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Entertainment system for collecting user inputs by periodically interleaving game collection interrogations into series of system interrogations during interruption of system interrogations

  • US 5,907,715 A
  • Filed: 06/24/1997
  • Issued: 05/25/1999
  • Est. Priority Date: 08/10/1994
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A method for collecting user input information from 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, input means coupled to each terminal for enabling a user to input information at each location, and a distribution system linking each terminal to the head end system, the method comprising:

  • initiating a series of system interrogations to the terminals via the distribution system to obtain information from one of the input means in each system interrogation;

    providing collection interrogations to the terminals via the distribution system for obtaining information from the input means including identifying selected terminals of the plurality of terminals to be interrogated by the collection interrogations, wherein information from more than one of the input means can be obtained in each collection interrogation; and

    interleaving the collection interrogations into the series of system interrogations, including periodically interrupting distribution of system interrogations and initiating collection interrogations via the distribution system during interruption of the distribution of system interrogations.

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