System and method for integrated real and virtual game play for multiple remotely-controlled aircraft

Abstract

Gaming systems and methods facilitate integrated real and virtual game play among multiple remote control objects, including multiple remotely-controlled aircraft, within a locally-defined, three-dimensional game space using gaming “apps” (i.e., applications) running on one or more mobile devices, such as tablets or smartphones, and/or a central game controller. The systems and methods permit game play among multiple remotely-controlled aircraft within the game space. Game play may be controlled and/or displayed by a gaming app running on one or more mobile devices and/or a central game controller that keeps track of multiple craft locations and orientations with reference to a locally-defined coordinate frame of reference associated with the game space. The gaming app running on one or more mobile devices and/or central game controller also determine game play among the various craft and objects within the game space in accordance with the rules and parameters for the game being played.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A gaming system integrating three-dimensional real-world game play and virtual game play, the system comprising:
 at least two remote controllers;   at least two remotely-controlled aircraft, wherein each aircraft is uniquely paired with and controlled by a corresponding one of the at least two remote controllers via a radio-frequency (RF) communication protocol and each aircraft is configured to determine a reference frame based on magnetic and gravitational vectors sensed by the aircraft and a set of data representing positional information of the aircraft relative to the reference frame based on accelerometer and magnetometer sensors in the aircraft, and wherein the RF communication protocol is configured to communicate identification information corresponding to each aircraft and remote controller and the set of data representing positional information of each aircraft;   at least two fiducial elements placed relative to one another to define a physical game space; and   at least two gaming applications configured to execute on a mobile computing device and communicate via the RF communication protocol and via an Internet connection, wherein each gaming application is uniquely associated with one of the remote controllers and corresponding remotely-controlled aircraft and includes:
 a game space system configured to generate or receive a three-dimensional virtual game space based on the at least two fiducial elements that define the physical game space; 
 a location system configured to utilize the set of data representing positional information from each aircraft to dynamically determine an estimated relative position and orientation of each aircraft within the three-dimensional virtual game space; 
 a player system configured to communicate via the Internet to determine player options to be applied in the three-dimensional virtual game space for the remote-controller aircraft associated with the gaming application; and 
 a gaming system to determine game play associated with an integrated real and virtual game played among at least two remotely-controlled aircraft within the three-dimensional game space based on the estimated relative position and orientation of each aircraft within the three-dimensional virtual game space in accordance with the player options and a set of rules and parameters for the integrated real and virtual game play.