Interactive communication system for communicating video game and karaoke software

• US 5,735,744 A
• Filed: 11/09/1995
• Issued: 04/07/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ADC Technology Inc. (H.B. Fuller Co. (Indonesia))
• Original Assignee: Yugengaisha Adachi International
• Inventors: Okamoto, Takeya
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrison, Jessica
• Assistant Examiner(s): ONEILL, MICHAEL W
• Application Number:
  US08/555,400
• Time in Patent Office: 880 Days
• Field of Search: 463/40, 463/41, 463/42, 364/410, 273/237, 434/307 A, 379/96, 379/93, 379/90, 395/916, 395/917, 455/6.3, 455/39, 455/66
• US Class Current: 463/40
• 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 13/493 Resuming a game, e.g. after pausing, malfunction or power failure
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/77 involving data related to game devices or game servers, e.g. configuration data, software version or amount of memory
• 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: A63F 2300/552 for downloading to client devices, e.g. using OS version, hardware or software profile of the client device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/636 involving process of starting or resuming a game
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/365 the accompaniment information being stored on a host computer and transmitted to a reproducing terminal by means of a network, e.g. public telephone lines
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/026 for games, e.g. videogames
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/125 Library distribution, i.e. distributing musical pieces from a central or master library
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/181 Billing, i.e. purchasing of data contents for use with electrophonic musical instruments; Protocols therefor; Management of transmission or connection time therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/211 Wireless transmission, e.g. of music parameters or control data by radio, infrared or ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/261 Satellite transmission for musical instrument purposes, e.g. processing for mitigation of satellite transmission delays
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/265 CATV transmission, i.e. electrophonic musical instruments connected to community antennas or cable television networks

Abstract

An interactive communication system is proposed for communicating software of video games or karaoke music from a host facility or distributor to end users. The system includes a communication terminal device provided at the end user. The communication terminal device includes a computer and a device for performing interactive communication with the host facility. The communication terminal device also includes temporary storage device in which video game data or karaoke data received from the host facility is temporarily stored. Game data stored in the temporary storage device is automatically deleted after a predetermined time period. Instead of the data deletion, the system can block the view displayed on the screen of the terminal device when a predetermined time has elapsed. The game data can be transmitted from broadcasting station to the terminal device via broadcasting wave.

Claims

1. A communication system having a host facility and communication terminal device capable of communicating with said host facility, said communication terminal device comprising:

a controller for inputting instructions to play game, receiving means for receiving game data as sent out from said host facility,

game data storage means for storing the game data received by said receiving means,

game executing means for executing game by using the game data stored in said game data storage means, in accordance with instructions from said controller,

display means having a screen for displaying the progress of game by said game executing means,

clock means for keeping a predetermined time period after said receiving means received the game data, and

interference means for interfering with the execution of said game executing means by blocking the view on the screen on which the progress of game is displayed by display means when said clock means counts said predetermined time period,

said host facility comprising;

data file storage for storing game data as well as duration data indicative of the predetermined time period to be counted by said clock means, and

sending out means for sending out the game data and the duration data stored in said data file storage to said communication terminal device.

2. The communication system according to claim 1, said communication terminal device further comprising:

second clock means for keeping a predetermined second time period after said receiving means of said communication terminal device received game data, said predetermined second time period being shorter that said predetermined time period counted by said clock means, and

alarm means for issuing an alarm when said second clock means counts said predetermined second time period, and thereby informing that the time of interference by said interference means with the effecting of said game effecting means will soon be performed.

3. The communication system according to claim 2, further comprising:

third clock means for keeping a predetermined third time period after said interference means interfered with the effecting of said game effecting means,

interference stop instruction means for instructing to stop the interference performed by said interference means, and

means for stopping the interference performed by said interference means and thereby allowing resumption of effecting of game performed by said game effecting means when the interference stop instruction means received the instruction before said third clock means counts said third time period.