Apparatus and method for supporting applications in a distributed network

Abstract

The methods and apparatus disclosed herein include a platform for providing loyalty, advertising and gaming functionality across multiple applications. Actions by users within applications and interactions with advertising may be rewarded via a loyalty program. In one implementation, functional elements are provided to application developers to enable their applications to communicate with a loyalty system, receive awards based on user behavior, among other functions. In another aspect, an interactive gaming and advertising platform is provided that may support multiplayer online computer games for prizes with elements of messaging and social networking between players embedded into the game play itself, whereby players may use mobile computing devices or traditional desk-top computing devices in order to verify their location and claim a measure of control over their location.

1 . A computer-implemented method comprising acts of:
 monitoring user-initiated actions within a plurality of executing applications, the executing applications being executed on a computer system associated with a user;   determining, by the computer system, that the user performed at least one application-related action;   sending an indication of the application-related action to a loyalty system;   determining an award based on the application-related action;   communicating an indication of the award to the computer system; and   displaying the indication of the award to the user.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method according to  claim 1 , further comprising an act of requiring the user to accept the award. 
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method according to  claim 1 , further comprising an act of providing an interface to the plurality of executing applications to communicate events relating to user-initiated actions within the plurality of executing applications. 
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method according to  claim 1 , further comprising acts of:
 communicating an advertisement to the computer system;   displaying the advertisement to the user in the display of the computer system; and   providing an award to the user responsive to the user viewing the advertisement.   
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method according to  claim 1 , further comprising an act of sending at least one event relating to at least one user-initiated action within the plurality of executing applications to the loyalty system. 
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method according to  claim 5 , further comprising an act of storing, by the loyalty system, an indication of the at least one event relating to the at least one user-initiated action within the plurality of executing applications. 
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method according to  claim 5 , further comprising an act of determining, by the loyalty system, if the at least one event relating to the at least one user-initiated action within the plurality of executing applications meets a predefined behavior defined by the loyalty system. 
     
     
         8 . The computer-implemented method according to  claim 7 , wherein if it is determined by the loyalty system that the at least one event meets the predefined behavior, performing an act of providing content to an application that triggered the at least one event. 
     
     
         9 . The computer-implemented method according to  claim 1 , further comprising an act of determining a location of the user based on a location of the computer system, and determining the award to the user responsive to the determined location of the user. 
     
     
         10 . The computer-implemented method according to  claim 1 , further comprising acts of:
 storing, by the loyalty system, a plurality of events; and   storing, by the loyalty system, an association of the plurality of events with a predefined behavior.   
     
     
         11 . The computer-implemented method according to  claim 10 , further comprising acts of:
 determining if the predefined behavior is achieved by one or more application-related actions performed by the user; and   if the predefined behavior is achieved, selecting content to be displayed to the user; and   communicating the selected content to the computer system associated with the user.   
     
     
         12 . The computer-implemented method according to  claim 10 , wherein the predefined behavior is defined across a plurality of applications that are executed by the computer system associated with the user. 
     
     
         13 . The computer-implemented method according to  claim 1 , further comprising acts of:
 registering, by the loyalty system, at least one of the plurality of executing applications;   generating, by the loyalty system, authentication information to be used by the application;   using the authentication information to authenticate the application with the loyalty system;   communicating, by the authenticated application to the loyalty system, that the user performed the at least one application-related action.   
     
     
         14 . The computer-implemented method according to  claim 11 , further comprising an act of storing an association between the predefined behavior and the at least one of the plurality of executing applications. 
     
     
         15 . The computer-implemented method according to  claim 1 , further comprising acts of:
 presenting an interface to an operator to define one or more awards based on one or more application-related actions; and   presenting an interface targeting the one or more awards to one or more applications.   
     
     
         16 . A distributed computer system comprising:
 a component adapted to monitor user-initiated actions within a plurality of executing applications, the executing applications being executed on a computer system associated with a user;   a component that is adapted to determine that the user performed at least one application-related action;   a component that is adapted to send an indication of the application-related action to a loyalty system, wherein the loyalty system is adapted to determine an award based on the application-related action and communicate an indication of the award to the computer system associated with the user; and   a component adapted to display the indication of the award to the user.   
     
     
         17 . The system according to  claim 16 , further comprising a component that requires the user to accept the award. 
     
