Player Device Proximity Detection for a Location-Based Game
AssigneeNiantic, Inc.
InventorGordon Paul Jeffery, III
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A client device associated with a player of a location-based game detects client devices associated with other players which are within proximity of the player device. This detection of other player client devices may result in various game actions occurring, such as an exchange of game elements between players, game progress for a player, access to a game feature, or establishing a connection between players. Detection of player devices may be performed using personal area network devices of the client devices, such as Bluetooth. Proximity detection can occur when player client devices are disconnected from an online system hosting the location-based game with the detection later being reported to the online system by one or both devices.
Claims20
A computer-implemented method for exchanging virtual game items in a location-based game, the method comprising:
- identifying, by a game server, a first game item associated with a first player of the location-based game as available for a trade;
- receiving, by the game server and from a first client device associated with the first player, an identifier of a second player as first device proximity detection information indicating that the first client device has detected a second client device within a proximity of the first client device, the second client device associated with the second player of the location-based game;
- determining, by the game server and in response to receiving the first device proximity detection information, whether an identifier of the first player has been received by the game server from the second client device as second device proximity detection information;
- and
- in response to determining receipt of the first and second device proximity detection information, transmitting, by the game server, game data associated with the trade to at least one of the first and second client devices.
An online system comprising:
- a database storing game data for a location-based game;
- and
- a game action module configured to perform operations comprising:
- identifying a first game item associated with a first player of the location-based game as available for a trade;
- receiving, from a first client device associated with the first player, an identifier of a second player as first device proximity detection information indicating that the first client device has detected a second client device within a proximity of the first client device, the second client device associated with the second player of the location-based game;
- determining, in response to receiving the first device proximity detection information, whether an identifier of the first player has been received from the second client device as second device proximity detection information;
- and
- in response to determining receipt of the first and second device proximity detection information, transmitting game data associated with the trade to at least one of the first and second client devices.
A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a first client device, cause the first client device to perform operations comprising:
- scanning, by the first client device and in a real world, a network for other client devices, each of the first client device and the other client devices having installed thereon a location-based game application;
- receiving, based on the scanning, an identifier from a second client device via the network, the identifier associated with the location-based game application installed on the second client device;
- providing the identifier to a game server hosting the location-based game application as first device proximity detection information;
- and
- receiving, from the game server and in response to the game server determining that a second identifier associated with the first client device has been received by the game server from the second client device as second device proximity detection information, data describing an action performed by the game server relating to the location-based game application.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.