Electronic gaming platform having object oriented remote control

• US 8,485,883 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2012
• Issued: 07/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Quado Media, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Quado Media, Inc.
• Inventors: Haltovsky, Moshe, Haltovsky, Avi, Assa, Shmuel
• Primary Examiner(s): Elisca, Pierre E
• Application Number:
  US13/460,768
• Publication Number:
  US 20120214593A1
• Time in Patent Office: 442 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16, 463/30, 463/31, 463/33
• US Class Current: 463/16
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/2145 the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/235 using a wireless connection, e.g. infrared or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/26 having at least one additional display device, e.g. on the game controller or outside a game booth
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/285 Generating tactile feedback signals via the game input device, e.g. force feedback
• 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 13/34 using peer-to-peer connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/57 Simulating properties, behaviour or motion of objects in the game world, e.g. computing tyre load in a car race game A63F13/56 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/843 involving concurrently two or more players on the same game device, e.g. requiring the use of a plurality of controllers or of a specific view of game data for each player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2433 Voice-actuated
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2489 by radio transmitters, e.g. using RFID
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1031 using a wireless connection, e.g. Bluetooth, infrared connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1037 being specially adapted for converting control signals received from the game device into a haptic signal, e.g. using force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/105 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1075 using a touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/209 characterized by low level software layer, relating to hardware management, e.g. Operating System, Application Programming Interface
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/301 using an additional display connected to the game console, e.g. on the controller
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/402 Communication between platforms, i.e. physical link to protocol
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/408 : Peer to peer connection
• 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 2300/64 : for computing dynamical parameters of game objects, e.g. motion determination or computation of frictional forces for a virtual car
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8088 : involving concurrently several players in a non-networked game, e.g. on the same game console
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/00643 : Electric board games; Electric features of board games electric word or number games A63F3/0421; computer chess G06F; electric raffle games A63F3/081
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 : with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 : Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 : using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

Electronic gaming system with main monitor displaying public part of game and several terminals, each operating in gaming or controller mode. In gaming mode the terminal displays private parts of the game to user, and user'"'"'s actions control object on terminal. In controller mode, main display is replicated on terminal display, and user'"'"'s actions on private terminal are replicated on main display. Example, moving tile on the terminal will send “move tile” to move the same tile on the main monitor and all other terminals. The terminals support zoom and board shift to access any part of the bigger board. It also supports store and forward functions, enabling user to prepare next move privately before sending to main monitor. When the terminal is in controller mode, its processor may constantly synchronize the view of the terminal with the main monitor.

Claims

1. A distributed gaming program for a gaming system having main console coupled to a main monitor and a terminal coupled to a terminal monitor, the gaming program comprising:

a board server having executable instructions that, when executed by the main console, causes the main console to perform the tasks comprising;

send display information to the main monitor;

manage user input at the main console; and

,

handle wireless communication between the main console and the terminal;

a terminal server having executable instructions that, when executed by the terminal, causes the terminal to perform the tasks comprising;

associate a user with the terminal;

wirelessly connect and communicate with the main console;

receive user input and communicate the user input to the main console; and

,

selectively operate the terminal in one of a game terminal mode enabling playing a game or a remote controller mode enabling controlling of the main console.

2. The program of claim 1, wherein when the terminal server operates the terminal in a game terminal mode, the terminal server sends to the terminal monitor private portions of a game running on the main console, and when the terminal server operates the terminal in a remote controller mode, the terminal server sends to the terminal monitor the same image displayed on the main monitor.

3. The program of claim 2, wherein when the terminal server operates the terminal in a remote controller mode, the terminal server sends to the terminal monitor zoomed image of the main monitor display.

4. The program of claim 2, wherein when the terminal server operates the terminal in a remote controller mode, the terminal server sends to the terminal monitor shifted image of the main monitor display.

5. The program of claim 2, wherein when the terminal server operates the terminal in a remote controller mode, the terminal server continuously synchronizes display of the terminal monitor with that of the main monitor.

6. The program of claim 2, wherein when the terminal server operates the terminal in a remote controller mode, the board server sends to the terminal server information about changes on the main console.

7. The program of claim 2, wherein when the terminal server operates the terminal in a remote controller mode, the terminal server operates the terminal to remotely control digital game pieces on the main monitor.

8. The program of claim 1, wherein the terminal server enables the user to switch between real game view and simulated game view.

9. The program of claim 1, wherein the terminal server enables the user to exchange digital game objects between the terminal and the main console or other terminals.

10. The program of claim 1, wherein the board server causes the main console to send game assets to the terminal.

11. The program of claim 1, wherein the board server causes the main console to send digital game object together with coded rules associated with the digital game object to the terminal.

12. The program of claim 11, wherein the coded rules comprise at least one of:

indication where on the terminal monitor the digitized game object should appear, at what size the digital game object should be displayed, and special animation that should accompany the transfer of the digitized game object.

13. The program of claim 1, wherein the board server causes the main console to publish its availability to enable discovery and connection by the terminal.

14. The program of claim 1, wherein the board server causes the main console to enforce user rights.

15. The program of claim 1, wherein the board server causes the main console to display a board game on the main monitor and to rotate the display of the board game to the user side automatically as part of playing the board game.

16. The program of claim 1, wherein the board server causes the main console to utilizes the full screen of the main monitor for game play and enables to access system navigation and configuration functions through floating dashboard.

17. The program of claim 1, wherein the main console comprises a touch-screen tablet and the board server is configured to operate on the touch-screen tablet, and the terminal comprises a smart phone and the terminal server is configured to operate on the smart phone.

18. The program of claim 1, wherein the terminal server is configured to operate on the terminal to enable a user to perform at least one of:

privately browsing game rules, consulting game strategies from available suggestions, consulting references, taking private notes, and planning privately next game steps.

19. The program of claim 1, wherein when the terminal server operates the terminal in a game terminal mode, the terminal server uses user input to control images on the terminal monitor, and when the terminal server operates the terminal in a remote controller mode, the terminal server uses user input to control images on the main monitor.

20. The program of claim 1, wherein the board server operates the main console to access game repository via the Internet.

21. A distributed gaming program for a gaming system having main console coupled to a main monitor and a plurality of terminals, each terminal having a terminal monitor, the gaming program comprising:

a board server having executable instructions that, when executed by the main console, causes the main console to perform the tasks comprising;

send display information to the main monitor;

manage user input at the main console; and

,

handle wireless communication between the main console and each of the plurality of terminals;

a plurality of terminal servers, each having executable instructions that, when executed by the corresponding terminal, causes the corresponding terminal to perform the tasks comprising;

associate a user with the terminal;

wirelessly connect and communicate with the main console;

receive user input and communicate the user input to the main console; and

,

selectively operate the terminal in one of a game terminal mode enabling playing a game or a remote controller mode enabling controlling of the main console, wherein when the terminal is in the remote controller mode the display information of the main monitor is replicated on the terminal monitor and a user'"'"'s action on the terminal monitor is replicated on the main monitor.