Interactive real world gaming supported over internet protocol multimedia subsystem

Abstract

A method is provided for administering an interactive real world game in which a player ( 20 ) is to find a designated target. Suitably, the player ( 20 ) employs mobile user equipment (UE) ( 40 ) to participate in the game, wherein the UE ( 40 ) is served by a wireless access network ( 32 ) providing the UE ( 40 ) access to an Internet Protocol (IP) Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) ( 30 ). The method includes: sending a clue to the UE ( 40 ) via the IMS ( 30 ), the clue hinting at an identity of the designated target; receiving an answer to the clue, the answer being submitted from the UE ( 40 ) via the IMS ( 30 ); and, determining whether the received answer correctly or incorrectly identifies the designated target.

1 . A method for administering an interactive real world game in which a player is to find a designated target, wherein said player employs mobile user equipment (UE) to participate in the game, said UE being served by a wireless access network providing the UE access to an Internet Protocol (IP) Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), said method comprising:
 (a) sending a clue to the UE via the IMS, said clue hinting at an identity of the designated target;   (b) receiving an answer to the clue, said answer being submitted from the UE via the IMS; and,   (c) determining whether the received answer correctly or incorrectly identifies the designated target.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said received answer includes an image obtained by the UE and step (d) comprises:
 analyzing the image included in the received answer to determine whether or not the image included in the received answer depicts the designated target such that if the image included in the received answer is determined to depict the designated target, then the received answer is determined to correctly identify the designated target, otherwise if the image included in the received answer is determined not to depict the designated target, then the received answer is determined to incorrectly identify the designated target.   
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said analyzing comprises:
 comparing the image included in the received answer to a reference image of the designated target such that if the image included in the received answer sufficiently matches the reference image, then the image included in the received answer is determined to depict the designated target, otherwise if the image included in the received answer does not sufficiently match the reference image, then the image included in the received answer is determined to not depict the designated target.   
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 2 , said method further comprising:
 (e) establishing a position of the UE at a selected point in time; and,   (f) determining whether the received answer is valid or invalid based upon the established position of the UE.   
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein step (e) comprises:
 employing a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver provisioned in the UE to establish the position of the UE.   
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein step (f) comprises:
 determining that the received answer is valid if the established position of the UE sufficiently matches an actual location of the designated target, otherwise determining that the received answer is invalid if the established position of the UE does not sufficiently match the actual location of the designated target.   
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the selected point in time is one of a time when the image is obtained by the UE, a time when the answer is received and a time when the answer is submitted by the UE. 
   
   
       8 . A system for administering an interactive real world game in which a player is to find a designated target, wherein said player employs mobile user equipment (UE) to participate in the game, said UE being served by a wireless access network providing the UE access to an Internet Protocol (IP) Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), said system comprising:
 clue supplying means for sending a clue to the UE via the IMS, said clue hinting at an identity of the designated target;   answer receiving means for receiving an answer to the clue, said answer being submitted from the UE via the IMS; and,   answer evaluation means for determining whether the received answer correctly or incorrectly identifies the designated target.   
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein said received answer includes an image obtained by the UE and the answer evaluation means comprises:
 image analysis means for analyzing the image included in the received answer to determine whether or not the image included in the received answer depicts the designated target such that if the image analysis means determines that image included in the received answer does depict the designated target, then the answer evaluation means determines that the received answer correctly identifies the designated target, otherwise if the image analysis means determines that the image included in the received answer does not depict the designated target, then the answer evaluation means determines that the received answer incorrectly identifies the designated target.   
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein said image analysis means is operative to compare the image included in the received answer to a reference image of the designated target such that if the image included in the received answer sufficiently matches the reference image, then the image analysis means determines that the image included in the received answer does depict the designated target, otherwise if the image included in the received answer does not sufficiently match the reference image, then the image analysis means determines that the image included in the received answer does not depict the designated target. 
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 9 , said system further comprising:
 positioning means for establishing a position of the UE at a selected point in time; and,   validation means for determining whether the received answer is valid or invalid based upon the established position of the UE.   
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein said positioning means comprise:
 a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver provisioned in the UE to establish the position of the UE.   
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein said validation means determine that the received answer is valid if the established position of the UE sufficiently matches an actual location of the designated target, otherwise said validation means determine that the received answer is invalid if the established position of the UE does not sufficiently match the actual location of the designated target. 
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the selected point in time is one of a time when the image is obtained by the UE, a time when the answer is received and a time when the answer is submitted by the UE.