Facilitating users to obtain information regarding locations within a virtual space

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9649554-B1
Application number	US-201314029726-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Sep 17, 2013
Priority date	Sep 17, 2013
Publication date	May 16, 2017
Grant date	May 16, 2017

Abstract

A system and method for facilitating users to obtain location information in a virtual space is disclosed. Query items may be offered to sell to the users. Upon user activation of the query items, identification information identifying target entities may be obtained from the users. Based on such identification information, location information regarding virtual space locations controlled by or associated with the target entities may be provided to the users. The provided location information may include coordinate information reflecting virtual space coordinates of such locations. In some examples, the level of detail and/or accuracy of such location information provided to the users may be based on the activated query items being specific grades and/or based on levels of the users.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for facilitating users to obtain location information in a virtual space, the system comprising
one or more processors configured by machine-readable instructions to:
execute an instance of the virtual space in which an online game takes place, to use the instance of the virtual space to facilitate presentation of the virtual space to users on client computing platforms associated with the users, and to execute actions in the instance of the virtual space in response to reception of commands from the client computing platforms associated with the users to facilitate interaction of the users with the virtual space and/or each other, the users including a first user and a second user;
manage user accounts comprising user information associated with individual ones of the users, the user information including inventories of virtual items available to the individual ones of the users in the virtual space, the user accounts including a first user account associated with the first user and the second user account associated with the second user, the first user account including a first inventory of virtual items available to the first user in the virtual space;
present offers to sell virtual items to the users in exchange for virtual currency, the virtual items including query items;
update, responsive to receiving acceptance of one or more of the offers to sell the query items from the client computing platforms associated with one or more of the individual ones of the users and responsive to receiving the virtual currency in exchange for the query items from the client computing platforms associated with the one or more of the individual ones of the users, the inventories of the virtual items available to the one or more of the individual ones of the users in the virtual space to include the query items, wherein the query items must be in the inventories of virtual items available to the individual ones of the users in order for the individual ones of the users to activate the query items, such that responsive to receiving acceptance of a first offer to sell a first query item by the first user, the first inventory is updated to include the first query item;

obtain from the client computing platforms associated with the users, identification information identifying target entities in the virtual space and, responsive to the users activating the query items included in the inventories, to provide location information regarding virtual space locations under the control of or associated with the target entities to the users, the location information provided including coordinate information indicating virtual space locations under the control of or associated with the target entities in the virtual space such that, responsive to the first user activating the first query item and specifying the second user and/or an entity associated with the second user as a target entity, first location information regarding a virtual space location under the control of or associated with the second user and/or the entity associated with the second user is provided to the first user; and
receive, over the network, a first action request from a first client computing platform associated with the first user, the first action request being for a first action towards the second user at the virtual space location described by the first location information.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions such that the entity associated with the second user includes one or more of an avatar representing the second user within the virtual space, and/or a virtual space element under the control of or associated with the second user.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions such that the first location information further includes information indicating location names, defense strength, defense infrastructure, buildings, production rate or output, food storage, growth rate, happiness, health, commerce and/or maintenance costs of, one or more units occupying, and/or one or more virtual resources accessible to or produced by the virtual space location under the control of or associated with the second user and/or an entity associated with the second user.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions such that individual ones of the query items presented in the offers to sell to the users in exchange for virtual currency are distinguished by grades associated with the individual ones of the query items such that the first query item is associated with a first grade, and wherein providing the first user the first location comprises a determination of a level of accuracy and/or a level of details of the first location information based on the first query item being associated with the first grade.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions such that the user information includes first user level information indicating a level of the first user in the virtual space, and wherein providing the first user the first location information comprises a determination of a level of accuracy and/or a level of details of the first location information based on the first user level information.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions such that responsive to the first user activating the first query item for a number of times, the first query item is made unavailable to the first user in the first inventory.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions such that the virtual items in the user inventories including virtual recourses acquired by the users and such that responsive to the first user activating the first query item, a quantity of virtual resource acquired by the first user is reduced in the first inventory.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions to generate graphical query interfaces for presentation on client computing platforms associated with the users responsive to the users activating the query items, the query interfaces comprising controls enabling the users to provide identification information identifying target entities such that responsive to the first user activating the first query item, a first graphical query interface is generated for presentation on the first client computing platform associated with the first user, the first graphical query interface comprising controls enabling the first user to provide identification information identifying the second user and/or the entity associated with the second user.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions to present the first location information in the first graphical query interface responsive to such information being provided to the first user.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions such that responsive to a second user activating a second query item, the second user is provided second location information regarding a second virtual space location under the control of or associated with a second target entity specified by the second user.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating, by the one or more processors, graphical query interfaces for presentation on client computin

Assignees

• Kabam Inc
• Aftershock Services Inc

Inventors

• Akpan Inyang
• Tsao Bryan
• Wei Albert
• Kim John
• Mcneill David
• Chanthasiriphan Kevin

Classifications

• A63F13/58

  by computing conditions of game characters, e.g. stamina, strength, motivation or energy level · CPC title

• A63F13/79

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

• A63F13/537

  using indicators, e.g. showing the condition of a game character on screen · CPC title

• A63F13/792 Primary

  for payment purposes, e.g. monthly subscriptions · CPC title

• A63F13/69

  by enabling or updating specific game elements, e.g. unlocking hidden features, items, levels or versions · CPC title