Impulse radio interactive wireless gaming system and method

• US 6,354,946 B1
• Filed: 09/20/2000
• Issued: 03/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alereon Incorporated (PNG Telecommunications, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Time Domain Corporation (Humatics Corporation)
• Inventors: Finn, James S.
• Primary Examiner(s): ONEILL, MICHAEL W
• Application Number:
  US09/666,115
• Time in Patent Office: 538 Days
• Field of Search: 463/40, 463/41, 463/42, 463/39, 342/375, 342/132, 342/457, 342/463, 375/200, 375/206, 375/208, 375/210, 375/239, 375/259, 375/295
• US Class Current: 463/40
• 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 13/327 using wireless networks, e.g. Wi-Fi® or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/358 Adapting the game course according to the network or server load, e.g. for reducing latency due to different connection speeds between clients
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/402 Communication between platforms, i.e. physical link to protocol
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/406 Transmission via wireless network, e.g. pager or GSM
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/534 for network load management, e.g. bandwidth optimization, latency reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/6908 using time hopping

Abstract

An interactive wireless gaming system is provided which utilizes the significant wireless improvements of impulse radio technology to enable gaming system enhancements. For instance, the interactive wireless gammg system has a plural of impulse radio wireless gaming units operating alternately as a host device and a guest device. Each impulse radio wireless gaming unit includes an impulse radio receiver for receiving impulse radio wireless messages including gaming information from a game server, a display for displaying the received gaming information, a processor for generating updated gaming information, and an impulse radio transmitter for transmitting impulse radio wireless messages including the updated gaming information to said game server. The game server then uses impulse radio technology to interact with and provide the updated gaming information to the other impulse radio wireless gaming units.

Claims

1. An interactive impulse radio wireless gaming system comprising:

at least one impulse radio wireless gaming unit, wherein said gaming unit further comprises;

an impulse radio receiver for receiving impulse radio wireless messages including gaming information from a game server;

a display for displaying the received gaming information;

a processor for generating updated gaming information; and

an impulse radio transmitter for transmitting impulse radio wireless messages including the updated gaming information to said game server.

2. The interactive impulse radio wireless gaming system of claim 1, wherein said gaming information is gaming information received in a form of graphic characterizations depicting movable objects.

3. The interactive impulse radio wireless gaming system of claim 1, wherein said game server comprising:

an impulse radio receiver for receiving the updated gaming information generated by the gaming units; and

an impulse radio transmitter for re-transmitting the updated gaming information to the other gaming units.

4. The interactive impulse radio wireless gaming system of claim 1, wherein said gaming units and said game server use dedicated outbound impulse radio channels and dedicated inbound impulse radio channels to form a multiple channel duplex allowing each gaming unit to transmit and receive signals on separate channels.

5. The interactive impulse radio wireless gaming system of claim 1, wherein said graphic characterizations are displayed and individually animated through said display of said gaming units during a the interval between periodic updates of the data signals.

6. The interactive impose radio wireless gaming system of claim 1, wherein the data signals include relative position signals to provide relative position of the plurality of movable objects, and wherein said processor is responsive to the relative position signals for generating the graphic characterizations corresponding to each of the relative position signals.

7. The interactive impulse radio wireless gaming system of claim 1, wherein one or more gaming units can communicate interactively with said game server.

8. The interactive impulse radio wireless gaming system of claim 1, wherein two or more gaming units can communicate interactively with one another.

9. The interactive impulse radio wireless gaming system of claim 1, wherein information is passed from said at least one gaming unit to said game server using impulse radio technology.

10. The interactive impulse radio wireless gaming system of claim 1, wherein gaming information is periodically preserved in memory to prevent a loss of said gaming information.

11. A method for providing interactive impulse radio wireless gaming, said method comprising the steps of:

providing at least one impulse radio wireless gaming unit to at least one use, each impulse radio wireless gaming unit capable of;

receiving impulse radio wireless messages including gaming information from a game server;

displaying the received gaming information;

generating updated gaming information; and

transmitting impulse radio wireless messages including the updated gaming information to said game server.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said gaming information is gaming information received in a form of graphic characterizations depicting movable objects.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said game server is capable of:

receiving via impulse radio means the updated gaming information generated by the gaming units; and

re-transmitting via impulse radio means the updated gaming formation to the other gaming units.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein said gaming units and said game server use dedicated outbound impulse radio channels and dedicated inbound impulse radio channels to form a multiple channel duplex allowing each gaming unit to transmit and receive signals on separate channels.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein said graphic characterizations are displayed and individual animated through said display of said gaming units during a time interval between periodic updates of the data signals.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the data signals include relative position signals to provide a relative position of the plurality of movable objects, and wherein said processor is responsive to the relative position signals for generating the graphic characterizations corresponding to each of the relative position signals.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein one or more gaming units can communicate interactively with said game server.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein two or more gaming units can communicate interactively with one another.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein information is passed from said at least one gaming unit to said game server using impulse radio technology.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein gaming information is periodically preserved in memory to prevent a loss of said gaming information.