Augmented reality gaming via geographic messaging

• US 9,675,882 B2
• Filed: 02/03/2016
• Issued: 06/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hall, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Badii, Behrang
• Assistant Examiner(s): TESTARDI, DAVID A
• Application Number:
  US15/014,797
• Publication Number:
  US 20160151710A1
• Time in Patent Office: 496 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• 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 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• 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 13/31 Communication aspects specific to video games, e.g. between several handheld game devices at close range
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/40 Processing input control signals of video game devices, e.g. signals generated by the player or derived from the environment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/812 Ball games, e.g. soccer or baseball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/95 Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1093 using visible light
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/406 Transmission via wireless network, e.g. pager or GSM
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/66 for rendering three dimensional images
• 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: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/59 for emergency or urgency
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1845 broadcast or multicast in a specific location, e.g. geocast protocols for adapting network applications to user terminal location H04L67/52; services specially adapted for wireless communication networks making use of the location of users or terminals H04W4/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 : using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 : Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 : Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 : Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 : Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 : Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

Geographic gaming via a scalable, wireless geographic broadcast protocol enables multiplayer gaming between communication devices without relying on traditional network elements. Games can be fully distributed over an ad hoc network of mobile communications devices. The scalable nature of the wireless geographic broadcast protocol enables multiplayer games to function equally well in both remote areas with no or little network service and in crowded areas containing both game players and other users of mobile communications devices. Wireless geographic broadcast messages distributed among multiplayer game participants can be used to control gameplay features and/or game elements of multiplayer games. Embodiments include simulated artillery battles, simulated throw and catch games, and simulated reconnaissance elements.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

invoking, based on a first movement of a first mobile communications device, a reconnaissance element of a geogame, the reconnaissance element used for creating a representation of a geographic region of a virtual or real-world playing field associated with the geogame;

based on a second movement of the first mobile communications device, providing, by the first mobile communications device to a second mobile communications device, an element information portion of a geogaming message associated with a virtual element of the geogame, the element information portion of a geogaming message of a geogaming message comprising an indication of a location of arrival of the virtual element; and

displaying, on the representation of the geographic region of the virtual or real-world playing field associated with the geogame, an indication of arrival of the virtual element at the indicated location of arrival in relation to the second mobile communications device on a display.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual element is indicative of a virtual ball or virtual artillery.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying an indication of a catch of the virtual element when the first mobile communications device is located approximately at the same location of the virtual element at a time of arrival.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a flight path of the virtual element.

5. A mobile communications device comprising:

a processor; and

memory coupled with the processor, the memory comprising executable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to effectuate operations comprising;

invoking, based on a first movement of a first mobile communications device, a reconnaissance element of a geogame, the reconnaissance element used for creating a representation of a geographic region of a virtual or real-world playing field associated with the geogame;

based on a second movement of the first mobile communications device, providing an element information portion of a geogaming message associated with a virtual element of the geogame, the element information portion of a geogaming message of a geogaming message comprising an indication of a location of arrival of the virtual element; and

displaying, on the representation of the geographic region of the virtual or real-world playing field associated with the geogame, an indication of arrival of the virtual element at the indicated location of arrival in relation to the second mobile communications device on a display.

6. The mobile communications device of claim 5, wherein the virtual element is indicative of a virtual ball.

7. The mobile communications device of claim 5, the operations further comprising displaying an indication of a catch of the virtual element when the mobile communications device is located approximately at the same location of the virtual element at a time of arrival.

8. The mobile communications device of claim 5, the operations further comprising displaying a flight path of the virtual element.

9. A computer-readable storage medium that is not a transient signal, comprising computer executable instructions that when executed by a computing device cause said computing device to effectuate operations comprising:

invoking, based on a first movement of a first mobile communications device, a reconnaissance element of a geogame, the reconnaissance element used for creating a representation of a geographic region of a virtual or real-world playing field associated with the geogame;

based on a second movement of the first mobile communications device, providing, by the first mobile communications device to a second mobile communications device, an element information portion of a geogaming message associated with a virtual element of the geogame, the element information portion comprising an indication of a location of arrival of the virtual element; and

displaying, on the representation of the geographic region of the virtual or real-world playing field associated with the geogame, an indication of arrival of the virtual element at the indicated location of arrival in relation to the second mobile communications device on a display.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the virtual element is indicative of a virtual ball.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, the operations further comprising displaying an indication of a catch of the virtual element when the first mobile communications device is located approximately at the same location of the virtual element at a time of arrival.