Hotel-based video game and communication system
First Claim
1. A method of operating a guest room entertainment system in an environment having plural guest rooms, comprising the steps of:
- providing a host computer coupled to an array of graphics processing systems and plural in-room, interactive display devices coupled to the array of graphics processing systems, a number of graphics processing systems being less than a number of in-room display devices;
displaying a display menu at each active in-room display device;
dynamically assigning one of the graphics processing systems in the array to an active one of the in-room display devices;
a guest in one of the guest rooms having an active in-room display device selecting one of several graphics program options included in the display menu;
in response to the guest selection of one of the graphics program options, downloading an interactive graphics program from the host computer to the graphics processing system assigned to the active in-room display device in the one guest room;
establishing one of a plurality of communication time slots for receiving data from the active in-room display device in the one guest room; and
executing the selected graphics program by the assigned graphics processing system,wherein during execution of the selected graphics program, input data generated at the in-room display device is communicated to the assigned graphics processing system during the one time slot.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A video game/communications system is disclosed which permits guest room guests to actively participate in video game play or to use other data processing/communication services. A multi-tasking master host computer stores video games and other application programs on its hard disk, downloads programs to an array of SNES game playing engines in response to guest selections. Each guest room guest room includes a terminal device which is coupled to the guest'"'"'s color television and to a game controller. By pressing a game controller menu key, the guest room guest initiates the downloading of applications software by the host computer to the array of SNES engines located within the guest room. A downloaded applications program generate a display menu which appears on the guest'"'"'s television. The display menu permits each guest room guest to select between various operating modes (identified, for example, by displayed icons), including movies, games, shopping, survey forms, language selection, communication/data processing services, etc.
138 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method of operating a guest room entertainment system in an environment having plural guest rooms, comprising the steps of:
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providing a host computer coupled to an array of graphics processing systems and plural in-room, interactive display devices coupled to the array of graphics processing systems, a number of graphics processing systems being less than a number of in-room display devices; displaying a display menu at each active in-room display device; dynamically assigning one of the graphics processing systems in the array to an active one of the in-room display devices; a guest in one of the guest rooms having an active in-room display device selecting one of several graphics program options included in the display menu; in response to the guest selection of one of the graphics program options, downloading an interactive graphics program from the host computer to the graphics processing system assigned to the active in-room display device in the one guest room; establishing one of a plurality of communication time slots for receiving data from the active in-room display device in the one guest room; and executing the selected graphics program by the assigned graphics processing system, wherein during execution of the selected graphics program, input data generated at the in-room display device is communicated to the assigned graphics processing system during the one time slot. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. In a guest room based entertainment system having a host computer coupled to an array of graphics processing systems and plural in-room, interactive display devices coupled to the array of graphics processing systems, a number of graphics processing systems being less than a number of in-room display devices, a method of operating the guest room based entertainment system, comprising the steps of:
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displaying a menu at each active in-room display device; collecting menu selections from an active ones of the in-room display devices including a guest selection using one of the active in-room display devices of one of the graphics program options; identifying one or more of the graphics processing systems in the array available for assignment to an active in-room display device; determining if one of the available graphics processing systems is already loaded with the selected graphics program; if so, assigning the available graphics processing system already loaded with the selected graphics program to the one active in-room display device and executing the selected graphics program by the assigned graphics processing system; and if not, assigning an available graphics processing system in the array to the active in-room display device. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification