U.S. patent application number 11/958343 was filed with the patent office on 2008-08-28 for interactive puzzle game over a portable device.
This patent application is currently assigned to UBIQUITY HOLDINGS. Invention is credited to Kenneth S. Bailey, Christopher Carmichael.
Application Number | 20080207318 11/958343 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39716529 |
Filed Date | 2008-08-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080207318 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Bailey; Kenneth S. ; et
al. |
August 28, 2008 |
Interactive Puzzle Game over a Portable Device
Abstract
A game which divides an image into multiple parts, sends the
multiple parts to multiple users, and allows the users to make
"guesses" about what the image represents. The user or user groups
who guesses what the image is really showing wins a prize.
Inventors: |
Bailey; Kenneth S.; (San
Jose, CA) ; Carmichael; Christopher; (Laguna Beach,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Law Office of Scott C Harris Inc
PO Box 1389
Rancho Santa Fe
CA
92067
US
|
Assignee: |
UBIQUITY HOLDINGS
San Juan Capistrano
CA
|
Family ID: |
39716529 |
Appl. No.: |
11/958343 |
Filed: |
December 17, 2007 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60876376 |
Dec 20, 2006 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
463/31 ;
463/41 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63F 9/24 20130101; A63F
13/332 20140902; A63F 2300/5566 20130101; A63F 13/61 20140902; A63F
13/80 20140902; A63F 13/12 20130101; A63F 9/0803 20130101; A63F
13/31 20140902; A63F 9/0613 20130101; A63F 13/795 20140902; A63F
2300/406 20130101; A63F 2300/8064 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
463/31 ;
463/41 |
International
Class: |
A63F 9/24 20060101
A63F009/24 |
Claims
1. A method, comprising: Hosting a game by obtaining an image, and
dividing said image into multiple different parts, responsive to a
request from a user, sending one of said parts to the user, and
receiving, from the user, information indicative of the users guess
at what the different pieces of the image represent, wherein said
guests is compared with the correct information, to determine if
said guess is a correct guess, and awarding a prize for a correct
guess.
2. A method as in claim 1, wherein said dividing an image comprises
dividing the image into at least 25 different parts, and sending
said parts only responsive to said request.
3. A method as in claim 2, wherein said dividing comprises dividing
the image into parts, and where said part each have a different
shape than a shape of a cellular phone display.
4. A method as in claim 2, further comprising allowing entry of an
indication that multiple users working together have made the
correct guess, and automatically dividing a prize obtained from the
correct guess.
5. A system, comprising: a computer which obtains an image of a
recognizable thing, and divides said image into a plurality of
separated image parts, and sends said plurality of separated image
parts responsive to requests, wherein each request receives a
single image part, said computer sending said image parts over a
cellular network such that said image parts can be displayed on
displays of cellular telephones, said computer receiving a response
from one of the cellular telephones indicating a name that the
picture represents, comparing said name to an actual name of the
picture, and awarding a prize when the name that is guest by said
one of said cellular phones is correct.
6. A system as in claim 5, wherein said computer divides said image
into at least 20 different parts.
7. A system as in claim 5, wherein said computer divides only parts
of said image, and sends said only parts.
8. A system as in claim 5, wherein said computer divides said image
into division portions that are different than a shape of the
cellular display.
9. A method, comprising: requesting, from a cellular phone, a
portion of an image of an overall image; forming a team between
multiple cellular phone users, and analyzing multiple portions of
the overall image among said users; and making a guess from said
team of cellular users, said guess representing the contents of
said image.
10. A method as in claim 9, further comprising awarding a prize for
a proper guess, and automatically dividing said prize among said
team.
11. A method as in claim 9, wherein said requesting requires
payment of a fee to obtain said portion.
12. A method as in claim 9, wherein said requesting requires
viewing an advertisement to obtain said portion.
Description
[0001] The present application claims priority from Provisional
application No. 60/876,376 filed 12-20-2006, the disclosure of
which is herewith incorporated by reference herein.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Games can be played at over networks such as the Internet.
In fact, many subscription games, such as World of Warcraft, have
become immensely popular and profitable for their developers. Games
can use luck, strategy, skill, diplomacy, and anything else the
user can do.
[0003] While many games are available, the games that can be played
over a mobile network are much more limited. Cell phones and other
such devices often have limited processing power. In addition, the
display of a cell phone has small amounts of definition/resolution,
and cannot display three-dimensional information.
SUMMARY
[0004] An embodiment describes an interactive game played
interactively among numerous cellular phone users. The game is
intended for use with a limited-capability display, such as a cell
phone display. In fact, the embodiment uses a game that relies on
the limited quality of the display.
[0005] Another aspect describes a way of obtaining compensation to
the game owner.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] In the Drawings:
[0007] FIG. 1 illustrates how the image in the game is formed;
[0008] FIG. 2 illustrates a view from certain player perspectives;
and
[0009] FIG. 3 illustrates the game being played over the cellular
network.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0010] The game is illustrated with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1
shows a picture, here a picture of a recognizable character such as
Britney Spears. The overall picture is broken into multiple
separated parts.
