System and method for presenting user progress on physical figures

• US 9,836,806 B1
• Filed: 06/07/2013
• Issued: 12/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellifect Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Intellifect Incorporated
• Inventors: Lundin, John A., Westfall, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Mazumder, Tapas
• Application Number:
  US13/912,983
• Time in Patent Office: 1,642 Days
• 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 2300/60 Methods for processing data by generating or executing the game program
• 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: G06T 1/00 General purpose image data processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/00 2D [Two Dimensional] image generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/00 Manipulating 3D models or images for computer graphics
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/004 Annotating, labelling

Abstract

A system, method, and a physical figure for presenting user progress in a virtual space are disclosed. The presented user progress may indicate user advancements in the virtual space and/or user development in the real-world. Based on information indicating such user progress, character representation may be determined to reflect the user progress for presentation on the physical figure. In some implementations, specific location(s) on the physical figure may be determined for presenting specific aspect(s) of user progress in the virtual space. The physical figure may receive the determined character representation information and present the character represent on one or more screens thereon.

Claims

1. A system configured to facilitate a presentation of user progress on a physical figure, wherein the system comprises:

one or more processors configured to execute computer program modules, the computer program modules comprising;

a space module configured to execute an instance of a virtual space and to provide a user associated with the physical figure with one or more objectives to be achieved to facilitate real-world user development through participation in the instance of the virtual space;

a user module configured to manage user progress information indicating progress of the user in the virtual space according to at least one real-world achievement that represents an advancement towards the one or more objectives provided in the virtual space and to provide the user with a reward to be graphically rendered on the physical figure based at least in part on the at least one real-world achievement such that the reward is configured to alter at least a physical appearance of the physical figure; and

a character representation module configured to determine one or more parts on the physical figure on which the reward is to be graphically rendered based on a table specifying an association between the one or more parts and an aspect of the physical appearance of the physical figure altered by the reward, wherein the physical figure associated with the user has multiple display screens, and wherein the character representation module is further configured to transmit the character representation information to be graphically rendered on one or more of the multiple display screens that are attached to the one or more determined parts on the physical figure to reflect the at least one real-world achievement representing the advancement towards the one or more objectives provided in the virtual space.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one real-world achievement represents the advancement towards the one or more objectives according to a real-world progress made by the user.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the real-world progress made by the user includes one or more of a real-world skill acquired by the user, a real-world personality growth by the user, a real-world physical activity performed by the user, a real-world emotional experience by the user, or a real-world social network connection made by the user.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the character representation information comprises one or more of a graphical image, a video, an animation, a narrative, or text to present on the one or more determined parts on the physical figure and thereby reflect the real-world progress made by the user on the physical figure associated with the user.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the character representation module is further configured to determine the one or more parts on the physical figure on which the reward is to be graphically rendered based on a type associated with the at least one real-world achievement.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein:

the type associated with the at least one real-world achievement comprises one or more of a real-world skill acquired by the user, a real-world personality growth by the user, a real-world physical activity performed by the user, a real-world emotional experience by the user, or a real-world social network connection made by the user, and

the one or more determined parts on the physical figure on which the reward is to be graphically rendered comprises one or more of a torso piece, a head piece connected to the torso piece, an arm piece connected to the torso piece, or a leg piece connected to the torso piece.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the character representation module is further configured to obtain presentation capability information about the one or more of the multiple display screens that are attached to the one or more determined parts on the physical figure and to determine a quality at which to graphically render the reward based on the obtained presentation capability information about the one or more of the multiple display screens that are attached to the one or more determined parts on the physical figure.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the determined quality comprises a resolution at which to graphically render the reward on the one or more of the multiple display screens that are attached to the one or more determined parts.

