Keypad for dialing telephone numbers and displaying game moves
First Claim
15-1. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the keypad is located on a surface of the apparatus.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A keypad used for dialing telephone numbers to establish a communications link is also used to display game moves. Once the communications link is established between two or more parties, their terminals are placed in a game mode which activates inband signal detection and player identification circuitry located within the terminals. Multi-colored indicators (e.g., LEDs) and player identification displays (e.g., LCDs) at each terminal are activated, their color being dependent upon the source of received instructions. Player identification indicators are incorporated into a touch-tone keypad located on each of the terminals. Each key of the keypad has two or more color-coded indicators incorporated within, each color representing a particular player'"'"'s move. Thus, the touch-tone keys represent a game board and/or game accessory when the terminal is placed in a game mode. For example, a 3-by-3 matrix formed by the touch-tone keys 1 through 9 of the keypad can be used to play tic-tac-toe over the communications link. The activation of three LEDs of the same color in a row, column or diagonal on the keypad will cause those LEDs to blink on each terminal, signifying the end of the game.
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Citations
167 Claims
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15-1. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the keypad is located on a surface of the apparatus.
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16-2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the keypad is a telephone keypad.
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26. An apparatus for playing a game, comprising:
a keypad, wherein the keypad further comprises;
a plurality of keys for entering at least one of information and a command into the apparatus; and
at least one indicator associated with at least one key of the plurality of keys, wherein the apparatus is utilized by a game player to play a game involving a plurality of game players via a communication link, and wherein at least one key of the plurality of keys is utilized to at least one of initiate the game and to enter a game move, and further wherein the at least one indicator provides an indication of the game move made by at least one game player of the plurality of game players.
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56. An apparatus for playing a game, comprising:
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a communication device, wherein the communication device is associated with a game player of a game involving a plurality of game players, wherein the communication device provides a communication link between the game player and at least one other game player of the plurality of game players;
a keypad associated with the communication device, wherein the keypad is utilized to establish a communication link for playing the game with the at least one other player of the plurality of game players, and further wherein the keypad further comprises;
a plurality of keys for entering at least one of information and a command into the apparatus; and
at least one indicator associated with at least one key of the plurality of keys, wherein the apparatus is utilized by the game player to play the game involving the at least one other game player of the plurality of game players via the communication link, and wherein at least one key of the plurality of keys is utilized to at least one of initiate the game and to enter a game move, and further wherein the at least one indicator provides an indication of the game move made by at least one of the game player and the at least one other game player of the plurality of game players.
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94. An apparatus for playing a game, comprising:
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a communication device, wherein the communication device is associated with a game player of a game involving a plurality of game players, wherein the communication device provides a communication link between the plurality of game players;
a keypad associated with the communication device, wherein the keypad is utilized to establish a communication link for playing the game involving the plurality of game players, and further wherein the keypad further comprises;
a plurality of keys for entering at least one of information and a command into the apparatus; and
at least one indicator associated with at least one key of the plurality of keys, wherein the apparatus is utilized by a game player to play a game involving the plurality of game players via the communication link, and wherein at least one key of the plurality of keys is utilized to at least one of initiate the game and to enter a game move, and further wherein the at least one indicator provides an indication of the game move made by at least one game player of the plurality of game players.
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95. An apparatus for playing a game, comprising:
a keypad, wherein the keypad further comprises;
a plurality of keys for entering at least one of information and a command into the apparatus; and
at least one indicator associated with at least one of the plurality of keys, wherein the apparatus is utilized by a game player to play a game, and wherein at least one key of the plurality of keys is utilized to at least one of initiate the game and to enter a game move, and further wherein the at least one indicator provides information regarding an identity of the game player.
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96. An apparatus for playing a game, comprising:
a keypad, wherein the keypad further comprises;
a plurality of keys for entering at least one of information and a command into the apparatus; and
at least one indicator associated with at least one key of the plurality of keys, wherein the apparatus is utilized by a game player to play a game involving a plurality of game players via a communication link, and wherein at least one key of the plurality of keys is utilized to at least one of initiate the game and to enter a game move, and further wherein the at least one indicator provides information regarding an identity of at least one game player.
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97. An apparatus for playing a game, comprising:
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a communication device, wherein the communication device is associated with a game player of a game involving a plurality of game players, wherein the communication device provides a communication link between the game player and at least one other game player of the plurality of game players;
a keypad associated with the communication device, wherein the keypad is utilized to establish the communication link for playing the game with the at least one other player of the plurality of game players, and further wherein the keypad further comprises;
a plurality of keys for entering at least one of information and a command into the apparatus; and
at least one indicator associated with at least one key of the plurality of keys, wherein the apparatus is utilized by the game player to play the game involving the at least one other game player of the plurality of game players via the communication link, and wherein at least one key of the plurality of keys is utilized to at least one of initiate the game and to enter a game move, and further wherein the at least one indicator provides information regarding an identity of at least one of the game player and the at least one other game player.
