GAME-BASED INCENTIVES FOR LOCATION-BASED ACTIONS

• US 20130296042A1
• Filed: 07/08/2013
• Published: 11/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Inventors: Auterio, Kathleen, Ersever, Deniz, Kheskani, Hardik, Lam, Serena, Makarsky, Christopher Joseph, Mosites, Donald C., Mullin, Benjamin, Talapatra, Shantanu, Waldron, Justin, Wang, Jackson
• Granted Patent: US 9,364,744 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/29
• 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 13/216 using geographical information, e.g. location of the game device or player using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/822 Strategy games; Role-playing games A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5573 player location
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/575 for trading virtual items
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements

Abstract

In a method and system of providing in-game assets for location-based actions, an indication of a performance of a location-based action by a player of a computer-implemented game is received. A virtual item is provided based on the receiving of the indication of the performance of the location-based action by the player of the computer-implemented game, the virtual item being usable within the computer-implemented game.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. A method comprising:

providing, to a user having a mobile device, an offer of an online asset for performing a location-based action at a physical location;

receiving verification data, via the mobile device, indicating performance of the location-based action; and

providing, using a processor of a machine, the online asset to the user in response to the receiving of the verification data.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the location-based action is physical presence in proximity of the physical location.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the proximity is at the physical location.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising detecting a location of the mobile device based on a global positioning system within the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the receiving of the verification data comprises receiving the verification data from a third party application communicatively coupled to the mobile device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the third party application comprises a selection from the group consisting of a location tracking system, a social network, and location reservation site.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the receiving of the verification data comprises receiving the verification data from a device at the physical location that is communicatively coupled to the mobile device.

9. The method of claim 2, further comprising receiving permission to track a location of the mobile device from the user.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the online asset comprises an in-game asset for a game associated with a user account of the user and wherein the in-game asset is based on a game state of the user in the game.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein the location-based action is determined based on an attribute of the physical location.

12. A tangible machine-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

providing, to a user having a mobile device, an offer of an online asset for performing a location-based action at a physical location;

receiving verification data, via the mobile device, indicating performance of the location-based action; and

providing, using a processor of a machine, the online asset to the user in response to the receiving of the verification data.

13. The tangible machine-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the location-based action is physical presence in proximity of the physical location.

14. The tangible machine-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the proximity is at the physical location.

15. The tangible machine-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise detecting a location of the mobile device based on a global positioning system within the mobile device.

16. The tangible machine-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the receiving of the verification data comprises receiving the verification data from a third party application communicatively coupled to the mobile device.

17. The tangible machine-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the receiving of the verification data comprises receiving the verification data from a device at the physical location that is communicatively coupled to the mobile device.

18. The tangible machine-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise receiving permission to track a location of the mobile device from the user.

19. The tangible machine-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the online asset comprises an in-game asset for a game associated with a user account of the user and wherein the in-game asset is based on a game state of the user in the game.

20. The tangible machine-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the location-based action is determined based on an attribute of the physical location.

21. A system comprising:

a processor of a machine; and

a networking system configured to;

provide, to a user having a mobile device, an offer of an online asset for performing a location-based action at a physical location;

receive verification data, via the mobile device, indicating performance of the location-based action; and

provide, using the processor of the machine, the online asset to the user in response to the receiving of the verification data.