Method, system and apparatus for location-based gaming

• US 7,946,919 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2007
• Issued: 05/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Geocom LLC
• Inventors: Piccionelli, Gregory A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bumgarner; Melba
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shah; Milap
• Application Number:
  US11/804,054
• Publication Number:
  US 20070225077A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,470 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463/2, 463/5, 463 29- 34, 463 40- 42, 342/357.2, 342/358
• US Class Current: 463/31
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/216 using geographical information, e.g. location of the game device or player using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• 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 2300/205 for detecting the geographical location of the game platform

Abstract

A method of location-based gaming includes the steps of engaging a program to play a game, determining the location of a target object, providing the location of the target object to a central location, obtaining a data file pertaining to an object at the location of the target object, and generating gaming object data relative to the location of the target object.

Claims

1. A method of displaying game information on an electronic display device of a user'"'"'s computer, the method comprising:

determining the user computer'"'"'s geographic location with a Global Positioning System (GPS) locator device;

determining a distance between the user computer'"'"'s geographic location and a target with a ranging device, wherein the ranging device is external to the GPS locator device and in communication with the user'"'"'s computer;

determining a geographic location of the target based in part on the user computer'"'"'s geographic location and in part on the distance between the user computer'"'"'s geographic location and the target;

receiving, on the user'"'"'s computer, data for a computer generated display for depicting a game object at the target location;

receiving rapidly updated data for the displayed depiction of the game object corresponding to different views of the game object at the target location as the user'"'"'s computer physically moves around the determined target location; and

displaying rapidly updated data depicting the game object on the electronic display device of the user'"'"'s computer, wherein the game object is depicted in a virtual space at a location corresponding to the determined geographic location of the target in a physical space.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the geographic location of the target further comprises determining an orientation direction from the user computer'"'"'s geographic location to the target.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the target comprises a physical object in the physical space.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the target is a selected location in the physical space.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the target is selected by the user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the user'"'"'s computer with data for a computer generated display comprises searching for data files pertaining to the game object at the location of the target.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving by a second user'"'"'s computer data for the computer generated display for depicting the game object at the target location;

wherein the target location is in the physical space between the user computer'"'"'s geographic location and a geographic location of the second user'"'"'s computer.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the geographic location of the target to a central computer over a communication network, and wherein receiving rapidly updated data comprises receiving rapidly updated data from the central computer over the communication network.

9. A method for providing electronic display data for displaying game information on an electronic display device of a user'"'"'s computer, the method comprising:

determining a geographic location of a target based in part on a geographic location of the user'"'"'s computer determined by a Global Positioning System (GPS) locator device and in part on a distance from the user computer'"'"'s geographic location to the target determined by a ranging device, wherein the ranging device is external to the GPS locator device and in communication with the user'"'"'s computer;

searching with a central computer for data pertaining to a game object at the location of the target;

providing the user'"'"'s computer said data from the central computer, over a communication network, the data for depicting the game object at the target location on the electronic display of the user'"'"'s computer; and

providing from the central computer, over the communication network, rapidly updated data for the displayed depiction of the game object corresponding to different views of the game object at the target location as the user'"'"'s computer physically moves around the determined target location, wherein the game object is depicted in a virtual space at a location corresponding to the determined geographic location of the target in a physical space.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein determining the geographic location of the target comprises determining a distance between the user computer'"'"'s geographic location and the target.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein determining the geographic location of the target further comprises determining an orientation direction from the user computer'"'"'s geographic location to the target.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

providing a second user'"'"'s computer data for the computer generated display for depicting the game object at the target location on a computer display of the second user'"'"'s computer;

wherein the target location is in the physical space between the user computer'"'"'s geographic location and a geographic location of the second user'"'"'s computer.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein determining a geographic location of a target comprises receiving the geographic location of the target at the central computer over the communication network, and wherein providing rapidly updated data comprises providing rapidly updated data from the central computer over the communication network.

14. A system for displaying game information on an electronic display device of a user'"'"'s computer, the system comprising a central computer connected for communication with the user'"'"'s computer over a wireless computer network, the central computer configured to:

determine a geographic location of a target based in part on the user'"'"'s computer geographic location determined by a Global Positioning System (GPS) locator device and in part on a distance from the user computer'"'"'s geographic location to the target determined by a ranging device, wherein the ranging device is external to the GPS locator device and in communication with the user'"'"'s computer;

search for data pertaining to a game object at the location of the target;

provide the user'"'"'s computer with the data for a computer generated display depicting the game object at the target location on the electronic display of the user'"'"'s computer; and

rapidly update the data at the user'"'"'s computer for the displayed depiction of the game object corresponding to different views of the game object at the target location as the user'"'"'s computer physically moves around the determined target location, wherein the game object is depicted in a virtual space at a location corresponding to the determined geographic location of the target in a physical space.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein to determine the geographic location of the target, the central computer is configured to obtain data corresponding to a distance between the geographic location of the user'"'"'s computer and the target.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein to determine the geographic location of the target, the central computer is further configured to obtain data corresponding to an orientation direction from the geographic location of the user'"'"'s computer to the target.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein to determine a geographic location of a target, the central computer is configured to receive the geographic location of the target over the wireless computer network, and wherein to provide rapidly updated data, the central computer is configured to transmit rapidly updated data over the wireless computer network.