Game of skill or chance playable by remote participants in conjunction with a common game event including inserted interactive advertising

• US 5,643,088 A
• Filed: 05/31/1995
• Issued: 07/01/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Interactive Network, Inc. (Two Way TV (US), Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Interactive Network, Inc. (Two Way TV (US), Inc.)
• Inventors: Vaughn, Eric E., Berner, Mark K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrison, Jessica
• Assistant Examiner(s): ONEILL, MICHAEL W
• Application Number:
  US08/454,925
• Time in Patent Office: 762 Days
• Field of Search: 463/40, 463/41, 463/42, 463/16, 463/9, 463/7, 364/411, 273/439, 273/433, 273/138 A, 273/85 G, 273/85 CP
• US Class Current: 463/40
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/338 using television networks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/61 using advertising information
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/409 Data transfer via television network
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/50 characterized by details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5506 using advertisements

Abstract

A game of skill or chance played simultaneously by several participants remote from each other also provides for interleaved interactive advertising. Each participant has a control unit or a personal computer or processor which can handle the interleaved advertising as a separate computer task which means that the other game task can always continue to operate in the background.

Claims

1. A game of skill or chance played simultaneously by several participants remote from each other in conjunction with at least one common game where interactive advertising is inserted into the game comprising:

communication means for providing to each participant said common game along with said interactive advertising;

control unit means associated with each remote participant for receiving game and interactive ad inputs by such participant said control unit means including keyboard means and a visual display said control unit means including a game data stream and an interactive ad data stream which may be selectively associated with said keyboard means and visual display;

central computer system means for transmitting and downloading game messages and interactive ad messages to all of said control unit means and for receiving uploaded game data and interactive ad data from said control unit means which are related to said inputs, said control unit means continuing to process both said interactive ad and game messages on said respective data streams irrespective of which data stream said keyboard means and said display are associated with;

said central computer system means also including means for transmitting an additional switching message for transmission and downloading to said control unit means, said control unit means including a third switching message data stream means for receiving said switching message and in response to such message associating said keyboard means and visual display with a selected game data stream or interactive ad data stream in accordance with said message, the. unselected data stream continuing to process in the background.

2. A game of skill or chance as in claim 1 where said central control system means and said control unit means include means for downloading to said game control unit means interactive advertising programs before said game starts.

3. A game of skill or chance as in claim 1 where said communication means includes a common channel means for downloading both said game and interactive ad messages.