US 11666827

A concise summary of US Patent 11,666,827, along with details of related 2026 court proceedings, is provided below.

Summary of US Patent 11,666,827

Title: Systems and methods for capture and use of local elements in gameplay

Assignee: Imaginear Inc

Inventors:

• Yousuf Chowdhary
• Jeffrey Brunet
• Ravinder Sharma

Filing Date: September 23, 2022

Issue Date: June 6, 2023

Abstract:
A computer-implemented method is provided for enabling virtual gameplay. Access is provided to at least one video game in which a player is able to interact with the video game according to a storyline. A player location is detected and stored. A local element is retrieved from a database based on the player location and the local element is correlated to a local element script actuatable in the video game. This local element script is retrieved and actuated in the video game to supplement or replace the video game's storyline.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

• Claim 1: The patent's only independent claim describes a method to alter a multiplayer video game based on the real-world locations of its players. The system identifies a player's geographic location and retrieves a "local element script" tied to that location. This script can modify in-game elements like a virtual character's statistics or a "plot node," which is a point where the game's story can take a different turn. A key condition is that this script is only triggered if no other player is already representing that same real-world location in the game. When activated, the script not only changes the virtual character of the player at that location but also modifies the characters or story elements for other players in the game.

CAFC 2026 Docket Information

As of the current date, US Patent 11,666,827 is the subject of an appeal at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

On April 7, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware ruled in the case ImagineAR, Inc. v. Niantic, Inc. that US Patent 11,666,827, among others, was invalid. The case involves allegations that features in games such as Pokémon Go infringe on the patent's claims of using real-world locations to influence the virtual game experience.

Following the District Court's decision, the patent holder, ImagineAR Inc., announced its intention to appeal the ruling. A patent infringement case was subsequently filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit on April 22, 2026, with the case number 26-1720.