Remote gaming system playable by several participants.

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD [Detailed description of the invention]

[Industrial application field] The present invention relates to a skilled or accidental game in which several participants separated from each other can compete according to a general sport. In particular, the event may be a computer (or video) game that participants can view on their personal display. [Previous technology] Home video or computer games are well known today, in which game cartridges or floppy disks are utilized, along with personal computers or specially designed game consoles (which are equivalent to font-only personal computers). .. An extension of this is the use of a telephone modem that connects a personal computer to a central computer to play games that are emitted and controlled by, for example, the central computer via a two-way telephone line. As a typical example of the above, for example, a viewer watches a real key no or a dice betting game while communicating by wire to a winning streak of bets at a central casino on a monitor TV in a hotel room, and other necessary processing. There are casinos that are now able to run. This is as disclosed in US Pat. No. 4,339,798 (Hedge). Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,592,546 discloses a game console located in the home and connected to a common network that allows viewers to watch, for example, a football game live. .. In this case, both the lockout signal and other information are transmitted to each participant via the FM SCA communication path, and the final score is calculated based on, for example, the type of competition in the football game and uploaded via the telephone line. Will be done. [Problems to be solved by the invention] An object of the present invention as a whole is to provide an improved skilled or accidental game that can be played simultaneously by several participants separated from each other. [Means to solve problems] According to the present invention, it is a skillful or accidental game that can be played by several participants separated from each other by a common sport, and is a common sport that has a basic format and is stored in a binary format on a digital storage medium. A computer game that acts as a game is provided. One personal computer associated with each participant receives this storage medium. A unidirectional communication means is provided. A network terminal is connected to each computer, receives data from mass communication means, and transfers such data to the computer. Mass communication means transfer this data to a network terminal in a format that matches the format of the computer game, initialize the game characteristics, and provide updated competition parameters during game play. [Example] FIG. 1 shows a personal computer 10 and related peripheral devices used for playing a computer game of the present invention. The "computer game" used in the text usually uses a floppy disk storage medium, but should be understood to include a "video game" that uses a read-only memory (ROM) cartridge and a TV screen system. .. Peripherals for computer 10 include display 11 (usually a CRT) memory 12, keyboard game controller 13, and disk drive 14 (probably in floppy form). A floppy disk 16 is inserted into this disk drive 14. The keyboard and controller 13 includes typical game controllers such as joysticks and yokes that mimic the steering wheel of a flight simulator. A network terminal 17 having an antenna 18 is connected to the RS232 port of a personal computer. One personal computer is illustrated, but any kind of central processing unit or dedicated digital hardware can be used. It goes without saying that the personal computer 10 and the network terminal 17 are both located at the same remote location. At another location, for network terminal # 2 with antenna 18', the same set of equipment, for example named 17', would be placed. The network terminal 17'is connected to the related personal computer (PC # 2). The network terminals 17, 17'are connected to the FM transmitter 19 in a unidirectional manner via the antennas 18, 18', for example, via the antenna 21. Such FM transmitters may be FM stations (see also '546 patent above), VHF, or SCA communication paths for VHF television antennas. At this time, the mass communication path is a telex communication path or any other mass communication type system carried in the air or in a cable or fiber optic system. Since the above is unidirectional for mass communication, this means that the cost is not affected by the number of users at all, and it goes without saying that each is extremely cheap for remote users. Another type of mass communication means may be equipped with a digital data type digital communication path for "high definition television" (HDTV). The control transmitter 19 is a central computer system (CCS) 22. It can be linked to each network terminal by telephone line 23 if such a connection is desired. However, due to the cost of this link, it is considered that it should only be used for a very short time, for example, when uploading one score or result as presented in the '546 patent above. Finally, as discussed below, the floppy disk 16 can be something like a tape or, in fact, any other binary magnetic medium that can even be downloaded from a central device to a hard disk or the like. Moreover, in the normal case, it will be the video game program that is modified (or at least feasible) by the idea of the whole game, as judged by the central computer system 22. FIG. 2 shows details of a network terminal 17 with an FM receiver 24 that, for example, receives an SCA signal on an FM communication path and converts it into a digital form for use within the associated central processing unit (CPU) 26. Shown. Such FM receivers are commercially available, for example, by Lotus Information Network, Inc., along with their stock market quote transmission systems. The CPU 26 is connected to the personal computer 10 by its RS232 port. The CPU 26 is also connected to the buffer memory 27, the long-term memory 28, and the modem 29 connected to the telephone line 23. The memory 28 can also serve as a security memory for storing game scores at the same time. FIG. 3 shows the memory contents of the PC memory 12 together with the buffer memory 27 of the network