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Method and system for location based game services for wireless devicesRelated Patent Categories: Games Using Tangible Projectile, GolfMethod and system for location based game services for wireless devices description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070060408, Method and system for location based game services for wireless devices. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] This invention relates generally to location enabled wireless devices, and more particularly to a method and system for enhancing game services using a location enabled wireless device. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] Most golf enthusiasts take cellular phones with them on the golf course for communication purposes and many of these cellular phones include location capabilities. This combination of technologies enables applications that have specific appeal and practical use to the golfers, some of which have not been contemplated before in the context of enhancing a golfer's skill level or their level of entertainment. [0003] Golf video games, such as Tiger Woods Golf, do not have application for a golfer while the golfer is playing an actual round of golf. GPS location devices that measure distance, particularly current GPS location devices used in cellular phones do not interact with other golfers or other types of competitors or provide other benefits as further contemplated below. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0004] Embodiments in accordance with the present invention can use a wireless communication device such as a cell phone to mark a location of each golf shot or other competitive article and can further combine such information with stored information about the golf course or other game course itself to enable features that can place a competitor such as a golfer into a virtual setting where shots can be played back at a later time, or in conjunction with other competitors or golfers doing the same. Embodiments can provide features that include replay, statistics, highlights, tournament play, and league capabilities that rely on the ability to locate the ball, store the information, and retrieve it, and do the same with information from other selected wireless devices that have similar capabilities. Although the embodiments are primarily directed to the game of golf, other games or skills where location marking can play an important role such as hunting, running, biking, swimming, skiing, race car driving, or fishing might also benefit from use of several of the broader embodiments as claimed herein. [0005] In several embodiments, such equipped golfers or other competitors can compete against one another while separated by distance and/or time, and still be able to experience each other's shots or positions by graphical rendering of their results on each other's wireless devices. A wireless device so enabled can also allow for virtual spectators to view ongoing rounds of other golfers or competitors and can produce a collection of data that golfers or other competitors can use to view, analyze and improve their results without the need for creating real-time video recordings. [0006] In a first embodiment of the present invention, a wireless communication device can include a transceiver (such as a cellular wireless transceiver) for wireless communication among a plurality of devices, a satellite position system (SPS) receiver such as a global positioning system (GPS) receiver or other wireless positioning device coupled to the transceiver, a display, and a processor coupled to the transceiver, satellite position receiver or wireless positioning device, and the display. The processor can be programmed to store a map of a game course, mark positions relative to the game course, and transmit and receive information derived from the marked positions to and from a selected number of devices among the plurality of devices. The map can be a map of a predetermined golf course and the positions marked relative to the game course are marked positions for a golf ball location being played where the stored information about the golf ball location and game course can be used to render a perspective image on the display that represents a golfer in a position facing a heading based on a subsequently stored location of the golf ball location. A golf swing can be animated followed by the golf ball traveling on an appropriate trajectory to land at an actual recorded destination. The golf swing can be animated at either a conclusion of each golf swing and marking of the golf location or on demand as a replay of the golf swing. [0007] The processor can transmit shot information as it is recorded to the selected number of devices among the plurality of devices players participating in a virtual game and enable the selected number of devices to receive the shot information and render a played shot in substantially real-time or on demand. The users of such wireless devices can select among a particular golfer and a particular hole to observe. The users can use a variety of playback options based on stored shot locations among player, course, hole, perspective, or speed. In one aspect, a virtual tournament among users of the wireless communication device and the selected number of devices among the plurality of devices can be maintained. The display can render a scoreboard or a leader board based on a progress of users among the wireless communication device and the selected number of devices among the plurality of devices. Scores can be maintained for each participant in the virtual tournament and can be programmed to perform the function of maintaining among league statistics, season statistics, and rankings among others. The wireless communication device can also notify the user when a ranking has change among the participants. The wireless device can also be programmed to prohibit distance calculation or prohibiting providing other golfing advice when the wireless communication device receives a predetermined signal over-the-air. This can be useful during a real tournament to maintain a level playing field. Notwithstanding, the wireless communication device during the virtual tournament can provide a variety of competition options that relies on previously stored data. The competition options can include randomly selecting from all of the same type (e.g. tee, fairway, sand, green, etc.) of shots stored for each hole and rendering them in sequence until it results in the ball in the hole or selecting the best stored shot of the appropriate type and rendering them in sequence until it results in the ball in the hole. In either case, a score can be tallied and the process repeated for each subsequent hole. As noted above, such embodiments are not just limited to golf. Other sports or games can be tracked and animated (including their respective game fields, maps, or courses) as to their pertinent statistics to provide a similar virtual environment as described above. [0008] In a second embodiment of the present invention, a virtual golf gaming device can include a transceiver for wireless communication among a plurality of wireless devices, a global positioning receiver or other wireless positioning device coupled to the transceiver, a display, and a processor coupled to the transceiver, the global positioning receiver or the wireless positioning device, and the display. The term "coupled" as used herein can include physical attachments as well as two or more components being in wireless communication with one another. The processor can be programmed to store a map of at least one golf course including a plurality of