US5581270A — Hotel-based video game and communication system

Claim 1

Independent Claim 153 words

A guest room based communications system for generating interactive, in-room videographic display sessions in a plurality of guest rooms comprising: an array of videographic processing systems, the number of videographic processing systems in said array being less than the number of guest rooms, each videographic processing system including: a videographics program executing processor; a memory system, coupled to said videographics program executing processor, for storing a videographics program, and a microcontroller, coupled to said videographics program executing processor and said memory system, for receiving information generated during an in-room interactive videographics display session and for sending said information to said videographics program executing processor, each videographic processing system in said array being assigned to any one of at least a plurality of in-room displays, said guest room communications system including a data director for directing information generated in one of said plurality of guest rooms to an identified videographics processing system for processing.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 153 words

A guest room based communications system for generating interactive, in-room videographic display sessions in a plurality of guest rooms comprising: an array of videographic processing systems, the number of videographic processing systems in said array being less than the number of guest rooms, each videographic processing system including: a videographics program executing processor; a memory system, coupled to said videographics program executing processor, for storing a videographics program, and a microcontroller, coupled to said videographics program executing processor and said memory system, for receiving information generated during an in-room interactive videographics display session and for sending said information to said videographics program executing processor, each videographic processing system in said array being assigned to any one of at least a plurality of in-room displays, said guest room communications system including a data director for directing information generated in one of said plurality of guest rooms to an identified videographics processing system for processing.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 24 words

A guest-room based communications system according to claim 1, further including an in-room controller having a plurality of control keys for generating keystroke data.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 38 words

A guest-room based communications system according to claim 2, wherein said controller includes a reset key, and wherein an assigned one of said videographics program executing processors is reset in response to the actuation of said reset key.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 21 words

A guest room-based communications system according to claim 2 wherein said in-room controller includes a plurality of video game control keys.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 65 words

A guest room-based communications system according to claim 2 wherein said microcontroller includes an input port and at least one buffer coupled to said input port and further including an interface for coupling said keystroke data to said input port, said microcontroller being operable to perform repetitive tests to determine whether keystroke data received from said controller is present in said at least one buffer.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 33 words

A guest room-based communications system according to claim 5, wherein said keystroke is processed by said microcontroller if at least two bytes of data are present in said at least one input buffer.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 35 words

A guest room-based communications system according to claim 5, wherein if keystroke data is present in said input buffer, said microcontroller is operable to determine whether the first byte of data is a header byte.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 49 words

A guest room-based communications system according to claim 5, wherein if keystroke data is present in said input buffer, said microcontroller is operable to determine whether the keystroke data in the input buffer indicates that it is data assigned to said microcontroller and its associated videographics program executing processor.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 36 words

A guest room-based communications system according to claim 5, wherein if keystroke data is present in said input buffer, said microcontroller is operable to determine whether a valid command has been received from said in-room controller.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 17 words

A guest room-based communications system according to claim 9, wherein said valid command is a reset command.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 26 words

A guest room-based communications system according to claim 1, wherein said microcontroller includes an input port and at least one buffer coupled to said input port.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 29 words

A guest room-based communications system according to claim 1, further including a host computer system for downloading videographics program data to at least one of said videographics processing systems.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 63 words

A guest room-based communications system according to claim 12, wherein said microcontroller includes an input port and a buffer coupled to said input port and further including an interface for coupling host data to said input port, said microcontroller being operable to perform repetitive tests to determine whether host data received from said host computer is present in said at least one buffer.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 38 words

A guest room-based communications system according to claim 13, wherein if host data is present in said input buffer, said microcontroller is operable to check to determine if a valid command has been received from said host computer.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 22 words

A guest room-based communications system according to claim 1, wherein said microcontroller includes means for executing at least one memory test command.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 23 words

A guest room-based communications system according to claim 15, wherein said memory test command is sent to said microcontroller from said host computer.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 23 words

A guest room-based communication system according to claim 1, wherein said microcontroller includes a buffer for receiving information from said program executing processor.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 32 words

A guest room-based communications system according to claim 17, wherein said microcontroller is operable to repetitively test to determine whether information received from said program executing processor is present in said buffer.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 37 words

A guest room-based communications system according to claim 18, wherein if information is present in said buffer, said microcontroller analyzes the received information and modifies the program executing processor status information in accordance with said received information.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 33 words

