Interactive game show and method for achieving interactive communication therewith

• US 5,108,115 A
• Filed: 10/15/1990
• Issued: 04/28/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Carmen Berman, Robert Berman
• Original Assignee: Carmen Berman, Robert Berman
• Inventors: Berman, Robert, Berman, Carmen
• Primary Examiner(s): Coven, Edward M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HARRISON, JESSICA
• Application Number:
  US07/597,003
• Time in Patent Office: 561 Days
• Field of Search: 273/250, 273/251, 273/252, 273/253, 273/254, 273/429, 273/430, 273/431, 273/439, 273/141 R, 273/141 A, 273/142 R, 434/130, 434/131, 434/135, 434/146, 434/323, 455/2, 358/84
• US Class Current: 463/9
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2003/086 played via telephone, e.g. using a modem
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2250/64 used for radio or television, e.g. television shows; used in front of an audience
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/081 electric

Abstract

By providing an interactive communication system whereby individuals are able to electronically select at least one possible outcome of a plurality of outcomes of a future event, individuals are able to participate in the outcome of that event and possibly share in a prize award associated with the event. In the preferred embodiment, individuals forming the home audience of a televized game show are able to electronically communicate a series of random numbers using their telephone to participate in possibly winning the prize awards of the show. In addition, both on-camera game participants and the studio audience also participate and have the ability to win prizes.

Claims

1. A method for providing a televisable game show in which the home viewing audience and the studio audience are able to directly participate by having a chance to win prize awards, comprising the steps of:

A. selecting at least two contestants;

B. establishing a pool comprising a fixed quantity of unique indicia;

C. requiring each contestant to successively answer questions until one of said contestants is declared a winner;

D. randomly selecting at least one set of indicia for use in determining the questions the contestants are asked, said set of indicia comprising a predetermined, fixed quantity of indicia from the entire pool of indicia;

E. enabling studio audience members and home viewers to pre-select a personal set of indicia in advance of the random selection of the set of indicia from the entire pool of indicia; and

F. awarding a prize to each participating studio audience member and home viewer having selected a personal indicia set which matches in its entirety the randomly generated indicia set.

2. The method defined in claim 1, wherein the indicia are further defined as comprising unique numbers each of which has a specific subject area associated therewith, and the game show contestants compete by answering questions associated with the subject area of randomly selected indicia.

3. A method for providing a televisable game show comprising the steps of:

A. establishing a principal theme having a plurality of separate and distinct categories;

B. separately identifying each category with a unique indicia;

C. selecting two contestants;

D. randomly selecting one indicia for determining the category upon which a question is to be based;

E. requiring one of the contestants to answer a question regarding the selected category;

F. repeating the indicia selection and question answering steps until a winner is declared;

G. randomly selecting a plurality of indicia and associated categories for a final bonus round;

H. requiring the winning contestant to answer a question for each of said plurality of randomly selected categories; and

I. awarding a special high value prize to the contestant if all questions have been correctly answered.

4. The method defined in claim 3, wherein the randomly selected plurality of indicia and categories of the bonus round comprises a fixed, predetermined total number.

5. The method defined in claim 4, wherein said fixed, predetermined total number of indicia and categories ranges between about four and ten.

6. The method defined in claim 3, wherein said indicia is further defined as comprising a unique numeral associated with each of said plurality of categories.

7. The method defined in claim 6, wherein the plurality of numerals representing the categories randomly selected as part of the bonus round defines a set of numerals upon which interactive awards are based.

8. The method defined in claim 7, wherein members of the studio audience and the home viewing audience are capable of competing in winning prize awards by submitting, in advance, a personal set of numerals and awards are provided to all contestants whose sets of numeral selections correspond completely with the actual set of numerals selected during the bonus round.

9. The method defined in claim 3, comprising the additional steps of

J. establishing a highly visible game board displaying all available indicia and categories;

and

K. associating a prize award with each indicia and category, which prize award is won by the contestant selecting the indicia and category and properly answering the question associated therewith.

10. The method defined in claim 9, wherein said prize award is further defined as comprising a cash award.

11. The method defined in claim 10 comprising the additional step of

L. selecting for participation in the bonus round the contestant having earned the most prize money during the game play.

12. The televisable game show method defined in claim 3 wherein the studio audience is able to directly participate by having a chance to win prize awards, comprising the additional steps of

J. providing each member of the studio audience with a game card of designating a personal set of indicia;

K. receiving and recording each studio audience selection for a personal indicia set; and

L. awarding a pre-determined prize award to all studio members having submitted a personal indicia set which matches in its entirety the randomly generated indicia set of the final bonus round.

13. The televisable game show method defined in claim 3, wherein the home viewing audience is able to directly participate by having a chance to win prizes awards, comprising the additional steps of

J. receiving and recording personal indicia set selections from home viewers;

K. comparing the personal indicia set submitted by each home viewer with the randomly generated indicia set of the final bonus round; and

L. awarding a pre-determined prize to all contestants having entered a personal indicia set which matches in its entirety the randomly generated indicia set of the final bonus round.

14. The televisable game show method defined in claim 13, wherein said receiving and recording step is provided by computer means capable of receiving telephone calls from home viewers, thereby enabling the home viewers to actively participate in the game show by merely employing their telephones.

16. The method defined in claim 3, comprising the additional steps of

J. classifying the plurality of categories into a smaller plurality of distinct groups;

K. providing random selection means on which all of the groups are displayed;

L. selecting a category by enabling the contestant to employ the selection means for randomly designating one of the groups displayed thereon; and

M. allowing the contestant to select one category contained in the randomly selected group.

17. The method defined in claim 16, wherein the random selection means is further defined as comprising a movable panel member on which all of the groups are displayed for ease of recognition, with each group having an equal chance of being selected by movement of the panel member.

18. The method defined in claim 16, comprising the additional steps of

N. modifying the random selection means to enable a plurality of separate and distinct groups to be simultaneously selected, said plurality being equal in number to the plurality of categories required for the final bonus round;

and

O. allowing the contestant to select one category from each of the plurality of groups randomly selected in the preceding step, with each of the categories selected forming the basis for the questions to be asked of the contestant in the final bonus round.

19. The method defined in claim 18, wherein the principal theme comprises the world, the categories comprise the countries of the world arranged in alphabetic order, the unique indicia comprise a unique numeral associated with each separate and distinct country, and the random selection means comprises a globe containing all of the countries of the world divided into a plurality of equal sized groups.

20. The method defined in claim 19, wherein the globe is constructed to simultaneously designate six separate and distinct groups of countries for use in determining the questions for the final bonus round, with the winning contestant being allowed to select, by numeral designation, one country from each group, with each of the six selected countries representing the subject matter upon which the bonus round questions are based, with the six country designating numerals selected by the contestant representing the plurality of indicia upon which winning audience members and home viewer prizes are based.

15. The televisable game show method defined in 14, wherein said computer means is further defined as comprising

a. means for receiving individual identifying indicia via telephone transmission for identifying each individual caller,

b. means for receiving and recording in association with each individual caller the particular contest-entering personal indicia set of the caller;

and

c. means for comparing the personal indicia set of each caller with the randomly generated, indicia set of the final round and identifying all individuals whose personal indicia matches in its entirety the randomly generated game indicia set of the final round.