U.S. Patent no. 9,555,334: System and method for managing virtual worlds mapped to real locations in a mobile-enabled massively multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG)

Issued January 31, 2017 to Qualcomm Inc.
Priority Date December 13, 2006

Summary:
U.S. Patent No. 9,555,334 (the ‘334 Patent) relates to wireless communications on a mobile device for interacting with the virtual world in an MMORPG. MMORPGs are games designed to be played by a large number of people at once. In these games players can customize their character’s appearance and attributes. In these MMORPG video games players are able to interact with other players to advance their progress as well as engage in social and other events in the game world. MMORPGs exist in a persistent state where the game world is always active and other players are constantly playing the game. These games also typically feature Player versus Player as well as Player vs. Environment mode which allows players to play in either multiplayer or single player settings. The ‘334 Patent provides a method and apparatus for MMORPG players to access an aspect of the gameplay while using a mobile device. The wireless device runs a mobile version of the MMORPG server which would support at least one game mode available in the full version of the game. This system could also support location based gaming. The invention allows for new gameplay opportunities previously not possible before the advent of mobile gaming.

Abstract:
Apparatus and methods provide a player of a massively multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG) to participate in at least one aspect of the MMORPG while using a wireless device. The wireless device executes a mobile MMORPG client, which interfaces with the game server(s) of the MMORPG via a mobile MMORPG server. A location based gaming mode for use with the wireless device is disclosed.

Illustrative Claim:
1. A method for location based gaming in a massively multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG) supporting a virtual world, comprising: administrating, via a game server, a travel task portion of a quest by a player character in said MMORPG, said travel task portion requiring said player character to travel from a virtual world location A to a virtual world location B, said administrating comprising: receiving a real world location in a real world of a player of said player character; mapping, based on said real world location of said player a real world location A′ corresponding to said virtual world location A, a real world location B′ corresponding to said virtual world location B, wherein said real world locations A′ and B′ satisfy one or more distance criteria associated with said quest, wherein the mapping selects the real world location B′ for mapping to said virtual world location B based at least in part upon the real world location B′ being a point-of-interest for the player in the real world; monitoring said real world location of said player until said real world location of said player corresponds to said real world location A′; notifying said MMORPG that said player has reached the real world location A′; monitoring said real world location of said player until said real world location of said player corresponds to said real world location B′; notifying said MMORPG that said player has reached the real world location B′; and advancing the player character directly from the virtual world location A to the virtual world location B after said MMORPG is notified that said player has reached the real world location B′.