System and Method for Gaming Utilizing a Mobile Device

• US 20130035163A1
• Filed: 08/04/2011
• Published: 02/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sandboxed Software, LLC (d/b/a Sandbox Software, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Sandboxed Software, LLC (d/b/a Sandbox Software, LLC)
• Inventors: Lee, Marion O'Neill, Emrich, Jared Brandon
• Granted Patent: US 9,737,803 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/40
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/216 using geographical information, e.g. location of the game device or player using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/332 using wireless networks, e.g. cellular phone networks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/46 Computing the game score
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/65 automatically by game devices or servers from real world data, e.g. measurement in live racing competition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/77 involving data related to game devices or game servers, e.g. configuration data, software version or amount of memory
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/556 Player lists, e.g. online players, buddy list, black list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5573 player location

Abstract

A method and system (10) is provided for playing an interactive mobile device based game system though a communication network. The communication network includes at least one system central server (13) and database (14) accessible to the internet or other communication networks. The system further includes any number of mobile devices (15), (16) and (17). Each mobile device includes software or a software application for communicating with the system server. In playing the game, users or players accrue points or otherwise advance in the game as they compete or obverse events which occur in real life situations in their geographic location. The events are entered into the central server and verified by communicating requests from the central server to the mobile devices of other players of the game.

Claims

1. A method for playing a mobile device based game, comprising the steps of:

providing a first player'"'"'s mobile device having a mobile device game application;

providing a second player'"'"'s mobile device having a mobile device game application;

observing an event by a first player which has physically occurred at a remote location that enables the first player to advance in a mobile device game application;

entering the occurrence of the event into the first player'"'"'s mobile device utilizing the mobile device game application;

transmitting the occurrence of the event from the first player'"'"'s mobile device to a central server associated with the mobile device game application;

verifying the occurrence of the event by sending a message from the central server to the second player'"'"'s mobile device located at the remote location, and

transmitting a verification response from the second player'"'"'s mobile device to the central server.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the observed event is associated with an action taken by the second player.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising a third player'"'"'s mobile device having a mobile device game application, and wherein in response to the second player denying the verification of the event the server sends a message to the third player'"'"'s mobile device in the vicinity of the first and second players to verify the occurrence of the event.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first player mobile device and the second player mobile device are location detection enabled, wherein said central server can determine if the first and second players are within a general location to enable the first and second players to interact, and wherein the central server can notify the first and second players of each others locations.

5. A method of providing a mobile device based game, comprising the steps of:

transmitting a request to enter a score enabling event from a remote location through the use of a first person'"'"'s mobile device to a central server;

receiving the transmitted request from the first person'"'"'s mobile device with the central server, and in response transmitting a verification request from the central server to a second person'"'"'s mobile device;

receiving the transmitted verification request with the second person'"'"'s mobile device and in response transmitting a verification response from the second person'"'"'s mobile device to the central server, and

receiving the verification response from the second person'"'"'s mobile device with the central server, and reflecting a change in the first person'"'"'s score in response to an affirmative verification response from the second person'"'"'s mobile device.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein in response to a negative verification response the central server initiates a transmission to a third person for independent verification.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said third person'"'"'s mobile device receives the third person verification requests, and in response the third person'"'"'s mobile device transmits a verification message to the central server.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein the score enabling event is associated with an action taken by the second person.

9. The method of claim 5 wherein the first person'"'"'s mobile device and the second person'"'"'s mobile device are location detection enabled, wherein said central server can determine if the first and second persons are within a general location to enable the first and second persons to interact, and wherein the central server can notify the first and second persons of each others locations.

10. A mobile device based game system comprising,

a central server;

a first mobile device having a mobile device gaming application software;

a second mobile device having a mobile device gaming application software;

said first and second mobile devices each having means for entering an observed gaming event into said mobile device as a scoring request, and means for transmitting said entered gaming event scoring request to said central server for processing, and

said central server having processing means for processing said scoring request from said first mobile device, means for transmitting a verification request from said central server to said second mobile device;

means for receiving a response to said verification request from said second mobile device, and means for processing said verification request response from said second mobile device and in response thereto processing a score advancement associated with said observed gaming event scoring request.

11. The mobile device based game system of claim 10 further comprising a third mobile device having a mobile device gaming application software, and wherein said central server further comprises means for generating and transmitting a second verification request to a third mobile device.

12. The mobile device based game system of claim 10 wherein said first and second mobile devices include location detection means, and wherein said central server includes means for determining if the first and second mobile devices are located within the same general geographic area or range from one another.

13. The mobile device based game system of claim 12 wherein said central server includes means for generating and transmitting a message to said first and second mobile devices that they are within the same geographic area or range from each other.