U.S. Pat. No. 10,086,287

In the Figures, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the different views. All callouts and annotations are hereby incorporated by this reference as if fully set forth herein.

FURTHER DESCRIPTION

A scenario is established between a Gameco and one or more participants via computing devices in signal communication and MOTIVATOR who seek to utilize the online system as a mechanism to drive off-line activity. A MOTIVATOR may be the participant, a parent, friend, spouse, teacher, school, employer or the like who are promoting or supporting participants' positive, good and/or healthy choices and actions. In some instances a MOTIVATOR may be a commercial entity, a medical or health entity, a governmental entity that is subsidizing or sponsoring good choice activities and healthy positive actions.

Real world actions are actions beyond touching a keyboard, or mouse or touch screen to “surf” or use a computing device or interface to interact with websites or apps. Real world actions mean going somewhere and doing something physical that is not simply interacting with a computing device. However, part of the real world action may include using the computing device to receive notices, to authenticate and verify the activity or a part thereof.

In some exemplary implementations the off-line activity includes behaviors such as traveling to a particular location. Behavior or action may be required or desired within a particular time frame. In some instances the virtual world reward (or value) associated with a behavior by the participant may be fixed. In some instances the virtual world reward (or value) associated with a behavior by the participant may be dynamic and change as a function of thresholds set by MOTIVATOR or Gameco servers and the like. The commercial value to Gameco may in some instances be generally approximated by the difference between the online purchases of upgrades by participants who do not participate in off-line behavior to ear virtual world benefits versus those who do. The commercial value to Gameco may in some instances be generally approximated by the difference between the online purchases of upgrades by participants who do not participate in off-line behavior to earn virtual world benefits versus those who do plus advertising/marketing fees paid to Gameco for leveraging its infrastructure to drive behavior of participants. The commercial value to Gameco may in some instances be generally approximated by the difference between the online purchases of upgrades by participants who do not participate in off-line behavior to earn virtual world benefits versus those who do plus subsidies paid by MOTIVATOR to Gameco for the virtual benefits it distributes to drive behavior for MOTIVATOR.

Off-line activities may also be dynamic such as real world actions. Real world actions refer generally to actions that a participant completes in a non-virtual world environment and without interacting directly with the Gameco servers. Participant actions while interacting with the Gameco servers even the result of physical acts by the participant are not the non-virtual world actions referred to herein.

Gameco derives revenue by linking one or more funding sources to its servers wherein actions or goals obtained by participants which earn participants rewards are paid for by such sources.

Gameco also obtains a positive impressions in the society by actively offering opportunities to have participants spend some amount of time in a non-virtual world

At a simplified level aspects of the system and method disclosed herein include utilizing hardware referred to as computing or smart devices which may include internet streaming systems, gaming system, desktop computers, laptops, tablets, smart phones, televisions to acquire, receive, measure or otherwise capture and then transmit via signal communication data associated with an participants.

It is appreciated by those skilled in the art that some of the circuits, components, modules, and/or devices of the system disclosed in the present application are described as being in signal communication with each other, where signal communication refers to any type of communication and/or connection between the circuits, components, modules, and/or devices that allows a circuit, component, module, and/or device to pass and/or receive signals and/or information from another circuit, component, module, and/or device. The communication and/or connection may be along any signal path between the circuits, components, modules, and/or devices that allows signals and/or information to pass from one circuit, component, module, and/or device to another and includes wireless or wired signal paths. The signal paths may be physical such as, for example, conductive wires, electromagnetic wave guides, attached and/or electromagnetic or mechanically coupled terminals, semi-conductive or dielectric materials or devices, or other similar physical connections or couplings. Additionally, signal paths may be non-physical such as free-space (in the case of electromagnetic propagation) or information paths through digital components where communication information is passed from one circuit, component, module, and/or device to another in varying analog and/or digital formats without passing through a direct electromagnetic connection. These information paths may also include analog-to-digital conversions (“ADC”), digital-to-analog (“DAC”) conversions, data transformations such as, for example, fast Fourier transforms (“FFTs”), time-to-frequency conversations, frequency-to-time conversions, database mapping, signal processing steps, coding, modulations, demodulations, etc.

