# US 8,784,214 B2 · Method and system for establishing location-based leaderboard > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,784,214 B2 - Document ID: US8784214B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/176,640 - Filed: 2011-07-05 - Published: 2013-01-10 - Granted: 2014-07-22 - Earliest claimed: 2011-07-05 - Assignees: Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. - Applicants: William T. Parks; Luke Bond; Mark Petty - Inventors: William T. Parks; Luke Bond; Mark Petty - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8784214B2 ## CPC - A63F 13/798: for assessing skills or for ranking players, e.g. for generating a hall of fame - A63F 13/216: using geographical information, e.g. location of the game device or player using GPS - A63F 13/33: using wide area network [WAN] connections - A63F 13/352: involving special game server arrangements, e.g. regional servers connected to a national server or a plurality of servers managing partitions of the game world - A63F 13/46: Computing the game score - H04L 67/52: specially adapted for the location of the user terminal - H04W 4/021: Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences - A63F 2300/513: server hierarchy, e.g. local, regional, national or dedicated for different tasks, e.g. authenticating, billing - A63F 2300/558: by assessing the players' skills or ranking - A63F 2300/61: Score computation - A63F: CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract Methods for establishing a location-based leaderboard by a computer game system are disclosed. The world may be partitioned into a set of regions and sub-regions by the computer game system using a hierarchical spatial data structure, wherein the regions and sub-regions are arranged according to a hierarchy, each sub-region being encompassed by a higher-level sub-region or region, and two or more highest-level sub-regions being encompassed by a region. A location of a user of the computer game system along with one or more statistics associated with the user may be assigned to a smallest sub-region created by the hierarchical spatial data structure. A rank of the user may then be determined within a region or sub-region encompassing the smallest sub-region to which the user's location was assigned, wherein the rank is determined using the one or more statistics associated with the user. One or more users may then be notified of the rank. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer-implemented method for establishing a location-based leaderboard by a computer system, comprising: a) associating a location of a user of the computer system in a virtual world to a smallest sub-region of the virtual world with the computer system, wherein the virtual world is partitioned into a set of regions and sub-regions using a hierarchical spatial data structure, wherein the regions and sub-regions are arranged according to a hierarchy, each sub-region being encompassed by a higher-level sub-region or region, and two or more highest-level sub-regions being encompassed by a region created by the hierarchical spatial data structure; b) obtaining a rank of the user within a region or sub-region encompassing the smallest sub-region to which the user's location was assigned, wherein the rank is determined using one or more statistics associated with the user, wherein the size of the sub-regions or regions created by the hierarchical spatial data structure are established based on population density for the region or sub-region, and wherein a region or sub-region is subdivided if the population density of the region or sub-region is above a threshold. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising partitioning the world into the set of regions and sub-regions with the computer system using the hierarchical spatial data structure. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying, storing, or transmitting the rank obtained in b) with the computer system. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the location of the user is determined by a global positioning system (GPS) in the computer system. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the computer system is a computer game system. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the one or more statistics associated with the user include a number of computer game trophies earned. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the one or more statistics associated with the user include a number of levels completed by the user for a particular game title. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the one or more statistics associated with the user include a high score earned by the user for a particular game title. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the hierarchical spatial data structure is a geodesic grid, a quad tree, or an R-tree. ### Claim 10 A system for implementing a location-based leaderboard, comprising: a processor; a memory; and computer coded instructions embodied in the memory and executable by the processor, wherein the computer coded instructions are configured to execute a method for implementing a location-based leaderboard, comprising: a) associating a location of a user of the computer system in a virtual world to a smallest sub-region of the virtual world with the computer system, wherein the virtual world is partitioned into a set of regions and sub-regions using a hierarchical spatial data structure, wherein the regions and sub-regions are arranged according to a hierarchy, each sub-region being encompassed by a higher-level sub-region or region, and two or more highest-level sub-regions being encompassed by a region created by the hierarchical spatial data structure; b) obtaining a rank of the user within a region or sub-region encompassing the smallest sub-region to which the user's location was assigned, wherein the rank is determined using one or more statistics associated with the user, wherein the size of the sub-regions or regions created by the hierarchical spatial data structure are established based on population density for the region or sub-region, and wherein a region or sub-region is subdivided if the population density of the region or sub-region is above a threshold. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the computer-coded instruction further comprise instructions for partitioning the world into the set of regions and sub-regions with the computer system using the hierarchical spatial data structure. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the computer-coded instruction further comprise instructions for displaying, storing, or transmitting the rank obtained in b). ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, further comprising a geo-location device coupled to the processor. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the system is a computer game system. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more statistics associated with the user include a number of computer game trophies earned. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more statistics associated with the user include a number of levels completed by the user for a particular game title. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more statistics associated with the user include a high score earned by the user for a particular game title. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the hierarchical spatial data structure is a geodesic grid, a quad tree, or an R-tree. ### Claim 19 A computer program product comprising: a non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied in said medium for implementing a location-based leaderboard, said computer program product having: a) associating a location of a user of the computer system in a virtual world to a smallest sub-region of the virtual world with the computer system, wherein the virtual world is partitioned into a set of regions and sub-regions using a hierarchical spatial data structure, wherein the regions and sub-regions are arranged according to a hierarchy, each sub-region being encompassed by a higher-level sub-region or region, and two or more highest-level sub-regions being encompassed by a region created by the hierarchical spatial data structure; b) obtaining a rank of the user within a region or sub-region encompassing the smallest sub-region to which the user's location was assigned, wherein the rank is determined using one or more statistics associated with the user, wherein the size of the sub-regions or regions created by the hierarchical spatial data structure are established based on population density for the region or sub-region, and wherein a region or sub-region is subdivided if the population density of the region or sub-region is above a threshold. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the hierarchical spatial data structure is a geodesic grid. ### Claim 21 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the hierarchical spatial data structure is a geodesic grid.