System and method for playing a game based on a coin toss

• US 8,648,710 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2011
• Issued: 02/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daniel V. Larue
• Original Assignee: Daniel V. Larue
• Inventors: LaRue, Daniel V.
• Primary Examiner(s): CROSLAND, DONNIE L
• Application Number:
  US13/251,521
• Publication Number:
  US 20120080840A1
• Time in Patent Office: 862 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.1, 340/323.R, 340/573.1, 340/815.4
• US Class Current: 340/539.1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• 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 13/332 using wireless networks, e.g. cellular phone networks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/338 using television networks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/52 involving aspects of the displayed game scene
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/65 automatically by game devices or servers from real world data, e.g. measurement in live racing competition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/406 Transmission via wireless network, e.g. pager or GSM
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/409 Data transfer via television network
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/66 for rendering three dimensional images
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/69 Involving elements of the real world in the game world, e.g. measurement in live races, real video
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8064 Quiz
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 1/06 Coins specially adapted to operate coin-freed mechanisms

Abstract

System and method for playing game based on coin toss, may utilize sensors to detect physical movement of coin or instrumented coin, communicate sensor-derived data to remote graphical display system, display virtual coin that represents movement and orientation of tossed coin. May utilize sensor, communication, display, game systems and optional message gateway. Sensor system and part of wireless communication system may be external or embedded in coin. Graphical coin movement and orientation may mimic the actual coin being tossed or may be represented as any avatar or other graphical object that represents the coin including celebrity pictures, videos, faces, logos or any other object that may represent a “head” or “tail”. May generate a random number that allows viewers to win a prize. Viewers may guess result of coin toss before toss and win prize if they guess the result correctly.

Claims

1. A system for playing a game based on a coin toss comprising:

a coin object configured with first and second substantially planar sides parallel to one another wherein said first and second substantially planar sides are connected with one another via a cylindrical section and wherein said first substantially planar side is designated heads and said second substantially planar side is designated tails;

a display system configured to display

said coin object or

a representation of said coin object or

a reference to said coin object or

data related to a coin toss of said coin object or

data related to a coin toss result of said coin toss of said coin object or

any combination thereof;

a game system coupled with the display system and configured to

receive viewer input associated with said coin toss of said coin object and

compare said viewer input to said coin toss result and select one or more viewers that have correctly input the coin toss result; and

,

said display system further configured to display

information associated with said one or more viewers that have correctly input the coin toss result.

2. The system for playing a game based on a coin toss of claim 1 further comprising:

a sensor system configured to detect an orientation or movement of said coin object and output said data representative of said coin toss wherein said orientation is output as said heads when said first substantially planar side is oriented vertically up and wherein said orientation is output as said tails when said second substantially planar side is oriented vertically up; and

,

a communication system configured to communicate said data representative of said coin toss of said coin object to said display system.

3. The system for playing a game based on a coin toss of claim 2 wherein said sensor system processes images with

a Kalman tracking algorithm or

a Circle Hough Transform algorithm or

a Fast Circle Detection algorithm or

a real-time circle or an ellipse detection algorithm.

4. The system for playing a game based on a coin toss of claim 1 wherein an operator interacts with said display system to input said coin toss result.

5. The system for playing a game based on a coin toss of claim 1 wherein said games system disables said viewer input after a predefined time window.

6. The system for playing a game based on a coin toss of claim 1 wherein said display system is further configured to display at least one picture associated with said one or more viewers that have correctly input the coin toss result.

7. The system for playing a game based on a coin toss of claim 1 wherein said display system is further configured to display at least one location associated with said one or more viewers that have correctly input the coin toss result.

8. The system for playing a game based on a coin toss of claim 1 further comprising:

a message gateway coupled with said gaming system and configured to interact with at least one cell phone.

9. The system for playing a game based on a coin toss of claim 1 further comprising:

a communication system configured to communicate said data representative of said coin toss of said coin object;

a transmitter associated with said communication system wherein said transmitter is coupled with said coin object;

a receiver system configured to receive said data representative of said coin toss; and

,

wherein said display system is coupled with said receiver system.

10. The system for playing a game based on a coin toss of claim 1 further comprising:

a communication system configured to communicate said data representative of said coin toss of said coin object;

a transmitter associated with said communication system wherein said transmitter is coupled with a camera; and

,

a receiver system configured to receive said data representative of said coin toss; and

,

wherein said display system is coupled with said receiver system.

11. The system for playing a game based on a coin toss of claim 1 further comprising:

a communication system configured to communicate said data representative of said coin toss of said coin object; and

,

wherein said communications system includes a transceiver.

12. The system for playing a game based on a coin toss of claim 1 comprising:

a communication system configured to communicate said data representative of said coin toss of said coin object; and

,

a repeater coupled with said communication system.

13. The system for playing a game based on a coin toss of claim 1 wherein said graphical coin includes images other than said heads and said tails of said coin object.

14. The system for playing a game based on a coin toss of claim 1 wherein said graphical coin is displayed along with audio representative of movement of said coin object.

15. The system for playing a game based on a coin toss of claim 1 wherein said coin toss is utilized to generate at least one random number for a game of chance.

16. A method for playing a game based on a coin toss comprising:

displaying via a display system

a coin object configured with first and second substantially planar sides parallel to one another wherein said first and second substantially planar sides are connected with one another via a cylindrical section and wherein said first substantially planar side is designated heads and the second substantially planar side is designated tails, or

a representation of said coin object or

a reference to said coin object or

data related to a coin toss of said coin object or

data related to a coin toss result of said coin toss of said coin object or

any combination thereof;

receiving viewer input via a game system coupled with the display system wherein said game system receives viewer input associated with said coin toss of said coin object;

comparing said viewer input via said game system to said coin toss result and select one or more viewers that have correctly input the coin toss result; and

,

displaying information associated with said one or more viewers that have correctly input the coin toss result via said display system.

17. The method for playing a game based on a coin toss of claim 16 further comprising:

detecting via a sensor system an orientation or movement of said coin object and outputting said data representative of said coin toss wherein said orientation is output as said heads when said first substantially planar side is oriented vertically up and wherein said orientation is output as said tails when said second substantially planar side is oriented vertically up; and

,

communicating via a communication system said data representative of said coin toss of said coin object to said display system.

18. The system for playing a game based on a coin toss of claim 16 further comprising inputting said coin toss result into said display system via an operator.

19. The method for playing a game based on a coin toss of claim 16 further comprising:

disabling said viewer input via said game system after a predefined time window.

20. The method for playing a game based on a coin toss of claim 16 further comprising:

displaying said one or more viewers that have correctly input the coin toss result.