Computer system for creating and playing location aware games

Abstract

Computer system for creating and playing location aware games. The creation process allows for authoring of custom location aware games, training aids, tours and scavenger hunts using a mobile computing device and map. The resulting game can be played using a mobile computing device and location receiver (e.g. GPS receiver).

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . Computer system for creating and playing location aware games comprising: 
 computing device with display;    plurality of virtual effects having size and interaction rules;    a user interface to permit a user to select and view a gameboard based off of an inputted location and assign virtual effects to locations within the gameboard;    a storage means for storing said gameboard and said plurality of virtual effects;    a second user interface to permit a user to view said gameboard and said plurality of virtual effects while playing a game;    a controller to control the location of one or more virtual effects during game play based on input from at least one of the following: a computer mouse, a screen stylus and a location receiver;    a timing device used by the controller to establish cadence of play.    
     
     
         2 . The computer system of  claim 1  wherein said computing device further comprising audio delivery.  
     
     
         3 . The computer system of  claim 2  wherein said gameboard further comprising a center represented as longitude and latitude, bounding coordinates represented as longitude and latitude, a default scale representing a ratio of real world measurements to that of a map image and a plurality of map images each with corresponding scale.  
     
     
         4 . The computer system of  claim 3  wherein said virtual effect further comprising a real world location represented in longitude and latitude, a plurality of images, a plurality of audio files, movement rules, appearance selection rules and audio selection rules.  
     
     
         5 . The computer system of  claim 4  wherein said user interfaces permit a user to change scale of said gameboard by changing gameboard map image to that of desired scale and changing plurality of virtual effect images to that of desired scale.  
     
     
         6 . The computer system of  claim 5  wherein said user interfaces permit a user to change the offset of gameboard map relative to user view to give appearance of scrolling when map image is larger than computing device display.  
     
     
         7 . Computer system for creating and playing location aware games comprising: 
 computing device with audio delivery;    plurality of virtual effects having size and interaction rules;    a user interface to permit a user to select and view a gameboard based off of an inputted location and assign virtual effects to locations within the gameboard;    a storage means for storing said gameboard and said plurality of virtual effects;    a controller to control the location of one or more virtual effects during game play based on input from a location receiver;    a timing device used by the controller to establish cadence of play.    
     
     
         8 . The computer system of  claim 7  wherein said gameboard further comprising a center represented as longitude and latitude, bounding coordinates represented as longitude and latitude, a default scale representing a ratio of real world measurements to that of a map image and a plurality of map images each with corresponding scale.  
     
     
         9 . The computer system of  claim 8  wherein said virtual effect further comprising a real world location represented in longitude and latitude, a plurality of audio files, movement rules and audio selection rules.  
     
     
         10 . Method for creating, editing and playing location aware games comprising: 
 plurality of virtual effects having size and interaction rules;    a method for creating and editing a gameboard based off of an inputted location and assign virtual effects to locations within the gameboard;    a method for storing said gameboard and said plurality of virtual effects;    a method for playing user interface to permit a user to view said gameboard and said plurality of virtual effects while playing a game;    a controller to control the location of one or more virtual effects during game play based on input from at least one of the following: a computer mouse, a screen stylus and a location receiver;    a timing device used by the controller to establish cadence of play.    
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein said gameboard further comprising a center represented as longitude and latitude, bounding coordinates represented as longitude and latitude, a default scale representing a ratio of real world measurements to that of a map image and a plurality of map images each with corresponding scale.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein said virtual effect further comprising a real world location represented in longitude and latitude, a plurality of images, a plurality of audio files, movement rules, appearance selection rules and audio selection rules.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein said gameboard is initialized by reading a file containing XML representing gameboard, instantiating gameboard, reading XML representing said plurality of maps while instantiating each map and adding to gameboard, reading XML representing said plurality of virtual effects while instantiating each virtual effect and sizing each virtual effect image to match plurality of scales contained within each of the plurality of gameboard maps and adding said virtual effect to gameboard.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the said method of creating and editing gameboard further comprising said initialize gameboard method, an acquire external map method, an add virtual effects method, an edit virtual effects method and a save gameboard method comprising representing said gameboard, said plurality of maps and said plurality of virtual effects as XML and writing XML to a file.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein said method of adding new virtual effect comprising selecting virtual effect type, designating virtual effect location on gameboard image and setting virtual effect attribute values and wherein said method of editing existing virtual effects comprising selecting existing virtual effect, designating new location on gameboard image and changing virtual effect attribute values.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein designating virtual effect location is performed through selection of point on the gameboard map control represented in pixels (x and y) and translating to longitude and latitude using the gameboard northeast(ne) and southwest(sw) bounding coordinates, device display height in pixels and device display width in pixels in the algorithm: 
         Latitude= ne .latitude− y *absolute value (( ne .latitude− sw .latitude)/displayheight)
 
Longitude= sw .longitude+ x *absolute value (( ne .longitude− sw .longitude)/displaywidth)
 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12  wherein said virtual effects have subtypes that have unique attributes, an overriding movement method, an overriding intersection method, an overriding appearance method, a unique plurality of appearance images, an overriding audio method and unique plurality of audio files.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein said movement evaluation comprising calculating next position of said virtual effect depending on conditions as defined in overriding movement method as defined in virtual effect subtype.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein said intersection evaluation comprising an iteration through plurality of virtual effects and comparing bounding coordinates for overlapping points where intersection triggers events depending on conditions as defined in said intersection method as defined in virtual effect subtype.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein said appearance method comprising of designating said virtual effect image depending on conditions as defined in overriding appearance method as defined in virtual effect subtype.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein said audio method comprising of selecting audio file depending on conditions defined within overriding audio method as defined in virtual effect subtype where selected audio file is interpreted on device specific audio driver.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20  wherein said method of interpreting gameboard comprising said initialize gameboard method, instantiating said timer, connecting to location receiver, instantiating said player virtual effect and play game method.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  wherein said play game method further comprising starting said timing device, continuously evaluating plurality of virtual effects using timing device to set evaluation cadence until game over condition is reached where evaluation consists of executing said virtual effect subtype overriding method for movement, executing said virtual effect subtype overriding method for interaction, executing said virtual effect subtype overriding method for appearance and executing said virtual effect subtype overriding method for audio.