Niantic, Inc.

Google Inc.

Alexander Vladimirov

Charles Spirakis

Phillip Craig Keslin

John V Hanke

Neal Kanodia

Chris Hibbert

David Kornmann

Mark A Aubin

Keith Patrick Golden

James Dinkelacker

Jim Wang

Luiz Otavio Zorzella

Edward Wu

Computer-implemented methods and systems for locating virtual elements that can be used or collected by players of a parallel reality game having a virtual world that parallels at least a portion of the real world are provided. In particular, the location of virtual elements in the virtual world is determined based on data associated with one or more real world conditions. Virtual elements can be located in the virtual world at locations corresponding to locations in the real world that encourage safe and effective game play. Locating virtual elements in the virtual world based on data associated with real world conditions improves the link between the parallel virtual world and the real world, enhancing the illusion that the virtual world is another dimension of the real world that the player can interact with through the parallel reality game.

Placement of virtual elements in a virtual world associated with a location-based parallel reality game

Systems and methods for detecting and preventing cheating in a location-based game are provided. In particular, a server-side statistical cheat detection algorithm can be implemented upon receiving a player request to perform a game action. A given dataset describing the respective times and locations of previous game events performed by the player can be analyzed to determine a probability that such game events represent legitimate gameplay. The determined probability can affect whether the player-requested game action is effectuated or can influence a number of points awarded for completion of the game action. An example system includes a host server and a client device in communication over a network.

Detecting and preventing cheating in a location-based game

Systems and methods for exchanging information in a distributed computing system implementing an interactive application, such as a location-based parallel reality game, are provided. In particular, the subject matter of the present disclosure provides an alternative approach for providing and processing return results from a remote procedure call (RPC) by which remote computing systems (e.g. a game server and a remote client) send requests and responses to one another. Rather than providing a single return result in response to a single request as in typical remote procedure calls, information about updates to the state of the interactive application, such as updates to game status, can be returned via side channels which are handled generically while passing the main return result of the invoked service directly back to the caller.

Using side channels in remote procedure calls to return information in an interactive environment

A parallel reality game has a virtual world that parallels at least a portion of the real world. A captured region is identified within the virtual world that is associated with a team within the parallel reality game. A geographic region is identified within the real world corresponding to the captured region within the virtual world. Data associated with population density for at least a portion of the geographic region is accessed. A score is assigned for the captured region based on the population density.

Regulating and scoring player interactions within a virtual world associated with a location-based parallel reality game

Systems and methods for implementing cross-cutting actions that cut across many remote procedure calls (RPCs) in an interactive application, such as location-based parallel reality game are provided. In particular, one or more decorators can be associated in a source file, such as a Java source file, with a remote procedure call class defining a plurality of RPC methods for the interactive application. Each decorator can be a set of instructions that gets executed before and after an RPC method and addresses concerns that cut across a plurality of RPC methods for the interactive application.

Executing cross-cutting concerns for client-server remote procedure calls

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San Francisco, CA, United States of America

Alexander Vladimirov