Patent Publication Number: US-2022226742-A1

Title: A playground interactive gaming system

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is in the field of playground equipment. More particularly, the invention relates to a playground interactive gaming system. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Since the early years of personal computing, multiplying interactive games are introduced to computer users. The introduction and development of game consoles, mobile devices and applications therefor (e.g., smartphones and tablets) have even a greater impact. With the later playing amusement arenas rapidly expanding, the once popular neighborhood playgrounds, providing multi-sensual physical activities, have lost popularity in favor of indoor interactive local and network gaming, 
     The different computerized games introduce new challenges and new skills, which many times correspond to desirable skills which are required for the operation of modern appliances and technical devices (i.e., operating different game controllers, thus practicing the operation of controllable appliances). In many aspects computer games can encourage cognitive skills (e.g., simulated board games, quests, educational and strategy games), motor and fine-motor skills (e.g., using control devices such as joysticks or games in which the players has to perform actual physical gestures which are captured by computer cameras, pressure sensing devices etc.), and social skills (e.g., competitive and team-play multi-player network gaming). 
     Still, there is a wide agreement regarding the importance of advantageous outdoor activities in the aspects of exposure to fresh air, sunlight, multi-sensual stimulating environment and face-to-face interactions. 
     Hence joining the popular interactive computerized gaming with playground apparatus would be highly advantageous for attracting young children, youth and even adults to return to the previously preferred playgrounds and practice physical activity in the opens, while enjoying modern interactive gaming. 
     Any equipment installed in the outdoor and particularly in a public area is prone to operational deterioration due to environmental conditions (e.g., dust, humidity, moisture, sunlight etc.), heavy-duty rough usage and infrequent preventive maintenance. Therefore, installing computerized equipment in outdoor playgrounds could be operationally challenging. Furthermore, local computerized gaming systems installed at a public playground may require significant maintenance resources (i.e., for software proliferation, maintenance and upgrades) and would be potentially exposed to hacking and to virus contamination. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide an interactive playground gaming system, which integrates the abovementioned advantages of computerized interactive gaming with the advantageous physical activity in the opens. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a centralized gaming system which is easy to maintain, and which is durable under heavy-duty usage conditions. 
     It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a gaming system which is intuitive and simple to operate. 
     Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A playground interactive gaming system, comprising:
         a playground apparatus comprising one or more user-operated electro-mechanical elements, at least one sensor which can detect the user&#39;s operations of said electro-mechanical elements, and communication means adapted to communicate with a remote server, wherein said playground apparatus has a unique identification; and   a mobile device equipped with an application adapted to associate said mobile device with a said playground apparatus via said remote server using the unique identification of said playground apparatus, thereby enabling an interaction between said mobile device and one or more user-operated electro-mechanical elements.       

     According to an embodiment of the invention, the remote server is running a game application and said user&#39;s operations on said electro-mechanical elements of said playground apparatus affect the performance of a corresponding avatar within said game, wherein display and/or sound of the game are presented by said mobile device, e.g., via a web user interface, a designated application&#39;s user interface and the like. 
     According to an embodiment of the invention, the electro-mechanical elements comprise a controller with pressing and shifting elements, a mechanical actuator, essentially tubular structural elements. 
     According to an embodiment of the invention, the playground apparatus comprising a supporting arrangement (e.g., a docking base) suitable for the placement of the mobile device. 
     According to an embodiment of the invention, the at least one sensor is selected from the group consisting of pressure sensors, gyroscopes, potentiometer and photosensitive sensors. 
     According to an embodiment of the invention, at least one of the mobile device&#39;s embedded sensors is utilized for detecting the user&#39;s activity while interacting with the playground apparatus. 
     According to an embodiment of the invention, user&#39;s information is communicated to the server and may affect the game complexity and physical challenging levels. For example, the user&#39;s information may include weight, heart rate (pulse), age, etc., or any combination thereof. 
     According to an embodiment of the invention, the supporting arrangement (e.g., the docking base) comprises a magnetic coupling element allowing coupling to mobile devices equipped with a corresponding rear magnetic element. 
     According to an embodiment of the invention, the system further comprises mechanical feedback means utilized to simulate various game conditions, experienced by said avatar in the virtual game reality, to the user which plays the playground apparatus. 
     According to an embodiment of the invention, the mechanical feedback means comprises a mechanical device which controls the operational difficulty of the electro-mechanical elements. 
     According to an embodiment of the invention, the mechanical feedback means comprises a vibrations generator which simulates various game conditions such as obstacles. 
