Interactive inter-channel game

• US 7,306,522 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2003
• Issued: 12/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synamedia Limited
• Original Assignee: NDS Limited (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Silver, Yonatan, Bogot, Carmi, Atlow, Shabtai
• Primary Examiner(s): Pezzuto, Robert E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hu, Kang
• Application Number:
  US10/489,794
• Publication Number:
  US 20050026690A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,626 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16, 463/30, 463/31, 463/35, 463/37, 463/40, 463/42, 463/43
• US Class Current: 463/41
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/409 Data transfer via television network
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/61 Score computation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/458 Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4781 Games
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

An interactive multi-channel game method is described. The method includes providing a first representation of a game element associated with a first channel of a multi-channel system, replacing the first representation with a second representation of the game element associated with a second channel of the multi-channel system, providing a clue associated with the second channel, and receiving a user input representing a user'"'"'s response to the clue. Related apparatus and methods are also described.

Claims

1. A method for an interactive multi-channel game played on an interactive multi-channel television system, the method comprising:

invoking a multi-channel game associated with the multi-channel television system;

providing a first representation of a game element associated with a first channel of the multi-channel television system;

replacing the first representation with a second representation of the game element associated with a second channel of the multi-channel system;

providing a clue associated with a second channel;

removing the first representation of the game element associated with the first channel of the multi-channel television system; and

performing at least one of;

each time a player tunes to an incorrect channel, deducting points from a score associated with the player; and

if the player tunes to the second channel, adding points to the player'"'"'s score.

2. The method according to claim 1 and wherein the second representation comprises a plurality of representations, and

the second channel comprises a plurality of channels, and

each of the plurality of representations is associated with one of the plurality of channels.

3. The method according to claim 1 and wherein the second representation comprises a plurality of representations, and

the second channel comprises a plurality of channels, each channel comprising content, and

each of the plurality of representations is associated with particular content.

4. The method according to claim 1 and wherein at least one of the first representation and the second representation is rendered sensible to at least one human sense.

5. The method according to claim 4 and wherein at least one of the first representation and the second representation is rendered visually.

6. The method according to claim 4 and wherein at least one of the first representation and the second representation is rendered audibly.

7. The method according to claim 4 and wherein at least one of the first representation and the second representation is rendered audio-visually.

8. The method according to claim 1 and wherein the clue is rendered sensible to at least one human sense.

9. The method according to claim 8 and wherein the clue is rendered visually.

10. The method according to claim 8 and wherein the clue is rendered audibly.

11. The method according to claim 8 and wherein the clue is rendered audio-visually.

12. The method according to claim 1 and wherein at least one player input is received, each one of the at least one player input representing a response of a corresponding player of a plurality of players to the clue.

13. The method according to claim 1 and wherein the player input comprises a channel change signal from the player.

14. The method according to claim 12 and also comprising awarding at least one point based, at least in part, on performance of a first player of the plurality of players compared to performance of a second player of the plurality of players.

15. The method according to claim 14 and wherein the player input comprises a channel change signal from the player.

16. The method according to claim 15 and wherein the awarding the at least one point occurs when the player changes to the second channel.

17. The method according to claim 15 and wherein the awarding the at least one point occurs due to for speed in changing to the second channel.

18. The method according to claim 15 and also comprising deducting at least one point for incorrect channel changes.

19. The method according to claim 15 and also comprising deducting at least one point for lack of speed.

20. The method according to claim 1 and also comprising pausing the game based at least in part on a received player input.

21. The method according to claim 1 and also comprising providing another clue based at least in part on a received player input.

22. The method according to claim 1 and also comprising passing a current turn based at least in part on a received player input.

23. The method according to claim 1 and wherein at least one characteristic of the provided clue depends on a time of day.

24. The method according to claim 1 and wherein at least one characteristic of the provided clue depends on a period in the year.

25. The method according to claim 1 and wherein at least one of the following depends on a player profile:

behavior of the represented game element;

the replacing the first representation of the game element with the second representation of the game element;

the clue; and

the response to the input of at least one of a plurality of players.

26. The method according to claim 1 and wherein the second channel is selected from among a plurality of channels which at least one of a plurality of players is authorized to view.

27. The method according to claim 1 and wherein the second channel is selected from among a plurality of channels at least one of a plurality of players is not authorized to view.

28. The method according to claim 27 and further comprising:

offering a subscription to the second channel.

29. The method according to claim 1 and wherein the providing a clue comprises:

receiving information from a broadcast headend; and

displaying the clue based, at least in part, on the information.

30. The method according to claim 1 and wherein the providing a clue comprises:

receiving information from broadcast program guide information; and

displaying the clue based, at least in part, on the information.

31. The method according to claim 1 and wherein the providing a clue comprises:

receiving information from at least one broadcast program; and

displaying the clue based, at least in part, on the information.

32. The method according to claim 1 and wherein the providing a clue comprises:

receiving information from broadcast data; and

displaying the clue based, at least in part, on the information.

33. The method according to claim 1 and wherein the replacing comprises at least one of the following:

fade in; and

fade out.

34. The method according to claim 1 and wherein the replacing comprises the game element appearing to walk off a display of a display device.

35. The method according to claim 1 and wherein the replacing comprises the game element entering a picture within a picture.

36. The method according to claim 1 and wherein the game element appears on at least one of the first channel and the second channel for a variable amount of time.

37. The method according to claim 1 and wherein the game element interacts with the clue.

38. The method according to claim 1 and also comprising:

receiving a payment for playing the game,

wherein the payment is received from the player.

39. The method according to claim 1 and also comprising:

receiving a payment in exchange for associating the game element with designated content.

40. The method according to claim 39 and wherein:

the payment is received from a payer; and

the designated content is associated with the payer.

41. The method according to claim 40 and wherein the payer comprises a content provider and the designated content is provided by the content provider.

42. The method according to claim 1 and also comprising:

receiving a payment in exchange for associating the game element with a designated channel.

43. The method according to claim 42 and wherein:

the payment is received from a payer; and

the designated channel is associated with the payer.

44. The method according to claim 43 and wherein the payer comprises a channel owner and the designated channel is owned by the channel owner.

45. The method according to claim 1 and wherein the game element appears on the second channel, and the player is forcibly tuned to the second channel.

46. The method according to claim 45 and wherein the game element returns to the first channel within a predetermined time before start of a broadcast program.

47. The method according to claim 46 and wherein the game element returns to the first channel within a predetermined time before start of a broadcast program after commercials.

48. The method according to claim 1 and wherein the game element returns to the first channel within one minute before a start of a broadcast program after at least one commercial.

49. The method according to claim 1 and wherein the game has a fixed duration.

50. The method according to claim 1 and wherein a promotional channel is made available to players of the game.

51. The method according to claim 1 and wherein prizes are offered, and the prizes comprise at least one of:

credit towards pay-per-view purchases;

authorizations to view special broadcasts or channels; and

extension of rental time for personal video recorder (PVR) recorded content.

52. A method for an interactive multi-channel game played on an interactive multi-channel system, the method comprising:

invoking a multi-channel game associated with a multi-channel system;

providing a first representation of a game element associated with a first channel of the multi-channel system;

providing a clue associated with a second channel;

removing the first representation of the game element associated with the first channel of the multi-channel system; and

performing at least one of;

each time a player tunes to an incorrect channel, deducting points from a score associated with the player; and

if the player tunes to the second channel, adding points to the score.