Mission control system for game playing satellites on network

• US 7,628,702 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2001
• Issued: 12/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Atlantis Cyberspace, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Atlantis Cyberspace, Inc.
• Inventors: Scallie, Laurent
• Primary Examiner(s): McClellan; James S
• Application Number:
  US10/011,023
• Publication Number:
  US 20020082086A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,958 Days
• Field of Search: 463/42, 700 90- 91, 705/14
• US Class Current: 463/42
• 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 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/31 Communication aspects specific to video games, e.g. between several handheld game devices at close range
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/48 Starting a game, e.g. activating a game device or waiting for other players to join a multiplayer session
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/50 characterized by details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/535 for monitoring, e.g. of user parameters, terminal parameters, application parameters, network parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1438 using more than one graphics controller

Abstract

A “mission control” (administration) system for controlling multiple game playing satellite computers on a network employs a mission control program that sends generic control commands to the satellite computers for controlling game programs to be played on the satellite computers. In response to a generic command to start a game program, the satellite computer'"'"'s game control program loads a game-specific command set from its database for controlling the selected game program, and provides the mission control program with status information on the game program. The game-specific command sets are derived by analyzing each game program and determining standard game control codes. The game status information is derived by parsing game log files and identifying keywords. A plurality of mission control sites can be connected via Internet to a network server which provides an online interface to players anywhere.

Claims

1. A method of operating a mission control (administration) system for controlling multiple game playing satellite computers on a network comprising:

(a) providing a mission control computer which operates administrative programs for performing administrative functions for multiple game playing satellite computers on a network;

(b) providing a plurality of game-playing satellite computers connected to the network, each of which maintains a plurality of game programs and game-specific command sets for controlling the play of respective ones of said plurality of game programs;

(c) storing in each game-specific command set of a satellite computer at least a game-specific start signal and a game-specific stop signal for starting and stopping a respective game program, respectively, on the satellite computer;

(d) issuing a generic game start signal from the mission control computer to a satellite computer which is indexed to the game-specific start signal of the game-specific command set for a respective game program on the satellite computer in order to cause the game-specific start signal of the game-specific command set to be issued by the satellite computer for starting the game program;

(e) enabling the game program once started to be played on the satellite computer by local game-specific command inputs of a game player to the satellite computer; and

whereby generic command signals can be issued by the mission control computer to control the administration of game programs played on any of the satellite computers, while enabling local game-specific command inputs to be used by a game player to control the playing of a game program on the satellite computer.

2. A method of operating a mission control system according to claim 1, further comprising generating with the playing of each game program on a satellite computer one or more of the following sources of information for tracking the operation of the game program, and parsing said source of information for desired status information and providing it to the mission control computer:

game log files;

dialog boxes or windows opened by the game program;

messages from the Notification API; and

a method used by the game program for external communications.

3. A method of operating a mission control system according to claim 1, further comprising providing each satellite computer a local control program and a database of game-specific command sets for each of the game programs offered on the satellite computer, such that when a generic game-start signal is issued by the mission control computer to the satellite computer, the local control program of the satellite computer loads the corresponding game-specific command set from its database to operate the game program.

4. A method of operating a mission control system according to claim 1, wherein each game-specific command set contains game-specific control codes derived by analyzing each game program and determining its configuration for at least a game-specific start signal for the given game program.

5. A method of operating a mission control system according to claim 2, wherein said mission control computer maintains a database of game data based upon status information provided by the satellite computers, and generates one or more administrative reports from the group consisting of:

system-wide gaming reports;

membership and player statistics;

detailed statistics on specific games played by specific players;

current status of the system, hardware, and software troubleshooting.

6. A method of operating a mission control system according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of mission control computers are maintained at respective mission control sites and are connected via a network to a network server that provides an online interface to the mission control computers for remote access by players.

7. A method of operating a mission control system according to claim 6, wherein said online interface of said network server allows players to perform one or more activities of the group consisting of:

looking up statistics for game programs they have played;

seeing the status of game programs being played by other players;

seeing statistics for comparison to game programs played at other mission control sites;

downloading statistics for their own later use;

maintaining their accounts;

joining or maintaining their status with a group of players; and

communicating with other players.

8. A method of operating a mission control system according to claim 2, wherein each satellite computer generates a log file for tracking the operation of a game program, and parses the log file for predetermined keywords indicative of desired status information and provides the status information to the mission control computer.

9. A method of operating a mission control system according to claim 4, wherein the game-specific control codes for the game-specific command set for a game program are configured based upon one of the group of game command architecture types consisting of:

keystrokes;

http commands;

TCP/IP commands;

writing files;

control APIs; and

serial communications protocols.

10. A method of operating a mission control system according to claim 4, further comprising issuing a generic game stop signal from the mission control computer to the satellite computer indexed to the game-specific stop signal of the game-specific command set for the game program in order to cause the game-specific stop signal of the game-specific command set to be issued by the satellite computer for stopping the game program.