Multimedia system and method for remote monitoring or refereeing in amusement machines

The present invention relates to the field of coin-operated (coin-operated) entertainment devices. In particular, the present invention comprises a plurality of amusement devices (ie, video games, flipper games, pinball machines, etc.) with relevant means for collecting multimedia information on which the player's performance in play components and amusement devices is based. Sweepstakes games, arcade games, electronic darts, kiddie rides, pool tables, golf games, basket games, billiards, redemption games, soccer tables, shuffle board arrays and boring arrays, touch panel countertop games, etc.) and collected multimedia information The present invention relates to a system and a method having a means for transmitting a game from an entertainment device to a network and a processor-based device (for example, a central controller (CPU)) for managing and storing this multimedia information.

Currently, many coin-operated entertainment devices are known that have means for collecting game and player data and for connecting to networks such as LANs or WANs (eg, the Internet).

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a darts board provided with a means for displaying the result of a darts game. The board is equipped with an instant camera, which will take a picture when you hit the darts board or reach a certain score, quickly determine the winner of the game and display the picture of the winning player. be able to.

Patent Document 2 discloses a system for playing on a plurality of darts game entertainment devices. In particular, the system is equipped with at least two game consoles installed in different locations, a bidirectional connection line between these game consoles, various discs divided into sectors for receiving darts, and on this disc. It has slot machines installed at remote locations, equipped with a device for recording and displaying the position of impact and a computer for processing, evaluating, and transmitting data.

Patent Document 3 discloses a similar system, in which many transmitter and receiver components are fixedly deployed outside the disk, and the lines connecting them form a grid. Coordinates are assigned to these grids, and the darts that hit the disk give the coordinates. The value of the coordinates that the darts shocked is transmitted to another device via the modem and the data communication line. The system includes a computer connected by this line for processing, evaluating and transmitting this data and a screen for displaying the results.

Patent Document 4 discloses a league and tournament system including a centralized league device that transmits data to one or more of a plurality of darts machines via a modem or using a portable wireless data storage device. .. Information from the electronic darts machine can be transmitted via a modem, by fax transmission, or using a portable wireless data storage device. These darts machines receive information from league and tournament databases for a variety of purposes, including automatic player handicap execution, automatic control of play, and records of teams and players using darts machines. Is configured to be used. This device has a monitor that displays a context sensitive menu with information from the database.

Thus, these techniques may allow players to play games or participate in leagues at different locations connected to each other and to computers by telecommunication lines. In particular, the internet or other computer networks can be used for communication, and game data and results can be recorded on the computer and transmitted to the device.

Moreover, in a subset of entertainment equipment known as video games, it is typically the system that imposes and enforces rules. For example, a video game system is typically closed and unlikely to cheat, because the entire game is played in a closed control loop on the device and the system software cheats. This is to prevent it.

On the other hand, in entertainment equipment that constitutes a game or sports equipment such as darts, snooker, golf, and basketball machines, a part of the action is executed independently of the equipment. In such situations, the system cannot detect all possible infringement or fraudulent activity of the rules and regulations of the game by the player outside the control of the system. For this type and other types of entertainment equipment, current systems and methods provide optimal systems and methods for controlling and identifying the legitimacy of play, or whether play and players are in compliance with the rules. Not done. This is a real drawback if you want to compete globally in different parts of the globe. There are other drawbacks as well.<patcit num="1"><text>European Patent Publication No. 697,579</text></patcit><patcit num="2"><text>German Patent Publication No. 4314145-A</text></patcit><patcit num="3"><text>European Patent Publication No. 752,089</text></patcit><patcit num="4"><text>U.S. Patent Publication No. 5,593,349</text></patcit>

<p> An object of the present invention is to provide a management system and method for entertainment devices located either at approximately the same location or at locations separated from each other. This system and method shall be applicable to any type of entertainment equipment, whether sports equipment (eg, darts) or not.</p><p> Another task of the present invention is to provide a method for managing the refereeing of a game played on an entertainment device, in which a human or non-human referee can make a decision at a remote site. Surveillance or refereeing can be performed in real time or with a time delay, at least in part, based on multimedia information collected from entertainment devices that can communicate over networks such as the Internet. Therefore, this system and method makes it possible to monitor and judge the play of the game, reduce cheating and promote fair competition between the game and the players.</p>

