Game system with interactive show control

• US 9,987,558 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2014
• Issued: 06/05/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eddie's Social Club, LLC.
• Original Assignee: Eddie's Social Club, LLC.
• Inventors: Schlossberg, Edwin, Harris, Jeremiah J.
• Primary Examiner(s): McCulloch, Jr., William H
• Application Number:
  US14/167,011
• Publication Number:
  US 20140213359A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,588 Days
• Field of Search: 446175
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/213 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells A63F13/219, A63F13/655 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/216 using geographical information, e.g. location of the game device or player using GPS
• 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 13/28 responding to control signals received from the game device for affecting ambient conditions, e.g. for vibrating players' seats, activating scent dispensers or affecting temperature or light controlling the output signals based on the game progress A63F13/50
• 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 2300/5533 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 2300/8023 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: F21V 23/0442 activated by means of a sensor, e.g. motion or photodetectors
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/045 the sensor receiving a signal from a remote controller
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/0471 the sensor detecting the proximity, the presence or the movement of an object or a person
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/0478 by means of an image recording device, e.g. a camera

Abstract

An interactive game system that stage lighting style cues as part of the game, where the stage lighting cues cause external stage lighting equipment to create effects that are based on outputs from the game. Steerable lights can be steered to the player and sounds can be created that are directed to the player. A simulation system can also simulate the actions that occur.

Claims

1. An interactive game system, comprising:

a computer, operating as a game engine to run a computer based game, said computer communicating with a plurality of controllers to receive information about player actions in the game from each of the plurality of controllers,

the information about player actions including multiple actions, each of the multiple actions being taken by a player in the game on the controller, and the computer operating to send game data to the plurality of controllers,

and said computer producing outputs including stage lighting cues as part of playing of the game,

where the stage lighting cues produced by said computer as part of playing of the game are in a form where each stage lighting cue controls a pointing position of a pan and tilt controllable external stage lighting device to create a lighting effect that is based on said player actions that are received by the computer, from the controllers, where each said lighting effect changes an illumination of a room,

wherein said computer also detects positions of multiple different controllers in the room that are playing the game, and further comprising a screen which is located to be viewed by multiple of said players, said screen controlled by said computer, and a camera, and where said camera pinpoints players and shows information from the camera on the screen.

2. The system as in claim 1, wherein said computer also detects positions of multiple different controllers in the room that are playing the game, and said outputs are based on said positions, where the computer determines based on gameplay if a first controller has met a first milestone in the game, determines a first position of the first controller that has met the first milestone in the game, and creates an output that causes illumination of said first position by multiple external stage lighting equipment without causing illumination of other positions other than said first position.

3. The system as in claim 2, wherein said outputs also control the first controller to display a lighting effect on a screen of the first controller responsive to said first controller having met the milestone in the game.

4. The system as in claim 3, wherein said outputs also control the first controller to play a sound effect on the first controller responsive to said first controller having met the milestone in the game.

5. The system as in claim 2, wherein the positions of multiple players are detected by tracking positions of multiple controllers.

6. The system as in claim 2, wherein said players use wireless controllers to interact with the game, and the positions of the players are detected by tracking the wireless controllers.

7. The system as in claim 1, wherein said players use wireless controllers to interact with the game and at least some of the information about the player actions in the game is received from said wireless controllers.

8. The system as in claim 7, wherein the computer maintains a roster of multiple different authorized controllers, and determines which of said authorized controllers are currently connected, to register each of the controllers that are currently connected and send game information to said those of the controllers that are currently connected.

9. The system as in claim 8, wherein the computer operates to wait for all registered controllers on the roster to become ready, and then starts a game by sending a message of game start to all the registered controllers on the roster, and the computer not starting the game before the registered controllers have become ready.

10. The system as in claim 7, wherein the stage lighting cues produce a lighting effect just directed at one specific player and not directed at other players other than the one specific player, and said computer also produces an output that produces a similar lighting effect on a screen of the user'"'"'s controller.

11. The system as in claim 7, further comprising producing an audio output directed at only a portion of a room in which the specific player is located, and said computer also produces an output that produces a similar audio effect on the user'"'"'s controller.

12. The system as in claim 11, wherein said computer also detects positions of multiple different controllers in the room that are playing the game, where one of said cues includes a spotlight that shines on a location of a specific controller based on detecting the position of the specific controller and controlling and said outputs are based on said positions, and wherein said effect includes the spotlight shining on the location of the specific controller based on detecting the position of the specific controller.

13. The system as in claim 1, further comprising a processor that operates to detect a location of a first user who is playing the game, and creating an action responsive to said first user who is playing the game that is not intended for other users other than said first user who is playing the game, and wherein said cues are sent to external equipment at a location of said first user, where one of said cues includes a spotlight that shines on a location of a first user based on detecting the position of the first user.

14. A combination of equipment, having structure that interacts with a game that is being played by multiple different users in an area of the equipment, comprising:

a visual output production device, producing visual outputs in said area, said visual outputs being part of the game being played by multiple different users in the area;

an audio output device producing audio outputs in said area, as part of the game being played by the multiple different users;

a computer, that detects multiple different controllers of the multiple different users, and maintains a list of authorized controllers, and allows only those users with authorized controllers to interact with the game, and prevents users that do not have authorized controllers from interacting with the game,

wherein the computer enables a controller to become an authorized controller,

where said computer tracks positions of each of the authorized controllers, and

where the computer detects actions in the game that are based on a user interaction with an individual controller, by receiving information from the individual controller, and sends a signal indicating that lighting effects should be illuminated on a screen of the individual controller based on actions in the game taken by the individual controller, and where said lighting effects sent to the individual controller are different than lighting effects sent to other controllers,

wherein said computer also detects positions of multiple different controllers in the room that are playing the game, and further comprising a screen which is located to be viewed by multiple of said users, said screen controlled by said computer, and a camera, and where said camera pinpoints users and shows information from the camera on the screen.

15. The combination as in claim 14, wherein said controllers are portable telephones.

16. The combination as in claim 14, wherein the visual output production device and the audio output device produce effects that interact with the game, wherein the area has props at different locations in the room that interact with the game.

17. The combination as in claim 14, wherein said computer operates to detect a location of a first user who is playing the game, and creating an action responsive to said first user who is playing the game that is not intended for other users other than said first user who is playing the game, and wherein said cues are sent to external equipment at a location of said first user, where one of said cues includes a spotlight that shines on a location of a first user based on detecting the position of the first user.