9. A physical figure configured to present character representations in a virtual space, wherein the physical figure comprises:

a torso piece with a head piece, arm pieces, and leg pieces connected thereto;

multiple display screens; and

a processing unit comprising one or more processing devices configured to;

receive character representation information indicating progress of a user in a virtual space, wherein the character representation information comprises a reward to be graphically rendered on the physical figure such that the reward is configured to alter at least a physical appearance of the physical figure, and wherein the reward is provided to the user based at least in part on at least one real-world achievement representing an advancement towards one or more objectives provided in the virtual space;

determine one or more parts on the physical figure on which the reward is to be graphically rendered based on a table specifying an association between the one or more parts and an aspect of the physical appearance of the physical figure altered by the reward; and

graphically render the reward on one or more of the multiple display screens that are attached to the one or more determined parts on the physical figure to reflect the at least one real-world achievement representing the advancement towards the one or more objectives provided in the virtual space.

10. The physical figure of claim 9, wherein the multiple display screens comprise:

at least one display screen attached to the head piece;

at least one display screen attached to the torso piece;

at least one display screen attached to at least one of the arm pieces; and

at least one display screen attached to at least one of the leg pieces, wherein each of the multiple display screens are configured to present a respective one of a score earned by the user in the virtual space, an accessory representing the reward for an achievement in one or more real-world social relationships by the user, an accessory representing the reward for an achievement in real-world learning by the user, or an accessory representing the reward for an achievement in one or more real-world physical activities by the user.

11. The physical figure of claim 9, further comprising one or more speakers configured to output audio content to reflect the at least one real-world achievement representing the advancement towards the one or more objectives provided in the virtual space.

12. A method for facilitating a presentation of user progress on a physical figure having a torso piece with a head, arms, and legs connected thereto, the method being implemented in one or more physical processors configured to execute computer program modules, the method comprising:

executing an instance of a virtual space;

providing a user associated with the physical figure with one or more objectives to be achieved to facilitate real-world user development through participation in the instance of the virtual space;

managing user progress information indicating progress of the user in the virtual space according to at least one real-world achievement that represents an advancement towards the one or more objectives provided in the virtual space;

providing the user with a reward to be graphically rendered on the physical figure based at least in part on the at least one real-world achievement such that the reward is configured to alter at least a physical appearance of the physical figure;

determining one or more parts on the physical figure on which the reward is to be graphically rendered based on a table specifying an association between the one or more parts and an aspect of the physical appearance of the physical figure altered by the reward, wherein the physical figure associated with the user has multiple display screens; and

transmitting the character representation information based on the at least one real-world achievement to be graphically rendered on one or more of the multiple display screens that are attached to the one or more determined parts on the physical figure associated with the user to reflect the at least one real-world achievement representing the advancement towards the one or more objectives provided in the virtual space.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one real-world achievement represents the advancement towards the one or more objectives according to a real-world progress made by the user.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the real-world progress made by the user includes one or more of a real-world skill acquired by the user, a real-world personality growth by the user, a real-world physical activity performed by the user, a real-world emotional experience by the user, or a real-world social network connection made by the user.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the character representation information comprises one or more of a graphical image, a video, an animation, a narrative, or text to present on the one or more determined parts on the physical figure and thereby reflect the real-world progress made by the user on the physical figure associated with the user.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the one or more parts on the physical figure on which the reward is to be graphically rendered are determined based on a type associated with the at least one real-world achievement.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein:

the type associated with the at least one real-world achievement comprises one or more of a real-world skill acquired by the user, a real-world personality growth by the user, a real-world physical activity performed by the user, a real-world emotional experience by the user, or a real-world social network connection made by the user, and

the one or more determined parts on the physical figure on which the reward is to be graphically rendered comprise one or more of a torso piece, a head piece connected to the torso piece, an arm piece connected to the torso piece, or a leg piece connected to the torso piece.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

obtaining presentation capability information about the one or more of the multiple display screens that are attached to the one or more determined parts on the physical figure; and

determining a quality at which to graphically render the reward based on the obtained presentation capability information about the one or more of the multiple display screens that are attached to the one or more determined parts on the physical figure.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the determined quality comprises a resolution at which to graphically render the reward on the one or more of the multiple display screens that are attached to the one or more determined parts.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the presentation capability information about the one or more determined parts on the physical figure is obtained from one or more of the physical figure or a client computer coupled to the physical computer via a docking connection.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the character representation information is transmitted to one or more of the physical figure or a client computer associated with the user.