System for automatic collection and distribution of player statistics for electronic dart games

• US 5,114,155 A
• Filed: 02/20/1991
• Issued: 05/19/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: B.i.g. Three Sixty, LLC
• Original Assignee: Arachnid Incorporated
• Inventors: Martin, John R., Bonilla, Marcio, Tillery, Michael L., Zammuto, Samuel N., Harlan, Eugene G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Grieb, William H.
• Application Number:
  US07/658,206
• Time in Patent Office: 454 Days
• Field of Search: 273/371, 273/376, 273/416, 273/138 A
• US Class Current: 273/371
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2003/086 played via telephone, e.g. using a modem
• CPC Class Codes: F41J 3/02 Indicators or score boards for arrow or dart games F41J5/00 takes precedence; timetables, lists or forms for shooter enlistment B42D15/0066
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3234 about the performance of a gaming system, e.g. revenue, diagnosis of the gaming system
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament

Abstract

A method and apparatus for conducting dart leagues or tournaments wherein players participate at multiple remote locations. The present invention provides a plurality of remotely located electronic dart games connected via a communication medium to a central control device enabling bidirectional communication between the central control device and the plurality of remotely located electronic dart games. The invention in a preferred embodiment enables players to participate in a dart league or tournament from various locations, however, it is possible for the plurality of electronic dart games to be at one location. Each electronic dart game is capable of receiving data from and transmitting data to player cards. Each dart game player has a player card that identifies a player to a respective dart game, and the player card also stores player data and game statistics. A master dart game is located at each remote location. The master dart game interfaces with each of the non-master dart games at that remote location. The master dart game stores statistical data received from the non-master dart games. The central control device polls each master dart game at each remote location at a predetermined time so as to upload and assimilate current statistical data from each remote location. The central control device then calculates the current standing of each player and downloads player standings to each remote location. The standings of the players can be displayed at each remote location via a portable display.

Claims

1. A method of conducting dart leagues or tournaments utilizing a plurality of electronic dart games, each dart game having means for receiving, storing and transmitting data, said method further utilizing a central control device (CCD) having means for processing, inputting, storing and outputting data, said method comprising the steps of:

connecting the plurality of the electronic dart games to the central control device via a communication medium;

inputting data on each player into the central control device via the inputting means; and

communicating bidirectionally between the central control device and the plurality of electronic dart games via the communication medium.

2. The method of conducting dart leagues or tournaments as set out in claim 1, wherein the plurality of electronic dart games are situated at one or more locations remote from the central control device.

3. The method of conducting dart leagues of tournaments as set out in claim 2, each dart game further comprising means for displaying data, said method further comprising the steps of:

recording play-by-play of each player automatically via the game storing means upon impact of a dart thrown by a player striking a dart board on said player'"'"'s respective dart game;

calculating a score of each player resulting from a dart thrown by a player striking a respective dart board of the player;

displaying at each location current scores of every player participating at that location; and

polling each remote location by the central control device via the communication medium at a predetermined time in order to upload data from each remote location and process the data.

4. The method of conducting dart leagues or tournaments as set out in claim 2, said method further comprising the step of outputting from the central control device to each remote location current data regarding player standings, statistics of players and team standings.

5. The method as set out in claim 1, said method further comprising the step of providing each player with a player card that identifies the player and stores player data and game statistics, and wherein the communication medium is manual transportation of the player cards.

6. The method as set out in claim 1, wherein the communication medium is provided by electrical wires that enable bidirectional communication between the central control device and the plurality of electronic dart games.

7. The method as set out in claim 1, wherein the plurality of electronic dart games are situated at one or more locations remote from the central control device, and the communication medium is provided by telephone lines.

8. A method of conducting dart leagues or tournaments utilizing a plurality of electronic dart games, each dart game having means for receiving, storing and transmitting data, said method further utilizing a central control device (CCD) having means for processing, storing, inputting and outputting data, said method comprising the steps of:

inputting player data into the central control device;

providing each player with a player card that identifies a respective player and stores player data and game statistics;

inputting player data and game statistics from the player card into the storing means of the electronic dart game via the receiving means of the electronic dart game;

storing game statistics and player data within the storing means of the electronic dart game;

transmitting game statistics and player data via the transmitting means to the player card; and

communicating bidirectionally between the central control device and the plurality of electronic dart games via a communication medium, wherein the receiving and transmitting means of the dart games interface with the communication medium.

9. The method as set out in claim 8, wherein manual transportation of the player cards provide the communication medium for the bidirectional communication.

10. The method as set out in claim 8, wherein the communication medium is provided by electrical wires that enable bidirectional communication between the central control device and the plurality of electronic dart games.

11. The method as set out in claim 8, wherein the plurality of electronic dart games are situated at one or more locations remote from the central control device, and the communication medium is provided by telephone lines.

