Distributed game over a wireless telecommunications network

• US 7,125,336 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2001
• Issued: 10/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Makipaa, Mikko, Anttila, Akseli, Kopra, Toni, Heikkinen, Barbara, Saarinen, Petteri, Madan, Hemant, Beletski, Oleg
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KIM T
• Application Number:
  US10/017,382
• Publication Number:
  US 20030114224A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,771 Days
• Field of Search: 463/7, 463/9, 463/30, 463/35, 463/39, 463 40- 43, 273430-432
• 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 13/332 using wireless networks, e.g. cellular phone networks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/406 Transmission via wireless network, e.g. pager or GSM
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/50 characterized by details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5546 using player registration data, e.g. identification, account, preferences, game history
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8064 Quiz

Abstract

A method and system for playing a distributed game over a wireless telecommunications network is disclosed. The game is initiated when a game server sends a task (e.g., a question) to a first group of mobile terminals. Each mobile terminal may either respond to the task (e.g., submit an answer) or forward the task to another mobile terminal. Once a mobile terminal forwards the task, that mobile terminal no longer retains the task. The game ends when a mobile terminal submits a correct task response, when a global time limit ends, or when all mobile terminals have submitted incorrect responses. Responses and forwards can be sent using any known data messaging technique.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a processor,

a transceiver; and

memory for storing computer readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the mobile terminal to perform steps comprising;

(i) receiving a task;

(ii) providing two response options to a first player using the mobile terminal, comprising;

a. forwarding the task for delivery to a second mobile terminal; and

b. sending a response to the task to a task server;

(iii) receiving a player input selecting a one of the two response options; and

(iv) performing the selected response option.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the computer readable instructions further cause the mobile terminal to perform the step of, upon completion of step (iv), displaying an error message when the player attempts to perform another response option.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein in step (iii), when the first player selects said response option (a), said player input comprises an identity of a second player.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 3, wherein in step (iii), the second player is one of a group of players that have not already received the task.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 3, wherein in step (iii), the second player is one of a group of players on a same team as the first player using the nubile terminal.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 3, wherein in step (iii), the second player is one of a group of players registered with the task server.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein in step (iii), when the first player selects said response option (b), said player input comprises response information.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 7, wherein in step (i) the task comprises a question and, in step (iii) said response information comprises an answer to the question.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 7, wherein in step (i) the task comprises a physical task and, in step (iii), said response information comprises data proving that the physical task was completed.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 7, wherein in step (i) the task comprises audio data, video data, or audio and video data and, in step (iii), said response information corresponds to the audio and/or video data.

11. The nubile terminal of claim 7, wherein in step (iii), said response information comprises audio data, video data, or audio and video data recorded by the mobile terminal.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the computer readable instructions further comprise the step of only performing steps (ii)–

(iv) within a predetermined amount of time of step (i).

13. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the task comprises a game task.

14. A method fur solving a task using a mobile terminal, comprising steps of:

(i) the mobile terminal receiving the task from a game server; and

(ii) the mobile terminal providing response options to a user of the mobile terminal, said response options comprising;

a. submitting a task response to the game sewer, and

b. forwarding the task to a different mobile terminal; and

(iii) the mobile terminal performing one of a. and b. based on input received from the user of the mobile terminal.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein step (iii) must be performed within a predetermined amount of time after step (i).

16. The method of claim 14, wherein in step (ii)(b) the different mobile terminal is one of a plurality of mobile terminals on a same team as the mobile terminal of step (i).

17. The method of claim 14, wherein in step (ii)(b) the different mobile terminal is one of a plurality of mobile terminals that has registered with the game server.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein in step (i) the task comprises a question and, in step (ii)(a), the task response comprises an answer to the question.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein in step (i) the task comprises audio data, video data, or audio and video data and, in step (ii)(a), the task response comprises information corresponding to the audio data, video data, or audio and video data.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein step (ii)(a) comprises the mobile terminal recording audio data, video data, or audio and video data corresponding to the task.

21. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a processor,

a transceiver;

a display screen;

an input device; and

memory for storing computer readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the mobile terminal to perform the steps of;

(i) receiving game task information from a game server;

(ii) displaying a game task and two response options on the display screen, wherein the two response options comprise;

a. passing the game task to another player; and

b. responding to the game task;

(iii) when receiving a user input via the input device indicating a user selects said response option (a), sending a forward request to the game server; and

(iv) when receiving a user input via the input device indicating the user selects said response option (b), sending a message comprising a response to the game task to the game server.