System, apparatus, and method of monitoring interactions

• US 9,901,825 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2016
• Issued: 02/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ravenoak Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: Legacy Game Systems LLC
• Inventors: Fisher, Sidney F., Graham, Matthew J., Ivey, Ford M., Jain, Vipresh, McGlauflin, Brian T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis, David L
• Assistant Examiner(s): HALL, SHAUNA-KAY N
• Application Number:
  US15/181,684
• Publication Number:
  US 20160346694A1
• Time in Patent Office: 623 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/212 using sensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat or leg activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/216 using geographical information, e.g. location of the game device or player using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/245 specially adapted to a particular type of game, e.g. steering wheels
• 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 13/327 using wireless networks, e.g. Wi-Fi® or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/34 using peer-to-peer connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/352 involving special game server arrangements, e.g. regional servers connected to a national server or a plurality of servers managing partitions of the game world
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/49 Saving the game status; Pausing or ending the game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/58 by computing conditions of game characters, e.g. stamina, strength, motivation or energy level
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/822 Strategy games; Role-playing games A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/86 Watching games played by other players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/575 for trading virtual items

Abstract

An apparatus and method for monitoring live-action gameplay interactions may be provided. A weapon device, body sensors, and a hub may be used to detect interactions, such as weapon strikes or casting of a spell. Interactions may be communicated to a game application on a mobile device for updating gameplay data.

Claims

1. An apparatus for monitoring interactions, comprising:

a weapon device associated with each participant;

at least one body sensor located on each participant'"'"'s body; and

a hub associated with each participant;

wherein a weapon device of an attacker is configured to communicate the weapon device'"'"'s presence by emitting inductive pulses when an accelerometer in the weapon detects motion, the inductive pulses may be detected by at least one body sensor of a defendant within communication range, the weapon device is further configured to transmit an identification and a time-stamp when the accelerometer in the weapon device detects a hit,

wherein the at least one body sensor of the defendant having received the communication of the weapon device'"'"'s presence is configured to transmit an identification and a time-stamp to the hub of the defendant,

wherein a valid interaction is determined by matching the time-stamps transmitted by the weapon device of the attacker and the at least one body sensor of the defendant, and

wherein the hub of each participant is configured to communicate monitored interaction data to a game application on a mobile device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, the weapon device further comprising a battery, a microcontroller, an RF transmitter, an accelerometer, and a coil;

the at least one body sensor further comprising a microcontroller, an RF transmitter, and a coil; and

the hub further comprising a microcontroller, an RF receiver, and a Bluetooth or WiFi transceiver.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the weapon device communicates the weapon device'"'"'s presence by emitting inductive pulses when the accelerometer of the weapon device detects motion.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one body sensor positioned on a participant'"'"'s back, at least one body sensor positioned on a participant'"'"'s chest, at least one body sensor positioned on a participant'"'"'s right side, and at least one body sensor positioned on a participant'"'"'s left side.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the hub is communicatively coupled to a mobile device by Bluetooth connection.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a game server configured to communicate with the game application.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the weapon device further comprises an IR emitter configured to produce IR-emissions for detection by an IR detector in the at least one body sensor of the defendant.

8. A method of monitoring a weapon strike comprising:

linking participant hardware components;

causing an attacker'"'"'s weapon device to communicate its presence by emitting inductive pulses when motion is detected by an accelerometer;

causing a defendant'"'"'s body sensor to communicate its identification and time to a defendant'"'"'s hub when the defendant'"'"'s body sensor detects the inductive pulses of the attacker'"'"'s weapon;

causing the attacker'"'"'s weapon device to communicate an identification and time when the accelerometer of the attacker'"'"'s weapon device detects a hit;

matching identification and time data from the attacker'"'"'s weapon device and the defendant'"'"'s body sensor to determine a valid strike; and

reporting the valid strike to a game application on a mobile device.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising allowing the game application to update gameplay data based on the strike.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising communicating the gameplay data to a game server.