Player skill equalizer for video games

• US 7,361,091 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2005
• Issued: 04/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Howard Letovsky
• Original Assignee: Howard Letovsky
• Inventors: Letovsky, Howard
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; George
• Assistant Examiner(s): HENRY, THOMAS HAYNES
• Application Number:
  US11/246,339
• Publication Number:
  US 20070082729A1
• Time in Patent Office: 928 Days
• Field of Search: 463/23
• US Class Current: 463/23
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/422 automatically for the purpose of assisting the player, e.g. automatic braking in a driving game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/426 involving on-screen location information, e.g. screen coordinates of an area at which the player is aiming with a light gun
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5533 using program state or machine event data, e.g. server keeps track of the state of multiple players on in a multiple player game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6054 by generating automatically game commands to assist the player, e.g. automatic braking in a driving game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/64 for computing dynamical parameters of game objects, e.g. motion determination or computation of frictional forces for a virtual car
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/646 for calculating the trajectory of an object

Abstract

The present invention senses a player'"'"'s coordination and reaction time levels while operating a video game, or a video game of chance, and automatically adjusts various parameters affecting the game play, to minimize or eliminate the effect that said player'"'"'s skill has on a game outcome. In certain circumstances, the present invention may actually provide an element of control over the game outcome, but the intent of the invention is to bridge the entertainment gap that currently exists between skill based video game entertainment and the traditional formats of video games of chance—resulting in a much broader demographic appeal for video games of chance.

Claims

1. A Video Game Player Skill Equalizer comprising, in combination:

a computer means;

a computer program product;

said computer program residing on a computer readable medium on said computer means, and configured to generate a virtual world drawn from a first library of visual elements contained within said first computer program, and to present said virtual world to a player on a visual display means;

said computer program further configured to generate at least two images drawn from a second library of visual elements contained within said computer program, and present said at least two images to said player within said virtual world;

at least one player control signal input means interfaced to said computer means, and Configured to register an x, y, or x, y, z axis coordinate within said computer program, in response to a player initiated control signal input;

said computer program being further configured to complete a collision event between the x, y, or x, y, z axis coordinate defined by said player initiated control signal input and the nearest x, y, or x, y, z axis coordinate of at least one image of said at least two images, and said collision event being completed by said computer program without any additional control signal input initiated by said player;

wherein, if the player does not react to at least one image of said at least two images in a predetermined time frame, said computer program may automatically complete a collision event with said at least one image.

2. A Video Game Player Skill Equalizer in accordance with claim 1 that provides at least one joystick, trackball, touch screen, button, or other human interface means as the player control means for allowing player interaction with said at least one image said virtual three-dimensional world.

3. A Video Game Player Skill Equalizer in accordance with claim 1 that provides at least one means to allow more than one player to simultaneously participate in a video game of chance.

4. A Video Game Player Skill Equalizer in accordance with claim 1 which provides apparatus for accommodating at least one player at a remote location, said apparatus comprising:

a central data processing server;

at least one remote gaming computer;

a two-way data link connecting said central data processing server to said remote gaming computer;

said remote gaming computer having;

means for receiving image generation and position data from said central data processing station;

means for displaying images generated from said image generation and position data;

means for inputting a response from a player to the image generation and position data;

means for transmitting said response to said image generation and position data to said central data processing server over said data link, and said central data processing server having;

means for receiving said responses to said image generation and position data over said data link from said remote gaming computer;

means for comparing said responses from more than one remote gaming computer to determine the win or loss condition of said remote gaming computers; and

means for transmitting a win or loss condition signal to said remote gaming computers.

5. A Video Game Player Skill Equalizer in accordance with claim 1 that incorporates at least one means to accept currency or a currency equivalent from a player.

6. A Video Game Player Skill Equalizer in accordance with claim 1 that incorporates at least one means to return said currency or a currency equivalent payout to a player.

7. A Video Game Player Skill Equalizer in accordance with claim 1 that incorporates at least one collision event completion algorithm that establishes all XY or XYZ position coordinates of the center of a virtual projectile, or the center of a cursor, or the center of a first image, or the center of a secondary image, all within said virtual world, and is structured logically as follows:

IF a Cursor is located at;

XY position D AND a first Image is located at;

XY position E AND a secondary Image is located at;

XY position F AND a Virtual Projectile launches from;

XY position G (or D) AND the distance from said position D to position E is less than the distance from position D to position F THEN said Virtual Projectile will travel from position G to position E to result in a collision event AND/ said Cursor will effectively expand in OR size to result in a collision event with any said image located on E.