[0011] The user of the cellular phone does not know who is being
depicted and the object of the game is to make that determination.
In the embodiment, the game is played interactively among several
cellular telephone users. FIG. 2 shows the part of the image that
may be produced and FIG. 3 illustrates images that may be seen by
six different players for example.
[0012] Player one has telephone 300, and gets only a very small
piece of the image, for example the piece of the image shown as
part 200 in FIG. 2.
[0013] Player two has telephone 302 which receives part 202 in the
game.
[0014] The object of the game is to find what the image shows,
using several cellular telephone customers. These customers need to
be together in a large group or communicate with one another in
order to see enough of the image to determine what the picture
represents.
[0015] In many ways, this is like looking at an object through some
kind of periodic grate, such as a clenched fist or a wire mesh. You
can see parts of the object but typically cannot see the whole
object. In the embodiment, the players may be able to each see a
very small part of the image, but not the whole thing.
[0016] As shown in FIG. 2, the system sends contiguous parts of the
images to the multiple players. Therefore, when several players
hold their telephones next to each other in the proper manner, they
will be able to solve the puzzle. The system may randomly send the
next direction of contiguous image piece, or may send pieces in
some order.
[0017] The game sponsor uses image capture equipment that allows
partitioning the image into enough pieces such that a single piece
or small group of pieces does not necessarily give away the result.
FIG. 1 illustrates the image being divided into 43 different
images. However, the embodiment contemplates that 25 people might
be a good number of people to need in solving the game. If 25
players solve the puzzle together, then the price could be divided
into 25 equal parts, one for each of the participants. The system
also includes a technique of allowing informing the system that
many people are working together to obtain the proper guess. In
that way, this system can automatically divide the prize among the
partners, should a proper guess be obtained from a group of people.
For example, users can register as co-prize recipients.
[0018] According to another embodiment, even though the display on
the cellular phone is rectangular, the pieces of the puzzle which
are provided to the cellular phone for display are round. This may
make it even more difficult to solve the puzzle, but may still
maintain the interest of the users.
[0019] FIG. 3, as previously discussed, shows a number of cellular
phones, each being connected to the cellular carrier shown here as
350. The cellular carrier stores the image 100, broken up into its
different parts.
[0020] In an embodiment, the cellular telephone carrier may charge
for entering the game, and provide a prize to those who solve the
puzzle. Playing the game may provide a different part of the
picture at each of a number of different times. The rewards that
can be provided for winning the game can be any of a number of
different rewards.
[0021] Another embodiment may use advertising revenues, to finance
the game or game pieces. When users can play for free, they may be
more likely to play the game and tried to find others to help them
get together and win the game.
[0022] A random number generator 352 may randomly select one of the
different image parts and send it to any cellular phone that
requests a piece of the image, either after payment for after
reviewing an advertisement.
[0023] The general structure and techniques, and more specific
embodiments which can be used to effect different ways of carrying
out the more general goals are described herein.
[0024] Although only a few embodiments have been disclosed in
detail above, other embodiments are possible and the inventors
intend these to be encompassed within this specification. The
specification describes specific examples to accomplish a more
general goal that may be accomplished in another way. This
disclosure is intended to be exemplary, and the claims are intended
to cover any modification or alternative which might be predictable
to a person having ordinary skill in the art. For example, other
techniques of determining the delta CT beyond real time PCR can be
used, and other cell counting techniques can be used.
[0025] Also, the inventors intend that only those claims which use
the words "means for" are intended to be interpreted under 35 USC
112, sixth paragraph. Moreover, no limitations from the
specification are intended to be read into any claims, unless those
limitations are expressly included in the claims.
[0026] The operations and/or flowcharts described herein may be
carried out on a computer, or manually. If carried out on a
computer, the computer may be any kind of computer, either general
purpose, or some specific purpose computer such as a workstation.
The computer may be an Intel (e.g., Pentium or Core 2 duo) or AMD
based computer, running Windows XP or Linux, or may be a Macintosh
computer. The computer may also be a handheld computer, such as a
PDA, cellphone, or laptop. Moreover, the method steps and
operations described herein can be carried out on a dedicated
machine that does these functions.
[0027] The programs may be written in C or Python, or Java, Brew or
any other programming language. The programs may be resident on a
storage medium, e.g., magnetic or optical, e.g. the computer hard
drive, a removable disk or media such as a memory stick or SD
media, wired or wireless network based or Bluetooth based Network
Attached Storage (NAS), or other removable medium or other
removable medium. The programs may also be run over a network, for
example, with a server or other machine sending signals to the
local machine, which allows the local machine to carry out the
operations described herein.
[0028] Where a specific numerical value is mentioned herein, it
should be considered that the value may be increased or decreased
by 20%, while still staying within the teachings of the present
application, unless some different range is specifically mentioned.
Where a specified logical sense is used, the opposite logical sense
is also intended to be encompassed.
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