Entertainment/Information system having disparate interactive devices

• US 6,343,315 B1
• Filed: 05/12/1999
• Issued: 01/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sonifi Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Lodgenet Entertainment (LodgeNet Interactive Corporation)
• Inventors: Stoel, Leon P., Bankers, David M., Cinco, Christopher Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Dung C.
• Application Number:
  US09/310,456
• Time in Patent Office: 993 Days
• Field of Search: 709/200, 709/204, 709/236, 710/62, 710/64, 710/67, 710/72, 710/73, 345/329, 345/330, 713/23, 713/24, 713/25, 463/40
• US Class Current: 709/204
• 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 21/2393 involving handling client requests scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6332 directed to client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

An information/entertainment system having a number of interactive input and output devices is provided. Each interactive input device is electrically connected to a selected output device using a host that communicates with a router apparatus. The router apparatus includes a plurality of emulation assemblies. Each emulation assembly is configured to communicate input information to a particular interactive output device. Input information from a particular interactive input device is received and properly handled by a pre-configured emulation assembly which is electrically connected to the interactive output device associated with that particular interactive input device. This emulation assembly formats the information/data that it receives so that it is acceptable to the interactive output device to which it is connected. The host obtains input information using a slot/subslot arrangement associated with interactive interrogations or polling. The slots/subslots enable the system to obtain inputs at different transmission rates from different interactive input devices.

Claims

1. A system for use with a plurality of rooms, comprising:

a plurality of guest terminal subsystems that include a plurality of interactive input devices comprising at least first and second interactive input devices that are different from each other;

a head end system including a router subsystem and a plurality of interactive output devices comprising at least first and second interactive output devices that are different from each other, said router subsystem including a plurality of emulation assemblies comprising at least first and second emulation assemblies, said first emulation assembly being properly responsive to first input information from said first interactive input device and not properly responsive to said second input information from said second interactive input device, said second emulation assembly being properly responsive to said second input information from said second interactive input device and not properly responsive to said first input information from said first interactive input device such that, when said first emulation assembly is dedicated to each of said first interactive input device and said first interactive output device, said first emulation assembly is unable to properly communicate with said second interactive input device and said second interactive output device and, when said second emulation assembly is dedicated to each of said second interactive input device and said second interactive output device, said second emulation assembly is unable to properly communicate with said first interactive input device and said first interactive output device, said first emulation assembly having a first data transmission type that allows said first input information to be communicated to said first interactive output device, with said first transmission type being unable to communicate said second input information to said second interactive output device and said second emulation assembly having a second data transmission type, different from said first data transmission type, that allows said second input information to be communicated to said second interactive output device, with said second data transmission type being unable to communicate said first input information to said first interactive output device; and

a distribution system electrically connected to said plurality of guest terminal subsystems and said head end system.

2. A system, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said router subsystem includes a head end controller and said head end system includes a host different from, and in communication with, said head end controller.

3. A system, as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

said host is responsive to a first guest terminal subsystem of said plurality of guest terminal subsystems to assign said first interactive output device to said first interactive input device, said host providing command information to said head end controller related to assigning said first interactive output device to said first interactive input device.

4. A system, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said first and second data transmission types are included in the following;

asynchronous RS-485, asynchronous RS-232, and asynchronous TTL.

5. A system, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said head end system includes a host for providing system interrogations and interactive interrogations to said plurality of guest terminal subsystems, said plurality of guest terminal subsystems including first and second guest terminal subsystems, said first guest terminal subsystem responding to at least a first set of said interactive interrogations and said second guest terminal subsystem responding to at least a second set of said interactive interrogations, said first guest terminal subsystem responding to said first set of said interactive interrogations by sending input information using said distribution system at a first transmission rate and said second guest terminal subsystem responding to said second set of interactive interrogation by sending input information using said distribution system at a second transmission rate, said first transmission rate being greater than said second transmission rate and said first set of interactive interrogations includes said second set of interactive interrogations.

6. A system, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said router subsystem includes a head end controller and a memory, said memory storing correlation information associating at least said first interactive input device with said first interactive output device, wherein said head end controller controls sending said first input information to said first interactive output device using an address of said first interactive output device.

7. A system, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said first emulation assembly translates said first input information to input interactive signals compatible with said first interactive output device based on said first data transmission type.

8. A method for obtaining and using information in a system that includes a plurality of guest terminal subsystems including at least first and second guest terminal subsystems with first and second interactive input devices, respectively, that are different from each other and first and second interactive output devices being in communication respectively therewith that are different from each other, comprising:

providing a first set of interactive interrogations and a second set of interactive interrogations, at least said first set being defined to include at least a first slot and a first subslot and at least said second set being defined to include said first slot, said first and second sets of interactive interrogations being provided at different times and with said second set of interactive interrogations being the next set of interactive interrogations provided after said first set of interactive interrogations;

receiving first input information from said first interactive input device in said first slot of said first set of interactive interrogations;

receiving second input information from said second interactive input device in said first subslot of said first set of interactive interrogations;

sending said first set of interactive interrogations for use of said first and second input information by said first and second interactive output devices, respectively;

using said first input information to change an output of said first interactive output device;

using said second input information to change an output of said second interactive output device;

receiving third input information from said first interactive input device in said first slot of said second set of interactive interrogations and not receiving input information from said second interactive input device using said second set of interactive interrogations;

sending said second set of interactive interrogations including for use by said first interactive output device; and

using said third input information to change said output of said first interactive output device, while not providing input information to said second interactive output device using said second set of interactive interrogations.

