Amusement devices: games – Including means for processing electronic data
Reexamination Certificate
2001-06-21
2003-01-21
Esquivel, Denise L. (Department: 3744)
Amusement devices: games
Including means for processing electronic data
C463S043000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06508706
ABSTRACT:
RELATED APPLICATIONS
Not Applicable.
FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not Applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to electronic gaming apparatuses and more particularly to interactive electronic amusement apparatuses.
Electronic amusement apparatuses with visual or audiovisual displays are commercially available in many formats, ranging from the dedicated platforms of Sony [e.g.; PlayStation 2, PlayStation 1, Sony Windows CE Handheld, Sony VAIO laptop computer], Nintendo [e.g., Nintendo 64, Gameboy, Color Gameboy, etc.], Sega [e.g.; Dreamcast, Genesis, and handheld games such as the Game Gear which are linkable together], as well as open platform environments such as Windows, Macintosh, Windows CE, Unix, Linux, PALM, Sony Playstation 2, Microsoft X-Box, etc. Nintendo 64, Gameboy, Color Gameboy, etc.], Sega [e.g.; Dreamcast, Genesis, and handheld games such as the Game Gear which are linkable together], as well as open platform environments such as Windows, Macintosh, Windows CE, Unix, Linux, PALM, Sony Playstation 2, Microsoft X-Box, etc.
In the handheld and transportable area, the entries include the dedicated handheld games [e.g.: Nintendo Gameboy, Nintendo color Gameboy, SNK NeoGeo, Windows CE handhelds and compatibles, including those from Sony, NEC, Hewlett Packard, and Palm Pilot and compatibles, etc.]
In accordance with the teaching of one of present applicant's prior U.S. Patent '509, video games that can stand alone, or play as a linked video game apparatus in a distributed video game network are taught, and practiced in the industry many years subsequent to the issuance of the '509 patent, such as in products like the Nintendo Gameboy with links, the Sega Gamegear, and intranet, and internet networked environments.
In accordance with another aspect of the existing amusement gaming technology, user interaction with the video game is restricted to one of a set of defined paradigms. For example, if the user is playing in a game, then that user must elect to play stand-alone or networked, multiple user, and, furthermore, the interaction rules in either case are linear and fixed. That is, in an action game, or role playing game, or sports game, or whatever game, the user is playing in accordance with a defined set of game rules for either the single player stand-alone mode, wherein the only opponent is the computer, or in the multiple player networked player game mode, where each of the user's interactions causes responses in accordance with a fixed set of defined rules, and where further the user's conduct and results are visceral, that is, you win, you lose, you gain a possession, you lose a physical possession such as a sword or power pill, and you use up some amount of time, energy, points, etc. in the process of playing the game, which determines how long you're allowed to play the game.
It would be desirable to have an electronic gaming apparatus based on a visual display which provides multi-variable based interaction and behavior, and where the interactivity and networking aspects are enhanced to provide both more complex user-game interaction based on user behavior and input to the game, but to further provide for a multi-variable based inter-electronic gamecard apparatus in an interaction. However, none of the prior art systems are compatible, or can provide for either the physical communications hardware and software, or the software game design methodology or logic necessary to provide these features.
Another significant drawback of present-day games is that the characteristics of the activity (that is, the play) are established by the programming of the game, and therefore remain the same. While a particular game may have many distinct levels of difficulty, the characteristic responses within any one level are constant and unvarying. Therefore, once a player has mastered the highest level in the game, he usually loses interest quickly, as the challenge is no longer present.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An electronic trading card apparatus is comprised of a processing subsystem, a user input apparatus and a display. The processing subsystem has a processing logic section, memory for storing behavior rules, and a communications interface for interacting with other ones of the electronic trading card apparatus. The user input apparatus is for use by a player. The processing subsystem provides programmed functionality which in combination form a persona responsive to the behavior rules, the user input apparatus and the communications interface. The display provides for a display presentation to the player responsive to the persona formed by the processing subsystem.
An interactive amusement device exhibits a behavior, for use by a player in a system of a plurality of the amusement devices. Each amusement device is comprised of a feature controller, a communications interface, logic and a display. The feature controller selects from a defined set of features to define an amusement device persona, wherein each device has a separate persona that is initially set to an initial family value. The persona is comprised of several elements, with each of the elements comprising several variables, wherein each said variable has an initial value.
The communications interface communicates with other ones of the amusement devices. The user interface communicates with the player. The logic for determining behavior in response to at least one of communications from other ones of the devices and from the player. The display for providing a presentation of the behavior responsive to the respective amusement device persona.
In one embodiment, the display includes structural elements capable of physical mechanical motion. The display can also provide a visual and/or an audible presentation. In a preferred embodiment, the associated initial values are reassigned a unique value upon each initialization of the device. In a networked embodiment, a plurality of the devices are associated as members of a same family, wherein the members of the same family have the same initial family values. In a preferred embodiment for each device, members of the same family are further characterized in that the initial family value is modified by a factor to create a unique persona.
Thereafter, the behavior of the device is modified responsive to communications with at least one of the other ones of the devices.
In one embodiment, the feature controller is responsive to voice commands from the player to define the card persona. In one embodiment, the communications interface is an acoustic interface, which can provide inter-device audio communication within human range of hearing. The acoustic interface can also selectively further provide for response to human voice commands.
In one embodiment the device is further comprised of an interface to a control apparatus for providing means for the player to interface with the device. The interface to the control apparatus provides, inter alia, for player modification of the device persona, and/or for player selection of a game action. In one embodiment, the device is further comprised of a filter for selectively filtering communications received from the other ones of the amusement devices.
In an alternate embodiment, the device can provide means for receiving communications from a first one of the other ones of the devices and for forwarding the communications to a second one of the other ones of the devices. In the alternate embodiment the device can further comprise a filter for selectively filtering the communications from the first one of the other ones of the devices prior to forwarding to the second one of the other ones of the devices.
In a preferred embodiment, the feature controller is responsive to a defined set of rules for selecting from the defined set of features. The feature controller can alternately be programmed to define the rules, and/or the rules can be at least in part learned from the player use of the device.
In one emb
Freeburg Thomas Arthur
Sitrick David Howard
Esquivel Denise L.
Jones Melvin
Sitrick & Sitrick
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