terminal 17 for the two embodiments of the present invention. However, generally speaking, in the case of a standard computer game that is not modified according to the present invention, the floppy disk 16 having the game program is inserted into the disk drive 14 as shown in FIG. , Memory 12 will have various memory spaces as shown in 31-35. Various game formats and parameters are stored in the above memory space and will be executed by the logical part of the personal computer. In a standard video game, eg, a "flight simulator", the player of the game has one plane, represented as PC # 1 plane (plane), in memory location (position) 31, and memory spaces 32, 33, 34. There are computer-controlled aircraft labeled # 1, # 2, ..., #N. Therefore, the basic format of the game is stored in this memory. Overall, the game consists of placing various obstacles with launch missiles separated from each other from both the player's plane and computer-controlled aircraft. Before discussing the transformations applied to this basic game, the flowchart of FIG. 4 shows how it is normally played on a personal computer or game console in the prior art. In short, this is nothing more than the basic format of the game, which has been somewhat modified to receive external instructions from the central computer system 22 (see Figure 1), to argue. Now, to elaborate on the flowchart of the prior art in FIG. 4, in step 41, the floppy disk 16 (of course, immutable) is placed in the disk drive device 14, the game is "started", and the game is input into the computer memory. It initializes the entire shape and hardware and sets up the data structure needed to run the game. Then, in step 42, the coordinates of the player's world are initialized with graphic data from the floppy disk for all objects in the game. Thus, for example, a player's plane could be initialized on the ground at San Francisco Airport. Similarly, computer controlled aircraft will be given their initial coordinates. Next, in the program main loop starting in step 43, the game is started, the player's control device is read, and the player's world coordinates are updated. In particular, the keyboard and the control contained within the game / control device 13 could be a flight simulator staying wheel, or a joystick or keyboard could be used instead. A joystick or flight simulator staying wheel will have a launch button on top of it. In step 44, the computer-controlled object or aircraft will have a flight trajectory calculated based on artificial intelligence operating on a program residing in the PC. After that, the world coordinates of the entire computer-controlled object are updated based on those flight trajectories. This artificial intelligence is part of the entire game execution program or format that will be stored in PC memory 12. Needless to say, it is not shown directly in Fig. 3, which shows only various arithmetic units. However, it goes without saying that the flowchart is a graphical representation of such a program. In step 46, a missile is launched from a computer controlled object if it is within range of the player's aircraft (ie, the PC # 1 plane). Thus, the program can almost detect if someone is ready to fire at the player. If so, it will be fired once. At that point, all objects in the world will be updated, and the discovery of collisions of all objects in the game will be based on these new coordinates, as shown in step 47. After the collision has been discovered, the findings are used to update the presence of all objects in the game as in step 48. In other words, if objects collide with each other, they usually no longer exist. Then, in step 49, all visible objects are displayed, which means that in a flight simulation game, one must determine what is visible from the player's plane cockpit at that moment. Loop 51 is then returned to the starting point to obtain another set of control commands. After that, one score is usually provided on the display screen. Thus, the standard game ends when the aircraft lands and reaches the point where it escaped, crashed, or collided. It goes without saying that the types of collisions are caused by missile launches by computer-controlled aircraft, or by collisions with the computer-controlled aircraft itself or the ground. Explaining the game of the present invention with reference to FIG. 3, the buffer memory 27 is input to the PC memory 12 in order to change various parameters and characteristics of the flight simulation game (or any other game by skill or chance). Information or data to be loaded from the central computer system 22. Briefly speaking about buffer memory 27, data about computer controlled aircraft is loaded into memory devices 32,33,34 with relevant information such as at location 31. These directly correspond to the PC devices 32,33,34. That is, the same information regarding the graphic descriptor, coordinates, weapon type, characteristics, etc. is input from the outside, not provided by the player's floppy disk. In any case, how to utilize the buffer memory 27 will be explained according to the program flowchart of FIG. In the initialization part of the program loop in step 61, the game is started from the floppy disk and the PC software and the like are initialized. This is the same as step 41 in FIG. However, the format of the game on the floppy disk has been modified in this case to accommodate or be compatible with instructions and data from the central computer system 22. In particular, in the case of a flight simulation game, as shown in Fig. 3, the memory spaces 32,33,34 in this case are basically blank templates of the data structure for the object to be displayed in the game. template). These are, of course, computer controlled aircraft. These memory locations remain blank until they receive data from the central computer system via the network terminal 17. Thus, in games such as "flight simulation" video games, standard game format changes are computer controlled aircraft 32,33, Accompanied by releasing or providing a blank template of memory for 34. However, the overall concept can be applied to other types of games, either skilled or by chance. And while the basic intelligence for gameplay is stored on a floppy disk at the player's location, it can be modified like a blank template to later enter external data from another source, especially the central