Parallel Reality Game System Linking Real-World Landmarks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current location-based gaming systems do not effectively integrate real-world activities and virtual environments, lacking a parallel virtual world that mirrors real-world geography, which limits player interaction and engagement.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method and system that creates a parallel reality game with a virtual world geography matching real-world locations, using GPS and sensor data to link real-world landmarks with virtual elements, encouraging players to navigate and interact in the real world while providing incentives for commercial and data collection activities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If location-based games use real world geography with virtual locations on a map, then players can navigate the virtual world by navigating the real world, but the games typically focus only on real world objectives and lack a parallel virtual world environment for player interaction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a parallel virtual world dimension that overlays and corresponds to the real world geography. This creates a two-layer system where players simultaneously exist in both the real world and a virtual parallel reality, allowing interactions in the virtual dimension while physically navigating the real world. This dimensional addition resolves the contradiction by providing virtual world functionality without abandoning real world objectives.
Solution Approach 2:
The game system is designed to support multiple types of objectives and interactions within a single unified framework. The parallel virtual world can host various game modes, social interactions, and objectives while the real world navigation provides the foundational layer. This multi-functional design allows the system to accommodate both real world-focused activities and virtual world exploration without requiring separate systems.
2Loss of information
If virtual elements are placed in the same location in the virtual world as real world objects, then players notice features in the real world they would normally ignore, but this requires precise geographic alignment and coordination between virtual and real locations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates virtual copies or representations of real world locations, landmarks, and features within the parallel virtual world. These virtual elements mirror their real world counterparts in position and characteristics, allowing players to discover and interact with virtual representations while physically visiting the corresponding real world locations. This copying approach ensures geographic alignment without requiring perfect precision, as the virtual elements can be approximate representations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides feedback to players when they approach or arrive at locations where virtual elements correspond to real world features. This feedback mechanism guides players to the correct real world locations by notifying them of the virtual elements present, reducing the need for players to manually align virtual and real geographic coordinates with high precision.
3Productivity
If the game provides incentives for players to travel to real world locations, then commercial entities gain exposure and data collection improves, but this requires integration of multiple data sources and coordination between virtual rewards and real world actions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple functional components into a unified game system: virtual world environment, real world location tracking, commercial entity integration, and data collection mechanisms all operate within a single parallel reality framework. This consolidation reduces the complexity that would arise from coordinating separate systems, as the incentive structure naturally connects player actions in the virtual world with real world navigation and data collection.
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically tracks player locations, identifies corresponding virtual elements, and provides appropriate incentives without requiring manual intervention. The integration of GPS data, virtual world state, and reward distribution occurs through automated processes that monitor player movement and trigger appropriate responses, reducing the operational complexity of coordinating virtual rewards with real world actions.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for linking real world activity with a location-based parallel reality experience are provided. In particular, a game server hosting a parallel reality experience receives position data from a client device of a user and determines whether the client device is at a real world landmark associated with a geographic area. Responsive to determining that the client device is at the real world landmark, the game server cause the client device to present content incentivizing the user to travel to a real world location in the geographic area. The game server determines whether the client device is within proximity of the real world location based on sensor data. Responsive to determining that the client device is within proximity of the real world location, the game server causes the client device to display the virtual element at a virtual world location corresponding to the real world location.