FIG. 1shows a participant10who may use one or more computing devices12(computer system)14(smart phone/tablet/handheld internet connected device) and17wearable device in signal communication with a computing device and/or Gameco20and Gameco servers25via a network30. Wearable device may be attached to any part of the body, r clothing and have sensors to monitor some health aspects such as steps, climb, heart rate, location Gameco servers are shown connected to one or more databases40wherein information is stored. Participant sets up an account at Gameco servers.

In a simplified operation Gameco20communicates with at least one MOTIVATOR100visa vie a computing device. Gameco rule and decision engines set-up, schedule, determine, suggest and the like the parameters of MOTIVATORS100desired participant10behavior to achieve benefits in the virtual world for real world actions. MOTIVATOR servers also may provide all or some of their stored data it has in its database102on participant such as grades, turning in homework, going to a gym, medical measurements, food choice, compliance with health or medical needs whereby Gameco servers develop or record threshold levels of real world activity or types of activity participant needs to accomplish to earn virtual rewards. The actives may be very specific and targeted to even a single participant based on the goals set. One or more of the participant, MOTIVATOR and Gameco determine the desired activities and thresholds. A funding source, which may utilize a computing device (CD)125provides Gameco servers a for of payment such as bit coin, currency, debit card, credit card or linked bank account135to pay for or subsidize earned virtual reward.

Visa vie an application installed on the participants computing device, linked device or interaction of the participant via a computing device with Gameco website and servers, the participant receives notifications or reminders of activities he/she can perform in the real world to earn virtual world benefits. The activities may be geo-linked wherein if participant is at the gym, or a restaurant school he/she may receive a notification of activities he/she can act upon that are specific to the school, or home, or work environment.

The participant may also chose to check in via his/her computing device at a location such as school, work or gym wherein he/she is providing Gameco servers data on actions or requesting that the location servers provide the data whereby Gameco servers are advised of the identity of the participant engaged in the activity. At school, and for graded work or test results school computerized grade systems such as EDLINE™ and AERIES™ can be linked via parent to Gameco to compare result and threshold. If a threshold is met then a reward may be given. Parent can set account with funds to pay for reward if the servers/system establishes threshold met. In some instances funding may be subsidized by school or work or via advertiser. For children parents computing device may be a verification server/system.

The participant, when acting in the real world210, can meet threshold levels of activity or actions to earn benefits and virtual world rewards. Activities include exercise212, health food choices214, medication compliance216, chores218, the activities may be school related230and include grade or test or performance reports232at a threshold level, or kind acts (as reported or observed)234, or turning in home work on time236or things like reading a book238. Other actions or activities may be an employee at work240, wherein the employee (participant) is on time, or does a good job and instead of getting an employee of the week button he/she will receive a virtual reward which may also be subsidized or paid for by the employer.

Activities of the participant is reported to Gameco servers via a reporting server300via a network. If Gameco servers determine that participants activities have met the threshold level then Gameco can verify the funding/payment and notify participant of the obtainment of a virtual reward.

It is preferred that the participant is authenticated to Gameco servers when he/she acts to provide participant a virtual world benefit for the behavior. A non-exclusive list of authentication means include, voice recognition at a location via a server. Facial recognition. Other biometric authentication. Geolocation via participant computing device.

Data collection devices can verify participant actions to Gameco servers.

FIGS. 2 and 3A-3Bare diagrams showing aspects of several methods and systems disclosed herein including process steps, decisioning and modules for interaction, notification, identification, and verification.

Participant10interacts with Gameco servers via the interaction (or communication) module500. Via the interactions with Gameco servers25, participant visa vie a computing device will receive notifications (from the Notice module600) of opportunities to earn virtual rewards via behavior in the real world. Opportunities may be dynamic and changing based on a location of participant or a set of criteria regarding choices, actions and the like participant or MOTIVATOR seeks to encourage. A participant will then decide whether or not to act700. At this juncture, a participant may be identified via an ID module800or via a pre-verification module835. If identified without pre-verification then Gameco servers perform an additional step to verify the participant via a verification module902.

