GAMING SYSTEM WITH END USER FEEDBACK FOR A COMMUNICATION NETWORK HAVING A MULTI-MEDIA MANAGEMENT

• US 20110045910A1
• Filed: 08/31/2007
• Published: 02/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lava Two, LLC.
• Original Assignee: Lava Two, LLC.
• Inventors: McKenna, Daniel Bernard, Graziano, James Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,308,572 B2
• 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 17/3274 wherein the players cooperate, e.g. team-play

Abstract

The Gaming System With End User Feedback enables a reverse path feedback architecture wherein the forward path multicasted gaming content transmitted by a gaming site can be dynamically modified as a result of end user interaction or feedback, wherein each end user has a private bidirectional link to the gaming site to enter their moves, optionally receive private data from the gaming site to enable the end user'"'"'s device to display private data that is hidden from the other players, and to communicate privately with another member or members of a sub-group.

Claims

1. A Multi-Media Gaming System With End User Feedback, operational in a communication network which serves a plurality of wireless end user devices, for simultaneously transmitting gaming content from at least one gaming content source in said communication network to selected ones of said wireless end user devices over a unidirectional forward broadcast path that extends from said communication network to said selected wireless end user devices, said communication network also having bidirectional paths, including a private reverse path from said selected wireless end user devices to said communication network and a private forward path that extends from said communication network to said selected wireless end user devices, comprising:

feedback aggregation means, responsive to receipt of gaming input data received from at least one selected wireless end user device over said private reverse path of said bidirectional link, for accumulating said gaming input data received from said selected wireless end user devices over said private reverse path; and

feedback integration means for generating a modified gaming content by modifying gaming content received from said gaming source based on said accumulated gaming input data received from said selected wireless end user devices over said private reverse path.

2. The Multi-Media Gaming System With End User Feedback of claim 1 further comprising:

content delivery means for transmitting said modifying gaming content to said communication network for transmission over said forward broadcast paths to said selected wireless end user devices.

3. The Multi-Media Gaming System With End User Feedback of claim 1 wherein said feedback aggregation means comprises:

synchronization means for associating said gaming input data received from said wireless end user devices with a corresponding gaming content.

4. The Multi-Media Gaming System With End User Feedback of claim 3 wherein:

said gaming content comprises a series of frames that are delivered in sequence to said plurality of wireless end user devices, wherein a past frame is a frame last delivered to said plurality of wireless end user devices and a present frame is a frame received from said gaming content source but not yet delivered to said selected wireless end user devices; and

said feedback aggregation means further comprises;

timing means for defining a time period for use by said synchronization means during which time period said gaming input data received from said wireless end user devices is associated with said present frame.

5. The Multi-Media Gaming System With End User Feedback of claim 4 wherein said feedback aggregation means further comprises:

accumulated data processing means for processing said accumulated gaming input data received from said wireless end user devices to a composite content revision for a corresponding gaming application in said feedback integration means.

6. The Multi-Media Gaming System With End User Feedback of claim 5 wherein said feedback aggregation means further comprises:

application updating means for associating said composite content revision with a corresponding gaming application in said feedback integration means.

7. The Multi-Media Gaming System With End User Feedback of claim 6 wherein said feedback integration means comprises:

at least one gaming application, responsive to receipt of said composite content revision associated with said gaming application, for revising said received gaming content to produce a revised gaming content.

8. The Multi-Media Gaming System With End User Feedback of claim 4 wherein said feedback aggregation means further comprises:

application updating means for associating said accumulated gaming input data received from said wireless end user devices with a corresponding gaming application in said feedback integration means.

9. The Multi-Media Gaming System With End User Feedback of claim 8 wherein said feedback integration means comprises:

at least one application, responsive to receipt of said accumulated gaming input data associated with said application, for revising said received gaming content to produce a revised gaming content.

10. The Multi-Media Gaming System With End User Feedback of claim 1 further comprising:

private data means for transmitting end user specific private gaming data to a one of said selected wireless end user devices over a corresponding private forward path of said bidirectional path.

11. The Multi-Media Gaming System With End User Feedback of claim 10 further comprising:

display means, located at said wireless end user device, for displaying said user specific private gaming data received at said wireless end user device over said corresponding private forward path of said bidirectional path via a split screen concurrently with display of said gaming content delivered to said wireless end user device over said unidirectional forward broadcast path.