12. The method as set out in claim 11, each dart game further comprising means for displaying data, said method further comprising the steps of:

recording play-by-play of each player automatically via the game storing means upon impact of a dart thrown by a player striking a dart board on said player'"'"'s respective dart game;

calculating a score of each player resulting from a dart thrown by a player striking a respective dart board of the player;

displaying at each location current scores of every player participating at that location; and

polling each remote location by the central control device via the transmitting means at a predetermined time in order to upload data from each remote location and process the data.

13. The method as set out in claim 12, said method further comprising the step of transmitting from the central control device to each remote location via the communication medium current data regarding player standings, statistics of players and team standings.

15. The apparatus as set out in claim 9, wherein a player card that identifies the player and stores player data and game statistics is provided to each player, the communication medium being provided by manual transportation of the player cards.

14. An apparatus for conducting dart leagues or tournaments wherein players can participate at a plurality of remote locations, comprising in combination:

a central control device for computing league or tournament statistics from received player data and game statistics, wherein the central control device (CCD) includes means for processing, storing, inputting and outputting data;

a plurality of remotely located electronic dart games, wherein each dart game includes means for receiving, storing and transmitting data into and out of the dart game; and

a communication medium coupling the plurality of remotely located electronic dart games to the central control device and enabling bidirectional communication between the central control device and the plurality of remotely located electronic dart games, wherein the receiving and transmitting means of the dart games and the inputting and outputting means of the CCD interface with the communication medium.

16. The apparatus as set out in claim 14, wherein the communication medium is provided by electrical wires that enable bidirectional communication between the central control device and the plurality of electronic dart games.

17. The apparatus as set out in claim 14, wherein the plurality of electronic dart games are situated at one or more locations remote from the central control device, and the communication medium is provided by telephone lines.

18. In an electronic dart game apparatus especially for use in a dart league or tournament, the combination comprising:

electronic input means for receiving player data and league or tournament player pairings information from at least one external source and game statistics;

storage means within the dart game apparatus for storing the external data and game statistics generated within the dart game; and

output means for transmitting the player data and game statistics to a location external to the dart game.

19. The electronic dart game apparatus as set out in claim 18, further comprising:

a printer electronically connected to the dart game apparatus for providing a hard copy printout of game statistics and player data.

20. A system for conducting dart leagues or tournaments wherein players can participate at a plurality of remote locations, said system comprising:

a central control device for computing league or tournament statistics from received player data and game statistics, the central control device including means for processing data, storing data, inputting data, and outputting data;

a plurality of remotely located electronic dart games, wherein each electronic dart game includes means for receiving, storing and transmitting player data into and out of the dart game;

a plurality of player cards for players participating in the league or tournament that are accepted by the receiving and transmitting means of the electronic dart games, wherein the player cards store player data and game statistics; and

a communication medium interlinking the central control device with the plurality of remotely located electronic dart games, wherein the receiving and transmitting means of the dart games and the inputting and outputting means of the central control device interface with the communication medium.

21. The system as set out in claim 20, wherein player data and game statistics are bidirectionally communicated between the central control device and the electronic games by utilizing the player cards as the communication medium.

22. The system as set out in claim 20, wherein the communication medium is provided by telephone lines.

23. The system as set out in claim 22, wherein the central control device polls each of the remotely located electronic dart games at a predetermined time, statistical data from each remote location regarding play is uploaded to the central control device and assimilated, the central control device calculates current standing of each player, and then the central control device downloads the current standing of each player to each remote location.

24. The system as set out in claim 23, wherein the central control device polls each of the remote locations during off-hours of establishments hosting the dart league or tournament, whereby transmission of statistical data via the telephone lines does not interfere with the establishments'"'"' use of their phone lines.

25. The system as set out in claim 20, wherein the player cards are noncontact integrated circuit (IC) cards.

26. The system as set out in claim 20, further comprising:

means for recording play-by-play of each player automatically upon impact of a dart thrown by a player striking a dart board on the player'"'"'s respective dart game;

means for calculating a score for each player resulting from a dart thrown by a player striking a respective dart board of the player;

means for displaying at each location current standings of all players and current scores of every player participating at each location; and

means for polling each remote location by the central control device at a predetermined time in order to upload all results of play from each remote location and analyzing the results.

27. The system as set out in claim 20, wherein a master dart game is located at each remote location and the central control device communicates with each remote location by solely interfacing with the master dart game located at each remote location, and all non-master dart games at each remote location are individually connected to the master dart game, thereby the master dart game interfaces with each non-master dart game and data is uploaded to the master dart game which in turn uploads the data to the central control device when the master dart game is polled by the central control device.

28. The system as set out in claim 20, wherein the remotely located dart games include means for loading and executing new game programs downloaded from the central control device.

29. The system as set out in claim 20, wherein information regarding game statistics and player data is stored in the central control device, and the information can be retrieved by inputting a request to one of the remotely located electronic dart games to retrieve stored information from the central control device.

30. The system as set out in claim 20, wherein each electronic dart game further comprises:

means for printing a hard copy printout of player data and game statistics.