U.S. patent application number 10/935296 was filed with the patent office on 2005-05-26 for games with wireless communications capabilities.
Invention is credited to Hodgson, Lawrence J..
Application Number | 20050113171 10/935296 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34316507 |
Filed Date | 2005-05-26 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050113171 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hodgson, Lawrence J. |
May 26, 2005 |
Games with wireless communications capabilities
Abstract
A plurality of games, whose members might be physically spaced
apart, wirelessly communicate with a game management system.
Communication can be on-demand and in real-time in response to
on-going game play.
Inventors: |
Hodgson, Lawrence J.;
(Kildeer, IL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
WELSH & KATZ, LTD
120 S RIVERSIDE PLAZA
22ND FLOOR
CHICAGO
IL
60606
US
|
Family ID: |
34316507 |
Appl. No.: |
10/935296 |
Filed: |
September 7, 2004 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60502016 |
Sep 11, 2003 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
463/42 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63F 13/12 20130101;
A63F 13/332 20140902; A63F 2300/5533 20130101; A63F 2300/406
20130101; A63F 13/35 20140902; A63F 2300/5573 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
463/042 |
International
Class: |
A63F 009/24 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A system comprising: a plurality of video games, each game
includes a wireless transceiver and control circuits coupled
thereto as well as communications software; and a monitoring
apparatus wirelessly coupled to the games, the monitoring apparatus
including software for at least monitoring game play.
2. A system as in claim 1 where the monitoring apparatus is coupled
to the games, at least in part via a computer network.
3. A system as in claim 1 which includes a database wirelessly
coupled to the video games for storage of game play
information.
4. A system as in claim 1 which includes software wirelessly
coupled to the games for carrying out diagnostic evaluation of at
least some of the games.
5. A system as in claim 1 which includes software, wirelessly
coupled to the games, the software accumulates game play
statistics.
6. A system as in claim 5 which includes software wirelessly
coupled to the games for carrying out a diagnostic evaluation of at
least some of the games.
7. A system as in claim 6 where the monitoring apparatus includes a
graphical users interface with software that selectively displays
game play statistics.
8. A system as in claim 7 where the communications software
provides on-demand, real-time transmission of game play data.
9. A system as in claim 1 where the communications software
provides on-demand, real-time transmission of game play data.
10. A system as in claim 8 which includes player identification
software which couples player related performance information to a
selected game.
11. A system as in claim 8 which includes financial account
software which maintains player financial accounts.
12. A system as in claim 11 which includes software, responsive to
one of credit or debit cards, which establishes game play credits
in respective player financial accounts.
13. A system as in claim 8 which includes real-time competition
software that enables game play at a plurality of games to be part
of a single competitive activity.
14. A system as in claim 8 which includes real-time tracking
software that monitors scoring at a plurality of games while
respective play is in process at those games.
15. A method comprising: establishing wire-less communications, on
a real-time basis, between a plurality of video games and a game
play database.
16. A method as in claim 15 which includes providing current player
statistics, on demand, from the database.
17. A method as in claim 15 which includes conducting real-time
competitions between various members of the plurality.
18. A method as in claim 17 which includes displaying competition
information at various members of the plurality.
19. A method as in claim 15 which includes maintaining player
account information, on a real-time basis, in the database.
20. A method as in claim 15 which includes wirelessly monitoring
performance of at least one of the video games.
21. A method as in claim 15 which includes wirelessly adjusting
game variables of at least one of the video games.
22. A method as in claim 20 which includes wirelessly adjusting
game variables of at least one of the video games.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the benefit of the filing date of
U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/502,016, filed Sep. 11,
2003.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The invention pertains to video games. More particularly,
the invention pertains to game management systems which are in
real-time wireless communication with pluralities of video
games.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Systems are known for linking video games located in
proximity to one another or spaced apart in separate locations to a
common site via an electronic network. In a known implementation,
access can be via the Internet over conventional telephone. A site
on the network which is accessible to the various games can store
game results player information, and other data. Games can be in
intermittent communication with the site via a modem and telephone
lines. Contests including but not limited to tournaments, leagues,
and other forms of competition involving numerous players using
spaced apart games can be implemented using a data collection and
storage facility at the common site.
[0004] Such networked contests provide advantages for players and
for contest operators. Players get to participate with a much
larger pool of players than might otherwise be possible. Contest
operators have centralized access to all of the game results for
the competition even though the various game machines might be
distributed over a wide area.
[0005] Despite the above noted benefits and advantages, networked
games are only on the verge of exploiting the capabilities of the
networked configuration. There continues to be a need for more
efficient, easy configure multiple game systems.
