Combination paging and gaming system and apparatus

• US 6,573,824 B1
• Filed: 05/03/2000
• Issued: 06/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Long Range Solutions LLC
• Original Assignee: Long Range Systems LLC
• Inventors: Blink, Russell P., Lovegreen, Kenneth J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Horabik, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, NAM V
• Application Number:
  US09/564,000
• Time in Patent Office: 1,126 Days
• Field of Search: 340/7.1, 340/5.62, 340/825.36, 340/825.37, 340/825.38, 340/7.26, 340/7.23, 273/292, 273/303-305
• US Class Current: 340/7.1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/25 Output arrangements for video game devices
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/28 responding to control signals received from the game device for affecting ambient conditions, e.g. for vibrating players' seats, activating scent dispensers or affecting temperature or light controlling the output signals based on the game progress A63F13/50
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/332 using wireless networks, e.g. cellular phone networks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/80 Special adaptations for executing a specific game genre or game mode
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/406 Transmission via wireless network, e.g. pager or GSM
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8023 the game being played by multiple players at a common site, e.g. in an arena, theatre, shopping mall using a large public display
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8064 Quiz
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1066 Game playing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/658 Combination of voice calls and paging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like

Abstract

A combination paging and gaming system and apparatus enabling a user to utilize a pager to play an electronic game while waiting for a page. May be used as an on-premises paging system in a restaurant. A centralized control station includes a page transmitter and a plurality of buttons which may be pressed individually to send a page to one of an associated plurality of game pagers. The control station also includes a game transmitter and a text generator. A game input device inputs game questions and game answers to the control station. The game questions are sent to the text generator and to a television screen or scrolling display for display to all users. The game answers ate transmitted by the game transmitter to the game pagers. Alternatively, game questions may also be transmitted to the game pagers for display on an LED display. Each user enters an answer on a keypad on the game pager, and the pager then indicates whether the entered answer was right or wrong. Other games may be fully contained within the pager. With an optional transmitter in the game pager, games may be played competitively or interactively with other users.

Claims

1. A combination on-premises paging and gaming system enabling a user to play an electronic game while waiting for an on-premises page, said system comprising:

a page transmitter for transmitting paging signals on the premises;

a game transmitter for transmitting game answers on the premises; and

a combination on-premises pager and electronic game device comprising;

a receiver for receiving the on-premises paging signals and the game answers;

an alerting mechanism connected to the receiver for alerting the user that a page has been received;

an electronic game contained within the on-premises device for playing by the user while waiting for a page; and

a signal analyzer connected to the receiver that distinguishes received paging signals from received game answers, said signal analyzer being adapted to;

send a received game answer to an indicator that indicates the received game answer to the user, upon determining that a received signal is a game answer; and

send a page indication to the alerting mechanism, upon determining that the received signal is a paging signal.

2. The combination paging and gaming system of claim 1 further comprising a public display screen electronically linked to the transmitter station for displaying game questions.

3. The combination paging and gaming system of claim 2 wherein the public display screen is a television.

4. The combination paging and gaming system of claim 2 wherein the public display screen is a scrolling alpha-numeric display.

5. The combination paging and gaming system of claim 2 wherein the electronic game includes:

a user input device for inputting user answers to the game questions; and

an answer analyzer connected to the signal analyzer for receiving game answers from the signal analyzer and comparing the game answers to the input user answers.

6. The combination paging and gaming system of claim 5 wherein the electronic game also includes:

a correct answer indicator connected to the answer analyzer for indicating that the input user answer is correct; and

a wrong answer indicator connected to the answer analyzer for indicating that the input user answer is not correct.

7. The combination paging and gaming system of claim 6 further comprising a game input device for sending game questions to the public display screen and for sending game answers to the game transmitter.

8. The combination paging and gaming system of claim 7 wherein the game input device also includes means for keeping score for a plurality of pager and electronic game devices, and each combination pager and game device also includes a user-input transmitter connected to the user input device for transmitting input user answers to the means for keeping score.

9. The combination paging and gaming system of claim 7 wherein the game input device is selected from a group of game sources consisting of:

a satellite transmission;

a radio frequency (RF) broadcast;

a cable connection to a remote source;

a personal computer (PC); and

a dedicated game device.

10. The combination paging and gaming system of claim 1 wherein the game transmitter also transmits game questions, and the electronic game contained within the on-premises device includes:

a display screen for displaying the game questions;

a user input device for inputting user answers to the game questions;

an answer analyzer connected to the signal analyzer for receiving game answers from the signal analyzer and comparing the game answers to the input user answers;

a correct answer indicator connected to the answer analyzer for indicating that the input user answer is correct; and

a wrong answer indicator connected to the answer analyzer for indicating that the input user answer is not correct.

11. A combination pager and electronic game device comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) receiver, wherein the RF receiver receives paging signals from an external page transmitter and receives game answers from an external game transmitter;

an alerting mechanism connected to the receiver for alerting a user that a paging signal has been received;

an electronic game contained within the device for playing by the user while waiting for a page; and

a signal analyzer connected to the receiver that distinguishes received paging signals from received game answers, said signal analyzer being adapted to;

send a received game answer to an indicator that indicates the received game answer to the user, upon determining that a received signal is a game answer; and

send a page indication to the alerting mechanism, upon determining that the received signal is a paging signal.

12. The combination pager and electronic game device of claim 11 wherein the electronic game contained within the device generates game questions, and the combination pager and electronic game device further comprises:

a display screen for displaying the game questions;

a user input device for inputting user answers to the game questions; and

an answer analyzer connected to the signal analyzer for receiving game answers from the signal analyzer and comparing the game answers to the input user answers.

13. The combination pager and electronic game device of claim 11 wherein the RF receiver also receives game questions from the external game transmitter, and the combination pager and electronic game device further comprises:

a display screen for displaying the game questions;

a user input device for inputting user answers to the game questions; and

an answer analyzer connected to the signal analyzer for receiving game answers from the signal analyzer and comparing the game answers to the input user answers.

14. The combination pager and electronic game device of claim 13 further comprising:

a correct answer indicator connected to the answer analyzer for indicating that the input user answer is correct; and

a wrong answer indicator connected to the answer analyzer for indicating that the input user answer is not correct.

15. The combination pager and electronic game device of claim 12 further comprising:

a user input device for inputting user answers to the game questions; and

a user-input transmitter connected to the user input device for transmitting input user answers to an external game controller.