Method and system for computer-based game

• US 20040157663A1
• Filed: 12/10/2003
• Published: 08/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Grunderne Stonebridge Da
• Original Assignee: Grunderne Stonebridge Da
• Inventors: Gunnar, Johnsen Bjorn
• Application Number:
  US10/475,872
• Publication Number:
  US 20040157663A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3232 wherein the operator is informed

Abstract

A method and a game engine are described for supporting the implementation of a game with a plurality of players. The game engine is connected to or forms part of a central computer-based game system (1), which in turn is connected to a data network (3), thus enabling it to exchange information with client systems (4) employed by the participating players. The game engine is designed to be able to generate starting positions for a game, receive influences from the paticipating client systems (4), and to generate an outcome based on the total number of influences received for the various possible outcomes.

Claims

1. A game engine for supporting the implementation of a game with a plurality of players, wherein the game engine is connected to or forms part of a central computer-based game system (1), which in turn is connected to a data network (3), thus enabling it to exchange information with client systems (4) employed by the participating players,

characterised in that the game engine is designed to receive and transmit information to the other parts of the central game system and/or client systems, where the game engine comprises a device for generating starting positions for a game, where these starting positions may be common to all the players, unique to all the players, or random, but not unique, to all the players;

a device for registering starting positions for an ongoing game and, if these are not common to all the players, to associate each player'"'"'s starting positions with the respective player;

a device for receiving information indicating actions performed by the respective players and, on the basis of the total incoming information on the players'"'"' actions during a round, to generate an outcome that represents a result for the round concerned and transmit information on this;

together with a device for modifying the generated starting positions as a result of the generated outcome and transmit information on this.

2. A game engine according to claim 1,

characterised in that the device for generating starting positions is a random generator, which generates random numbers that are entered in a form, thereby representing a starting position, where such a form may be a common starting position for all the players, or each such form may be associated with an individual player.

3. A game engine according to claim 1,

characterised in that the device for registering starting positions for an ongoing game is a module that transmits generated starting positions to a computer-based game system (1) for storing these starting positions in a storage device (2) in a manner that associates the starting position with an ongoing game and/or with a player'"'"'s identity.

4. A game engine according to claim 1,

characterised in that the device for receiving information and generating outcome comprises a summing device designed to add up the number of player actions that can be associated with each possible outcome, and an outcome generator designed to generate a given outcome based on the result of this summation.

5. A game engine according to claim 1,

characterised in that the device for receiving information and generating outcome comprises a summing device designed to add up the number of player actions that can be associated with each possible outcome, and an outcome generator designed to generate in the game'"'"'s introductory rounds a given outcome based on the result of this summation, and in the game'"'"'s concluding rounds to generate a quasi-random outcome.

6. A game engine according to claim 4 or 5,

characterised in that the summing device is also designed to take account at each summation of weighting factors linked to each individual action.

7. A game engine according to claim 4 or 5,

characterised in that the outcome generator is also designed, on generation of a given outcome, to select the outcome that has achieved the highest total in the said summation.

8. A game engine according to claim 4 or 5,

characterised in that the outcome generator is also designed, on generation of a given outcome, to assign to each possible outcome a probability based on the summation of actions associated with the respective outcomes and generate an outcome based on this distribution of probability.

9. A game engine according to claim 1,

characterised in that the device for modifying the generated starting positions is a module that transmits the generated outcome to a data-based game system (1) for updating of the registered starting positions in a manner that reflects the generated outcome.

10. A game engine according to one of the preceding claims,

characterised in that it is composed of a combination of software modules in a computer.

12. A method according to claim 10,

characterised in that the step of generating game information (201) representing a starting position consists in employing a random generator, which generates random numbers, and entering these numbers in a form representing the said starting position, where such a form may be a common starting position for all the players, or each such form may be associated with an individual player.

13. A method according to claim 10,

characterised in that the step of generating play information (201) representing a starting position is followed by a step for transmitting said starting positions to a computer-based game system (1) for storing in a storage device (2) in a manner that associates the starting position with an ongoing game and/or with a player'"'"'s identity.

14. A method according to claim 10,

characterised in that the step of generating an outcome (205) consists in selecting the outcome that has achieved the highest total in the said summation.

15. A method according to claim 10,

characterised in that the step of generating an outcome (205) consists in assigning to each possible outcome a probability that is based on the summation of actions associated with the respective outcomes and generating an outcome based on this distribution of probability.

16. A method according to claim 10,

characterised in that the step of generating an outcome (205) in the game'"'"'s introductory rounds consists in selecting an outcome based on the said summation, and in the game'"'"'s concluding rounds consists in generating a quasi-random outcome.

17. A method according to claim 10,

characterised in that the communication via the said data network is supplemented by communication via other communication channels.

18. A computer program which, when installed in a data system, enables the system to execute the method according to one of the claims 10 to 14.

19. A computer program according to claim 16, stored on a storage medium that can be read by a computer.

20. A computer program according to claim 17, where the said storage medium is an optical or magnetic storage medium such as a CD-ROM, DVD or hard disc.

11. A method for supporting in a computer-based system the implementation of a game with a plurality of participants, where the computer-based system is connected to a data network for exchanging information between the system and client systems employed by the participating players,

characterised in that it comprises the following steps;

generating game information (201) representing the starting position for the game and transmitting this (202) via a communication interface to the respective client systems,

receiving via the said communication network messages containing information (203) on the players'"'"' influence on the game in the form of a specific desired outcome and a specific bet linked to the outcome, in addition to identifying the player, where no, one or a plurality of such messages may be received from each player,

continuously registering for each possible outcome accumulated values (204) representing the total bet associated with each said possible outcome,

at a predetermined time representing the conclusion of a round of the game, generating an outcome (205) among the possible outcomes based on the said accumulated values, and registering the generated outcome as well as any changes in the generated starting positions as a result of the outcome,

if more rounds of the ongoing game remain, repeating the above steps until no more such rounds remain, and

generating a final result of the game by evaluating the total registered changes in the respective starting positions on the basis of the rules applying to the ongoing game and implementing the consequences of the results as a final result (211) for the game.