REMOTE GAME DEVICE FOR DVD GAMING SYSTEMS

• US 20060287028A1
• Filed: 05/12/2006
• Published: 12/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Inventors: MacIver, Peter, Zielinski, James, Thorne, Matt
• Application Number:
  US11/383,124
• Publication Number:
  US 20060287028A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/9
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/215 comprising means for detecting acoustic signals, e.g. using a microphone
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/235 using a wireless connection, e.g. infrared or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1031 using a wireless connection, e.g. Bluetooth, infrared connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1037 being specially adapted for converting control signals received from the game device into a haptic signal, e.g. using force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1081 Input via voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/202 the game platform being a DVD player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/301 using an additional display connected to the game console, e.g. on the controller

Abstract

A wireless remote game controller is presented for playing video games with a DVD player assembly. The controller may be adapted to receive data and commands in the form of audio tones generated by the DVD player assembly as well as to send commands to the DVD player assembly. The DVD player assembly may include a DVD player and a television. The game controller may use received commands to select data from memory and display the data for the player as part of game play. Alternatively, the received data may be saved into the controller memory to configure the controller for use in a specific game. Data received by the controller may include values saved to DVD player memory during game play. Data transmitted from the controller to the DVD player may be coded so the DVD player can identify the transmitting controller. Similarly, signals received concurrently by multiple remote game controllers may be coded so that only one device responds to the signal.

Claims

1. A remote game device to be used with a DVD player assembly comprising:

a microphone configured to receive one or more sonic signals from the DVD player assembly;

memory including a lookup table with data for game play;

a display; and

a processor configured to;

select data related to game play from the lookup table, the selection based at least in part on a first received sonic signal; and

send the selected data to the display.

2. The remote game device of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to modify memory contents based on a second received sonic signal.

3. The remote game device of claim 1 where data is written into memory through a communication link between the DVD player assembly and the remote game device.

4. The remote game device of claim 1 wherein the memory includes a smart card.

5. The remote game device of claim 1 wherein the memory includes at least one dual inline memory module.

6. The remote game device of claim 1 further comprising at least one input key and a transmitter configured to send output signals to the DVD player assembly in response to the operation of the at least one input key.

7. A DVD gaming system comprising:

a DVD player;

a DVD media disk including scenes and game commands;

a television, including a speaker, operatively connected to the DVD player; and

at least one remote game device including;

a display; and

memory including a lookup table;

the at least one remote game device configured to;

receive one or more sonic signals generated by the television speaker;

select data related to game play from the lookup table, the data selection based at least in part on a first received sonic signals; and

display a representation of the selected data.

8. The DVD gaming system of claim 7 wherein the at least one remote game device is further configured to convert a second received sonic signal to digital data and save the data to the memory.

9. The DVD gaming system of claim 7 where data is written into the lookup table through a communication link between the television and the remote game device.

10. The DVD gaming system of claim 7 where data is written into the lookup table through a communication link between the DVD player and the remote game device.

11. The DVD gaming system of claim 7 wherein the sonic signals are duotone signals.

12. The DVD gaming system of claim 7 where the remote game device further includes an LED and at least one input key operably connected so the LED transmits a signal when an input key is pressed.

13. The DVD gaming system of claim 12 where the DVD player selects a scene from the DVD media disk based on the transmitted signal.

14. The DVD gaming system of claim 7 further comprising a plurality of the remote game devices, where the plurality of remote game devices is configured to receive a sonic signal and at least one but not all of the plurality of remote game devices displays data based on the received signal.

15. The DVD gaming system of claim 7 further comprising first and second remote game devices, where the first and second remote game device receive a sonic signal from the television speaker, and the data displayed on the first remote game device as a result of the received signal is different than data displayed on the second remote game device.

16. A DVD gaming method comprising:

transmitting from a remote game device a command to a DVD player;

transmitting from the DVD player an electronic signal;

converting the transmitted electronic signal to a sonic signal;

receiving the sonic signal at the remote game device;

selecting data related to game play from a memory on the remote game device in response to the received sonic signal; and

displaying the selected data on the remote game device.

17. The DVD gaming method of claim 16 wherein the remote game device is used in conjunction with a remote control configured to operate the DVD player.

18. The DVD gaming method of claim 16 wherein transmitting an electronic signal includes transmitting an electronic signal including identifying one or more remote game devices among a plurality of remote game devices to respond to the received sonic signal.

19. The DVD gaming method of claim 16 wherein transmitting a command includes transmitting a command identifying uniquely the remote game device among a plurality of remote game devices transmitting the command.

20. A remote game device to be used with a DVD player assembly comprising:

a microphone configured to receive sonic signals transmitted by the DVD player assembly and convert the signals to electronic signals;

memory configured to store program instructions and data;

a display configured to display data stored in memory; and

a processor that receives the electronic signals from the microphone, the processor operably connected to the memory, display and microphone;

where the remote game device in a first mode is configured to;

convert a first received signal to data at the processor; and

save the converted data from the processor into the memory;

and the remote game device in a second mode is configured to;

convert a second received signal to a command at the processor;

select data from memory based at least in part on the command; and

display the selected data on the display.

21. The remote game device of claim 20 where the data displayed is related to game play.

22. The DVD gaming system of claim 20 where the remote game device further includes an LED and at least one input key operably connected to the processor so the LED transmits a signal when an input key is pressed.