Game-based incentives for location-based actions

• US 9,364,744 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2013
• Issued: 06/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Inventors: Mullin, Benjamin, Talapatra, Shantanu, Waldron, Justin, Wang, Jackson, Auterio, Kathleen, Ersever, Deniz, Kheskani, Hardik, Lam, Serena, Makarsky, Christopher Joseph, Mosites, Donald C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coburn, Corbett B
• Application Number:
  US13/936,661
• Publication Number:
  US 20130296042A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,072 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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. A method comprising:

dynamically determining a location-based action that a user can perform at a physical location to obtain an online asset;

causing presentation, on a user interface displayed on a mobile device of the user, of an offer of the online asset for performing the dynamically determined location-based action at the physical location;

receiving verification data indicating performance of the location-based action, the location-based action comprising a physical presence in proximity of the physical location, the verification data including location information generated based on detection of a location of the mobile device using a global positioning system; and

providing, using a processor of a machine, the online asset to the user in response to the receiving of the verification data, the providing the online asset comprises causing an update to a data store that maintains an account of the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the proximity is at the physical location.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving of the verification data comprises receiving the verification data from a third party application communicatively coupled to the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the third party application comprises a selection from the group consisting of a location tracking system, a social network, and location reservation site.

5. The method of claim 1, 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.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving permission to track the location of the mobile device from the user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the online asset comprises an in-game asset for a game associated with a user account of the user, and wherein the method further comprises:

accessing the user account of the user to retrieve game state data of the user; and

determining the in-game asset based on the retrieved game state data of the user in the game.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein he dynamically determining he location-based action comprises:

accessing one or more attributes associated with the physical location; and

using the one or more accessed attributes of the physical location to determine the location-based action.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the online asset comprises an in-game asset for a game associated with a user account of the user, and wherein the method further comprises:

accessing one or more attributes associated with the physical location; and

determining the in-game asset based on the one or more accessed attributes of the physical location.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the dynamically determining the location-based action comprises:

accessing a user account of the user to retrieve game state data of the user; and

using the retrieved game state data to determine the location-based action.

11. A tangible machine-readable storage medium having no transitory signals and storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

dynamically determining a location-based action that a user can perform at a physical location to obtain an online asset;

causing presentation, on a user interface displayed on a mobile device of the user, of an offer of the online asset for performing the dynamically determined location-based action at the physical location;

receiving verification data indicating performance of the location-based action, the location-based action comprising a physical presence in proximity of the physical location, the verification data including location information generated based on detection of a location of the mobile device using a global positioning system; and

providing, using a processor of a machine, the online asset to the user in response to the receiving of the verification data, the providing the online asset comprises causing an update to a data store that maintains an account of the user.

12. The tangible machine-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the proximity is at the physical location.

13. The tangible machine-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the receiving of the verification data comprises receiving the verification data from a third party application communicatively coupled to the mobile device.

14. The tangible machine-readable storage medium of claim 11, 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.

15. The tangible machine-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise receiving permission to track the location of the mobile device from the user.

16. The tangible machine-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the online asset comprises an in-game asset for a game associated with a user account of the user, and wherein the operations further comprise:

accessing the user account of the user to retrieve game state data of the user; and

determining the in-game asset based on the retrieved game state data of the user in the game.

17. The tangible machine-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the dynamically determining the location-based action comprises:

accessing one or more attributes associated with the physical location; and

using the one or more accessed attributes of the physical location to determine the location-based action.

18. A system comprising:

one or more processors of a machine configured to perform operations comprising;

dynamically determining a location-based action that a user can perform at a physical location to obtain an online asset;

causing presentation, on a user interface displayed on a mobile device of the user, an offer of the online asset for performing the dynamically determined location-based action at the physical location;

receiving verification data indicating performance of the location-based action, the location-based action comprising a physical presence in proximity of the physical location, the verification data including location information generated based on detection of a location of the mobile device using a global positioning system; and

providing, using the processor of the machine, the online asset to the user in response to the receiving of the verification data, the providing the online asset comprises causing an update to a data store that maintains an account of the user.