US 8668592

US patent 8668592, titled "Systems and methods of changing storyline based on player location," was filed on December 14, 2011, and issued on March 11, 2014. The original assignee was 2343127 Ontario Inc., and the current assignee is ImagineAR Inc. The inventors are Oliver Watkins, JR., Yousuf Chowdhary, Jeffrey Brunet, and Ravinder (“Ray”) Sharma.

Abstract:
The patent describes a method for virtual gameplay where a player interacts with a character in a game environment on a computing device. The method involves detecting and storing the player's geographic location. In response to this detected location, a storyline is retrieved for the player's character, which is specifically related to that geographic location.

Independent Claim Overview:

• Independent Claim 1: This claim outlines a method for enabling virtual gameplay on a computing device with a storage medium. It involves:
  1. Providing a video game environment for multiple players, where a first player plays a game through a character, and each player has a geographic location.
  2. Detecting the first player's real-world geographic location using an input device connected to the computing device, and storing this location.
  3. In response to the detected location, retrieving a storyline for the first player's character that is linked to their geographic location.
  4. Allowing other players' characters to interact with this retrieved storyline as long as the first player remains connected to the game.
  5. Further, this claim specifies that other storylines become available (opened) or unavailable (closed) to the first player's character as other players join or leave the game.

Regarding the legal status, the patent is currently active and is set to expire on March 12, 2032. The patent family has been involved in litigation, including a US case filed in the Delaware District Court (1:24-cv-01252) and a US case filed in the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (26-1720). Additionally, there is a record of the first worldwide family litigation being filed. A search of CAFC 2026 dockets did not specifically list case 26-1720 in the provided May 2026 scheduled cases, so the current status or hearing schedule of this particular case in 2026 through the CAFC dockets remains uncertain based on the search results.