System and method for entertainment game

• US 7,736,233 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2006
• Issued: 06/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intralot, Inc. (Intralot SA)
• Original Assignee: Intralot SA
• Inventors: Pachnis, Spyridon, Lialiamou, Eleni, Anapliotis, Marios
• Primary Examiner(s): Laneau; Ronald
• Application Number:
  US11/404,402
• Publication Number:
  US 20060253528A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,524 Days
• Field of Search: 463/17, 463/25, 463 40- 42, 709/220
• 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 13/35 Details of game servers
• 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 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/50 characterized by details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/08 specially adapted for terminal emulation, e.g. Telnet
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A communication system for use in entertainment games comprises a server accessible by a plurality of game users via a mobile communications network. The server is configured to request the availability of first data, preferably correlated to money, from game users and facilitates real-time communication between users. The server allows a user to correlate its first data to the result of a comparison made during game play and is configured to automatically compare second data entered by users to determine the result. Preferably, the second data is dependent on and/or affected by the physical and/or intellectual skill of the user. The result may also be affected by random parameters, communicated to the users as instant tickets prior to the start of game play. Based on the result, the server automatically distributes the first data to users according to the result and the correlation of the first data to the result.

Claims

1. A communication system for use in entertainment games comprising:

a server accessible via a communications network by a plurality of users;

a platform program accessible by the plurality of users and configured to request availability of first data from at least one first user of the plurality of users and programmed to allow communication among the plurality of users in real-time;

a correlation program accessible by the plurality of users and configured to allow the at least one first user of the plurality of users to correlate the first data to a result of a comparison;

a comparison program configured to automatically compare second data entered by the at least one first user of the plurality of users to second data entered by at least one second user of the plurality of users and to determine the result of the comparison; and

an evaluation program configured to automatically distribute the first data to the plurality of users according to the result of the comparison and according to the correlation of the first data to the result of the comparison,

wherein the comparison of the second data entered by the at least one first user of the plurality of users to the second data entered by the at least one second user of the plurality of users is performed by comparing the outcome of an entertainment game, the outcome being a product of the second data entered by the at least one first user of the plurality of users and the second data entered by the at least one second user of the plurality of users.

2. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the communications network comprises a mobile communications network.

3. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the communications network comprises the internet.

4. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the communications network comprises a local area network.

5. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the at least one first user of the plurality of users accesses the communications network via a mobile device.

6. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the second data entered by the at least one first user of the plurality of users comprises personal information corresponding to the at least one first user of the plurality of users and the second data entered by the at least one second user of the plurality of users comprises personal information corresponding to the at least one second user of the plurality of users.

7. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the second data entered by the at least one first user of the plurality of users and the second data entered by the at least one first user of the plurality of users comprises information corresponding to an object of the comparison.

8. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the first data comprises personal information corresponding to the at least one first user of the plurality of users.

9. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the first data comprises a correlation to money.

10. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the comparison of the second data entered by the at least one first user of the plurality of users to the second data entered by the at least one second user of the plurality of users is performed with a computer by directly comparing an intermediate result.

11. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the comparison of the second data entered by the at least one first user of the plurality of users to the second data entered by the at least one second user of the plurality of users is performed with a computer by indirectly comparing an intermediate result.

12. The communication system of claim 11 wherein the second data entered by the at least one first user of the plurality of users comprises at least one steering signal entered by the at least one first user of the plurality of users via at least one first input device and the second data entered by the at least one second user of the plurality of users comprises at least one steering signal entered by the at least one second user of the plurality of users via at least one second input device.

13. The communication system of claim 12 wherein the at least one first input device comprises a joystick.

14. The communication system of claim 12 wherein the at least one second input device comprises a joystick.

15. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the at least one first user of the plurality of users and the at least one second user of the plurality of users enter their respective second data simultaneously in order to perform a competition.

16. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the first data is stored in a pre-loaded storage card represented by a personal code.

17. The communication system of claim 16 wherein the personal code is a telephone number.

18. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the first data is stored in an online data bank represented by a personal code.

19. The communication system of claim 18 wherein the personal code is a telephone number.

20. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the first data is stored in an online credit account represented by a personal code.

21. The communication system of claim 20 wherein the personal code is a telephone number.

22. The communication system of claim 21 wherein the second data entered by the at least one first user of the plurality of users corresponds to the skill of the at least one first user of the plurality of users and the second data entered by the at least one second user of the plurality of users corresponds to the skill of the at least one second user of the plurality of users.