     
         18 . The system according to  claim 16 , further comprising an interface to the plurality of executing applications that is adapted to communicate events relating to user-initiated actions within the plurality of executing applications. 
     
     
         19 . The system according to  claim 16 , further comprising a component adapted to communicate an advertisement to the computer system, a component adapted to display the advertisement to the user in the display of the computer system, and a component adapted to provide an award to the user responsive to the user viewing the advertisement. 
     
     
         20 . The system according to  claim 16 , further comprising component adapted to send at least one event relating to at least one user-initiated action within the plurality of executing applications to the loyalty system. 
     
     
         21 . The system according to  claim 20 , further comprising component adapted to store, by the loyalty system, an indication of the at least one event relating to the at least one user-initiated action within the plurality of executing applications. 
     
     
         22 . The system according to  claim 20 , further comprising a component that is adapted to determine if the at least one event relating to the at least one user-initiated action within the plurality of executing applications meets a predefined behavior defined by the loyalty system. 
     
     
         23 . The system according to  claim 22 , wherein if it is determined by the loyalty system that the at least one event meets the predefined behavior, a component is adapted to perform an act of providing content to an application that triggered the at least one event. 
     
     
         24 . The system according to  claim 16 , further comprising a component adapted to determine a location of the user based on a location of the computer system, and a component adapted to determine the award to the user responsive to the determined location of the user. 
     
     
         25 . The system according to  claim 16 , further comprising:
 a component adapted to store a plurality of events; and   a component adapted to store an association of the plurality of events with a predefined behavior.   
     
     
         26 . The system according to  claim 25 , further comprising:
 a component adapted to determine if the predefined behavior is achieved by one or more application-related actions performed by the user; and   if the predefined behavior is achieved, a component is configured to select content to be displayed to the user; and   a component adapted to communicate the selected content to the computer system associated with the user.   
     
     
         27 . The system according to  claim 25 , wherein the predefined behavior is defined across a plurality of applications that are executed by the computer system associated with the user. 
     
     
         28 . The system according to  claim 16 , further comprising:
 a component adapted to register at least one of the plurality of executing applications;   a component adapted to generate authentication information to be used by the application;   a component adapted to use the authentication information to authenticate the application with the loyalty system; and   a component adapted to communicate, that the user performed the at least one application-related action using the authentication information.   
     
     
         29 . The system according to  claim 26 , further comprising a component adapted to store an association between the predefined behavior and the at least one of the plurality of executing applications. 
     
     
         30 . The system according to  claim 16 , further comprising an interface that is adapted to permit an operator to define one or more awards based on one or more application-related actions; and wherein the interface is further adapted to target the one or more awards to one or more applications. 
     
     
         31 . A computer-implemented method comprising acts of:
 providing a location-based game played by at least one user through a mobile device;   determining a location of the at least one user;   using the determined status of the at least one user to update a status of the location-based game; and   communicating the status of the location-based game among a plurality of location-based services.   
     
     
         32 . The method according to  claim 31 , wherein the act of determining a location of the at least one user includes an act of determining the location of the at least one user by the mobile device. 
     
     
         33 . The method according to  claim 31 , further comprising presenting a game element of the location-based game within the plurality of location-based services. 
     
     
         34 . The method according to  claim 31 , further comprising providing an abstraction layer that communicates with the plurality of location-based services. 
     
     
         35 . The method according to  claim 31 , further comprising an act of permitting the at least one user to observe the status of the location-based game using an interface of at least one of the plurality of location-based services. 
     
     
         36 . The method according to  claim 35 , further comprising an act of creating, within the interface of at least one of the plurality of location-based services, at least one game element associated with the location-based game. 
     
     
         37 . The method according to  claim 35 , further comprising an act of permitting the at least one user to place the at least one game element in a location represented within the location-based service. 
     
     
         38 . The method according to  claim 37 , further comprising permitting at least one other user to interact with the at least one game element within the location-based game. 
     
     
         39 . The method according to  claim 37 , further comprising an act of permitting the at least one user to move the at least one game element to another location. 
     
     
         40 . The method according to  claim 37 , further comprising an act of restricting the at least one user to place a limited number of game elements. 
     
     
         41 . The method according to  claim 37 , further comprising an act of permitting the at least one user to collect the at least one game element if the at least one user is located within a predetermined distance proximate to the at least one game element. 
     
