Amusement devices: games – Including means for processing electronic data – With communication link
Patent
1997-03-19
1999-05-18
O'Neill, Michael
Amusement devices: games
Including means for processing electronic data
With communication link
A63F9/22
Patent
active
059046201
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for networking computer games in a centrally located game storage accessed by a remote game pad.
2. Background
There is a need for providing users such as hotel guests with improved access to computer games such as that known under the trademark Nintendo that are in a centrally located game storage. What is required is a system which permits a hotel guest to request connection by calling the front desk or by using a computerized order entering system. If a Gateway is available the guests game controller is connected to that Gateway through an analog switch and the guest's television is tuned to the channel that the Gateway modulator is tuned to. The guest's game controller is now connected to the Gateway and the guest is prompted by the Gateway to select a particular game to play. Games are stored in a game storage personal computer and selected using the game controller.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for interfacing a computer game keypad with a remote game storage over a telephone network using a data-over-voice system.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a system for networking computer games by accessing a central game storage with a plurality of remote keypads so as to enable players to communicate game control data to a game storage over an existing local telephone network, and to receive the requested game images on a television set.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a system for networking computer games which administers and allocates a plurality of gateways according to their state of occupancy, establishes an access path and supervises the communication of game control data from a remote game keypad to a central game storage along the access path, and supervises the transfer of the corresponding game images from the game storage to a television set associated with the keypad which has requested the images.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for networking computer games in a centrally located game storage accessed by a remote game keypad comprising: a keypad interface for receiving game control data from a keypad, the game control data being frequency modulated with a center frequency above the audible frequency range to obtain a modulated data format; and means for connecting the keypad interface in parallel across a telephone pair for communicating the modulated data format to a switched telephone network.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a system for networking computer games in a centrally located game storage accessed by a plurality of remote game keypads comprising: a plurality of keypad interfaces each for receiving game control data from an associated keypad, frequency modulating the game control data with a center frequency above the audible frequency range to obtain a modulated data format and communicating the modulated data format over a switched telephone network; means for receiving the modulated data format over the telephone network, routing the modulated data format along an access path, and extracting the game control data therefrom; a central game storage for supplying a game image signal over a television cable network to remote television sets; and a plurality of centrally located gateways for receiving the game control data and accordingly transferring game image signals from the game storage over the television cable network.
A method for networking computer game controllers with a centrally located game storage is also provided, comprising the steps of: reading game control data generated by each of the keypads and encoding the game control data to a serial data format; modulating the serial data format with a center frequency above the audible range to obtain a modulated data format; amplifying the modulated data format and communicating the modulated data format over a switched telephone network; esta
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patent: 5636209 (1997-06-01), Perlman
Patent Abstracts of Japan, vol. 18, No. 634, Dec. 2, 1994 (Abstract of Japanese Patent No. JP 06 246067 published Sep. 6, 1994).
Brown Rodney F.
O'Neill Michael
SaskTel
LandOfFree
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