23. The communication system of claim 22 wherein the outcome of the entertainment game is further the product of random parameters communicated to the at least one first user of the plurality of users and the at least one second user of the plurality of users prior to the start of the entertainment game.

24. The communication system of claim 23 wherein the random parameters are communicated to the at least one first user of the plurality of users via at least one first instant ticket and the random parameters are communicated to the at least one second user of the plurality of users via at least one second instant ticket.

25. A computer communication method for use in entertainment games comprising the steps of:

at a server via a communications network, from at least one first user of a plurality of users, at least one communication signal in real-time and first data, the first data correlated to a result of a comparison by the at least one first user of the plurality of users,

receiving, at the server via the communications network, second data from the at least one first user of the plurality of users and second data from at least one second user of the plurality of users,

automatically comparing the second data from the at least one first user of the plurality of users to the second data from the at least one second user of the plurality of users and determining the result of the comparison with a first computer program running on the server, and

automatically distributing the first data to the plurality of users according to the result of the comparison and according to the correlation of the first data to the result of the comparison, the distribution performed with a second computer program running on the server,

wherein the comparison of the second data entered by the at least one first user of the plurality of users to the second data entered by the at least one second user of the plurality of users is performed by comparing the outcome of an entertainment game, the outcome being a product of the second data entered by the at least one first user of the plurality of users and the second data entered by the at least one second user of the plurality of users.

26. The computer communication method of claim 25 wherein the communications network comprises a mobile communications network.

27. The computer communication method of claim 25 wherein the communications network comprises the internet.

28. The computer communication method of claim 25 wherein the communications network comprises a local area network.

29. The computer communication method of claim 25 wherein the at least one first user of the plurality of users accesses the communications network via a mobile device.

30. The computer communication method of claim 25 wherein the second data received from the at least one first user of the plurality of users comprises personal information corresponding to the at least one first user of the plurality of users and the second data received from the at least one second user of the plurality of users comprises personal information corresponding to the at least one second user of the plurality of users.

31. The computer communication method of claim 25 wherein the second data received from the at least one first user of the plurality of users and the second data received from the at least one first user of the plurality of users comprises information corresponding to an object of the comparison.

32. The computer communication method of claim 25 wherein the first data comprises personal information corresponding to the at least one first user of the plurality of users.

33. The computer communication method of claim 25 wherein the first data comprises a correlation to money.

34. The computer communication method of claim 25 wherein the comparison of the second data entered by the at least one first user of the plurality of users to the second data entered by the at least one second user of the plurality of users is performed with a computer by directly comparing an intermediate result.

35. The computer communication method of claim 25 wherein the comparison of the second data entered by the at least one first user of the plurality of users to the second data entered by the at least one second user of the plurality of users is performed with a computer by indirectly comparing an intermediate result.

36. The computer communication method of claim 35 wherein the second data entered by the at least one first user of the plurality of users comprises at least one steering signal entered by the at least one first user of the plurality of users via at least one first input device and the second data entered by the at least one second user of the plurality of users comprises at least one steering signal entered by the at least one second user of the plurality of users via at least one second input device.

37. The computer communication method of claim 36 wherein the at least one first input device comprises a joystick.

38. The computer communication method of claim 36 wherein the at least one second input device comprises a joystick.

39. The computer communication method of claim 25 wherein the at least one first user of the plurality of users and the at least one second user of the plurality of users enter their respective second data simultaneously in order to perform a competition.

40. The computer communication method of claim 25 wherein the first data is stored in a pre-loaded storage card represented by a personal code.

41. The computer communication method of claim 40 wherein the personal code is a telephone number.

42. The computer communication method of claim 25 wherein the first data is stored in an online data bank represented by a personal code.

43. The computer communication method of claim 42 wherein the personal code is a telephone number.

44. The computer communication method of claim 25 wherein the first data is stored in an online credit account represented by a personal code.

45. The computer communication method of claim 44 wherein the personal code is a telephone number.

46. The computer communication method of claim 25 wherein the second data entered by the at least one first user of the plurality of users corresponds to the skill of the at least one first user of the plurality of users and the second data entered by the at least one second user of the plurality of users corresponds to the skill of the at least one second user of the plurality of users.

47. The computer communication method of claim 46 wherein the outcome of the entertainment game is further the product of random parameters communicated to the at least one first user of the plurality of users and the at least one second user of the plurality of users prior to the start of the entertainment game.

48. The computer communication method of claim 47 wherein the random parameters are communicated to the at least one first user of the plurality of users via at least one first instant ticket and the random parameters are communicated to the at least one second user of the plurality of users via at least one second instant ticket.