9. A method, as claimed in claim 8, wherein:

said first subslot is defined to be part of a second slot and in which said second slot is defined to be comprised of more than one subslot.

10. A method, as claimed in claim 8, wherein:

said first slot is associated with a first transmission rate of about {fraction (1/60)}th of a second and said first subslot is associated with a second transmission rate, which is a multiple of said first transmission rate.

11. A method, as claimed in claim 8, wherein:

said first interactive output device includes a video game engine and said second interactive output device includes a web browser.

12. A method, as claimed in claim 8, further including:

a second subslot that receives input information during at least one set of interactive interrogations that is different from said first set of interactive interrogations.

13. A method for communicating that involves a plurality of interactive input devices including first and second interactive input devices and a plurality of interactive output devices including first and second interactive output devices and that uses a plurality of emulation assemblies including first and second emulation assemblies, comprising:

providing said first emulation assembly with a first configuration associated with a first data transmission type wherein said first interactive input device properly communicates with said first interactive output device;

providing said second emulation assembly with a second configuration associated with a second data transmission type wherein said second interactive input device properly communicates with said second interactive output device using said second emulation assembly;

receiving first input information properly by said first interactive output device using said first emulation assembly related to an output from said first interactive input device wherein said first input information is unable to be properly received by said second interactive output device using said second emulation assembly; and

reconfiguring said second emulation assembly to said first configuration wherein said second emulation assembly is associated with said first data transmission type and, after said step of reconfiguring is completed, said second emulation assembly can properly communicate said first input information to an interactive output device that is equivalent to said first interactive output device and said second emulation assembly is unable to properly communicate with said second interactive output device and said second interactive input device.

14. A method, as claimed in claim 13, wherein:

said reconfiguring step includes using a host of a head end system that includes said plurality of interactive output devices.

15. A method, as claimed in claim 13, further including:

receiving second input information properly by said second interactive output device using said second emulation assembly related to an output from said second interactive input device and before said reconfiguring step.

16. A method, as claimed in claim 13, further including:

providing memory that has address information stored therein and sending said address information to said first emulation assembly so that said first input information is properly received by said first emulation assembly.

17. A system for communicating information involving interactive devices, comprising:

a plurality of guest terminal subsystems including at least a first guest terminal subsystem with a first interactive input device and a second guest terminal subsystem with a second interactive input device;

a head end system that provides a first set of interactive interrogations and a second set of interactive interrogations to a plurality of interactive input devices including at least said first interactive input device and said second interactive input device that are different from each other, at least said first set of interactive interrogations including at least a first slot and a first subslot and at least said second set of interactive interrogations includes said first slot, said first and second sets of interactive interrogations being provided to said plurality of interactive input devices at different times and with said second set of interactive interrogations being provided to said plurality of interactive input devices next after said first set of interactive interrogations, said head end system including a plurality of interactive output devices including at least a first interactive output device and a second interactive output device that are different from each other; and

a distribution system electrically connected to said plurality of guest terminals and said head end system;

wherein said first slot of said first set of interactive interrogations receives first input information from said first interactive input device, said first subslot of said first set of interactive interrogations receives second input information from said second interactive input device, said first slot of said second set of interactive interrogations receives third input information from said first interactive input device and in which said second set of interactive interrogations lacks input information from said second interactive input device.

18. A system, as claimed in claim 17, wherein:

said plurality of interactive input devices includes a third interactive input device and in which said first subslot is defined to be part of a second slot and said second slot is defined to also have a second subslot, said second subslot of said second set of interactive interrogations receives fourth input information from said third interactive input device.

19. A system, as claimed in claim 17, wherein:

said plurality of interactive input devices includes a third interactive input device and a second subslot is used by said third interactive input device at a time different from said first subslot being used by said second interactive input device, with said first and second subslots being part of a second slot.

20. A system, as claimed in claim 17, wherein:

said head end system includes a plurality of emulation assemblies including a first emulation assembly and a second emulation assembly, said first emulation assembly being associated with a first data transmission type and said second emulation assembly being associated with a second data transmission type that is different from said first data transmission type, said first emulation assembly enabling said first and third input information to be received by said first interactive output device and said second emulation assembly enabling said second input information to be received by said second interactive output device.

21. A system, as claimed in claim 20, wherein:

said first input information is unable to be properly received by said second interactive output device using said second emulation assembly and said second input information is unable to be properly received by said first interactive output device using said first emulation assembly.