Location-based services

Abstract

Provided herein are methods and systems relating to location-based services such as providing a location-aware game environment executing on a mobile device. More specifically, a method can include executing a location-aware game, monitoring a physical location corresponding to a mobile device, and triggering an action or event within the game environment based on information associated with the physical location of the mobile device. The methods and systems also provide the capability to alter the simulated environment within the game based on physical location associated with other players within a multi-player game.

1 . A computer-implemented method to enable location-aware gaming on a mobile device, the method comprising:
 executing, on the mobile device, a location-aware game;   monitoring, on the mobile device, a physical location corresponding to the mobile device; and   triggering, on the mobile device within the location-aware game, an action or event based on information associated with the physical location of the mobile device.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the triggering the action or the event includes altering a simulated environment within the location-aware game to correspond to aspects of the physical location corresponding to the mobile device. 
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2 , wherein altering the simulated environment includes using a location of a building or a road corresponding to the physical location to create a track or an obstacle within the simulated environment corresponding to the building or the road. 
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2 , wherein altering the simulated environment includes changing weather conditions within the simulated environment to match weather conditions in the physical location of the mobile device. 
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 4 , wherein changing the weather conditions within the simulated environment includes retrieving current weather conditions for the physical location from a server. 
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2 , wherein altering the simulated environment further includes:
 identifying a second mobile device executing an instance of the location-aware game in a physical location proximate to the mobile device; and   altering the simulated environment to include a representation of a user of the second mobile device within the location-aware game on the mobile device.   
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the location-aware game executing on the mobile device is a type of game selected from the following group of game types:
 role-playing game;   a driving game;   a first person shooting game; and   another simulation type game.   
     
     
         8 . The computer-implemented method  claim 1 , wherein altering the simulated environment further includes extracting real-world information based on the physical location including weather information, stored views of the physical location, or maps of the physical location. 
     
     
         9 . A portable electronic facility comprising:
 a geolocation facility including one or more sensors to provide physical location information for the portable electronic facility;   a central processing unit coupled to the geolocation facility, the central processing unit configured to:   execute a location-aware game;   monitoring, via the geolocation facility, a physical location corresponding to the portable electronic facility; and   trigger, on the portable electronic facility within the location-aware game, an action or event based on information associated with the physical location of the portable electronic facility.   
     
     
         10 . The portable electronic facility of  claim 9 , wherein the central processing unit is further configured to, in response to triggering the action or event, alter a simulated environment within the location-aware game to correspond to aspects of the physical location of the portable electronic facility. 
     
     
         11 . The portable electronic facility of  claim 10 , wherein altering the simulated environment includes using a location of a building or a road corresponding to the physical location to create a track or an obstacle within the simulated environment corresponding to the building or the road. 
     
     
         12 . The portable electronic facility of  claim 10 , wherein altering the simulated environment includes changing weather conditions within the simulated environment to match weather conditions in the physical location of the portable electronic facility. 
     
     
         13 . The portable electronic facility of  claim 12 , wherein changing the weather conditions within the simulated environment includes retrieving current weather conditions for the physical location from a server. 
     
     
         14 . The portable electronic facility of  claim 10 , wherein the central processing unit is further configured to, in response to altering the simulated environment:
 identify a second portable electronic facility executing an instance of the location-aware game in a physical location proximate to the mobile device; and   alter the simulated environment to include a representation of a user of the second portable electronic facility within the location-aware game on the portable electronic facility.   
     
     
         15 . The portable electronic facility of  claim 9 , wherein the location-aware game executing on the portable electronic facility is a type of game selected from the following group of game types:
 role-playing game;   a driving game;   a first person shooting game; and   another simulation type game.   
     
     
         16 . The portable electronic facility of  claim 9 , wherein altering the simulated environment further includes extracting real-world information based on the physical location including weather information, stored views of the physical location, or maps of the physical location. 
     
     
         17 . A machine-readable storage medium including instructions that, when performed on a mobile device, cause the mobile device to perform operations comprising:
 executing, on the mobile device, a location-aware game;   monitoring, on the mobile device, a physical location corresponding to the mobile device; and   triggering, on the mobile device within the location-aware game, an action or event based on information associated with the physical location of the mobile device.   
     
     
         18 . The machine-readable storage medium of  claim 17 , wherein the triggering the action or the event includes altering a simulated environment within the location-aware game to correspond to aspects of the physical location corresponding to the mobile device. 
     
     
         19 . The machine-readable storage medium of  claim 18 , wherein altering the simulated environment includes using a location of a building or a road corresponding to the physical location to create a track or an obstacle within the simulated environment corresponding to the building or the road. 
     
     
         20 . The machine-readable storage medium of  claim 18 , wherein altering the simulated environment includes changing weather conditions within the simulated environment to match weather conditions in the physical location of the mobile device.