virtual element data stored in the game database;

modifying, by the computer system, the game data associated with the parallel reality game to damage the virtual element included within the second area in the virtual world; and

transmitting, by the computer system to a client device via a computer network, the modified game data to present to a player on the client device the damaged virtual element within the second area in the virtual world.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying data associated with an additional real world action comprising weather occurring in the real world.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the virtual world is modified, based on the data associated with the additional real world action, to include virtual weather corresponding to the weather occurring in the real world.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the virtual world is modified to make an additional virtual element more challenging to locate in the virtual world based on the natural disaster.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the natural disaster is an earthquake.

2. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-readable instructions, which when executed by one or more processors cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

accessing game data associated with a parallel reality game, the game data providing a virtual world that is different from real world and parallels at least a portion of the real world, wherein the parallel reality game is configured to allow one or more players to navigate a range of coordinates defining a virtual space in the virtual world by navigating a range of geographic coordinates in the real world;

identifying data associated with a real world action comprising a natural disaster occurring at a first area in the real world;

determining a second area in the virtual world corresponding to the first area based on location data stored in a game database;

determining a virtual element included within the second area in the virtual world based on virtual element data stored in the game database;

modifying the game data associated with the parallel reality game to damage the virtual element included within the second area in the virtual world; and

transmitting, to a client device via a computer network, the modified game data to present to a player on the client device the damaged virtual element within the second area in the virtual world.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 2, wherein the virtual world is modified to make an additional virtual element more challenging to locate in the virtual world based on the natural disaster.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 2, wherein the natural disaster is an earthquake.