Electronic entertainment and communication system

• US 6,154,186 A
• Filed: 06/19/1998
• Issued: 11/28/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Nishizawa, Kenji, Smith, Darren C., Ravanpey, Ramin, McCarten, David J., Braun, Russell G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Henry N.
• Application Number:
  US09/100,022
• Time in Patent Office: 893 Days
• Field of Search: 345/961, 345/965, 345/966, 345/521, 345/508, 345/511-514, 345/203, 345/2, 345/502, 345/520-522, 463/43, 711/172
• US Class Current: 345/1.2
• 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 13/352 involving special game server arrangements, e.g. regional servers connected to a national server or a plurality of servers managing partitions of the game world
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/493 Resuming a game, e.g. after pausing, malfunction or power failure
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/533 for prompting the player, e.g. by displaying a game menu
• 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 2300/50 characterized by details of game servers
• 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: H04N 21/2143 located in a single building, e.g. hotel, hospital or museum arrangements specially adapted for plural spots in a confined site in broadcast systems H04H20/63; adaptations for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution in television systems H04N7/106
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2146 located in mass transportation means, e.g. aircraft, train or bus flight-deck installations for entertainment or communications B64D11/0015; arrangements specially adapted for transportation systems in broadcast systems H04H20/62; moving wireless networks H04W84/005

Abstract

An electronic entertainment and communications system permits users to actively participate in video game play or to use other data processing/communication services. In a guest room based entertainment system or in a passenger based entertainment system, each guest or passenger is associated with a terminal device including a display and a controller. An array of video graphics processing systems is provided where the number of video graphics processing systems in the array is less than the number of guest or passenger terminals. Each video graphics processing system includes a video graphics program executing processor, which processes information generated during an interactive video graphics display session, and a memory system storing a video graphics program. Each video graphics processing system in the array is assignable to any of the guest or passenger terminals.

Claims

1. A guest room communications system for generating interactive, in-room videographic display sessions in a plurality of guest rooms comprising:

an in-room display located in each of the plurality of guest rooms;

an array of videographic processing systems, the number of videographic processing systems in said array being less than the number of guest rooms, each videographic processing system including;

a videographics program executing processor receiving information generated during an in-room interactive videographics display session, and

a memory system, coupled to said videographics program executing processor, storing a videographics program,

each videographic processing system in the array assignable to any of the in-room displays; and

a data director directing information generated in one of the guest rooms to an identified videographics processing system for processing.

2. A guest room communications system according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of guest rooms includes an in-room controller having a plurality of control keys for generating keystroke data.

3. A guest room communications system according to claim 2, wherein the controller includes a reset key, and wherein an assigned one of the videographics program executing processors is reset in response to the actuation of the reset key.

4. A guest room communications system according to claim 2, wherein the in-room controller includes a plurality of video game control keys.

5. A guest room communications system according to claim 2, wherein each videographics processing system includes a buffer that stores keystroke data generated by the in-room controller corresponding to the room to which the videographics processing system is assigned.

6. A guest room communications system according to claim 5, wherein the keystroke data is processed if at least two bytes of data are present in the buffer.

7. A guest room communications system according to claim 5, wherein if keystroke data is present in the buffer, the corresponding videographics processing system determines whether the first byte of data is a header byte.

8. A guest room communications system according to claim 5, further comprising:

a host computer system controlling loading of videographics program data to one of the videographics processing systems.

9. A guest room communications system according to claim 8, wherein each videographics processing system includes a buffer that stores data received from the host computer, and wherein if data is present in the buffer, the videographics processing system checks to determine if a valid command is received from the host computer.

10. A guest room communications system according to claim 1, wherein each videographics processing system is capable of executing at least one test command.

11. A guest room communications system for generating in-room video displays on one of a plurality of guest room display units, comprising:

a controller;

a plurality of computer programs identifiable by program identifiers; and

a plurality of first data processors, each of the plurality of first data processors for executing at least one of the plurality of programs stored in its associated program receiving system for generating a video display on a guest room display device, the controller being operable to dynamically assign each of the plurality of first data processors to one of the plurality of guest room display units,

wherein the controller indicates that one of the computer programs is to be executed by an assigned one of the first data processors.