[0006] One system is described in U.S. patent application Ser. No.
10/662,891 filed Sep. 15, 2003 entitled "Data Delivery and
Management System and Method for Game Machines", assigned to the
assignee of the present application and incorporated herein by
reference.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] FIG. 1 is an overall diagram of a system in accordance with
the invention; and
[0008] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a video game in accordance with
the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0009] While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many
different forms, there are shown in the drawing and will be
described herein in detail specific embodiments thereof with the
understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an
exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not
intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments
illustrated.
[0010] A system 10 enables location based game(s) A-1, -2 . . . -n
to communicate wirelessly via antennas/towers B-1, -2 . . . -n with
server(s) 14. The wireless communication along with the game
hardware and software, a computer network such as Internet 16 and
server side hardware and software 14 provide an always-available
and/or always-on communication pipeline between the games A-1, -2 .
. . -n and server(s) 14. Server(s) 14 can in turn communicate to a
database or databases 20. The "always-on"-type communication
protocol enables the respective game(s) A-1, -2 . . . -n to send
and/or receive incremental packets of data and/or make requests
substantially continuously in real-time, or, with short sample
intervals, such as seconds, minutes or hours, as appropriate,
between transmissions.
[0011] The games A-1, -2 . . . -n send and receive any type of data
whenever needed. These communications would be accomplished without
the use of hard-wired telephone lines or other types of physically
wired network lines or other types of on-location communication
access points that connect the games via wire to physical network
lines or the like. Additionally players and operators of these
location based games A-1, -2 . . . -n may send or receive data to
and/or from both the above mentioned database(s) 20 or directly to
the game(s) via monitoring computer(s) 22 with an Internet
connection.
[0012] Location based games are often but are not limited to video
games and other types of electromechanical games that can be but
are not always placed in public locations. The owner of such a
game, such as game A-1 would be able to easily place the game in
any area where a prerequisite wireless service is available and
electricity is available without needing any additional physical
setup (such as a telephone line) to facilitate communications.
[0013] System 10 thus facilitates easy installation of a location
based games, such as game A-1, that require and benefit from an
always-available and/or an always-on method of communication. This
method of communication enables games A-1, -2 . . . -n to avail
themselves of unique game features previously deemed not to be
feasible due to logistical and/or financial limitations.
[0014] The marriage of both the wireless connectivity as described
above as well as unique game features that use and/or require this
type of connectivity not just to the game(s) A-1, -2 . . . -n but
also to remotely connected computers such as computer 22 that
implement the system 10. Game features might include but are not
limited to the following examples:
[0015] Instantaneous player identification providing the player up
to the minute personal statistics.
[0016] Player financial accounts used to pay for game time or to
have monetary prizes deposited into the previously mentioned
accounts.
[0017] The use of charge cards as a method of depositing money into
player accounts.
[0018] Real time competitions.
[0019] Instantaneous score tracking from games in other locations
around the world.
[0020] Remotely and instantaneously adjusting game variables via
the wireless connection from any Internet connected computer in the
world.
[0021] Immediate ability to remotely troubleshoot potential
problems on the games.
[0022] FIG. 2 illustrates a representative one of the video games,
such as game A-i of FIG. 1. The game A-i is enclosed in a cabinet
30 and includes control circuitry 32 which could be implemented, at
least in part, with a programmable processor 32a and control
programs, at least in part, stored on read-only memory 32b.
Read-write memory 32c is provided for temporary storage.
[0023] The control circuits 32 are coupled to a display 34 and
player manipulatable controls 36, for example, a track ball,
buttons, switches and the like. The control circuits 32 are also
coupled to a coin or credit card, credit establishing unit 40 as
well as switches and other manually adjustable controls 42 which
enable a game installer to provide a set of initial parameters for
the game A-i. Control circuitry 32 is also in bi-directional
communication with an input/output interface 46 which is in turn
coupled to a wireless transceiver 48. The transceiver 48 transmits
and receives wireless RF signals to and from displaced antennas,
such as antenna B-1, via an antenna 50. A power supply 52 energizes
the various circuits and units of the game A-i. It will be
understood that none of the details of the exemplary game A-i are
limitations of the present invention. The game A-i could implement
a golf-playing scenario, a hunting scenario, a sports scenario such
as bowling or the like all without limitation.
[0024] From the foregoing, it will be observed that numerous
variations and modifications may be effected without departing from
the spirit and scope of the invention. It is to be understood that
no limitation with respect to the specific apparatus illustrated
herein is intended or should be inferred. It is, of course,
intended to cover by the appended claims all such modification as
fall with the scope of the claims.
* * * * *