     According to an embodiment of the invention, the power supplies circuitry to the electricity consuming elements is supplied through a connection to the local utility network. 
     According to an embodiment of the invention, the power supplies circuitry to the electricity consuming elements is supplied by at least one rechargeable battery. 
     According to an embodiment of the invention, the playground gaming apparatus comprises an electric generator coupled with at least one pedal actuator, wherein the rotation of the at least one pedal actuator by a user (i.e., a player) is utilized for charging said at least one rechargeable battery. 
     According to an embodiment of the invention, the power supplies circuitry to the electricity consuming elements is supplied by a combination of a connection to the local utility network and at least one rechargeable battery. 
     According to an embodiment of the invention, the playground apparatus is designed similarly to a pedal-operated device (e.g., such as bicycles), comprising adapted pedals mechanical actuator and handlebar controller. 
     According to an embodiment of the invention, the playground apparatus is designed as a spring supported apparatus or a playground spring rider. 
     According to an embodiment of the invention, the server is configured to handle multiple users using mobile devices which are associated with corresponding units of gaming apparatus, thereby allowing a multiplayer network gaming, wherein each individual gaming apparatus has a unique identification 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  schematically illustrates a schematic diagram of the invented gaming system with one connected user, according to an embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 2  schematically illustrates an advanced playground gaming apparatus, according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The present invention relates to a playground interactive gaming system which integrates physical playground play with interactive computerized gaming, thus attracting children of all ages to enjoy healthy outdoor physical activity while playing a single-player or multi-player video game. 
     The gaming system of the present invention is comprised of at least one playground gaming apparatus having a unique identification and at least one mobile device, wherein the playground apparatus comprises electro-mechanical elements which are physically operated by a playground user, and communication means (e.g., LAN/WAN communication device) adapted for bi-directional communication with a remote server, and wherein the mobile device is running a suitable application for receiving the unique identification of the playground gaming apparatus (e.g., NFC tag, barcode plate, QR code symbol) and communicating it to the remote server. The association of the mobile device with the playground gaming apparatus by the remote server, enables an interaction between the playground apparatus and the mobile device, in a manner that operations performed by a user on the playground gaming apparatus are received by the remote server and expressed in a video and/or sound presented in a desirable user interface which is displayed through an internet browser, or a designated application running on the mobile device. 
     Reference will now be made to several embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying figures for purposes of illustration only. Moreover, the following discussion is intended to provide a brief, general description of a suitable computing environment adapted to be implemented in the invented gaming system. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following description that alternative embodiments of the comprising elements herein may be employed without departing from the principles of claimed invention. 
       FIG. 1  schematically illustrates a schematic diagram a gaming system  100 , according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which gaming system  100  is comprised of gaming apparatus  101 , a mobile device  102  (e.g., a smartphone or a tablet), and a remote server  103 , wherein an application running on mobile device  102  receives the unique identification of gaming apparatus  101 , communicates it to server  103  which associates mobile device  102  with gaming apparatus  101 . 
     According to an embodiment of the present invention, server  103  runs a game application in which electro-mechanical operations performed by a user which plays with gaming apparatus  101 , are communicated to server  103  and being translated to operations of a corresponding avatar representing the user and gaming apparatus  101  in the virtual game reality. For example, where gaming apparatus  101  is designed as a rocking car with a steering wheel, the turning of the steering wheel by the user is translated to the turning of a corresponding car&#39;s avatar within a racing game running on sever  103 . Of course, while  FIG. 1  illustrates a single gaming apparatus  101 , server  103  can handle multiple users using mobile devices which are associated with corresponding units of gaming apparatus  101 , allowing a multiplayer network gaming, such as remotely located users are simultaneously operating multiple units of gaming apparatus  101  and competing at the same virtual race. 
       FIG. 2  schematically illustrates a playground apparatus  200 , according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which apparatus  200  is designed similarly to a pedal-operated device (e.g., bicycle-like device) comprising main body structural and electro-mechanical elements such as an enclosure  211 , a tubular stand  211   a , a pedal actuator  211   b , a seat  212  supported by a tubular seat post  212   a , and a tubular support lead  213 . Additionally, apparatus  200  comprises a controller  214  (e.g., which can be designed similarly to a bicycle handlebar) with a tubular base  215  which allows the rotation of controller  214  (e.g., an internal bearing), a docking base  216  adapted to physically support a smartphone  217  (e.g., docking base  216  may comprise a magnetic coupling element for attaching smartphone  217 ), and a unique ID element  216   a  for enabling to uniquely identify apparatus  200 , in order to associate smartphone  217  with this specific playground apparatus  200 . For example, unique ID element  216   a  can be a QR code in form of a label or any other suitable form of a machine-readable optical label that contains information about apparatus  200 , that can be physically attached to any suitable location on the body of apparatus  200 . In this embodiment, ID element  216   a  can be read by a suitable application running on smartphone  217  and communicated to a remote server  103 , which associate smartphone  217  with this specific playground apparatus  200 . 