A guest room-based communication system according to claim 18 wherein if information is present in said buffer, said microcontroller analyzes the received information and transmits any required information to said program executing processor.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 34 words

A guest room-based communication system according to claim 18 wherein if information is present in said buffer, said microcontroller analyzes the received information and controls a program download operation to said program executing processor.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 151 words

A guest room-based communications system for generating in-room video displays on one of a plurality of guest room display units comprising: a host computer including a storage device for storing a plurality of computer programs identifiable by program file identifiers; a plurality of memory systems for receiving at least one of said plurality of programs; and a plurality of first data processors, each coupled to an associated one of said memory systems, each of said plurality of first data processors for executing at least one of said plurality of programs stored in its associated memory system for generating a video display on a guest room display device, said host computer being operable to dynamically assign each of said plurality of first data processors to one of said plurality of guest room display units; said host computer being operable to download a selected program identified by one of said program file identifiers.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 151 words

A guest room-based communications system for generating in-room video displays on one of a plurality of guest room display units comprising: a host computer including a storage device for storing a plurality of computer programs identifiable by program file identifiers; a plurality of memory systems for receiving at least one of said plurality of programs; and a plurality of first data processors, each coupled to an associated one of said memory systems, each of said plurality of first data processors for executing at least one of said plurality of programs stored in its associated memory system for generating a video display on a guest room display device, said host computer being operable to dynamically assign each of said plurality of first data processors to one of said plurality of guest room display units; said host computer being operable to download a selected program identified by one of said program file identifiers.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 92 words

A guest room-based communications system in accordance with claim 22, further including a plurality of second processors, each coupled to an associated one of said first data processors, for performing interface tasks for said first processor and for receiving said at least one of said plurality of programs to be executed by said first data processor, whereby said at least one of said plurality of programs is loaded into one of said plurality of memory systems, and wherein said at least one of said plurality of programs is a video game program.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 35 words

A guest room-based communications system in accordance with claim 22 further including a guest room television monitor for displaying videographics data resulting from the execution of said at least one of said plurality of programs.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 34 words

A guest room-based communications system in accordance with claim 22, further including a display processing unit coupled to said first data processor for generating a video signal for displaying on said in-room display screen.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 105 words

A videographics entertainment system for generating a videographics display on a plurality of displays comprising: a host computer having a memory for storing a plurality of programs, an array of videographics processing systems, each video game processor being coupled to an associated memory system for receiving one of said plurality of computer programs, each of said videographics processors being operable to execute a program stored in its associated memory system, and to generate a videographics display on one of said plurality of displays, said host computer being operable to dynamically assign each of said videographic processing systems to any one of said plurality of displays.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 105 words

A videographics entertainment system for generating a videographics display on a plurality of displays comprising: a host computer having a memory for storing a plurality of programs, an array of videographics processing systems, each video game processor being coupled to an associated memory system for receiving one of said plurality of computer programs, each of said videographics processors being operable to execute a program stored in its associated memory system, and to generate a videographics display on one of said plurality of displays, said host computer being operable to dynamically assign each of said videographic processing systems to any one of said plurality of displays.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 24 words

A videographics entertainment system in accordance with claim 26, wherein said at least one of said plurality of programs is a video game program.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 49 words

A videographics entertainment system in accordance with claim 26, wherein each of said videographics processing systems includes a central processing unit for executing programs and a display processing unit coupled to said central processing unit for generating a video signal for display on one of said plurality of displays.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 44 words

A videographics entertainment system in accordance with claim 26 wherein each of said videographics processing systems includes a central processing unit and a boot read-only memory for storing a program to be executed by said central processing unit upon the power being turned on.

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 38 words

A videographics entertainment system according to claim 26, wherein each of said videographics processing systems includes a central processing unit and an interface control processor for receiving information to be coupled to said central processing unit for processing.

Claim 34

Dependent Claim 145 words

In a guest room-based entertainment system having a host computer, a plurality of in-room display systems, and an array of videographics processing systems, wherein the number of videographics processing systems is smaller than the number of in-room display system, each videographics processing system having an associated memory system, a method of operating said guest room-based entertainment system comprising the steps of: displaying at each of a plurality of in-room display systems, a display menu identifying a plurality of videographics programs; requesting the videographics program selected by a user by file number; dynamically assigning one of said videographics processing systems to each active in-room display systems; downloading the selected videographics program selected by a user to the memory system associated with the assigned videographics processing system; executing by the assigned videographics processing system the videographics program selected by a user of an active in-room display system.

