Systems for providing large arena games over computer networks
First Claim
1. A method for providing gaming to a large arena of participants, comprising the steps of:
- providing a game server for generating page signals having information representative of a hand being played by one of the participants in a game and information representative of a game event, and wherein each page includes a mechanism for collecting a reply from one of the participants to indicate the participant'"'"'s move in the game;
allowing each participant in the game to employ a client process operating on a client station to connect to said game server through a computer network and to download a respective one of said page signals from said game server;
directing each participant in the game to employ said client process to enter a reply to said page signal in response to said game event, to indicate a play in said game;
directing said game server to generate a page signal as a function of said participant'"'"'s move in the game and an event in the game, whereby the game server continues to generate page signals to guide each participant through the procession of play in the game;
providing a registration process for allowing users to request participation in the game; and
providing a lock-out process for limiting the number of participants allowed to register to participate in the game.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The gaming systems according to the invention include hardware and software systems that allow a large arena of participants to interactively play a game of chance or skill. Generally, the invention can be understood game servers that generate page signals, such as HTML pages, that are representative of a hand being played, or dealt to a participant in a large arena game. For example, the game server can generate for each participant in a large arena game a page that is representative of a bingo card dealt to that participant. Each of the pages generated by the server includes a control mechanism, such as a check box or radio button, that allows the server to collect information from the participant to determine the moves being played by that participant. The gamer server collects from each participant the moves being played by the participant and as a function of the moves played and the hand dealt, the game server generates a new page that shows the progression of the participant through the game.
603 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method for providing gaming to a large arena of participants, comprising the steps of:
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providing a game server for generating page signals having information representative of a hand being played by one of the participants in a game and information representative of a game event, and wherein each page includes a mechanism for collecting a reply from one of the participants to indicate the participant'"'"'s move in the game; allowing each participant in the game to employ a client process operating on a client station to connect to said game server through a computer network and to download a respective one of said page signals from said game server; directing each participant in the game to employ said client process to enter a reply to said page signal in response to said game event, to indicate a play in said game; directing said game server to generate a page signal as a function of said participant'"'"'s move in the game and an event in the game, whereby the game server continues to generate page signals to guide each participant through the procession of play in the game; providing a registration process for allowing users to request participation in the game; and providing a lock-out process for limiting the number of participants allowed to register to participate in the game. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method for providing gaming to a large arena of participants, comprising the steps of:
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providing a game server for generating page signals having information representative of a hand being played by one of the participants in a game and information representative of a game event, and wherein each page includes a mechanism for collecting a reply from one of the participants to indicate the participant'"'"'s move in the game; allowing each participant in the game to employ a client process operating on a client station to connect to said game server through a computer network and to download a respective one of said page signals from said game server; directing each participant in the game to employ said client process to enter a reply to said page signal in response to said game event, to indicate a play in said game; directing said game server to generate a page signal as a function of said participant'"'"'s move in the game and an event in the game, whereby the game server continues to generate page signals to guide each participant through the procession of play in the game; providing said game server with an extensible game engine for allowing said game server to service a plurality of different games; providing a game-player object having information representative of an abstract model of a game and information representative of an abstract model of a game board, each of said abstract models being capable of storing data for representing a participant in the game; providing a game object for representing a plurality of different types of games, said game object having a set of member functions each being representative of an abstract gaming operation to provide a set of procedures for implementing any of said plurality of different types of game; and directing said game object to operate said member functions responsive to data within said game-player object that is representative of a type of game being played, whereby said game object provides services responsive to the type of game-- player thereby allowing said game object to service a plurality of game types.
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Specification