Managing a theme of a virtual space based on characters made accessible responsive to corresponding tokens being detected

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9327200-B2
Application number	US-201213727481-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 26, 2012
Priority date	Dec 26, 2012
Publication date	May 3, 2016
Grant date	May 3, 2016

Abstract

Objectives, an environment, and/or a theme associated with a virtual space may be managed based on characters made accessible responsive to corresponding tokens being detected. Tokens, including a first token associated with a first character or a second token associated with a second character, may be detected based on signals received from one or more token readers. The first character may be made accessible in the virtual space responsive to the first token being detected and the second character may be made accessible in the virtual space responsive to the second token being detected. Responsive to one or both of the first token being detected or the second token being detected, a given objective associated with the virtual space may be effectuated in the virtual space, an environment of the virtual space may be modified, and/or a theme of the virtual space being modified.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system configured to manage a theme of a virtual space based on characters made accessible responsive to corresponding tokens being detected, the system comprising:
one or more hardware processors configured by machine-readable instructions to:
implement the virtual space to determine views of the virtual space;
detect tokens based on signals received from one or more token readers, a given token being a standalone physical object, the tokens including a first token associated with a first character and a second token associated with a second character, the first character being one of a first plurality of characters associated with a first theme and the second character being one of a second plurality of characters associated with a second theme, the first token being detectable based on a first signal conveying information associated with the first token, the second token being detectable based on a second signal conveying information associated with the second token, the first character being accessible in the virtual space responsive to the first token being detected and the second character being accessible in the virtual space responsive to the second token being detected; and
manage a theme of the virtual space, the theme of the virtual space being a unifying subject associated with the virtual space, the theme of the virtual space being modified based on the first theme responsive to the first token being detected, the theme of the virtual space being modified based on the second theme responsive to the second token being detected, wherein virtual space content associated with the theme of the virtual space is stored at a location other than one or more the tokens.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first token is configured to depict the first character and the second token is configured to depict the second character.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first theme is different from the second theme.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein modifying the theme of the virtual space based on the first theme includes incorporating one or more attributes of the first theme in the theme of the virtual space.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the theme of the virtual space is perceived in a first manner by the first character and in a second manner by the second character, the first manner of perceiving the theme of the virtual space corresponding to the first theme, and the second manner of perceiving the theme of the virtual space corresponding to the second theme.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the theme of the virtual space includes a combination of the first theme and the second theme.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more hardware processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions to record modifications made to the theme of the virtual space.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the one or more hardware processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions such that, based on the recorded modifications a given modification to the theme of the virtual space is not made more than once.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more hardware processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions to provide a user selection interface, the user selection interface being configured to receive user selections associated with the theme of the virtual space.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the user selection interface facilitates user selection of which modifications are made to the theme of the virtual space.

11. A computer-implemented method for managing a theme of a virtual space based on characters made accessible responsive to corresponding tokens being detected, the method being performed by one or more hardware processors configured to execute machine-readable instructions, the method comprising:
implementing the virtual space to determine views of the virtual space;
detecting tokens based on signals received from one or more token readers, a given token being a standalone physical object, the tokens including a first token associated with a first character and a second token associated with a second character, the first character being one of a first plurality of characters associated with a first theme and the second character being one of a second plurality of characters associated with a second theme, the first token being detectable based on a first signal conveying information associated with the first token, the second token being detectable based on a second signal conveying information associated with the second token
effectuating accessibility of one or both of the first character or the second character in the virtual space, the first character being accessible responsive to the first token being detected and the second character being accessible responsive to the second token being detected; and
managing a theme of the virtual space, the theme of the virtual space being a unifying subject associated with the virtual space, the theme of the virtual space being modified based on the first theme responsive to the first token being detected, the theme of the virtual space being modified based on the second theme responsive to the second token being detected, wherein virtual space content associated with the theme of the virtual space is stored at a location other than one or more the tokens.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first token is configured to depict the first character and the second token is configured to depict the second character.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first theme is different from the second theme.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein modifying the theme of the virtual space based on the first theme includes incorporating one or more attributes of the first theme in the theme of the virtual space.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the theme of the virtual space is perceived in a first manner by the first character and in a second manner by the second character, the first manner of perceiving the theme of the virtual space corresponding to the first theme, and the second manner of perceiving the theme of the virtual space corresponding to the second theme.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the theme of the virtual space includes a combination of the first theme and the second theme.

17. The method of claim 11 , further comprising recording modifications made to the theme of the virtual space.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein, based on the recorded modifications a given modification to the theme of the virtual space is not made more than once.

19. The method of claim 11 , further comprising providing a user selection interface, the user selection interface being configured to receive user selections associated with the theme of the virtual space.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the user selection interface facilitates user selection of which modifications are made to the theme of the virtual space.

Assignees

• Disney Entpr Inc

Inventors

• Vignocchi John G

Classifications

• G07F17/3211

  Display means · CPC title

• A63F13/79

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

• A63F13/65 Primary

  automatically by game devices or servers from real world data, e.g. measurement in live racing competition · CPC title

• G07F17/3248 Primary

  involving non-monetary media of fixed value, e.g. casino chips of fixed value · CPC title