12. A guest room communications system according to claim 11, further including:

a plurality of second processors, each coupled to an associated one of the first data processors, for performing interface tasks for the associated first processor.

13. A guest room communications system according to claim 11, further including:

a guest room television monitor for displaying videographics data resulting from the execution of a selected one of the plurality of programs.

14. A guest room communications system in accordance with claim 11, further including:

a display processing unit coupled to the first data processor for generating a video signal for displaying on the in-room display screen.

15. A videographics entertainment system comprising:

a first number of remotely-located displays;

a host computer;

a storage device storing a plurality of computer programs; and

a second number, less than the first number, of videographics processing systems, each videographics processing system being operable to execute one of the plurality of computer programs stored in the storage device and to generate a videographics display on one of the plurality of displays,

wherein the host computer is operable to dynamically assign each of the videographic processing systems to any one of the displays.

16. A videographics entertainment system in accordance with claim 15, wherein the received program is a video game program.

17. A videographics entertainment system in accordance with claim 15, wherein each of the videographics processing systems includes a central processing unit for executing programs and a display processing unit coupled to the central processing unit for generating a video signal for display on one of the plurality of displays.

18. A videographics entertainment system in accordance with claim 15, wherein each of the videographics processing systems includes a central processing unit and a boot read-only memory for storing a program to be executed by the central processing unit at power-up.

19. A videographics entertainment system according to claim 15, wherein each of the videographics processing systems includes a central processing unit and an interface control processor for receiving information to be coupled to the central processing unit for processing.

20. In a guest room entertainment system having a host computer, a plurality of in-room display units, and an array of videographics processing systems, where the number of videographics processing systems is smaller than the number of in-room display systems, a method of operating the guest room entertainment system, comprising:

displaying at each of the plurality of in-room display units, a display menu identifying a plurality of videographics programs;

detecting the videographics program selected by a user;

dynamically assigning one of the videographics processing systems to the in-room display unit where a videographics program was selected;

providing the videographics program selected by the user to the assigned videographics processing system; and

the assigned videographics processing system executing the videographics program selected by the user.

21. A method according to claim 20, further comprising:

displaying indicia indicative of different video games which may be selected for play.

22. A method according to claim 20, further comprising:

transferring a selected video game to the assigned videographics processing system.

23. A room based communications system, comprising:

a plurality of in-room display units;

an array of videographics processing systems including plural video game processors each being coupled to a storage that stores at least one of a plurality of computer programs,

a host computer controlling operation of the array of videographics processing systems by dynamically assigning ones of the videographics processing systems to any one of the in-room display units, a number of videographics processing systems being less than a number of in-room display devices;

each associated receiving system storing program information and moving object and background character data and each videographics processor executing a program transferred from the storage to generate a videographics display at a display unit and processing moving object and background character data stored in said associated receiving system.

27. A room based communications system according to claim 23, wherein the host computer controls transfer of video graphics program data to at least one of said videographics processing systems.

24. A room based communication system according to claim 24, further comprising:

an in-room controller having a plurality of control keys for generating keystroke data.

25. A room based communications system according to claim 24, wherein the controller includes a reset key, and wherein an assigned one of the video game processors is reset in response to the actuation of the reset key.

26. A room based communications system according to claim 24, further comprising:

a microcontroller, coupled to each videographics processor, having an input port and at least one buffer coupled to said input port and further including an interface for coupling keystroke data to the input port, the microcontroller being operable to perform repetitive tests to determine whether keystroke data received from the controller is present in the at least one buffer.

28. A passenger-based communications system for generating interactive, videographic display sessions at a plurality of passenger locations, comprising:

a display located at each of the plurality of passenger locations;

an array of videographic processing systems, the number of videographic processing systems in the array being less than the number of passenger locations, each videographic processing system including;

a videographics program executing processor receiving information generated during an interactive videographics display session, and

a memory system, coupled to the videographics program executing processor, storing a videographics program,

each videographic processing system in the array assignable to any of the passenger displays; and

a data director directing information generated at one of the passenger seats to an identified videographics processing system for processing.

