Entertainment system and method for controlling connections between terminals and game generators and providing video game responses to game controls through a distributed system

• US 5,675,828 A
• Filed: 11/27/1996
• Issued: 10/07/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sonifi Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Lodgenet Entertainment (LodgeNet Interactive Corporation)
• Inventors: Stoel, Leon P., Bankers, David M., Plucker, Prentice J., Hills, Vernon E., Cinco, Christopher A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LUU, LE HIEN
• Application Number:
  US08/757,851
• Time in Patent Office: 314 Days
• Field of Search: 395/825, 345/2, 463/42, 463/40, 364/410, 358/86, 348/7, 348/8, 273/1, 434/307 R
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/31 Communication aspects specific to video games, e.g. between several handheld game devices at close range
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/338 using television networks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/352 involving special game server arrangements, e.g. regional servers connected to a national server or a plurality of servers managing partitions of the game world
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/533 for prompting the player, e.g. by displaying a game menu
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/308 Details of the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/402 Communication between platforms, i.e. physical link to protocol
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/409 Data transfer via television network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/106 for domestic distribution

Abstract

A hotel room entertainment system enables video games to be played in each room of a hotel without providing a video game generator in each room. The entertainment system includes at a head end system portion in which the video game audio and video signals are generated and a plurality of guest terminals. Game interrogations are provided to each guest terminal in an active game-playing mode, each game interrogation having a plurality of response positions for guest terminal responses to the interrogation. The game interrogations are interleaved with a series of system interrogations generated at the head end system, enabling the entertainment system to provide video game signals along with other entertainment and services to the guest terminals using a single distribution system.

Claims

1. An entertainment system for providing interactive video games to a plurality of rooms, the entertainment system comprising:

a distribution system;

a terminal, a television, and a game controller located at each of the plurality of rooms, the television displaying interactive video games as a function of video game signals received by the terminal, the game controller providing interactive video game control information to the terminal, and the terminal connected to the distribution system for receiving the video game signals and for transmitting signals representing the video game control information; and

a head end connected to the distribution system and including a host computer and a plurality of video game generators, the host computer controlling which terminal is connected to which video game generator, and each video game generator being capable of generating the video game signals as a function of stored digital video game code and the interactive game control information received from the terminal connected to that video game generator, and means for causing the television to display screens which provide instructions for purchasing game play time, which indicate purchased game time remaining, and which list game titles for selection.

2. An entertainment system for providing user-selected video entertainment to users at a plurality of locations, the entertainment system comprising:

a distribution system;

a head end, connected to the distribution system, which includes;

a plurality of video players for providing prerecorded video signals;

a plurality of video game generators for providing interactive video game signals as a function of user-generated interactive video game inputs;

means for generating video display screen signals which provide instructions for purchasing game play time, which indicate purchased game time remaining and which list game titles for selection;

a host computer for controlling operation of the video players, the video game generators and the means for generating video display screen signals as a function of user-generated entertainment system command inputs;

a terminal at each of the plurality of locations connected to the distribution system for receiving from the head end prerecorded video signals and interactive video game signals and for sending to the head end signals representing user-generated interactive video game inputs and entertainment system command inputs via the distribution system;

a video display associated with each terminal for displaying video based upon one of the signals received by the terminal from the head end;

user input means associated with each terminal for providing signals to the terminal based upon user-generated interactive video game inputs and entertainment system command inputs, the entertainment system command inputs including selecting prerecorded video signals to be played, selecting a video game to be played, and ordering video game playing time.

3. An entertainment system for providing user-selected video entertainment to users in a plurality of different rooms, the entertainment system comprising:

a head end which includes;

a host computer;

a modem;

a video player system having a plurality of outputs;

a video game system having a plurality of outputs;

a graphics generator having a plurality of outputs;

an array of RF modulators having inputs for receiving outputs from the video player system, the video game system and the graphics generator, and having outputs;

a combiner having an output and having a plurality of inputs for connection to the outputs of the RF modulators and an output of the modem;

a two-way master antenna television (MATV) distribution system connected to the head end; and

an in-room system in each room which includes;

a television;

a game controller;

a remote control; and

a terminal connected to the MATV distribution system and to the television for controlling operation of the television based upon signals received via the MATV distribution system from the head end and for sending signals via the MATV distribution system to the head end based upon input signals received from the game controller and the remote control;

wherein the video game system includes an array of video game generators;

wherein the host computer assigns one of the video game generators to one of the rooms based upon a signal received from that room over the MATV distribution system;

wherein the video game generator assigned to one of the rooms generates interactive video game signals as a function of video game input signals received via the MATV distribution system from that room; and

wherein the graphics generator provides screens to be displayed on the television to allow a user to purchase game play time, to provide a list of game titles from which a video game is selected, and to determine an amount of unused play time remaining.

4. A method for providing video games to a plurality of locations using an entertainment system, the entertainment system having a head end system containing a host computer, the entertainment system further having a plurality of terminals and a distribution system linking each terminal to the head end system, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of video game generators in the head end system of the entertainment system for providing video game signals via the distribution system to the terminals;

providing a controller at each location, the controller being coupled to one of the terminals;

displaying at the locations interactive video games based upon the video game signals;

providing from the terminals to the head end via the distribution system, signals representing game control information obtained from the controllers and signals selecting video games to be played and ordering video game play time; and

controlling generation of the video game signals by the video game generators as a function of stored digital video game code and the signals representing game control information; and

displaying at the locations, in response to signals from the terminal to the head end, display screens which indicate amount of game play time purchased and game titles.

5. A method for providing interactive video games to a plurality of locations using an entertainment system, the entertainment system having a head end system containing a host computer, the entertainment system further having a terminal and associated video display at each of the locations and a distribution system linking each terminal to the head end system, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of video game generators in the head end system of the entertainment system for providing video game signals via the distribution system to the terminals;

providing a game controller at each location, the game controller being coupled to the terminal at that location;

obtaining, via the distribution system, interactive game control information from the game controllers;

providing a path for the interactive game control information such that the information is provided to the video game generators;

controlling generation of the video game signals by the video game generators as a function of stored digital video game code and the interactive game control information;

displaying on the video displays screens which provide instructions for purchasing game play time, which indicate an amount of purchased game play time remaining, and which lists game titles for selection; and

displaying interactive video games on the video displays as a function of the video game signals.