Augmented reality gaming via geographic messaging

• US 9,266,025 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2014
• Issued: 02/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hall, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Badii, Behrang
• Assistant Examiner(s): TESTARDI, DAVID A
• Application Number:
  US14/279,498
• Publication Number:
  US 20140249749A1
• Time in Patent Office: 648 Days
• Field of Search: 701/465, 463/42
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• 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 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• 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 13/31 Communication aspects specific to video games, e.g. between several handheld game devices at close range
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/40 Processing input control signals of video game devices, e.g. signals generated by the player or derived from the environment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/812 Ball games, e.g. soccer or baseball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/95 Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1093 using visible light
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/406 Transmission via wireless network, e.g. pager or GSM
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/66 for rendering three dimensional images
• 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: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/59 for emergency or urgency
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1845 broadcast or multicast in a specific location, e.g. geocast protocols for adapting network applications to user terminal location H04L67/52; services specially adapted for wireless communication networks making use of the location of users or terminals H04W4/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 : using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 : Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 : Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 : Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 : Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 : Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

Geographic gaming via a scalable, wireless geographic broadcast protocol enables multiplayer gaming between communication devices without relying on traditional network elements. Games can be fully distributed over an ad hoc network of mobile communications devices. The scalable nature of the wireless geographic broadcast protocol enables multiplayer games to function equally well in both remote areas with no or little network service and in crowded areas containing both game players and other users of mobile communications devices. Wireless geographic broadcast messages distributed among multiplayer game participants can be used to control gameplay features and/or game elements of multiplayer games. Embodiments include simulated artillery battles, simulated throw and catch games, and simulated reconnaissance elements.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a processor-based device, a first signal associated with an element of a game, the first signal comprising;

a geographic destination address portion;

an information portion associated with the element, the information portion associated with the element comprising virtual physical characteristics of the element; and

a target location corresponding to the element;

determining, by the device, an arrival time of the element at the target location based upon the information portion associated with the element; and

providing, by the device, an arrival indicator based upon the target location and the arrival time, wherein the arrival indicator indicates the arrival of the element at the target location by rendering the arrival of the element at the target location on a display of the device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a location of the device;

comparing the device location with the target location;

upon a determination that the device location corresponds with the target location;

affecting a state change indicative of a scoring event within the device; and

transmitting a second signal comprising;

the geographic destination address portion; and

an indication of the scoring event.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

visually rendering the location of the device as an overlay on a map of the geographic region.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the geographic destination address portion comprises an indication of a geographic region encompassing a playing field.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the arrival indicator comprises rendering the target location on the processor-based device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the first signal is to be retransmitted; and

upon a determination that the first signal is to be retransmitted, retransmitting the first signal in accordance with a location at which the first signal was received.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first signal is formatted in accordance with a scalable geographic broadcast protocol.

8. A device comprising:

a processor; and

memory coupled to the processor, the memory comprising executable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to effectuate operations comprising;

receiving, by a processor-based device, a first signal associated with an element of a game, the first signal comprising;

a geographic destination address portion;

an information portion associated with an element, the information portion associated with the element comprising virtual physical characteristics of the element; and

a target location corresponding to the element;

determining an arrival time of the element at the target location based upon the information portion associated with the element; and

providing an arrival indicator based upon the target location and the arrival time, wherein the arrival indicator indicates the arrival of the element at the target location by rendering the arrival of the element at the target location on a display of the device.

9. The device of claim 8, the operations further comprising:

determining a location of the device;

comparing the device location with the target location;

upon a determination that the device location corresponds with the target location;

affecting a state change indicative of a scoring event within the device; and

transmitting a second signal comprising;

the geographic destination address portion; and

an indication of the scoring event.

10. The device of claim 9, the operations further comprising:

visually rendering the location of the device as an overlay on a map of the geographic destination address.

11. The device of claim 8, wherein the geographic destination address portion comprises an indication of a geographic region encompassing a playing field.

12. The device of claim 8, wherein providing the arrival indicator comprises rendering the target location on the processor-based device.

13. The device of claim 8, further comprising:

determining whether the first signal is to be retransmitted; and

upon a determination that the first signal is to be retransmitted, retransmitting the first signal in accordance with a location at which the first signal was received.

14. The device of claim 8, wherein the first signal is formatted in accordance with a scalable geographic broadcast protocol.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

memory coupled to the processor, the memory comprising executable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to effectuate operations comprising;

receiving an indication of a target location for an element of a game, the target location corresponding to a geographic location;

receiving an indication to trigger the element toward the target location; and

responsive to receiving the indication to trigger, transmitting a signal comprising;

a geographic destination address portion;

an information portion associated with an element, the information portion associated with the element comprising virtual physical characteristics of the element; and

the target location;

determining an arrival time of the element at the target location based upon the element information portion, and

visually rendering, at the arrival time, the arrival of the element at the target location on a display of the apparatus.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, the operations further comprising:

transmitting a query signal to the target location, the query signal comprising;

a geographic query address portion corresponding to the target location; and

a query content portion; and

when a query response signal is received;

identifying a sending device that created the query response signal;

recording a scoring event associated with the sending device; and

transmitting a scoring signal corresponding to the scoring event.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the geographic destination address portion comprises an indication of a geographic region encompassing a playing field.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the signal is formatted in accordance with a scalable geographic broadcast protocol.