Point management system and server

• US 7,090,581 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2002
• Issued: 08/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Universal Entertainment Corporation
• Original Assignee: Aruze Corp. (Universal Entertainment Corporation), SETA Corporation (Universal Entertainment Corporation)
• Inventors: Nonaka, Nobuyuki, Fujimoto, Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Thai, Xuan M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MOSSER, ROBERT E
• Application Number:
  US10/132,467
• Publication Number:
  US 20030203754A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,572 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463 16- 20, 463/25, 463/28, 463/29, 463/42, 463/43
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/06 Private payment circuits, e.g. involving electronic currency used among participants of a common payment scheme
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements

Abstract

A point management system has a game terminal mounted to a vehicle, a server including a point memory for storing user ID and the number of points, which are associated with one another, an authenticator for authenticating user ID inputted via the game terminal using the user ID stored in the point memory, a game controller for allowing the game terminal to execute a game when the authentication succeeds, and a point processor for updating the number of points associated with the user ID stored in the point memory in accordance with a result of game execution.

Claims

1. A point management system comprising:

a game terminal mounted to a vehicle;

a rewritable point record medium storing information of a number of points for a user;

a server comprising a point memory for storing user ID and the number of points, which are associated with one another;

an authenticator for authenticating user ID inputted via said game terminal using said user ID stored in said point memory;

a game controller for allowing said game terminal to execute a game when said authentication succeeds; and

a point processor for updating the number of points on the rewritable point record medium and for updating the number of points associated with said user ID stored in said point memory, in accordance with a result of execution of said game;

wherein

said server comprises said authenticator, said game controller, and said point processor,

said server and said game terminal are configured to be able to communicate with one another via satellite communications,

said point processor updates the number of points stored in said point memory in accordance with the traveling conditions of said vehicle, and

said point processor instructs the point memory to give a predetermined number of points to a user who used the vehicle, when the vehicle traveled with a time delay.

2. A server configured to be able to communicate with a game terminal mounted to a vehicle via satellite communications in which a rewritable point record medium stores information of a number of points for a user, comprising:

a point memory for storing user ID and the number of points, which are associated with one another;

an authenticator for authenticating user ID inputted via said game terminal using said user ID stored in said point memory;

a game controller for allowing said game terminal to execute a game when said authentication succeeds; and

a point processor for updating the number of points on the rewritable point record medium and for updating the number of points associated with said user ID stored in said point memory, in accordance with a result of execution of said game;

wherein

said point processor updates the number of points stored in said point memory in accordance with the traveling conditions of said vehicle, and

said point processor instructs the point memory to give a predetermined number of points to a user who used the vehicle, when the vehicle traveled with a time delay.