Hotel-based video game and communication system
First Claim
1. A guest room based communications system for generating interactive, in-room videographic display sessions in a plurality of guest rooms comprising:
- an array of videographic processing systems, the number of videographic processing systems in said array being less than the number of guest rooms, each videographic processing system including;
a videographics program executing processor;
a memory system, coupled to said videographics program executing processor, for storing a videographics program, anda microcontroller, coupled to said videographics program executing processor and said memory system, for receiving information generated during an in-room interactive videographics display session and for sending said information to said videographics program executing processor,each videographic processing system in said array being assigned to any one of at least a plurality of in-room displays, said guest room communications system including a data director for directing information generated in one of said plurality of guest rooms to an identified videographics processing system for processing.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A video game/communications system is disclosed which permits guest room guests to actively participate in video game play or to use other data processing/communication services. A multi-tasking master host computer stores video games and other application programs on its hard disk, downloads programs to an array of SNES game playing engines in response to guest selections. Each guest room guest room includes a terminal device which is coupled to the guest'"'"'s color television and to a game controller. By pressing a game controller menu key, the guest room guest initiates the downloading of applications software by the host computer to the array of SNES engines located within the guest room. A downloaded applications program generate a display menu which appears on the guest'"'"'s television. The display menu permits each guest room guest to select between various operating modes (identified, for example, by displayed icons), including movies, games, shopping, survey forms, language selection, communication/data processing services, etc. If a user opts for video game play, then the available game titles and/or descriptions thereof are displayed.
87 Citations
44 Claims
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1. A guest room based communications system for generating interactive, in-room videographic display sessions in a plurality of guest rooms comprising:
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an array of videographic processing systems, the number of videographic processing systems in said array being less than the number of guest rooms, each videographic processing system including; a videographics program executing processor; a memory system, coupled to said videographics program executing processor, for storing a videographics program, and a microcontroller, coupled to said videographics program executing processor and said memory system, for receiving information generated during an in-room interactive videographics display session and for sending said information to said videographics program executing processor, each videographic processing system in said array being assigned to any one of at least a plurality of in-room displays, said guest room communications system including a data director for directing information generated in one of said plurality of guest rooms to an identified videographics processing system for processing. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A guest room-based communications system for generating in-room video displays on one of a plurality of guest room display units comprising:
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a host computer including a storage device for storing a plurality of computer programs identifiable by program file identifiers; a plurality of memory systems for receiving at least one of said plurality of programs; and a plurality of first data processors, each coupled to an associated one of said memory systems, each of said plurality of first data processors for executing at least one of said plurality of programs stored in its associated memory system for generating a video display on a guest room display device, said host computer being operable to dynamically assign each of said plurality of first data processors to one of said plurality of guest room display units; said host computer being operable to download a selected program identified by one of said program file identifiers. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25)
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26. A videographics entertainment system for generating a videographics display on a plurality of displays comprising:
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a host computer having a memory for storing a plurality of programs, an array of videographics processing systems, each video game processor being coupled to an associated memory system for receiving one of said plurality of computer programs, each of said videographics processors being operable to execute a program stored in its associated memory system, and to generate a videographics display on one of said plurality of displays, said host computer being operable to dynamically assign each of said videographic processing systems to any one of said plurality of displays. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. In a guest room-based entertainment system having a host computer, a plurality of in-room display systems, and an array of videographics processing systems, wherein the number of videographics processing systems is smaller than the number of in-room display system, each videographics processing system having an associated memory system, a method of operating said guest room-based entertainment system comprising the steps of:
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displaying at each of a plurality of in-room display systems, a display menu identifying a plurality of videographics programs; requesting the videographics program selected by a user by file number; dynamically assigning one of said videographics processing systems to each active in-room display systems; downloading the selected videographics program selected by a user to the memory system associated with the assigned videographics processing system; executing by the assigned videographics processing system the videographics program selected by a user of an active in-room display system. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A room based communications system for generating a videographics display on a plurality of in-room display units comprising:
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a host computer having a memory for storing a plurality of programs, an array of videographics processing systems, including plural video game processors each being coupled to an associated memory system for receiving at least one of said plurality of computer programs downloaded from said host computer, each associated memory system storing program information and moving object and background character data and each videographics processor executing a program stored in its associated memory system to generate a videographics display at a display unit and processing moving object and background character data stored in said associated memory system, wherein said host computer assigning one of said videographics processors to any one or more of said plurality of said in-room display units. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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Specification