Game system using tokens

• US 20040082379A1
• Filed: 10/24/2002
• Published: 04/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Folio Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Junichi Yamagishi, Unirec Company Limited
• Inventors: Yamagishi, Junichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,344,443 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/48 Starting a game, e.g. activating a game device or waiting for other players to join a multiplayer session
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/792 for payment purposes, e.g. monthly subscriptions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/50 characterized by details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes

Abstract

A game system using tokens allows a user to play a game on a mobile communication terminal at a location remote from a game hall. The game system includes a game hall (1) to lend tokens to a player so that the player may play game machines (3) installed in the game hall with the tokens, keep tokens deposited by the player after the play, and return the kept tokens to the player so that the player may play the game machines with the tokens, a management unit (7) provided for the game hall, connectable to the Internet and having a database (9) to store and update data on the kept tokens, a mobile communication terminal (13) connectable to the Internet to receive game content and allow the player to play a game on the mobile communication terminal, and a game content provider (11) to provide the game content to the Internet. Gains and losses of tokens of the player on playing the game on the mobile communication terminal are transmitted to the management unit, which updates the data on the kept tokens in the database accordingly.

Claims

1. A game system using tokens, comprising:

a game hall to lend tokens to a player so that the player may play game machines installed in the game hall with the tokens, keep tokens deposited by the player after the play, and return the kept tokens to the player so that the player may play the game machines with the tokens;

a management unit provided for the game hall, connectable to the Internet and having a database to store and update data on the kept tokens;

a mobile communication terminal connectable to the Internet to receive game content and allow the player to play a game on the mobile communication terminal; and

a game content provider to provide the game content to the Internet,

gains and losses of tokens of the player on playing the game on the mobile communication terminal being transmitted to the management unit, which updates the data on the kept tokens of the player in the database accordingly.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the game content provider retrieves the data on the kept tokens of the player from the database and continues to provide the game content to the player as long as losses of tokens of the player are within the kept tokens.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an accounting server to allow tokens to be lent to the player on the mobile communication terminal and charge the player for the lent tokens.