<p> These and other issues can be achieved by providing systems and methods composed of entertainment devices further equipped with multimedia information and data collection means. For example, multimedia information gathering means leave images and sounds of imaging devices (eg, digital or analog cameras or video recorders), audio recording devices (eg, digital or analog sound recorders) and players and plays deployed during the game. Have other equipment to collect. Other data acquisition devices include scoreboards, impact sensors (eg, for darts, shooting or golf games), distance measuring devices, or other suitable sensors as determined by the special requirements of the game or sport being played. ..</p><p> The system and method according to the invention further comprises one or more monitoring or refereeing centers. This monitoring or refereeing center may receive multimedia information and other data from entertainment equipment. This multimedia information and other data is sent over the network (eg LAN, WAN, Internet, wireless network, cellular network, etc.) to the appropriate receiver of the refereeing center (eg, monitor, computer, speaker, etc.). Can be transmitted. The refereeing center can be located anywhere accessible over the network, including remote locations. Surveillance or refereeing can be done either almost immediately (eg, in real time) or delayed (eg, with a time delay).</p><p> In addition, the system and method according to the present invention have computer-assisted refereeing means. A visible light source (eg, a laser or other visible light beam) can be used, for example, to illuminate a line, boundary, or other limit of the play area (eg, where the player stands). Other computer-assisted sensors (eg, speed monitors), out-of-bounds sensors (eg, pressure) to assist in assessing whether gameplay or player actions meet certain game rules. Converters, etc.), and multimedia information collectors can be inputs to computers or other processor-based devices (eg, laptops, personal digital assistants (PDAs), surveillance terminals of a particular purpose, etc.).</p><p> These monitoring or refereeing centers can be "call centers" for game organizers, conveniently using data placed on the network to monitor the development of the game on entertainment equipment. Have. In addition, information from entertainment equipment can be stored at the monitoring or refereeing center, or otherwise stored.</p><p> The refereeing center and entertainment equipment also have a multimedia communication system. For example, microphones, speakers, video monitors and cameras can be incorporated into entertainment equipment and referee centers. Using this communication system, the referee can observe the entire game environment and all events that occur during each game. This referee decision can be communicated and appealed interactively between the player and the referee center at any point in play.</p><p> In certain embodiments, the refereeing center has an optical observation system and a local area network (LAN) or wide area network (WAN) communication system built into each device. In addition, the observation system within each device has one or more video cameras equipped with filters, reflective components and electronics, which camera instantly image from different sources in the form of varying or alternating lighting. Is to collect.</p><p> In certain embodiments, the refereeing center or entertainment device may incorporate additional electronic components that automatically detect play conditions that violate the rules or regulations of play that apply to each case. For example, additional electronic equipment varies depending on whether the entertainment equipment is darts, snooker, golf equipment, etc., and thus assists the referee's work. For example, these parts perform a function similar to that of a ball detector used on current tennis courts to indicate whether a serve is within a specified range.</p><p> The remote referee system and method according to the present invention allows the referee to determine at any time whether the player complies with the rules of play or, conversely, whether the player is in breach. It can be assisted by a computer system that allows the selective storage of a series of footage that records the complete development of the game.</p><p> This information can be transmitted over a cable, wired, satellite or wireless system over a local computer network or over the Internet. In any case, a dedicated computer program can analyze and manage the multimedia data from the device and transmit the multimedia data to the appropriate place. The referee's decision is contained within the multimedia data.</p><p> With this communication system, it is possible to hold an interactive multimedia conference between the player and the referee. For example, a meeting can be held if the player wants to disagree with the referee's decision.</p><p> As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the system of the present invention allows individuals or teams to play competitions on a global scale, since the gaming environment is included within the system. The game is played in a way that manages events efficiently.</p>

The present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, with reference to the non-limiting examples.

Throughout the drawings, the same reference numerals shall indicate similar or same components or parts.

All of the above are applicable to other types of entertainment equipment with the necessary modifications, but the following describes special embodiments applicable to electronic entertainment equipment and darts. ..

In this embodiment, the remote monitoring or referee system for the entertainment device according to the invention collects data on the entire sequence of play on the device and the player's results (eg, by detecting the impact and the location of the impact on the darts board). It is based on a plurality of entertainment devices, especially darts devices 1, equipped with play components along with means for doing so and means for transmitting data collected by the device to a network.

The darts device 1 includes a structure or housing 3, a darts board 4, an interface panel 5 for inputting data using a keyboard 30 and a microphone 31, and a panel for a coin slot or other similar payment component. Has 6 and. Further, the darts device 1 includes a digital video camera 7, a monitor 8, and a visible light irradiator 9.

