Seamless mobility of location-based gaming across virtual and physical worlds

Abstract

A method ( 200, 300 ) of hosting a geocaching game. The method can include interfacing with a geocaching game host ( 106 ) to retrieve geocaching game data ( 108 ) associated with a physical world geocaching game ( 122 ). The method also can include managing association data ( 114 ) that forms a nexus between a virtual world and the geocaching game data, the association data enabling a virtual geocaching game that corresponds to the physical world geocaching game to be hosted in the virtual world. The present invention also relates to a geocaching gaming system ( 100 ) that includes at least one server ( 104 ) that interfaces with a geocaching game host to retrieve geocaching game data associated with a physical world geocaching game, and manages association data that forms a nexus between a virtual world and the geocaching game data.

1 . A method of hosting a geocaching game, comprising:
 interfacing with a geocaching game host to retrieve geocaching game data associated with a physical world geocaching game; and   managing association data that forms a nexus between a virtual world and the geocaching game data, the association data enabling a virtual geocaching game that corresponds to the physical world geocaching game to be hosted in the virtual world.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 communicating the association data to a virtual world host.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 mapping caches in the virtual world to correspond to caches in the physical world.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 managing association data that simulates an environment at a cache location in the physical world.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 managing the geocaching game data to correspond to geocaching game play in the physical world; and   managing the geocaching game data to correspond to geocaching game play in the virtual world.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein managing the geocaching game data to correspond to geocaching game play in the physical world comprises:
 managing the geocaching game data to reflect a current location of a communication device during the geocaching game play.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 monitoring a present location of a communication device; and   responsive to detecting a potentially dangerous condition that is expected to impact the present location, communicating a warning to the communication device.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 responsive to a cache being found either in the physical world or in the virtual world, communicating a notice of reward to the communication device.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 responsive to an event in the physical world geocaching game or the virtual geocaching game, communicating an advertisement to the communication device.   
     
     
         10 . A geocaching gaming system, comprising:
 at least one server that interfaces with a geocaching game host to retrieve geocaching game data associated with a physical world geocaching game, and manages association data that forms a nexus between a virtual world and the geocaching game data, the association data enabling a virtual geocaching game that corresponds to the physical world geocaching game to be hosted in the virtual world.   
     
     
         11 . The geocaching gaming system of  claim 10 , wherein the server communicates the association data to a virtual world host. 
     
     
         12 . The geocaching gaming system of  claim 10 , wherein the association data maps caches in the virtual world to correspond to caches in the physical world. 
     
     
         13 . The geocaching gaming system of  claim 12 , wherein the association data simulates an environment at a cache location in the physical world. 
     
     
         14 . The geocaching gaming system of  claim 10 , wherein the server manages the geocaching game data to correspond to geocaching game play in the physical world, and manages the geocaching game data to correspond to geocaching game play in the virtual world. 
     
     
         15 . The geocaching gaming system of  claim 14 , wherein the server manages the geocaching game data to reflect a current location of a communication device during the geocaching game play. 
     
     
         16 . The geocaching gaming system of  claim 15 , wherein the server monitors a present location of a communication device and, responsive to detecting a potentially dangerous condition that is expected to impact the present location, communicates a warning to the communication device. 
     
     
         17 . The geocaching gaming system of  claim 14 , wherein the server communicates a notice of reward to the communication device in response to a cache being found either in the physical world or in the virtual world. 
     
     
         18 . The geocaching gaming system of  claim 14 , wherein the server communicates an advertisement to a communication device during geocaching game play in response to a detected event in the physical world geocaching game or the virtual geocaching game. 
     
     
         19 . A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for hosting a geocaching game, said method steps comprising:
 interfacing with a geocaching game host to retrieve geocaching game data associated with a physical world geocaching game; and   managing association data that forms a nexus between a virtual world and the geocaching game data, the association data enabling a virtual geocaching game that corresponds to the physical world geocaching game to be hosted in the virtual world.   
     
     
         20 . The program storage device of  claim 19 , said method steps further comprising:
 communicating the association data to a virtual world host.