Enabling location-based applications to work with imaginary locations

摘要

Technologies for game providers to place their game worlds into existing map databases and communicate the relevant locations to location-based applications are generally described. In some examples, this may be achieved by generating maps that use non-physical locations that are still within standard location data formats at a game service provider and providing the maps and/or map data to map server providers showing game worlds mapped to those coordinates. Alternatively, the game service provider may provide the map data to the map service provider and the map may be generated at the map service provider. The imaginary location maps may be identified by extreme or non-physical altitudes, for example. Game clients may be enabled to publish the location of their game persona on an imaginary map and/or their real persona on a real map and receive location-based services for either or both personas.

主权项

1. A method to provide a map service that enables a location-based application to integrate real world map data and imaginary map data, the method comprising:
receiving the real world map data,
wherein the real world map data includes geographic coordinate information of one or more real world locations associated with one or more virtual persona and indicated in the real world map data, andwherein the one or more virtual persona include an avatar of a real persona; receiving imaginary map data, wherein the imaginary map data fails to include imaginary geographic coordinate information of one or more imaginary locations indicated in the imaginary map data; generating the imaginary geographic coordinate information of the one or more imaginary locations such that imaginary elevation coordinates of the one or more imaginary locations are higher or lower than real elevation coordinates of the one or more real world locations; enabling the real world map data to be geocoded in accordance with existing coordinate information of real locations on a surface of Earth based on a “check in” of the one or more virtual persona at the real locations; generating integrated map data that includes the real world map data, the imaginary map data, and the imaginary geographic coordinate information associated with the one or more imaginary locations; and providing the integrated map data through a map service provider to the location-based application.