Game System with Interactive Show Control

• US 20150321095A1
• Filed: 05/15/2015
• Published: 11/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eddie's Social Club, LLC.
• Original Assignee: Eddie's Social Club, LLC.
• Inventors: Schlossberg, Edwin, Harris, Jeremiah
• Granted Patent: US 9,884,249 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/216 using geographical information, e.g. location of the game device or player using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/235 using a wireless connection, e.g. infrared or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/25 Output arrangements for video game devices
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/27 characterised by a large display in a public venue, e.g. in a movie theatre, stadium or game arena
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/28 responding to control signals received from the game device for affecting ambient conditions, e.g. for vibrating players' seats, activating scent dispensers or affecting temperature or light controlling the output signals based on the game progress A63F13/50
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/33 using wide area network [WAN] connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/54 involving acoustic signals, e.g. for simulating revolutions per minute [RPM] dependent engine sounds in a driving game or reverberation against a virtual wall
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/65 automatically by game devices or servers from real world data, e.g. measurement in live racing competition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/67 adaptively or by learning from player actions, e.g. skill level adjustment or by storing successful combat sequences for re-use
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5533 using program state or machine event data, e.g. server keeps track of the state of multiple players on in a multiple player game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8023 the game being played by multiple players at a common site, e.g. in an arena, theatre, shopping mall using a large public display
• CPC Class Codes: A63J 11/00 Labyrinths
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/0442 activated by means of a sensor, e.g. motion or photodetectors
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/045 the sensor receiving a signal from a remote controller
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/0471 the sensor detecting the proximity, the presence or the movement of an object or a person
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/0478 by means of an image recording device, e.g. a camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

An interactive game system that stage lighting style cues as part of the game, where the stage lighting cues cause external stage lighting equipment to create effects that are based on outputs from the game. Steerable lights can be steered to the player and sounds can be created that are directed to the player. A simulation system can also simulate the actions that occur. The computer assigns teams.

Claims

1. A game system, comprising:

a game computer, running a game by communicating with multiple remote computers in different locations, executing the game by sending and receiving information wirelessly, to and from multiple portable computers in the different locations,

said game computer monitoring locations of the multiple remote computers, which move to different locations,

an audio controller, which produces first outputs indicative of audio as part of the game,

where said first outputs are programmed to produce audio at a first location which is one of said different locations and is a location of a first remote computer, but not to produce audio at a second location which is another of said locations and is a location of a second remote computer, based on a first action occurring in the game with said first remote computer which is near said first location,

and said first outputs, are programmed to produce audio at said second location but not to produce audio at said first location based on a second action occurring in the game with said second remote computer which is near said second location.

2. The game system as in claim 1, wherein X and Y coordinates are maintained for each of said remote computers, and said first location is a location of an audio device closest to the X and Y coordinates of the first computer and said second location is a location of another audio device closest to the X and Y coordinates of the second computer.

3. The game system as in claim 1, wherein said first action is a first milestone in the game.

4. The game system as in claim 1, further comprising a lighting controller, which produces lighting outputs which control lighting devices to respectively illuminate areas in the game based on at least said first and second actions, where said areas comprise illuminating an area of said location of one of the multiple remote computers.

5. The game system as in claim 4, wherein the lighting controller produces outputs for position controllable lights.

6. The game system as in claim 5, wherein the game is divided into teams formed of multiple controllers, and an area of a single controller of said multiple controllers of the team is illuminated by said lighting controller based on a team meeting a milestone.

7. The game system as in claim 4, wherein said lighting outputs comprise a cue which controls multiple different devices to create an effect based on actions in the game.

8. The game system as in claim 7, wherein said cue comprises color, duration and pattern of the lighting.

9. The game system as in claim 4, wherein said lighting controller also produces outputs that control a speed of a fan within lighting devices.

10. The game system as in claim 1, wherein said audio controller also produces outputs that cause sound to be played on the remote computers as part of the game.

11. The game system as in claim 4, wherein said lighting controller produces outputs that cause lighting effects to be produced on the remote computers as part of the game.

12. A portable computer system, comprising:

a portable computer, programmed for running a game by communicating with a game controlling computer, by sending and receiving information wirelessly, to and from multiple portable computers,

said portable computer providing its location to the game controlling computer and providing actions in the game to the game controlling computer,

said portable computer receiving first inputs indicative of audio and playing audio on the portable computer as part of the game, and receiving second inputs indicative of video and displaying said video as part of the game.

13. A method of operating a game system, comprising:

running a game on a game computer, by communicating from the game computer wirelessly with multiple remote computers playing the game in different locations, by sending and receiving information wirelessly, to and from multiple portable computers in the different locations,

monitoring locations of the multiple remote computers, which move to different locations, and storing electronic information indicative of locations of each of said multiple computers,

producing first outputs indicative of audio as part of the game,

where said first outputs are programmed to produce audio at a first location which is one of said locations of a first of said remote computers, but not to produce audio at a second location which is another of said locations of a second of said remote computers based on a first action occurring in the game with said first remote computer which is near said first location,

and said first outputs are programmed to produce audio at said second location but not to produce audio at said first location based on a second action occurring in the game with a second remote computer which is near said second location.

14. The method as in claim 13, wherein said storing electronic information comprises storing X and Y coordinates for each of said remote computers, and said first location is a location of an audio device closest to the X and Y coordinates of the first computer and said second location is a location of another audio device closest to the X and Y coordinates of the second computer.

15. The method as in claim 13, wherein said first action is a first milestone in the game.

16. The method as in claim 13, further comprising producing lighting outputs which control lighting devices to respectively illuminate areas in the game based on at least said first and second actions, where said areas comprise illuminating an area of said location of one of the multiple remote computers.

17. The method as in claim 16, wherein the lighting controller produces outputs for position controllable lights.

18. The method as in claim 16, wherein the game is divided into teams formed of multiple controllers, and a single controller of said multiple controllers of the team is illuminated by said lighting controller based on a team meeting a milestone.

19. The method as in claim 16, wherein said lighting outputs comprise a cue which controls multiple different devices to create an effect based on actions in the game.

20. The method as in claim 19, wherein said cue comprises color, duration and pattern of the lighting.

21. The method as in claim 16, further comprising also producing outputs that control a speed of a fan within lighting devices.

22. The method as in claim 13, further comprising also producing outputs that cause sound to be played on the remote computers as part of the game.

23. The method as in claim 16, wherein said lighting outputs cause lighting effects to be produced on the remote computers as part of the game.