Interactive wireless gaming system

• US 5,738,583 A
• Filed: 02/02/1996
• Issued: 04/14/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gil, Alan, McCarley, Christopher L., Comas, Nelson R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrison, Jessica
• Assistant Examiner(s): ONEILL, MICHAEL W
• Application Number:
  US08/594,602
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• Field of Search: 463/40, 463/39, 463/42, 463/41, 463/31, 463/30, 463/43, 463/44, 364/410, 340/825.44, 340/825.26, 340/825.27, 340/825.37, 455/38.1, 379/57, 345/122, 370/281, 370/276
• 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 13/332 using wireless networks, e.g. cellular phone networks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/71 using secure communication between game devices and game servers, e.g. by encrypting game data or authenticating players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/402 Communication between platforms, i.e. physical link to protocol
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/406 Transmission via wireless network, e.g. pager or GSM
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/50 characterized by details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

An interactive wireless gaming system has a plurality of wireless gaming units which operate alternately as a host device. The wireless gaming units include a receiver for receiving wireless messages including gaming information which provides periodically update data signals generated by the gaming units to indicate a present position of a plurality of moveable objects moving. A display displays the gaming information in a form of graphic characterizations depicting the moveable objects. A processor generates the updated gaming information, and includes a memory for storing the data signals; a decoder for generating control signals in response to the gaming information received; a controller responsive to the control signals for effecting sequential storage of the data signals and a recall of a last of the data signals stored for display; and a network interface coupled between the controller and the game server. A transmitter transmits wireless responses to provide the updated gaming information.

Claims

1. An interactive wireless gaming system comprising:

a plurality of wireless gaming units operating alternately as a host device and a guest device, wherein said gaming units further comprise;

a receiver for receiving wireless messages including gaming information generated by said gaming units, the gaming information comprising data signals which are periodically updated, the data signals indicating a present position of a plurality of moveable objects moving periodically as the data signals are updated;

a display for displaying the gaming information received in a form of graphic characterizations depicting moveable objects;

a processor for providing updated gaming information at the gaming units, said processor comprising

a memory for storing the data signals,

a decoder coupled to said receiver for generating control signals in response to the gaming information,

a clock coupled to said decoder,

a controller coupled to said decoder, said display, and said memory and responsive to the control signals for effecting a sequential storage of the data signals, and further for effecting a recall for display of a last of the data signals stored in said memory, and

a network interface coupled between said controller and said game server; and

a transmitter for transmitting wireless responses to provide the updated gaming information.

2. The interactive wireless gaming system of claim 1 further comprising a game server comprising:

a receiver for receiving the updated gaming information generated by the gaming units; and

a transmitter for re-transmitting the updated gaming information to the gaming units.

3. The interactive wireless gaming system of claim 2, wherein said gaming units and said game server operate using a dedicated outbound frequency and a dedicated inbound frequency to form a multiple frequency duplex allowing each gaming unit to transmit and receive signals on separate frequencies.

4. The interactive wireless gaming system of claim 1, wherein said graphic characterizations are displayed and individually animated through said display of said gaming units during a time interval between periodic updates of the data signals.

5. The interactive wireless gaming system of claim 1, wherein the data signals include relative position signals to provide a relative position of the plurality of moveable objects, and wherein said processor is responsive to the relative position signals for generating the graphic characterizations corresponding to each of the relative position signals.

6. The interactive wireless gaming system of claim 1, wherein said display comprises:

a graphic display for displaying the data signals stored in said memory; and

a display driver, coupled to said graphic display and to said controller, for driving said graphic display in response to said controller providing the data signals which are stored in said memory.

7. The interactive wireless gaming system of claim 1, further comprising an alerting device, responsive to the control signals, for generating an alert in response to certain signals informing gaming users of specific gaming events including, but not limited to, a starting time and an ending time of a particular gaming session.

8. The interactive wireless gaming system of claim 7, wherein the alerting device is at least one of audible, visual and both audible and visual.

9. The interactive wireless gaming system of claim 2, wherein one or more gaming units can communicate interactively with said game server.

10. The interactive wireless gaming system of claim 9, wherein two or more gaming units can communicate interactively with one another.

11. The interactive wireless gaming system of claim 2, wherein information is passed from said gaming units to said game server through a paging transceiver.

12. The interactive wireless gaming system of claim 11, wherein gaming users are alerted to a particular gaming session through said paging transceiver for receiving and detecting transmitted selective call paging signals and the data signals which are periodically updated.

13. The interactive wireless gaming system of claim 1, wherein gaming information is secured through an authentication process including gaming user identification.

14. The interactive wireless gaming system of claim 1, wherein gaming information is periodically preserved in said memory to prevent a loss of the gaming information.