Linking real world activities with a parallel reality game

• US 9,669,296 B1
• Filed: 07/31/2013
• Issued: 06/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Niantic, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Niantic, Inc.
• Inventors: Aubin, Mark A., Stern, Lior, Kilday, William J., Solheim, Yennie, Golden, Keith P., Hibbert, Chris, Hanke, John V., Keslin, Phillip Craig, Dinkelacker, James, Spirakis, Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Liddle, Jay
• Assistant Examiner(s): RADA, ALEX P
• Application Number:
  US13/955,080
• Time in Patent Office: 1,406 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/216 using geographical information, e.g. location of the game device or player using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5378 for displaying an additional top view, e.g. radar screens or maps using two or more virtual cameras concurrently A63F13/5252
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/61 using advertising information
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/65 automatically by game devices or servers from real world data, e.g. measurement in live racing competition

Abstract

Systems and methods for linking real world activity, such as real world commercial activity or real world data collection activity, with a location-based parallel reality game are provided. In particular, a game server hosting a parallel reality game can modify, update, or add to game data stored in a game database associated with the parallel reality game to include certain game features in the parallel reality game linked with real world activity in the real world. The game features can be linked with activities in the real world such that player actions associated with the game features in the virtual world can lead to or encourage activity in the real world, such as commercial activity and/or data collection activity in the real world.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of providing a parallel reality game, comprising:

hosting, at a game server, a parallel reality game, the parallel reality game having a virtual world with a geography that parallels at least a portion of the geography of the real world such that a player can navigate the virtual world by moving to different geographic locations in the real world;

receiving, by the game server, a plurality of requests from a plurality of sponsors, each of the plurality of requests requesting that a virtual element associated with the request be included at a location in the virtual world corresponding to a location of a business in the real world, the business associated with a sponsor that provided the request to the game server from the plurality of sponsors;

selecting, by the game server, at least one request from the plurality of requests;

responsive to selecting the at least one request, modifying, by the game server, game data to include the virtual element associated with the at least one request in the parallel reality game at the location in the virtual world requested by the at least one request;

providing, by the game server, the modified gate data to a client device of a player; and

responsive to the client device being within a set distance of the location of the business in the real world of the at least one request, providing, by the game server, a reward to the player.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the reward is a virtual reward for use in the parallel reality game.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the virtual reward comprises a power up, virtual item, virtual energy, virtual currency or other suitable virtual reward.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the reward is provided to the player in response to the client device being within a set distance of the location of the business and the player making a purchase of an object or service at the business.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the reward is redeemable in the real world.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the reward is a coupon, discount, or voucher redeemable in the real world.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the virtual element associated with the at least one request comprises brand information of the sponsor that provided the at least one request to the game server.

8. A computer-based system for providing a parallel reality game, comprising:

one or more computer processors; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-readable instructions which when executed by the one or more computer processors causing the one or more computer processors to perform operations comprising;

hosting a parallel reality game, the parallel reality game comprising a virtual world having a geography that parallels at least a portion of the real world such that a player can navigate the virtual world by moving to different geographic locations in the real world;

receiving a plurality of requests from a plurality of sponsors, each of the plurality of requests requesting that a virtual element associated with the request be included at a location in the virtual world corresponding to a location of a business in the real world, the business associated with a sponsor that provided the request to the computer-based system from the plurality of sponsors;

selecting at least one request from the plurality of requests;

responsive to selecting the at least one request, modifying game data to include the virtual element associated with the at least one request in the parallel reality game at the location in the virtual world requested by the at least one request;

providing the modified gate data to a client device of a player; and

responsive to the client device being within a set distance of the location of the business in the real world of the at least one request, providing a reward to the player.

9. The computer-based system of claim method of claim 8, wherein the reward is provided to the player in response to the client device being within a set distance of the location of the business and the player making a purchase of an object or service at the business.

10. The computer-based system of claim 8, wherein the reward is redeemable in the real world.

11. The computer-based system of claim 8, wherein the virtual element associated with the at least one request comprises brand information of the sponsor that provided the at least one request to the game server.

12. A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-readable instructions for execution by one or more processors, causing the one or more processors to perform operations for providing a parallel reality game, the operations comprising:

hosting a parallel reality game, the parallel reality game having a virtual world with a geography that parallels at least a portion of the geography of the real world such that a player can navigate the virtual world by moving to different geographic locations in the real world;

receiving a plurality of requests from a plurality of sponsors, each of the plurality of requests requesting that a virtual element associated with the request be included at a location in the virtual world corresponding to a location of a business in the real world, the business associated with a sponsor that provided the request to the game server from the plurality of sponsors;

selecting at least one request from the plurality of requests;

responsive to selecting the at least one request, modifying game data to include the virtual element associated with the at least one request in the parallel reality game at the location in the virtual world requested by the at least one request;

providing the modified gate data to a client device of a player; and

responsive to the client device being within a set distance of the location of the business in the real world of the at least one request, providing a reward to the player.