Once a participant has decided to act on an opportunity to make a good/health choice or perform a pre-defined activity, or achieve a goal designated by (or the result of preferences set up) by MOTIVATOR, Gameco servers or the participant Gameco rule and/or decision engines will determine if a threshold level associated with the action or choice was met1000and if additional actions or choice are available to participant to achieve further rewards at that time1010. Gameco servers then assign rewards1015or advise if other rewards are possible then Gameco servers may contact one of participant computing device, MOTIVATOR computing device or a place computing device1020.

FIG. 3A-3Bis an overview of aspects of methods disclosed herein. Through an interact module500a participant either with a computing device having a application (software) installed502communicates through a network30with Gameco servers, or the participant through a computing device interacts through a network30with a website to Gameco servers505. Through interactions with at least one of the application and website the participant, or a designee populates data about goals, choices, activities that the participant (or designee) has identified as real world action the participant should or desires to achieve to earn virtual benefits in the virtual world set up via Gameco's virtual world and economic infrastructure. Designees may be peers, teachers, relatives, spouse, employer and the like. A designee must be designated by or accepted as a designee by, participant. A designee may be a MOTIVATOR and/or a funding source. The overview of the relationships is one of person or entity seeking to motivate or urge certain behavior or choice which are selected or estimated to be positive and beneficial to the development of happiness of participant in the real world by allowing the participant to earn virtual world benefits and rewards through such actions and choice. However, participant needs to be identified to align earned rewards with persons and the activity needs to be quantified to be able to decision if goals or threshold levels have been met. Quantification and reporting of actions and choice may be via third parties using computing devices that can report to Gameco servers, via participants computing device, via data collection device near, wearable, implanted or connected to participant. In some instances reporting may be via a third party computing device such as a teachers input of grades or homework records in a grade and homework database which can be authorized to provided data about participant's performance.

Via a notice module600participant is reminded of, and/or urged to act or chose well605. Choice notifications may include threshold levels610, may include notice of available opportunity to third party/MOTIVATOR for participant615, and may direct participant to log in window (choice)620.

Next participant decides to act or not act700.

If the decision to act/chose is made and participant acts/choses to agglomerate data of participants action or choice an ID module may be utilized800. Participant via computing device may interacts with servers at a place (such as school, home, restaurant, gym) or a computing device or server of MOTIVATOR (teacher, parent and employer for example) to identify the participant805. The following non-exclusive list of identification means may be used in multiples and need not be solo. Identification may be via participant's computing device or data collection peripheral17(glasses, wristband, watch, sensor, monitor and the like) having a wireless short range signal communication. The data collection peripheral or the computing device may use an identification code or handshake to additional data collection servers810. Authenticated or approved third party servers may identify participant815. Participant may present voice, image or other biometric to place servers820to establish participants identification. Participant may captures a code/identifier via optical, auditory or near field communication at place on his/her computing device825or data collection device17. The above computing devices being capable of being in signal communication with other computing devices including Gameco servers900.

If the decision to act/choice is made and participant acts/chooses to agglomerate data of participant's actions or choices a Pre-verification module may be utilized835. For example health data collection devices either on participant or which can identify participant and agglomerate data about participant actions (for example heart rate, blood pressure, blood sugar, breath, excretion, breathing, food choices, exercise and the like) collects data and/or choices840. Third party servers may receive records from a teacher, employer, parent and the like which are a measure of performance845. Third party servers may collect data, such as food choices, exercise and the like850. The collected data about participant is transmitted990via computing device through a network to Gameco servers25.

Gameco servers25determine if a threshold for an activity or choice is met1000and if “no” may advises participant of additional metrics which need to be met to achieve threshold. If threshold is met the servers may decision if additional rewards are possible at that time1010. If “yes” then Gameco servers assign award and may also notify one or more of participant, designee, MOTIVATOR of award achievement1015. If additional opportunities for awards of virtual world benefits from more real world activities or choices exist for participant they may be notified of same1020. In some instances an opportunity may be local, time constrained, activity or choice limited, date constrained or they may be cumulative.

It will be understood that various aspects or details of the invention may be changed without departing from the scope of the invention. It is not exhaustive and does not limit the claimed inventions to the precise form disclosed. Furthermore, the foregoing description is for the purpose of illustration only, and not for the purpose of limitation. Modifications and variations are possible in light of the above description or may be acquired from practicing the invention. The claims and their equivalents define the scope of the invention.