computer system 22. .. Further, regarding FIG. 5, in step 62, the personal computer 10 is converted to information transmitted via radio waves from the central computer system 22 via the network terminal 17 and the antenna 18 via its RS232 port (shown in FIG. 1). It has an open input channel. In step 63, the player plane, the PC # 1 plane in memory location 31, is initialized from the floppy disk database in the same way as in step 42. (Fig. 4) Now, a significant difference occurs in step 64. There, computer-controlled objects, figures, and world coordinates are initialized from external information, ie, data sent from the network terminal 17, and more fundamentally, the central computer system 22. FIG. 6 shows the flow of the program of the central computer system, and in the initial step 81, all the computer-controlled objects are initialized. This data is received by the network terminal 17 because the channel is open to such information in step 62. Further, regarding FIG. 6, the game start signal is transmitted in step 82, and the signal is received by the remote personal computer and the network terminal device in step 66. This causes a jump to the main program loop. Thus, in step 67, the game is started, the player's control device is read, and the player's position is updated as in step 43 of FIG. However, in the next step 68, instead of using the previously formed inside information in the video game, the new coordinates of the computer controlled object are obtained from the central computer station and stored in the network terminal. (See Figure 3 and the buffer memory in space 36,37,38.) Such information is stored in the buffer memory by step 83 in Figure 6, which transmits the graphic data of the computer-controlled object and the initial world coordinates. .. Then, during game play, the data is updated as in steps 68 in FIG. 5 and steps 84 and 86 in FIG. Then, with reference to FIG. 5, in step 69, the missile launch is the same as in a normal game controlled by the basic format of a flight simulation game. Step 71 for collision detection is the same, and step 72, which updates with the presence of an object in the game based on the collision detection and then displays a visible object at 73, is performed by local program intelligence, which is the basic format of the game. Will be done. These are the same as steps 46, 47, 48, 49 (previous technique) discussed in Fig. 4. The game continues with loop 75 until it finishes as described above. If a series of players play simultaneously across the country, to ensure the security of the game, in step 74 (see Figure 5), check the time limit so that each player has virtually the same time or at the same time. Measures will be taken to make it look like it was playing. A method for checking such a time limit is shown in Japanese Patent No. 4,592,546 described above. Finally, in step 76 of FIG. 5, the score is displayed and stored in secure memory, which is later uploaded to the central computer system over the phone. This protected memory will be located in the long-term memory 28 in the network terminal 17, for example, as shown in FIG. The changes in the game are that in addition to transmitting information about computer-controlled aircraft, other information such as ground-based objects, terrain, weather, etc. can also be executed and played by changing the nature of the game. Each time it can be modified to be new and unique to the player group. Thus, by using unidirectional mass communication means, such as by FM SCA channel, it is possible to change important parameters of the game and, in fact, give it a unique game-like appearance. In fact, it is also possible to transmit program code that can change the basic strategy and scoring method of the game. FIG. 3 shows a case where the present invention is used when playing a role-playing text game by adventure or fantasy. In this case, the outcome of the game is determined by the player's intellectual skill vs. eye / hand adjustment. Thus, template 35 stores several graphic routines or patterns. These are selected by the "game parent" command stored in the buffer device 39 received in real time on the mass communication means. [Effect of the invention] Thus, by designing the game scheme, each time a game is played by a contest among a group of players, it can be a unique game that has virtually never been played. Existing video games such as Pac-Man, Lode Runner, F-14 Fighter or Super Mario Bros. could be controlled in the same way. Any player who is playing the game as a common sport at virtually the same time will upload the results to be scored over the telephone line in the manner shown in the '546 Game Patent above. By transmitting game changes and characteristics using mass communication means, new and interesting game variants are created without the need for continuous and expensive bidirectional connections on a single central computer. In other words, if thousands of people are competing with each other and playing video games at the same time, the cost would be exorbitant if each had to be connected to a central computer via a two-way leased line. It will be clear that it is even more impractical. In addition, the number of simultaneous participants will be limited. Although the computer-type game has been described above, an equivalent skillful or accidental game can also be used. Thus, an improved game was presented that could be played simultaneously by several participants who were separated from each other for a common sport.

[Simple explanation of drawings]

Figure 1 is a block diagram of a skilled or accidental game showing the equipment associated with the competitors and their connections to the central computer. Fig. 2 is a detailed block diagram of the network terminal part of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a partial memory diagram of Fig. 1. Figure 4 is a flow chart of a typical prior art video game, FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a game embodying the present invention. FIG. 6 is a flowchart of the present invention relating to a central computer system. 10 ...... PC, 11 ...... Display, 12 ...... Memory, 13 ...... Keyboard / game control device, 16 ...... Floppy disk, 14 ...... Disc dry, 19 ...... Network terminal, 18 ...... Antenna, 19 ...... FM transmitter, 32,33,34 ...... Memory space, 22 ...... Central computer system.