Amusement devices: games – Including means for processing electronic data – Credit/debit monitoring or manipulation
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-03
2001-10-23
Manuel, George (Department: 3737)
Amusement devices: games
Including means for processing electronic data
Credit/debit monitoring or manipulation
C463S042000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06306035
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to graphical user interfaces and more particularly pertains to providing a graphical user interface for a network gaming system.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Standardized large-scale networks such as the Internet and the World Wide Web now allow remotely located users (such as at home users) to play video games in an environment that allows the user to select a wide variety of different types of video games provided by several different network gaming system providers. Such standardized large-scale networks also allow a user to play with or compete against other users across the network system.
While providing a prize awarding and redeeming system may be desirable to a game provider over a network gaming system, maintenance of a prize awarding and redeeming system may be very laborious and highly involving for the game provider. A prize awarding and redeeming system must be capable of tracking game credits, prize credits, conversions between game scores and prize credits, etc. Further, the prize awarding and redeeming system must convey this information to users in an effective manner.
Displaying and presenting information of a prize awarding and redeeming system while a user is playing a game of a game provider through the network gaming system is a major problem to overcome. The provider has to present a large amount of information to a user on a single visual display such as a video display monitor. For example, the provider may need to display a current amount of credits available to the user, a current amount of prize credits accumulated by the user, a list of possible prizes available to the user, and even a list of high scores for the game currently being played by the user. The prize provider must find a way to display as much of this information as possible on the visual display of the user in a manner that the user can quickly and easily locate and refer to while still providing enough space for the user to view their selected game on their visual display.
If the information of the prize awarding and redeeming system is poorly presented, the user may have to spend too much time in locating, accessing and retrieving the information. This may lead to the player being distracted from the playing of the game at hand for a duration that is unacceptable for the user. As a result the user may quickly grow dissatisfied with the game and prize system and cease to participate in the game and the prize system.
Additionally, if the information of the prize awarding and redeeming system is presented in a manner that is difficult for users to use, the users may grow weary of spending excessive time locating and retrieving this information. This problem is further exacerbated for users who are connected to the Internet via relatively slow connections such as a modem/telephone line connection. If the information of the prize awarding and redeeming system must be retrieved by a user by accessing additional frames or screens on their visual display, the time the user may have to expend may be excessive and interfere with the user's play of their selected game.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
The present invention provides a graphical user interface for providing gaming and prize awarding and redeeming capabilities in a computer network system. This invention allows a provider of the network system to present and display information to a user of the network system. In particular, the present invention allows a provider to visibly display to a user the large amount of information needed to effectively present the provider's prize awarding and redeeming system while the user is playing a game on the network system.
More specifically, the present invention provides a game interface for a prize awarding and redeeming system to a user of the computer network system by displaying a frame to the user and allowing a game to be executed in the frame. Indicated on the frame are prize credits awarded based on an outcome of playing the game. Additionally, a link is displayed on the frame for depicting a prize redemption interface designed to allow use of the prize credits to obtain a prize offered on the network system. This way, a prize provider displays information on the visual display of the user in a manner that the user can quickly and easily locate and refer to while still providing enough space for the user to view their selected game on their visual display.
In one embodiment of the present invention, an additional link may be displayed on the frame for allowing a user to select which one of a plurality of games is executed in the frame. This permits a user to easily switch from playing one game to another. The present invention may also include the displaying of a start button which, when selected, begins execution of the game displayed in the frame.
In another embodiment, a further link may be displayed on the frame for allowing a user to purchase game credits required prior to execution of the game in the frame. Another embodiment of the present invention event provides an indication on the frame of a number of game credits available to a user to exchange for execution of the game in the frame.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, conversion information may also be displayed on the frame which dictates an amount of prize credits that are awarded based on the outcome of the displayed game. This feature allows the prize provider to accommodate the display of the accumulation of prize redeemable points from a user's play of several different games. This feature allows the prize provider to easily present a redeeming system that takes into account the distinction in points accumulated from easy and more difficult games and also allows the user to seamlessly switch play between different games with no break in the user's accumulation of prize credits and prizes.
Additionally, the present invention may also display a specific prize to be awarded based on the outcome of the game. In such an embodiment, the specific prize may be displayed prior to the prize actually being awarded. This feature allows a prize provider to easily and selectively display unique prizes provided to help attract users to play a particular game on the network system. In another aspect of the present invention the frame may be configured using dynamic HTML.
These embodiments allow for the information of the prize awarding and redeeming system to be clearly presented so that a user does not have to spend too much time in locating, accessing and retrieving the information. This way, users are not distracted from the play of their games at hand when checking their progress in accumulating prize credits and prizes. By displaying information for the prize awarding and redeeming system in the manner set forth by the present invention, the user is relieved of the burden of spending excessive time accessing and retrieving prize information during use of the network gaming system, especially when the user is connected to the system via slow connections such as a modem/telephone line connection.
These and other advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art after reading the following descriptions and studying the various figures of the drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 6012984 (2000-01-01), Roseman
Kelly Bryan M.
Kelly Matthew F.
Kroeckel John G.
Link John E.
Petermeier Norman B.
Arcade Planet, Inc.
Manuel George
Oppenheimer Wolff & Donnelly LLP
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