Bowling system using network

• US 7,435,184 B1
• Filed: 05/12/2000
• Issued: 10/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Telesystems Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Telesystems Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Tsujita, Masahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Pezzuto; Robert E
• Assistant Examiner(s): RADA, ALEX P
• Application Number:
  US10/276,031
• Time in Patent Office: 3,077 Days
• Field of Search: 473/54, 473/70, 700/91, 463/42
• US Class Current: 473/54
• CPC Class Codes: A63D 1/00 Installations for bowling games, e.g. bowling-alleys or bocce courts bowling greens A63C19/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63D 5/00 Accessories for bowling-alleys or table alleys
• CPC Class Codes: A63D 5/04 Indicating devices

Abstract

A bowling system comprises bowling centers (C1-C3) where an information terminal IT is provided for each lane, a data management center (DMC), a financial institution (BK), and the Internet (INT). The data management center (DMC) collects frame data from each bowling center, stores it therein in a centralized way, and distributes game information at suitable timings. Also, the data management center (DMC) is provided with a multimedia bulletin board (MM) and a bowler in any bowling center can communicate with another bowler by using functions of the bulletin board of registering, posting, searching, selecting, and retrieving information (text, sound, and image).

Claims

1. A bowling system comprising:

a center system of a bowling center comprising information terminals to interface with bowlers which are provided one for each lane and calculate, every one frame, game information including a game score obtained by counting how many pins fell when a bowler rolled a bowl, and further processing transaction information including the game information or sales information; and

a data management center which is connected with the center system of each bowling center via a general-purpose network, comprising a game information distribution destination table with which game information distribution destinations, inclusive of at least IDs (identification data) of center systems and IDs of information terminals, which are registered beforehand such that the data management center processes and stores the transaction information therein in a centralized way,

wherein the center system, as well as transmitting to the data management center the game information of bowlers with each game progress made within at least a frame, receives from the data management center game progress information according to a game type, processes the game progress information, and displays a processed result on the information terminals; and

the data management center transmits game information received from the center system to all center systems registered beforehand with the game information distribution destination table, thereby enabling a play of a bowling game among bowlers located at remote locations by transmitting game score data with each other via the general-purpose network.

2. The bowling system using network according to claim 1, wherein the data management center is provided with a bulletin board where communication information of bowlers located in respective bowling centers are registered, thereby enabling the bowlers in the respective bowling centers to exchange communication information with one another.

3. The bowling system according to claim 2, wherein each information terminal has a camera for taking bowlers'"'"' face images and a microphone for picking up sound generated by bowlers connected thereto, such that multimedia information including the bowlers'"'"' face images taken with the camera and sound picked up through the microphone can be registered as communication information on the bulletin board.

4. The bowling system according to claim 2, wherein the game type is a match-up played by solo bowlers or teams of bowlers among a plurality of bowling centers in which the bulletin board has information on bowlers or teams of bowlers who hope to play a match-up with solo bowlers or teams of bowlers registered thereon as communication information thereby enabling bowlers with their information registered on the bulletin board to be selected as opponents in a match-up, and the center system receives and processes game progress information of the match-up, and displays the processed result on the information terminals provided for lanes where bowlers participating in the game are located.

5. The bowling system using network according to claim 1, wherein the data management center is provided with a settlement server for settling expenses regarding network-related games incurred by each bowling center.

6. The bowling system according to claim 1, wherein the game type is a tournament held among a plurality of bowling centers in which the center system receives the game progress information in other bowling centers, processes the game progress information, and displays the processed result on the information terminals, at request of bowlers in each bowling center.

7. The bowling system according to claim 1, wherein the game type is a competition held among a plurality of bowling centers in which the center system receives and processes an interim game result or a ranking list, and displays the interim game result or the ranking list on the information terminals, at request of bowlers in each bowling center.

8. The bowling system according to claim 1, wherein the game type is a challenge match played against past or virtual game information in which the center system receives and processes bowlers'"'"' game progress information and past or virtual game progress information against which the bowlers play, in accordance with game progress.

9. A bowling system comprising:

a center system of a bowling center comprising information terminals to interface with bowlers which are provided one for each lane, and further processing transaction information including game information or sales information, and

a data management center which is connected with the center system of each bowling center via a general-purpose network thereby processing and storing the transaction information therein in a centralized way,

wherein the center system, as well as transmitting to the data management center game information of bowlers with each game progress made within at least a frame, receives from the data management center game progress information according to a game type, processes the game progress information, and displays a processed result on the information terminals; and

the data management center transmits game information received from the center system to all center systems registered therewith, thereby enabling a bowling game to be played among bowlers located at remote locations via the general-purpose network, and the data management center is provided with a settlement server for settling expenses regarding network-related games incurred by each bowling center;

wherein the settlement server also makes settlement of advertising revenues to be allotted to each bowling center.

10. A bowling system using network comprising:

a center system of a bowling center comprising information terminals to interface with bowlers which are provided one for each lane, and further processing transaction information including game information or sales information; and

a data management center which is connected with the center system of each bowling center via a general-purpose network thereby processing and storing the transaction information therein in a centralized way,

wherein the center system, as well as transmitting to the data management center game information of bowlers with each game progress made within at least a frame, receives from the data management center game progress information according to a game type, processes the game progress information, and displays a processed result on the information terminals;

the game type is a tournament held among a plurality of bowling centers in which the center system receives game progress information in the other bowling centers, processes the game progress information, and displays the processed result on the information terminals, at request of bowlers in each bowling center; and

the data management center transmits game information received from the center system to all center systems registered therewith, thereby enabling a bowling game to be played among bowlers located at remote locations via the general-purpose network, and the data management center is provided with a bulletin board where a ranking list for the tournament is registered, which can be viewed arbitrarily by any one with an access right thereto.

11. A bowling system comprising:

a center system of a bowling center comprising information terminals to interface with bowlers which are provided one for each lane and calculate, every one frame, game information including a game score obtained by counting how many pins fell when a bowler rolled a bowl, and further processing transaction information including the game information or sales information; and

a data management center which is connected with the center system of each bowling center via a general-purpose network, comprising a game information distribution destination table with which game information distribution destinations, inclusive of at least IDs (identification data) of center systems and IDs of the information terminals, which are registered beforehand such that the data management center processes and stores the transaction information therein in a centralized way,

wherein the center system, as well as transmitting to the data management center game information of bowlers with each game progress made within at least a frame, receives from the data management center game progress information according to a game type, processes the game progress information, and displays a processed result on the information terminals; and

the data management center transmits game information received from the center system to all center systems registered beforehand with the game information distribution destination table, thereby enabling a play of a bowling game among bowlers located at remote locations by transmitting game score data with each other via the general-purpose network;

wherein the data management center is provided with a bulletin board where communication information of bowlers located in respective bowling centers are registered, thereby enabling the bowlers in the respective bowling centers to exchange communication information with one another;

wherein the game type is a match-up played by solo bowlers or teams of bowlers among a plurality of bowling centers in which the bulletin board has information on bowlers or teams of bowlers who hope to play a match-up with solo bowlers or teams of bowlers registered thereon as communication information thereby enabling bowlers with their information registered on the bulletin board to be selected as opponents in a match-up, and the center system receives and processes game progress information of the match-up, and displays the processed result on the information terminals provided for lanes where bowlers participating in the game are located; and

wherein in a case of a team match-up the bulletin board enables an option of making a team of bowlers who are located in a plurality of bowling centers.