29. A passenger-based communications system according to claim 28, wherein each of the plurality of passenger locations includes a controller having a plurality of control keys for generating keystroke data.

30. A passenger-based communications system according to claim 28, wherein the controller includes a reset key, and wherein an assigned one of the videographics program executing processors is reset in response to the actuation of the reset key.

31. A passenger-based communications system according to claim 28, wherein the controller includes a plurality of video game control keys.

32. A passenger-based communications system according to claim 28, wherein each videographics processing system includes a buffer that stores keystroke data generated by the room controller corresponding to the passenger location to which the videographics processing system is assigned.

33. A passenger-based communications system according to claim 32, wherein the keystroke data is processed if at least two bytes of data are present in the buffer.

34. A passenger-based communications system according to claim 32, wherein if keystroke data is present in the buffer, the corresponding videographics processing system determines whether the first byte of data is a header byte.

35. A passenger-based communications system according to claim 28, further comprising:

a host computer system controlling loading of videographics program data to one of the videographics processing systems.

36. A passenger-based communications system according to claim 35, wherein each videographics processing system includes a buffer that stores data received from the host computer, and wherein if data is present in the buffer, the videographics processing system checks to determine if a valid command is received from the host computer.

37. A passenger-based communications system according to claim 28, wherein each videographics processing system is capable of executing at least one test command.

38. A passenger-based communications system for generating video displays on one of a plurality of passenger display units, comprising:

a controller;

a plurality of computer programs identifiable by program identifiers; and

a plurality of first data processors, each of the plurality of first data processors configured to execute at least one of the plurality of programs stored in its associated program receiving system to generate a video display on one of the passenger display units, the controller configured to dynamically assign each of the plurality of first data processors to one of the plurality of passenger display units,

wherein the controller is configured to indicate that one of the computer programs is to be executed by an assigned one of the first data processors.

39. A passenger-based communications system according to claim 38, further including:

a plurality of second processors, each coupled to an associated one of the first data processors, configured to perform interface tasks for the associated first processor.

40. A passenger-based communications system according to claim 38, further including:

a display processing unit coupled to the first data processor configured to generate a video signal for displaying on the passenger display unit.

41. In a passenger-based entertainment system having a host computer, a plurality of passenger display units, and an array of videographics processing systems, where the number of videographics processing systems is smaller than the number of passenger display units, a method of operating the passenger-based entertainment system, comprising:

displaying at each of the plurality of passenger display units, a display menu identifying a plurality of videographics programs;

detecting the videographics program selected by a passenger;

dynamically assigning one of the videographics processing systems to the passenger display unit where a videographics program was selected;

providing the videographics program selected by the passenger to the assigned videographics processing system; and

the assigned videographics processing system executing the videographics program selected by the passenger.

42. A method according to claim 41, further comprising:

displaying information indicative of different video games which may be selected for play.

43. A method according to claim 41, further comprising:

transferring a selected video game to the assigned videographics processing system.

44. A passenger-based communications system, comprising:

a plurality of passenger display units;

an array of videographics processing systems including plural video game processors each being coupled to a storage that stores at least one of a plurality of computer programs,

a host computer controlling operation of the array of videographics processing systems by dynamically assigning ones of the videographics processing systems to any one of the passenger display units, a number of videographics processing systems being less than a number of passenger display units;

each associated receiving system storing program information and moving object and background character data and each videographics processor executing a program transferred from the storage to generate a videographics display at a display unit and processing moving object and background character data stored in the associated receiving system.

45. A passenger-based communication system according to claim 44, further comprising:

a passenger-based controller having a plurality of control keys for generating keystroke data.

46. A passenger-based communications system according to claim 45, wherein the controller includes a reset key, and wherein an assigned one of the video game processors is reset in response to the actuation of the reset key.

47. A passenger-based communications system according to claim 45, further comprising:

a microcontroller, coupled to each videographics processor, having an input port and at least one buffer coupled to the input port and further including an interface for coupling keystroke data to the input port, the microcontroller being operable to perform tests to determine whether keystroke data received from the controller is present in the at least one buffer.

48. A passenger-based communications system according to claim 44, wherein the host computer controls transfer of videographics program data to at least one of the videographics processing systems.