Systems and methods for verifying player proximity within a location-based game

• US 9,604,131 B1
• Filed: 07/31/2013
• Issued: 03/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Niantic, Inc.
• Inventors: Kiyohara, Keith Shoji, Hibbert, Chris, Spirakis, Charles, Dinkelacker, James, Hanke, John V., Keslin, Phillip Craig
• Primary Examiner(s): Skaarup, Jason
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hsu, Ryan
• Application Number:
  US13/955,110
• Time in Patent Office: 1,336 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 13/213 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells A63F13/219, A63F13/655 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/216 using geographical information, e.g. location of the game device or player using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/75 Enforcing rules, e.g. detecting foul play or generating lists of cheating players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5573 player location

Abstract

Systems and methods for verifying player proximity within a location-based game are disclosed. In one aspect, a method for verifying player proximity may include receiving a request associated with verifying the proximity of a first player of the location-based game relative to a second player of the location-based game and transmitting a visual indicator to a first client of the first player, wherein the visual indicator is associated with a data record configured to expire within a predetermined time period. In addition, the method may include receiving a copy of the visual indicator from a second client of the second player and determining whether the copy of the visual indicator was received prior to the expiration of the data record.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, by a computer system, a request associated with verifying the proximity of a first player of the location-based game relative to a second player of the location-based game;

storing, by the computer system based on the request, a data record associated with an expiration period;

transmitting, by the computer system, a visual indicator to a first client of the first player, an identifier associated with the data record encoded in the visual indicator;

receiving, by the computer system from a second client of the second player, a first image of the visual indicator captured by a camera of the second client in response to being displayed on a screen of the first client;

identifying, by the computer system, the identifier encoded in the first image of the visual indicator;

determining, by the computer system, whether the first image of the visual indicator has been received from the second client within the expiration period associated with the data record;

verifying, by the computer system, the proximity of the first player to the second player in response to determining that the first image of the visual indicator has been received from the second client within the expiration period;

responsive to verifying the proximity of the first player to the second player within the expiration period, extending, by the computer system, the expiration period associated with the data record by an additional period of time;

receiving, by the computer system from a third client of a third player, a second image of the visual indicator captured by a camera of the third client in response to the visual indicator being displayed by the first client or the second client; and

verifying, by the computer system, the proximity of the third player to the first and second players in response to determining that the second image has been received within the extended expiration period.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the request was transmitted by the first client and the data record includes a timestamp corresponding to a time at which the request was transmitted by the first client.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the visual indicator corresponds to a unique QR code.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is initiated by the first client in response to the first player selecting a button displayed on a user interface of the first client.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the visual indicator is randomly generated.

4. A system for verifying player proximity within a location-based game, the system comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more non-transitory computer readable storage mediums storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, configure the one or more processors to;

receive a request associated with verifying the proximity of a first player of the location-based game relative to a second player of the location-based game;

store, based on the request, a data record associated with an expiration period;

transmit, to a first client of the first player, a visual indicator, an identifier associated with the data record encoded in the visual indicator;

receive, from a second client of the second player, a first image of the visual indicator captured by a camera of the second client in response to being displayed on a screen of the first client;

identify the identifier encoded in the first image of the visual indicator;

determine whether the first image of the visual indicator has been received from the second client within the expiration period associated with the data record;

verify the proximity of the first player to the second player in response to determining that the first image of the visual indicator has been received from the second client within the expiration period;

responsive to verify the proximity of the first player to the second player within the expiration period, extend the expiration period associated with the data record by an additional period of time;

receive, from a third client of a third player, a second image of the visual indicator captured by a camera of the third client in response to the visual indicator being displayed by the first client or the second client and

verify, by the computer system, the proximity of the third player to the first and second players in response to determining that the second image has been received within the extended expiration period.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the request was transmitted by the first client and the data record includes a timestamp corresponding to a time at which the request was transmitted by the first client.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the visual indicator corresponds to a unique QR code.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein the first image of the visual indicator corresponds to a photographed copy of the visual indicator.

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

receiving a request associated with verifying the proximity of a first player of the location-based game relative to a second player of the location-based game;

storing, based on the request, a data record associated with an expiration period;

transmitting a visual indicator to a first client of the first player, an identifier associated with the data record encoded in the visual indicator;

receiving, from a second client of the second player, a first image of the visual indicator captured by a camera of the second client in response to being displayed on a screen of the first client;

identifying, by the computer system, the identifier encoded in the first image of the visual indicator;

determining whether the first image of the visual indicator has been received from the second client within the expiration period associated with the data record;

verifying the proximity of the first player to the second player in response to determining that the first image of the visual indicator has been received from the second client within the expiration period;

responsive to verifying the proximity of the first player to the second player within the expiration period, extending the expiration period associated with the data record by an additional period of time;

receiving, from a third client of a third player, a second image of the visual indicator captured by a camera of the third client in response to the visual indicator being displayed by the first client or the second client and

verifying, by the computer system, the proximity of the third player to the first and second players in response to determining that the second image has been received within the extended expiration period.