This category contains 3 granted patents from 2 companies: Truist Bank (2) and Konami (1).
Konami describes digital card game mechanics featuring zone-restricted placement rules that add strategic depth to competitive card games. Truist Bank's patents detail systems that restrict video game access when users fail to meet financial goals, incorporating mini-games as engagement mechanisms to maintain user connection with savings accounts and encourage real-world saving behavior.
Konami received 1 patent describing a system where card placement follows different rules depending on the card's origin and type. Cards drawn from the Extra Deck can only occupy limited shared zones on the playing field, while cards from the Main Deck access zones exclusive to each player. The system also accounts for Composite Monster Cards, which follow placement rules that shift dynamically based on whether the card is face-up or face-down, creating additional layers of tactical choice during gameplay.
Truist Bank received 2 patents that both connect video game access to real-world financial account activity. The first describes a system where a mini-game remains playable even when broader game access is restricted, with the exemption lifting either when a user completes a financial action like making a deposit or after a set time period passes. The second patent expands on this concept by using game restriction itself as a behavioral tool, withholding access to drive savings compliance rather than offering rewards, while still providing mini-game exemptions as engagement hooks to prevent complete user disengagement from their accounts.
All data sourced from USPTO patent filings. Google Patents may take several weeks to index recent publications. If a link is unavailable, search for the patent number at USPTO Patent Public Search.