In-theatre interactive entertainment system

• US 7,840,991 B2
• Filed: 08/11/2003
• Issued: 11/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Donald C. Miffitt, Joel Kaplan, Mark Rowntree, Stephen S. Richardson, Thomas Dusenberry, Yeasah G. Pell
• Original Assignee: Donald C. Miffitt, Joel Kaplan, Mark Rowntree, Stephen S. Richardson, Thomas Dusenberry, Yeasah G. Pell
• Inventors: Miffitt, Donald C., Dusenberry, Thomas, Richardson, Stephen S., Pell, Yeasah G., Kaplan, Joel, Rowntree, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Koenig; Andrew Y
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bantamoi; Anthony
• Application Number:
  US10/638,831
• Publication Number:
  US 20050039210A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,661 Days
• Field of Search: 725/153, 463 40- 42
• US Class Current: 725/153
• 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 13/27 characterised by a large display in a public venue, e.g. in a movie theatre, stadium or game arena
• 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 13/332 using wireless networks, e.g. cellular phone networks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/406 Transmission via wireless network, e.g. pager or GSM
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8023 the game being played by multiple players at a common site, e.g. in an arena, theatre, shopping mall using a large public display

Abstract

In-theater interactive entertainment system. A game server generates video content in digital form and is displayed on a digital display in a theater. A telephony system is connected to the game server enabling a group of individual game participants in the theater to exchange data wirelessly with the game server so that the game participants can interact with video content on the display. It is preferred that at the display is a reflective screen illuminated by a digital projector.

Claims

1. A method for providing in-theater interactive entertainment, the method comprising:

(a) displaying, by a digital projector under control of a system operating on one or more servers, a telephone number on a screen in a movie theater, the telephone number for in-theater persons to connect to a game provided by the system;

(b) accepting, by the system, within a window of time of displaying the telephone number connections from wireless devices brought to the movie theater by the in-theater persons and which connect to the system providing the game via the telephone number;

(c) prompting, by the system, each of the in-theater persons connected to the system via a cue communicated to each of the wireless devices;

(d) receiving, by the system responsive to the prompting, a unique identification from each of the in-theater persons connected to the system, the unique identification communicated by input via the wireless devices;

(e) displaying, by the digital projector, on the screen of the movie theater multimedia content of the game generated from the system to prompt participation in the game from the in-theater persons connected to the system; and

(f) receiving, by the system, from each of the in-theater persons participating in the game input to the game via the wireless devices; and

(g) communicating, by the system in synchrony with activity on the screen, personalized content to the wireless devices of the in-theater persons participating in the game.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) further comprises executing, by the system, a content component from a plurality of content components to establish the game from a plurality of games.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) further comprises dynamically determining, by the system upon initiating the game, the telephone number from a bank of telephone numbers.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) further comprises allowing, by the system, connections to the game during the window of time before a next game is established.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) further comprises placing in a waiting queue for a next game in-theater persons who connect to the system via the telephone number after the window of time.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) further comprises communicating, by the system, an audio cue of the game to the in-theater persons via the wireless devices.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) further comprises receiving, by the system, the unique identification for the game of an in-theater person via one or more alpha-numeric key inputs from a wireless device of the in-theater person.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) further comprises determining, by the system, the unique identification for the game of an in-theater person via caller ID information and a database of names corresponding to the caller ID information.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein step (e) further comprises displaying, by the system, on the screen of the theater instructions to instruct the in-theater persons how to participate in the game.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein step (e) further comprises communicating, by the system, to the wireless devices of the in-theater persons, audio cues for the game corresponding to multimedia content of the game displayed on the screen.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein step (e) further comprises changing, by the system, content displayed on the screen based on input from the in-theater persons received via the wireless devices.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein step (f) further comprises recognizing, by the system, voice input received from a wireless device of an in-theater person as input to the game.

13. A system for providing in-theater interactive entertainment, the system comprising:

a digital projector under control of a game server displaying a telephone number on a screen in a movie theater, the telephone number for in-theater persons to connect to a game provided by the game server;

a telephony server in communication with the game server accepting within a window of time of displaying the telephone number connections from wireless devices brought to the movie theater by the in-theater persons connecting to the game via the telephone number, the telephony server prompting each of the in-theater persons connected to the game via a cue communicated to each of the wireless devices and receiving from each of the in-theater persons connected to the game responsive to the prompting, a unique identification communicated by input via the wireless devices;

wherein the game server displays via the digital projector on the screen of the movie theater multimedia content of the game generated from the system to prompt participation in the game from the in-theater persons connected to the game;

wherein the telephony server receives from each of the in-theater persons participating in the game input to the game via the wireless devices; and

wherein the system communicates, in synchrony with activity on the screen, personalized content to the wireless devices of the in-theater persons participating in the game.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein one of the game server or the telephony server executes a content component of a plurality of content components to establish the game from a plurality of games.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the telephony server dynamically determines upon initiating the game the telephone number from a bank of dial up numbers.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the telephony server accepts connections to the game during the window of time before a next game is established.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the telephony server places in a waiting queue for a next game in-theater persons who connect via the telephone number after the window of time.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the telephony server communicates audio cues for the game to the in-theater persons via the wireless devices.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the telephony server receives the unique identification for the game of an in-theater person via one or more alpha-numeric key inputs from a wireless device of the in-theater person.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the telephony server determines the unique identification for the game of an in-theater person via caller ID information and a database of names corresponding to the caller ID information.

21. The system of claim 13, wherein the game server displays on the screen of the theater instructions to instruct the in-theater persons how to participate in the game.

22. The system of claim 13, wherein the telephony server communicates to the wireless devices of the in-theater persons, audio cues for the game corresponding to multimedia content of the game displayed on the screen.

23. The system of claim 13, wherein the game server changes content displayed on the screen based on input from the in-theater persons received via the wireless devices.

24. The system of claim 13, wherein the telephony server recognizes voice input received from a wireless device of an in-theater person as input to the game.

25. A method for providing interactive entertainment via a display of a movie theater, the method comprising:

(a) displaying, by a digital projector of a plurality of digital projectors under control of one or more systems interconnected to a plurality of movie theaters, a telephone number on a screen in a movie theater of the plurality of movie theaters, the telephone number for in-theater persons to connect to a game provided by the system;

(b) accepting, by the system, responsive to displaying the telephone number connections from wireless devices brought to the movie theater by the in-theater persons to connect to the system providing the game;

(c) prompting, by the system, each of the in-theater persons connected to the system via a cue communicated to each of the wireless devices;

(d) receiving, by the system responsive to the prompting, a unique identification from each of the in-theater persons connected to the system, the unique identification communicated by input via the wireless devices;

(e) displaying, by the digital projector, on the screen of the movie theater multimedia content of the game generated from the system to prompt participation in the game from the in-theater persons connected to the system; and

(f) communicating, by the system in synchrony with on-screen activity, personalized content to each of the wireless devices of the in-theater persons participating in the game.