     According to an embodiment of the present invention, server  103  is running a game application, which simulates a bicycles racing, in which the user of gaming apparatus  200  is represented as an avatar riding on bicycles and racing other avatars (i.e., of other users in the same or in different playgrounds, wherein the user&#39;s actual operation of gaming apparatus  200  (e.g., pedaling and/or leaning forward/rearward/aside) and of controller  214  (e.g. rotation, grip strength of handles  214   a , pressed buttons  214   b  or tilted joystick  214   c ) are communicated to server  103  and translated to in game actions of said user&#39;s or users&#39; avatar. According to an embodiment of the present invention the virtual game reality and performance of participating avatars (i.e., users&#39; or computer avatars) are displayed within a web user interface which can be accessed users authorized by server  103  (i.e., following an association of each user&#39;s mobile device with a corresponding identified gaming apparatus  200 . According to other embodiments, the user interface is presented on a designated client application of the game, which is running on smartphone  217 . 
     The user&#39;s electro-mechanical operations of gaming apparatus  200  are detected by sensors such as a pressure sensor, pedal speed sensor (e.g., cog wheel with photo sensor identifying a colored or missing tooth), a gyroscope sensor (i.e. sensing the tilting direction and extent of gaming apparatus  200 ) are transmitted to server  103  and affect the performance of the user&#39;s avatar in the game. The various sensors can be distributed within any of the comprising elements of gaming apparatus  200 . 
     According to an embodiment of the present invention, further user&#39;s information such as weight (e.g., detected by a pressure sensor or entered by the user), pulse (e.g., located in controller&#39;s grip handles  214   a ) and age (i.e., entered by the user in the web/application user interface), is utilized to affect the game complexity and physical challenging. 
     According to an embodiment of the present invention, gaming apparatus  200  comprises a controller mediator unit, comprising a processing unit and a short range communication unit, wherein said mediator unit can interface with an external game controller such as common game console controller, in lieu or together with controller  214 , thus enabling the player to use his own controller. 
     According to an embodiment of the present invention, gaming apparatus  200  further comprises feedback elements, providing a mechanical and/or voice feedback (e.g., mechanical vibrations generator, operational effects generators such as a clamping clutch device for changing the rotation difficulty of pedal actuator  211   b , sound device for in game or operational alerts etc.), which are utilized to enhance the gaming experience. For example, climbing a hill in-game would increase the pedal rotation difficulty and running into an obstacle would result with a suitable vibration feedback. 
     According to an embodiment of the present invention, the power to the electricity consuming elements of gaming apparatus  200  (e.g., controller  214 , and feedback elements) is supplied through a connection to the local utility network. According to other embodiments, gaming apparatus  200  comprises a rechargeable battery, which is charged by local maintenance personnel, or by an electric power generator which is driven by actuator  211   b  when operated by the player. Different embodiments of the present invention may further use a combination of the abovementioned power supply means. 
     According to an embodiment of the present invention, the electric and controls wirings are channeled entirely within the various tubular elements of gaming apparatus  200 . 
     According to some embodiments of the present invention, gaming apparatus  200  is a spring supported device or a playground spring rider toy that for example can be shaped as an animal or as an airplane with a suitable design of the main body structural and electro-mechanical elements (e.g., a tilting rod for which simulates an airplane&#39;s control stick). A skilled person in the art will realize the plurality of possible game applications and corresponding designs of gaming apparatus  200  which would provide attractive physical activities with an amusing interactive computerized gaming, without stepping away from the embodiments of  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
     Alongside the abovementioned advantages of a centralized game server, the utilization of server  103  enables a plurality of operational applications such as remotely monitoring the proper functioning of the distributed playground apparatuses, usage statistics, and global playgrounds contests. 
     Although embodiments of the invention have been described by way of illustration, it will be understood that the invention may be carried out with many variations, modifications, and adaptations, without exceeding the scope of the claims.