Claim 35

Dependent Claim 145 words

In a guest room-based entertainment system having a host computer, a plurality of in-room display systems, and an array of videographics processing systems, wherein the number of videographics processing systems is smaller than the number of in-room display system, each videographics processing system having an associated memory system, a method of operating said guest room-based entertainment system comprising the steps of: displaying at each of a plurality of in-room display systems, a display menu identifying a plurality of videographics programs; requesting the videographics program selected by a user by file number; dynamically assigning one of said videographics processing systems to each active in-room display systems; downloading the selected videographics program selected by a user to the memory system associated with the assigned videographics processing system; executing by the assigned videographics processing system the videographics program selected by a user of an active in-room display system.

Claim 36

Dependent Claim 27 words

A method according to claim 31 wherein said displaying step includes the step of displaying indicia indicative of different video games which may be selected for play.

Claim 37

Dependent Claim 39 words

A method according to claim 32 wherein the step of downloading includes the step of downloading a selected video game to the videographics processing system assigned to the in-room display system at which said selected video game was selected.

Claim 38

Dependent Claim 23 words

A method according to claim 31 further including the step of providing a shopping option which may be selected at said in-room display.

Claim 39

Dependent Claim 24 words

A method according to claim 31 further including the step of providing a communications option which may be selected via said in-room display system.

Claim 40

Dependent Claim 18 words

A method according to claim 35 including the step of providing a facsimile option which may be selected.

Claim 41

Dependent Claim 20 words

A method according to claim 31 further including the step of providing a data processing option which may be selected.

Claim 42

Dependent Claim 17 words

A method according to claim 31 further including the step of providing a language option for selection.

Claim 43

Dependent Claim 138 words

A room based communications system for generating a videographics display on a plurality of in-room display units comprising: a host computer having a memory for storing a plurality of programs, an array of videographics processing systems, including plural video game processors each being coupled to an associated memory system for receiving at least one of said plurality of computer programs downloaded from said host computer, each associated memory system storing program information and moving object and background character data and each videographics processor executing a program stored in its associated memory system to generate a videographics display at a display unit and processing moving object and background character data stored in said associated memory system, wherein said host computer assigning one of said videographics processors to any one or more of said plurality of said in-room display units.

Claim 44

Dependent Claim 138 words

A room based communications system for generating a videographics display on a plurality of in-room display units comprising: a host computer having a memory for storing a plurality of programs, an array of videographics processing systems, including plural video game processors each being coupled to an associated memory system for receiving at least one of said plurality of computer programs downloaded from said host computer, each associated memory system storing program information and moving object and background character data and each videographics processor executing a program stored in its associated memory system to generate a videographics display at a display unit and processing moving object and background character data stored in said associated memory system, wherein said host computer assigning one of said videographics processors to any one or more of said plurality of said in-room display units.

Claim 45

Dependent Claim 24 words

A room based communications system according to claim 39, further including an in-room controller having a plurality of control keys for generating keystroke data.

Claim 46

Dependent Claim 38 words

A room based communications system according to claim 40, wherein said controller includes a reset key, and wherein an assigned one of said videographics program executing processors is reset in response to the actuation of said reset key.

Claim 47

Dependent Claim 71 words

A room based communications system according to claim 40, further including a microcontroller, coupled to each videographics processor, having an input port and at least one buffer coupled to said input port and further including an interface for coupling said keystroke data to said input port, said microcontroller being operable to perform repetitive tests to determine whether keystroke data received from said controller is present in said at least one buffer.

Claim 48

Dependent Claim 26 words

A room based communications system according to claim 39, wherein said host computer downloads videographics program data to at least one of said videographics processing systems.

Claim 49

Dependent Claim 26 words

A room based communication system according to claim 43, wherein said microcontroller analyzes downloaded information and controls a program download operation to said program executing processor.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1999-12-03	2000-06-03	2000-12-03	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2003-12-03	2004-06-03	2004-12-03	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2007-12-03	2008-06-03	2008-12-03	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Hotel-based video game and communication system

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