12. The Multi-Media Gaming System With End User Feedback of claim 10 further comprising:

routing means, responsive to receipt of routing instructions from said selected wireless end user device over said private reverse path of said bidirectional link, for forwarding said end user specific private gaming data to at least one other of said selected wireless end user devices.

13. The Multi-Media Gaming System With End User Feedback of claim 12 further comprising:

private data means for transmitting said end user specific private gaming data received at said routing means to said at least one selected wireless end user device over a corresponding private forward path of said bidirectional path.

14. The Multi-Media Gaming System With End User Feedback of claim 1 further comprising:

routing means, responsive to receipt of said user gaming input from said selected wireless end user device over said private reverse path of said bidirectional link, for forwarding said user gaming input to at least one other of said selected wireless end user devices.

15. The Multi-Media Gaming System With End User Feedback of claim 14 further comprising:

private data means for transmitting said end user gaming data received at said routing means to said at least one selected wireless end user device over a corresponding private forward path of said bidirectional path.

16. A method of operating a Multi-Media Gaming System With End User Feedback, which is operational in a communication network which serves a plurality of wireless end user devices, for simultaneously transmitting gaming content from at least one gaming content source in said communication network to selected ones of said wireless end user devices over unidirectional forward broadcast paths that extend from said communication network to said selected wireless end user devices, said communication network also having bidirectional paths, including a private reverse path from said selected wireless end user devices to said communication network and a private forward path that extends from said communication network to said selected wireless end user devices, comprising:

accumulating, in response to receipt of said gaming input data received from said at least one wireless end user device over said private reverse path of said bidirectional link, said gaming input data; and

generating a modified gaming content by modifying gaming content received from said gaming source based on said accumulated gaming input data.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

transmitting said modified gaming content to said communication network for transmission over said forward broadcast paths to said selected wireless end user devices.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein said step of accumulating comprises:

associating said gaming input data received from said wireless end user devices with a corresponding gaming content.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein:

said gaming content comprises a series of frames that are delivered in sequence to said plurality of wireless end user devices, wherein a past frame is a frame last delivered to said plurality of wireless end user devices and a present frame is a frame received from said gaming content source but not yet delivered to said selected wireless end user devices; and

said step of accumulating further comprises;

defining a time period for use by said step of associating during which time period said gaming input data received from said wireless end user devices is associated with said present frame.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said step of accumulating further comprises:

processing said accumulated gaming input data received from said wireless end user devices to a composite content revision for a corresponding gaming application.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein said step of accumulating further comprises:

associating said composite content revision with a corresponding gaming application.

22. The method of claim 16 wherein said step of generating comprises:

operating at least one gaming application, responsive to receipt of said composite content revision associated with said gaming application, for revising said received gaming content to produce a revised gaming content.

23. The method of claim 19 wherein said step of accumulating further comprises:

associating said accumulated gaming input data received from said wireless end user devices with a corresponding gaming application.

24. The method of claim 16 wherein said step of generating comprises:

operating at least one application, responsive to receipt of said accumulated gaming input data associated with said application, for revising said received gaming content to produce a revised gaming content.

25. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

transmitting end user specific private gaming data to a one of said selected wireless end user devices over a corresponding private forward path of said bidirectional path.

26. The method of claim 25 further comprising:

displaying, at said wireless end user device, said user specific private gaming data received at said wireless end user device over said corresponding private forward path of said bidirectional path via a split screen concurrently with display of said gaming content delivered to said wireless end user device over said unidirectional forward broadcast path.

27. The method of claim 25 further comprising:

forwarding, in response to receipt of routing instructions from said selected wireless end user device over said private reverse path of said bidirectional link, said end user specific private gaming data to at least one other of said selected wireless end user devices.

28. The method of claim 27 further comprising:

transmitting said end user specific private gaming data received at said step of forwarding to said at least one selected wireless end user device over a corresponding private forward path of said bidirectional path.

29. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

forwarding, in response to receipt of said user gaming input from said selected wireless end user device over said private reverse path of said bidirectional link, said user gaming input to at least one other of said selected wireless end user devices.

30. The method of claim 29 further comprising:

transmitting said end user gaming data received at said step of forwarding to said at least one selected wireless end user device over a corresponding private forward path of said bidirectional path.