Updating virtual worlds based on interactions between real-world items

• US 9,649,566 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2013
• Issued: 05/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Inventors: Mahajan, Amitt, Ocko, Matthew Adam
• Primary Examiner(s): Suhol, Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): LARSEN, CARL VICTOR
• Application Number:
  US14/070,090
• Publication Number:
  US 20140057725A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,292 Days
• Field of Search: 463 36
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/216 using geographical information, e.g. location of the game device or player using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5378 for displaying an additional top view, e.g. radar screens or maps using two or more virtual cameras concurrently A63F13/5252
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/61 using advertising information
• 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 13/69 by enabling or updating specific game elements, e.g. unlocking hidden features, items, levels or versions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/798 for assessing skills or for ranking players, e.g. for generating a hall of fame computing the game score A63F13/46
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/822 Strategy games; Role-playing games A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/87 Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5566 by matching opponents or finding partners to build a team, e.g. by skill level, geographical area, background, play style
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5573 player location
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/575 for trading virtual items
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/69 Involving elements of the real world in the game world, e.g. measurement in live races, real video

Abstract

A method of updating virtual worlds based on interactions between real-world items is disclosed. An interaction between a first real-world item and a second real-world item is detected. The first real-world item is a real-world item that is associated with a first player of a computer-implemented game and the second real-world item is a real-world item that is associated with a second player of the computer-implemented game. A virtual world of the computer-implemented game is updated based on the detection of the interaction.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a notification at a game networking system of a detecting of an interaction between a first real-world item and a second real-world item;

determining that a first association has been established by the game networking system, the first association associating the first real-world item with a first virtual item;

determining that a second association has been established by the game networking system, the second association associating the second real-world item with a second virtual item;

based on the determining that the first association has been established and that the second association has been established, determining that the first virtual item and the second virtual item are combinable in a computer-implemented game executing on the game networking system, the first virtual item being an ingredient of a consumable virtual item in the computer-implemented game and the second virtual item being an additional ingredient of the consumable virtual item in the computer-implemented game, wherein the determining that the first virtual item and the second virtual item are combinable is based on an accessing of game state parameters stored in a data store of the game networking system, the game state parameters representing properties of the first virtual item and the second virtual item; and

based on the determining that the first virtual item and the second virtual item are combinable, providing an asset in the computer-implemented game that reflects a combining of the first virtual item and the second virtual item, the providing including changing additional game state parameters in the data store, the additional game state parameters representing properties of the asset, one or more modules being incorporated into the game networking system to perform the receiving, determining, and the providing, the one or more modules being implemented by one or more processors of the game networking system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting of the interaction is based on a determination that the first real-world item came within a predefined distance of the second real-world item.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting is based on a bumping of the first real-world item and the second real-world item.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting is based on a scanning of the first real-world item by the second real-world item.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first virtual item is a virtual weapon and the second virtual item is ammunition for the weapon.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the asset is an additional virtual item, the additional virtual item being one of a set of virtual items that are collectible with respect to the computer-implemented game.

7. A system comprising:

one or more modules implemented by the one or more processors of a game networking system, the one or more modules configured to, at least;

receive a notification of a detecting of an interaction between a first real-world item and a second real-world item;

determine that a first association has been established by the game networking system, the first association associating the first real-world item with a first virtual item;

determine that a second association has been established by the game networking system, the second association associating the second real-world item with a second virtual item;

based on the determining that the first association has been established and that the second association has been established, determine the first virtual item and the second virtual item are combinable in a computer-implemented game executing on the game networking system, the first virtual item is an ingredient of a consumable virtual item in the computer-implemented game and the second virtual item is an additional ingredient of the consumable virtual item in the computer-implemented game, wherein the determining is based on an accessing of game state parameters stored in a data store of the game networking system, the game state parameters representing properties of the first virtual item and the second virtual item; and

based on the determining that the first virtual item and the second virtual item are combinable, provide an asset in the computer-implemented game that reflects a combining of the first virtual item and the second virtual item, the providing including changing additional game state parameters in the data store, the additional game state parameters representing properties of the asset.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the detecting of the interaction is based on a determination that the first real-world item came within a predefined distance of the second real-world item.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the detecting is based on a bumping of the first real-world item and the second real-world item.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the detecting is based on a scanning of the first real-world item by the second real-world item.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the first virtual item is a virtual weapon and the second virtual item is ammunition for the weapon.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the asset is an additional virtual item, the additional virtual item being one of a set of virtual items that are collectible with respect to the computer-implemented game.

13. A non-transitory machine readable medium embodying a set of instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

receiving a notification at a game networking system of a detecting of an interaction between a first real-world item and a second real-world item;

determining that a first association has been established by the game networking system, the first association associating the first real-world item with a first virtual item;

determining that a second association has been established by the game networking system, the second association associating the second real-world item with a second virtual item;

based on the determining that the first association has been established and that the second association has been established, determining that the first virtual item and the second virtual item are combinable in a computer-implemented game executing on the game networking system, the first virtual item being an ingredient of a consumable virtual item in the computer-implemented game and the second virtual item being an additional ingredient of the consumable virtual item in the computer-implemented game, wherein the determining that the first virtual item and the second virtual item are combinable is based on an accessing of game state parameters stored in a data store of the game networking system, the game state parameters representing properties of the first virtual item and the second virtual item; and

based on the determining that the first virtual item and the second virtual item are combinable, providing an asset in the computer-implemented game that reflects a combining of the first virtual item and the second virtual item, the providing including changing additional game state parameters in the data store, the additional game state parameters representing properties of the asset.

14. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 13, wherein the detecting of the interaction is based on a determination that the first real-world item came within a predefined distance of the second real-world item.

15. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 13, wherein the detecting is based on a bumping of the first real-world item and the second real-world item.

16. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 13, wherein the detecting is based on a scanning of the first real-world item by the second real-world item.

17. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 13, wherein the first virtual item is a virtual weapon and the second virtual item is ammunition for the weapon.