Location based reward distribution system

• US 9,744,462 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2009
• Issued: 08/29/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Dutilly, Derek, Jacob, Michael, McBride, Greg
• Primary Examiner(s): LIM, SENG HENG
• Application Number:
  US12/623,115
• Publication Number:
  US 20110124399A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,839 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/327 using wireless networks, e.g. Wi-Fi® or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/69 by enabling or updating specific game elements, e.g. unlocking hidden features, items, levels or versions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/75 Enforcing rules, e.g. detecting foul play or generating lists of cheating players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/205 for detecting the geographical location of the game platform
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/609 for unlocking hidden game elements, e.g. features, items, levels

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention broadly contemplate a location based rewards distribution system. Various embodiments of the invention provide rewards, for example video game unlock codes, based on a user physically visiting a specific physical location.

Claims

1. A system configured to provide location-based rewards for users of a virtual world, the system comprising:

one or more physical processors configured by machine-readable instructions to;

store user accounts for the users of the virtual world in a virtual world server, individual user accounts stored in the virtual world server specifying associations of individual physical tokens with the individual user accounts by including unique identifications of the individual physical tokens, associations of individual user devices with the individual user accounts, and individual rewards credited to the individual user accounts, the individual physical tokens being associated with the individual user accounts based on the unique identifications of the individual physical tokens being registered to the individual user accounts, the individual tokens being separate and distinct from the individual user devices, the virtual world being accessible by individual users via the individual user devices, such that a first user account associated with a first user includes;

a first unique identification of a first physical token to provide an association of the first physical token with the first user account; and

an association of a first user device with the first user account;

obtain indications of the individual physical tokens being physically present at one or more physical locations based on the unique identifications of the individual physical tokens being obtained at individual physical locations, such that a first indication is obtained of the first physical token being physically present at a first physical location;

responsive to obtaining the indications of the individual physical tokens associated with the individual user accounts being physically present at the one or more physical locations, transmit individual rewards to the individual user devices for storage on the individual user devices and credit the individual user accounts stored in the virtual world server with the individual rewards, the individual rewards being accessible to the individual users by accessing the individual user devices on which the individual rewards are stored, and by accessing the individual user accounts to which the individual rewards are credited, such that responsive to obtaining the first indication a first reward is transmitted to and stored on the first user device and the first user account is credited with the first reward; and

wherein the individual rewards facilitate unlocking of one or more additional virtual world features not provided in a default setting of the virtual world that is accessible via the individual user devices.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the indications of the individual physical tokens associated with the individual user accounts being physically present at the one or more physical locations are obtained from individual RFID readers located at individual ones of the one or more physical locations;

and

wherein the individual physical tokens comprising individual RFID devices.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising the individual RFID readers located at individual ones of the one or more physical locations.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first physical location embodies a physical manifestation of the virtual world.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein transmitting the individual rewards to the individual user devices comprises transmitting the individual rewards to the individual user devices via a network connection.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising:

one or more reward dispensers storing rewards, individual reward dispensers being located at individual ones of the one or more physical locations; and

wherein transmitting the individual rewards to the individual user devices comprises transmitting the individual rewards from the individual reward dispensers to the individual user devices via the network connection.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more physical processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions to:

responsive to obtaining the indications of the individual physical tokens being physically present at one or more physical locations, determine whether the individual tokens are associated with individual user accounts, such that responsive to obtaining the first indication, determine that the first physical token is associated with the first user account.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first reward is available for immediate retrieval via the first user device responsive to the transmission of the first reward to the first user device.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the user devices comprise game consoles.

9. A method to provide location-based rewards for users of a virtual world, the method being implemented in a computer system comprising one or more physical processors configured by machine-readable instructions, the method comprising:

storing user accounts for the users of the virtual world in a virtual world server, individual user accounts stored in the virtual world server specifying associations of individual physical tokens with the individual user accounts by including unique identifications of the individual physical tokens, associations of individual user devices with the individual user accounts, and individual rewards credited to the individual user accounts, the individual physical tokens being associated with the individual user accounts based on the unique identifications of the individual physical tokens being registered to the individual user accounts, the individual tokens being separate and distinct from the individual user devices, the virtual world being accessible by individual users via the individual user devices, including storing a first user account associated with a first user, the first user account including;

a first unique identification of a first physical token to provide an association of the first physical token with the first user account; and

an association of a first user device with the first user account;

obtaining indications of the individual physical tokens being physically present at one or more physical locations based on the unique identifications of the individual physical tokens being obtained at individual physical locations, including obtaining a first indication of the first physical token being physically present at a first physical location;

responsive to obtaining the indications of the individual physical tokens associated with the individual user accounts being physically present at the one or more physical locations, transmitting individual rewards to the individual user devices for storage on the individual user devices and crediting the individual user accounts stored in the virtual world server with the individual rewards, the individual rewards being accessible to the individual users by accessing the individual user devices on which the individual rewards are stored, and by accessing the individual user accounts to which the individual rewards are credited, including responsive to obtaining the first indication, transmitting a first reward to the first user device for storage on the first user device and crediting the first user account with the first reward; and

wherein the individual rewards facilitate unlocking of one or more additional virtual world features not provided in a default setting of the virtual world that is accessible via the individual user devices.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the indications of the individual physical tokens associated with the individual user accounts being physically present at the one or more physical locations are obtained from individual RFID readers located at individual ones of the one or more physical locations;

and

wherein the individual physical tokens comprising individual RFID devices.

11. The method of claim 9, further being implemented using the individual RFID readers located at individual ones of the one or more physical locations.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the first physical location embodies a physical manifestation of the virtual world.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein transmitting the individual rewards to the individual user devices comprises transmitting the individual rewards to the individual user devices via a network connection.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

one or more reward dispensers storing rewards, individual reward dispensers being located at individual ones of the one or more physical locations; and

wherein transmitting the individual rewards to the individual user devices comprises transmitting the individual rewards from the individual reward dispensers to the individual user devices via the network connection.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

responsive to obtaining the indications of the individual physical tokens being physically present at one or more physical locations, determining whether the individual tokens are associated with individual user accounts, such that responsive to obtaining the first indication, determining that the first physical token is associated with the first user account.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the first reward is available for immediate retrieval via the first user device responsive to the transmission of the first reward to the first user device.

18. The method of claim 9, wherein the user devices comprise game consoles.