The monitor 8 can be of a well-known type, especially a TFT type, with the screen preferably protruding with respect to the main panel on the front of the device 1 and having a constant tilt with respect to its vertical panel. , Located in the upper part of the unit, which means that the player 13 can better see the transmitted video.

The digital video camera 7 is equipped with a filter, a reflective component, and an electronic device, and can change and change the lighting to simultaneously collect images from different sources. The camera 7 can capture any suitable field of view suitable for the game situation. For example, the dashed line 33 indicates one possible field of view.

The visible light emitted from the irradiator 9 is preferably laser light, representing an illumination beam 10 that draws a projection line 12 on the floor 11 and marks a predetermined minimum distance with respect to the position of the player 13 throwing the darts 14. It is a thing.

Each device 1 of this system has a processor-based device in which multimedia data of the game is stored, for example, a CPU 15 and an output line 16 for communication networks 17, 17'. The network consists of a WAN, such as the Internet 17 (Fig. 5), LAN 17'(Fig. 4) or other network (eg, radio, cellular, satellite, etc. (not shown)).

The digital video camera 7 collects a moving image of the drawn line 12, and the video recognition system in the CPU 15 detects whether or not the player 13 has crossed the line 12.

In the case of LAN17', this device is connected to this network via the general purpose application server 18. For WAN17, connections can be established through Internet Service Provider (ISP) 28, and these devices are connected via hub 20 and proxy PC21 on the local network, or via ADSL router 22 or modem 23. ..

In FIG. 5, it can be seen that the network 17 is the Internet and different remote locations or game rooms 24,25,26,27 can connect to the network via different devices.

This system provides at least one monitoring or referee center 2 for instant or delayed referees, which can also be connected to the network through ISP28 for data located within the network of a series of devices 1. Have. The system works with at least one application server, also connected to network 17.

Each darts device 1 and monitoring or refereeing center 2 includes a communication component or camera interface 7, a monitor 8, a keyboard 30, and a microphone 31. In addition, these monitoring or refereeing centers 2 are equipped with similar communication components.

Therefore, these monitoring or refereeing centers 2 can monitor the development state of the game on these devices 1 from the multimedia data arranged in the networks 17, 17'.

The refereeing method based on certain embodiments of the present invention is as follows. In each device 1 of a series of devices on networks 17, 17', the device 1 throughout the development of play, with respect to whether player 13 complies with certain conditions of play during play. The collection means collects the development of the play, and the video camera 7 records the image of the play area and the player 13.

The results and video data are immediately transmitted or stored in the computer system 15 of the device, and the results and video data are retrieved from networks 17,17'when called by the Surveillance or Referee Center 2. It is preserved and observed by the referee 32 in Center 2.

The referee 32 determines whether the selected game has been played without violating the rules of play, and the results of that part of the game and the data of the winning player are networked through the communication channel 17,17'. It is transmitted to the corresponding device 1 based on the competition that was judged. In this example, the darts competition, the winning player, and the winning player data are displayed on device 1.

To make a decision regarding the outcome of the winning game, the referee 32 will certify based on the video data transmitted to the Surveillance or Referee Center 2.

Optionally, the player uses the keyboard 30 and microphone 31 to contact the referee 32 in real time or to issue a dissenting message, from device 1 towards the monitoring or referee center 2 of the referee. A multimedia signal can be sent to the referee to disagree with the decision. Based on this multimedia signal, the referee 32 makes a final ruling on this objection, either immediately or with a time delay, and sends it to the network.

In the present invention, the result of play and the referee of the winning part are made immediately or with a time delay. In this way, players in different locations can participate in the game at any time and the referee can certify the result. For example, a European player can join the game at 10 am, a US player can join the game eight hours later, and a referee can give a result at 10 am US time.

Although the referee is considered to be a human operator 32, the invention also addresses the possibility that the referee may be controlled automatically or by computer assistance.

The above has only shown the principles of the present invention. As such, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that various configurations within the spirit and scope of the invention, which are not explicitly illustrated or described herein, also incorporate the principles of the invention. Will. In this sense, the data collection means take various forms, depending on the characteristics of the game. For example, in the case of billiards or snooker games, the video camera 7 can focus on the entire game table and the sensor can determine the number of holes and caroms that the ball has entered.

<figref num="1">Side view of darts device and play area according to the present invention</figref><figref num="2">Top view of the device and play area in Figure 1</figref><figref num="3">Front view of the device in Figure 1</figref><figref num="4">Example of block diagram of remote referee system in local network</figref><figref num="5">An example of a block diagram of a remote referee system via a network such as the Internet</figref>