Providing a shared virtual experience in a location-based game

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11229846-B2
Application number	US-202016918332-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 1, 2020
Priority date	Jun 19, 2017
Publication date	Jan 25, 2022
Grant date	Jan 25, 2022

Abstract

A shared virtual experience is provided to players of a location-based game. The virtual location of a player in the game is based on the real world location of the player's client device. If a player's location in the game is within an interaction distance of a virtual element, in indication that a shared virtual experience is available may be provided. Player input is received requesting participation in the shared virtual experience and the player is added to a lobby including a specified start time. At the specified time, the shared virtual experience begins and includes interaction with other players who were in the lobby. An update to game data is sent based on an outcome of the shared virtual experience.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method for providing a shared virtual experience in a location-based game, the shared virtual experience associated with a real-world location, the method comprising:
receiving, from a client device of a user, user input requesting participation in the shared virtual experience;
determining whether a location of the client device is within an interaction range of the real-world location associated with the shared virtual experience;
assigning the user to a lobby for the shared virtual experience based on determining that the location of the client device is within the interaction range;
providing the shared virtual experience to the client device, the shared virtual experience including:
a collaborative portion with a mutual objective achieved through interactions between users in the lobby including the user; and
an individual portion subsequent to the collaborative portion with an individual objective achieved through actions by the user, wherein gameplay content of the individual portion is determined by an outcome of the collaborative portion; and

updating a game database of the location-based game based on an outcome of the shared virtual experience including the outcome of the collaborative portion and an outcome of the individual portion.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
responsive to the user input, determining that the user is eligible to participate in the shared virtual experience,
wherein assigning the user to the lobby for the shared virtual experience is further based on determining that the user is eligible to participate in the shared virtual experience.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
responsive to the user input, determining that the user is ineligible to participate in the shared virtual experience because the user does not possess a required virtual item;
providing the user, via the client device, an opportunity to become eligible to participate in the shared virtual experience, the opportunity including exchanging at least one of a virtual item and real-world currency to acquire the required virtual item;
receiving from the user at least one of the virtual item and the real-world currency in exchange for the required virtual item; and
responsive to the user acquiring the required virtual item, determining that the user is eligible to participate in the shared virtual experience,
wherein assigning the user to the lobby for the shared virtual experience is further based on determining that the user is eligible to participate in the shared virtual experience.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a number of the users in the lobby,
wherein assigning the user to the lobby is further based on determining that the number of users is less than a maximum number of users for a given lobby.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user input further requests joining the lobby, the method further comprising:
responsive to the user input, prompting the user to input a code assigned to the lobby; and
receiving the code from the client device of the user,
wherein assigning the user to the lobby is further based on receiving the code from the client device of the user.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein assigning the user to the lobby comprises:
determining that an existing lobby is not available to the user;
creating the lobby; and
assigning the user to the lobby.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mutual objective of the collaborative portion is battling a boss and the individual objective of the individual portion is capturing the boss.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the users in the lobby are divided into a plurality of teams, and wherein the teams compete to achieve the mutual objective of the collaborative portion.

9. A computer system comprising:
one or more processors; and
a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising executable computer program code for providing a shared virtual experience in a location-based game, the shared virtual experience associated with a real-world location, the computer program code when executed causing the one or more processors to perform operations including:
receiving, from a client device of a user, user input requesting participation in the shared virtual experience associated with the real-world location;
determining whether a location of the client device is within an interaction range of the real-world location associated with the shared virtual experience;
assigning the user to a lobby for the shared virtual experience based on determining that the location of the client device is within the interaction range;
providing the shared virtual experience to the client device, the shared virtual experience including:
a collaborative portion with a mutual objective achieved through interactions between users in the lobby including the user; and
an individual portion subsequent to the collaborative portion with an individual objective achieved through actions by the user, wherein gameplay content of the individual portion is determined by an outcome of the collaborative portion; and

updating a game database of the location-based game based on an outcome of the shared virtual experience including the outcome of the collaborative portion and an outcome of the individual portion.

10. The system of claim 9 , the operations further comprising:
responsive to the user input, determining that the user is eligible to participate in the shared virtual experience,
wherein assigning the user to the lobby for the shared virtual experience is further based on determining that the user is eligible to participate in the shared virtual experience.

11. The system of claim 9 , the operations further comprising:
responsive to the user input, determining that the user is ineligible to participate in the shared virtual experience because the user does not possess a required virtual item;
providing the user, via the client device, an opportunity to become eligible to participate in the shared virtual experience, the opportunity including exchanging at least one of a virtual item and real-world currency to acquire the required virtual item;
receiving from the user at least one of the virtual item and the real-world currency in exchange for the required virtual item; and
responsive to the user acquiring the required virtual item, determining that the user is eligible to participate in the shared virtual experience,
wherein assigning the user to the lobby for the shared virtual experience is further based on determining that the user is eligible to participate in the shared virtual experience.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the user input further requests joining the lobby, the operations further comprising:
responsive to the user input, prompting the user to input a code assigned to the lobby; and
receiving the code from the client device of the user,
wherein assigning the user to the lobby is further based on receiving the code from the client device of the user.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the users in the lobby are divided into a plurality of teams, and wherein the teams compete to achieve the mutual objective of the collaborative portion.

14. The system of claim 9 , the operations further comprising:
determining a number of the users in the lobby,
wherein assigning the user to the lobby is further based on determining that the number of users is less than a maximum number of users for a given lobby.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions for providing a shared virtual exp

Assignees

• Niantic Inc

Inventors

• Nomura Tatsuo
• Hwang Dennis
• Wu Edward
• Doo Kevin
• Ishitsuka Naoyuki
• Matney Calin
• Hollin David

Classifications

• A63F13/79

  involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories · CPC title

• A63F13/48

  Starting a game, e.g. activating a game device or waiting for other players to join a multiplayer session · CPC title

• A63F13/35

  Details of game servers · CPC title

• A63F13/822

  Strategy games; Role-playing games (A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence) · CPC title

• A63F13/216

  using geographical information, e.g. location of the game device or player using GPS · CPC title