Automatic bowling center system

• US 5,626,523 A
• Filed: 05/24/1995
• Issued: 05/06/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Brunswick Bowling & Billiards Corporation (Brunswick Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Brunswick Bowling & Billiards Corporation (Brunswick Corporation)
• Inventors: Mueller, David J., Wyland, David C., Mowers, David L., Pierce, Gerald A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrison, Jessica
• Assistant Examiner(s): SAGER, MARK ALAN
• Application Number:
  US08/449,793
• Time in Patent Office: 713 Days
• Field of Search: 473/54-55, 473/58, 473/70, 364/410-411, 273/DIG. 26, 340/323 R, 340/323 B
• US Class Current: 473/58
• CPC Class Codes: A63D 1/00 Installations for bowling games, e.g. bowling-alleys or bocce courts bowling greens A63C19/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63D 2005/042 for indicating the ball path
• CPC Class Codes: A63D 5/04 Indicating devices
• CPC Class Codes: A63D 5/08 Arrangements for setting-up or taking away pins
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/04 Display device controller operating with a plurality of display units

Abstract

A bowling center system includes a plurality of lane pair control systems each including a pinsetting device for each lane, a pinsetter control unit, a game control unit, a bowler input station and a pair of overhead display monitors. The game control unit is operable under the control of a game control program stored in a memory for automatically operating the pinsetter control units during game play to selectively set a sequence of pin patterns on the lane, which patterns may comprise any array of pins. The game control unit responsive to pin fall data received from the gamesetter generates scoring information which is displayed using video graphic displays on the overhead monitors. The game control program can be any one of a plurality of different game programs which may be downloaded to the memory from a memory associated with the manager'"'"'s control terminal. According to the particular game program, the number of bowling frames the game may vary as well as the number of balls and pins utilized in each frame. The manager'"'"'s control system provides accounting control over the bowling center system and is operable to override operation of a selected game control unit as necessary. A plurality of remote terminals are provided associated with selected ones of said lane pair control systems. Each remote terminal system includes a keyboard and a display monitor. The remote terminal operates under the control of the game control unit to allow a user thereof to enter requests for video displays. The video displays include, for example, ball trajectory displays which illustrate the path of the ball on the bowling lane, or dynamic displays, such as for training, generated by video source devices associated with the manager'"'"'s control system.

Claims

1. A bowling lane display control system comprising:

a bowling game control unit including a central processing unit, a memory means for storing data, and a display terminal operable to display video information responsive to a received video signal;

means for generating trajectory data representing a path of a bowling ball during a time when a bowling ball is in motion on a bowling lane;

means coupled to said game control unit for sensing when a bowling ball is thrown;

means coupled to said generating means and said game control unit for transferring and trajectory data to said game control unit for storing in said memory means responsive to said sensing means sensing that a bowling ball is thrown; and

a display control means operating under the control of said central processing unit and operable to access said trajectory data for transmitting a display signal to said display terminal, said display signal conveying information representing path of a ball on a bowling lane.

2. The bowling lane display control system of claim 1 wherein said display terminal comprises a video display device and an operator input means for requesting a ball trajectory display, and wherein said display control means transmits said display signal responsive to a request from said operator input means.

3. The bowling lane display control system of claim 1 wherein said bowling game control unit memory means stores ball trajectory data for an entire bowling game.

4. The bowling lane display control system of claim 1 further comprising a remote terminal unit including a video display monitor coupled to said game control unit and operable to display video information responsive to a received video signal, and a user input device coupled to said game control unit for requesting video display information, and remote terminal control means operatively associated with said bowling game control unit and responsive to a user input request for operating said display control means to transmit a display to said video display monitor.

5. The bowling lane display control system of claim 1 wherein said display control means transmits a display signal operable to illustrate a continuous curve showing path of a bowling bail on a bowling lane.

6. The bowling lane display control system of claim 1 wherein the information conveyed by said display signal includes numerical indicia corresponding to preselected trajectory data.

7. The bowling lane display control system of claim 1 further comprising means operatively associated with said bowling game control unit for determining scoring data responsive to playing of a bowling game, and wherein said display signal conveys information relative to said scoring data and path of a bail on a bowling lane.

8. The bowling lane display control system of claim 7 wherein numerical indicia includes velocity of a bowling ball while in motion on a bowling lane.