locations for golf tees and golf holes, mark positions of a golf ball as it is being played relative to the map of the at least one golf course using the global positioning receiver or the wireless positioning device, and transmit and receive information derived from the marked positions to and from a selected number of wireless devices among the plurality of wireless devices. The stored information about the marked positions of the golf ball and the map of the at least one golf course can be used render a perspective image on the display that represents a golfer in a position facing a heading based on a subsequently stored location the marked position of the golf ball. Note, the plurality of the locations for golf tees and golf holes can be pre-stored as part of the map or updated over-the-air as an update to the map. [0009] Note, embodiments of in accordance with the present invention can vary based on a racing scenario (e.g. bikes, cars) as opposed to a point-to-point scenario (e.g. hunting, golf). In the racing scenario, the location or positioning device can be fixed while the racer goes past the location or positioning device. The stationary location or position device can transmit the event to the wireless device, as opposed to determining location based on the location of the wireless device itself. (For example, if the phone is controlling a radio controlled car, the phone position has nothing to do with the race car's movement along the track). In the racing scenario, a time that is either absolute or an interval from a previous recorded time can be recorded and stored in conjunction with the position reached at that time. The use of time information can be used for rendering racing results for the purposes of rendering each racer relative to other racers on the course, and for interpolating the speed at which the virtual car can be rendered along the virtual track. [0010] Other embodiments, when configured in accordance with the inventive arrangements disclosed herein, can include a system for performing and a machine readable storage for causing a machine to perform the various processes and methods disclosed herein. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0011] FIG. 1 is block diagram of a wireless communication system and device used for virtual gaming in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. [0012] FIG. 2 is an illustration of how the wireless communication device can be used in a golf course environment in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention [0013] FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating a method of using a virtual gaming device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. [0014] FIG. 4 is a graphic illustration representative of what can be presented on a display of a wireless communication device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. [0015] FIG. 5 is flow chart illustrating another method of using a virtual gaming device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0016] While the specification concludes with claims defining the features of embodiments of the invention that are regarded as novel, it is believed that the invention will be better understood from a consideration of the following description in conjunction with the figures, in which like reference numerals are carried forward. [0017] There are quite a surprising variety of golfing tools, but none have fully utilized the capabilities of today's wireless devices in a manner that can enable the playback of stored or in-progress shots on a user's and other participants' (players or viewers (spectators)) wireless devices. Embodiments herein can enable golfers or other types of competitors at distant locations to participate real-time in a "virtual tournament" and view each others shots or positions or times substantially as they occur. [0018] Referring to FIG. 1, a wireless communication system 100 is shown including a SPS satellite 116, a ground based communication system 114 (such as a cellular base station), and a wireless communication device 101 that can operate in accordance with the various methods (300, 500) described herein. The wireless communication device 101 can include a transceiver 102 (such as a cellular wireless transceiver) for wireless communication among a plurality of devices, a satellite position system (SPS) receiver 104 such as a global positioning system (GPS) receiver coupled to the transceiver, a display 106, and a processor 114 coupled to the transceiver 102, satellite position receiver 104, and the display 106. The processor 114 can be programmed to store a map (see 200 and 400 in FIGS. 2 and 4) of a game course, mark positions relative to the game course, and transmit and receive information derived from the marked positions to and from a selected number of devices among the plurality of devices. The map can be a map of a predetermined golf course and the positions marked relative to the game course are marked positions for a golf ball location being played where the stored information about the golf ball location and game course can be used to render a perspective image 400 (as shown in FIG. 4) on the display 106 that represents a golfer in a position facing a heading based on a subsequently stored location of the golf ball location. Note, the map can just as easily represent a terrain for cross-country skiing, biking, or running, a (car, horse, dog, etc.) race track, a swimming course with buoys, or practically any other type of map representing a game or competitive environment. A golf swing (or other competitive action) can be animated followed by the golf ball (or other game article) traveling on an appropriate trajectory (or path) to land at an actual recorded destination. The golf swing can be animated at either a conclusion of each golf swing and marking of the golf location or on demand as a replay of the golf swing. For racing or other timed games or events, the action can be rendered as each player or competitor reaches one of the course interval locations (such as a start or finish line or other point along a course). [0019] Note, the radio transceiver 102 and the SPS receiver 104 can be part of a device 101 such as a lap top or a cellular phone or any other electronic device including such communication elements. Although an SPS or GPS receiver is use as a prime example for location determination, it should be understood that the device 101 in accordance with the embodiments herein can use any kind of wireless positioning device including short-range wireless location determination devices that do not necessarily provide an absolute X, Y, or Z coordinate of the item being tracked. The wireless positioning device can even be as simple as a receiver for receiving a beacon signal that confirms that an item being tracked reached a given position such as a remote control or actual race car that reaches a particular position on a track or course. The electronic device 101 can further include, a memory 108 including one or more storage elements (e.g., Static Random Access Memory, Dynamic RAM, Read Only Memory, etc.), an optional audio system 110 for conveying audible signals (e.g., voice messages, music, ring tones, haptics, golf club swing and hit sound effects, etc.) to the user of the device, a conventional power supply 112 for powering the components of the device, as well as the processor 114 which can include one or more conventional microprocessors and/or digital signal processors (DSPs) for controlling operations of the foregoing components. Continue reading about Method and system for location based game services for wireless devices... 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