     
         42 . The method according to  claim 41 , wherein the act of permitting the at least one user to collect the at least one game element further comprises an act of permitting the at least one user to collect the at least one game element if the at least one player is located within an area designated by a provider of the at least one game element. 
     
     
         43 . The method according to  claim 37 , wherein the at least one game element is a trap that enables the at least one user to capture a chance to win. 
     
     
         44 . The method according to  claim 37 , wherein the at least one game element represents an opportunity to win a prize across the plurality of location-based services. 
     
     
         45 . The method according to  claim 44 , further comprising an act of permitting a prize sponsor to fund a prize that is located by the at least one user across the plurality of location-based services. 
     
     
         46 . The method according to  claim 35 , further comprising an act of permitting a sponsor to place at least one game element in a location across the plurality of location-based services. 
     
     
         47 . The method according to  claim 46 , wherein the at least one game element represents an opportunity to win a prize. 
     
     
         48 . The method according to  claim 31 , further comprising an act of permitting the at least one user to observe the status of the location-based game using a plurality of interfaces associated with respective ones of the plurality of location-based services, and permitting the at least one user to switch between the plurality of interfaces to the location-based game. 
     
     
         49 . The method according to  claim 31 , further comprising an act of permitting the at least one user to create parameters used in performing the location-based game. 
     
     
         50 . The method according to  claim 31 , further comprising an act of associating the at least one user with a unique identifier. 
     
     
         51 . The method according to  claim 50 , wherein the unique identifier includes at least one of a group of information comprising:
 a geographic location;   elevation;   identifier associated with the mobile device;   username and password;   elements located near the geographic location; and   other users located near the geographic location.   
     
     
         52 . The method according to  claim 50 , further comprising acts of transmitting the unique identifier from the mobile device to a system located at a geographic location, and verifying the location of the at least one user at the geographic location. 
     
     
         53 . The method according to  claim 52 , further comprising determining a prize available to the at least one user based on his/her verified location. 
     
     
         54 . The method according to  claim 31 , further comprising permitting the user to play one or more location-based games within the interface of the mobile device. 
     
     
         55 . The method according to  claim 54 , wherein one or more of the location-based games includes one or more styles of play including:
 a prize grabbing feature;   a trapping game;   a planting or seeding of prizes;   shooting prizes; and   user-based prizes.   
     
     
         56 . The method according to  claim 53 , further comprising determining a value of the prize based on one or more of the group comprising:
 an establishment at or near the location of the at least one user;   demographic information of the at least one user;   psychographic information of the at least one user;   information associated with the mobile device; and   contact information of the at least one user.   
     
     
         57 . The method according to  claim 31 , further comprising wherein upon placing a prize, the at least one user can win based on the prize they placed. 
     
     
         58 . The method according to  claim 31 , further comprising wherein the at least one user can increase the range of gathering and placing prizes. 
     
     
         59 . A computer-implemented method comprising acts of:
 providing a location-based game played by at least one user through a mobile device;   determining a location of the at least one user;   permitting the at least one user to place the at least one game element in a location at or near the determined location of the at least one user;   representing the at least one game element within at least one interface of a plurality of location-based services; and   communicating the representation of the at least one game element among the plurality of location-based services.   
     
     
         60 . The method according to  claim 59 , further comprising an act of permitting the at least one user to observe the status of the location-based game using a plurality of interfaces associated with respective ones of the plurality of location-based services, and permitting the at least one user to switch between the plurality of interfaces to the location-based game. 
     
     
         61 . The method according to  claim 59 , wherein the act of determining a location of the at least one user includes an act of determining the location of the at least one user by the mobile device. 
     
     
         62 . A distributed system comprising:
 a game playing computer adapted to provide a location-based game played by at least one user, the game playing computer having a game interface that represents the game to the at least one user;   a component adapted to determine a location of the at least one user, wherein the game interface permits the at least one user to place at least one game element in a location at or near the determined location of the at least one user;   a component that represents the at least one game element within at least one interface of a plurality of location-based services; and   a component that is adapted to communicate the representation of the at least one game element among the plurality of location-based services.   
     
     
         63 . The system according to  claim 62 , wherein the plurality of location-based services include a plurality of respective interfaces through which the location-based game is rendered, and wherein the game playing computer includes a component that permits the at least one user to switch between the plurality of respective interfaces. 
     
     
         64 . The system according to  claim 62 , wherein component adapted to determine a location of the at least one user includes a component of a mobile device associated with the at least one user.