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98. A method for playing a game with an apparatus comprising a keypad, wherein the keypad further comprises a plurality of keys for allowing a game player to enter at least one of information and a command into the apparatus, and at least one indicator associated with at least one key of the plurality of keys, wherein the method comprises:
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initiating a game by utilizing at least one key of the plurality of keys on the keypad;
entering a game move by utilizing at least one key of the plurality of keys on the keypad; and
providing an indication of a game move made by the game player, wherein the indication is provided by the at least one indicator. - View Dependent Claims (99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 138, 140, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150, 151, 152, 153, 154, 155, 156, 157, 158, 159, 161, 163, 165, 167)
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116. A method for playing a game with an apparatus, wherein the apparatus is utilized by a game player to play a game involving a plurality of game players via a communication link, and further wherein the apparatus comprises a keypad, wherein the keypad further comprises a plurality of keys for allowing the game player to enter at least one of information and a command into the apparatus, and at least one indicator associated with at least one key of the plurality of keys, wherein the method comprises:
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initiating a game by utilizing at least one key of the plurality of keys on the keypad;
entering a game move by utilizing at least one key of the plurality of keys on the keypad; and
providing an indication of a game move made by at least one game player of the plurality of game players, wherein the indication is provided by the at least one indicator.
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137. A method for playing a game with an apparatus comprising a keypad, wherein the keypad further comprises a plurality of keys for allowing a game player to enter at least one of information and a command into the apparatus, and at least one indicator associated with at least one key of the plurality of keys, wherein the method comprises:
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initiating a game by utilizing at least one key of the plurality of keys on the keypad;
entering a game move by utilizing at least one key of the plurality of keys on the keypad; and
providing an indication of a game move made by the game player, wherein the indication of the game move is provided on at least one key of the plurality of keys on the keypad.
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139. A method for playing a game with an apparatus, wherein the apparatus is utilized by a game player to play a game involving a plurality of game players via a communication link, and further wherein the apparatus comprises a keypad, wherein the keypad further comprises a plurality of keys for allowing a game player to enter at least one of information and a command into the apparatus, and at least one indicator associated with at least one key of the plurality of keys, wherein the method comprises:
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initiating a game by utilizing at least one key of the plurality of keys on the keypad;
entering a game move by utilizing at least one key of the plurality of keys on the keypad; and
providing an indication of a game move made by the game player, wherein the indication of the game move is provided on at least one key of the plurality of keys on the keypad.
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141. A method for playing a game with an apparatus, wherein the apparatus is utilized by a game player to play a game involving a plurality of game players via a communication link, and further wherein the apparatus comprises a communication device, wherein the communication device is associated with a game player of a game involving a plurality of game players, a keypad, wherein the keypad further comprises a plurality of keys for allowing a game player to enter at least one of information and a command into the apparatus, and at least one indicator associated with at least one key of the plurality of keys, wherein the method comprises:
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establishing the communication link between the game player and at least one other game player of the plurality of game players;
entering a game move by utilizing at least one key of the plurality of keys on the keypad; and
providing an indication of a game move made by at least one of the game player and the at least one other game player of the plurality of game players.
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160. A method for playing a game with an apparatus comprising a keypad, wherein the keypad further comprises a plurality of keys for allowing a game player to enter at least one of information and a command into the apparatus, and at least one indicator associated with at least one key of the plurality of keys, wherein the method comprises:
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initiating a game by utilizing at least one key of the plurality of keys on the keypad;
entering a game move by utilizing at least one key of the plurality of keys on the keypad; and
providing information regarding an identification of a game player who made a game move, wherein the identification information is provided by the at least one indicator.
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162. A method for playing a game with an apparatus, wherein the apparatus is utilized by a game player to play a game involving a plurality of game players via a communication link, and further wherein the apparatus comprises a keypad, wherein the keypad further comprises a plurality of keys for allowing a game player to enter at least one of information and a command into the apparatus, and at least one indicator associated with at least one key of the plurality of keys, wherein the method comprises:
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initiating a game by utilizing at least one key of the plurality of keys on the keypad;
entering a game move by utilizing at least one key of the plurality of keys on the keypad; and
providing information regarding an identification of a game player who made a game move, wherein the identification information is provided by the at least one indicator.
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164. A method for playing a game with an apparatus, wherein the apparatus is utilized by a game player to play a game involving a plurality of game players via a communication link, and further wherein the apparatus comprises a communication device, wherein the communication device is associated with a game player of a game involving a plurality of game players, a keypad, wherein the keypad further comprises a plurality of keys for allowing a game player to enter at least one of information and a command into the apparatus, and at least one indicator associated with at least one key of the plurality of keys, wherein the method comprises:
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establishing the communication link between a game player and at least one other game player of the plurality of game players;
entering a game move by utilizing at least one key of the plurality of keys on the keypad; and
providing information regarding an identification of a game player who made a game move, wherein the identification information is provided by the at least one indicator.
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166. A method for playing a game with an apparatus, wherein the apparatus is utilized by a game player to play a game involving a plurality of game players via a communication link, and further wherein the apparatus comprises a communication device, wherein the communication device is associated with a game player of a game involving a plurality of game players, a keypad, wherein the keypad further comprises a plurality of keys for allowing a game player to enter at least one of information and a command into the apparatus, and at least one indicator associated with at least one key of the plurality of keys, wherein the method comprises:
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establishing the communication link between the game player and at least one other game player of the plurality of game players;
entering a game move by utilizing at least one key of the plurality of keys on the keypad; and
providing an indication of a game move made by at least one of the game player and the at least one other game player of the plurality of game players, wherein the indication of the game move is provided on at least one key of the plurality of keys on the keypad.
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Specification