ES2186532B1 - SYSTEM FOR DISPUTING MATCHES AND COMPETITIONS BETWEEN ELECTRONIC GAME MACHINES, SUCH AS FOR THE GAME OF DARDS, SITUATED IN A SAME LOCAL OR IN REMOTE LOCATIONS. - Google Patents

Abstract

System to dispute games and competitions between electronic game machines, such as for the game of darts, located in the same place or in remote locations that consists in providing the means that these machines communicate with each other forming a network, if they are in the same local, or with other machines located in remote locations through a global telematic network such as the Internet, establishing the rules that govern the operation of the whole system and its interaction with a game server located in the network.

Description

System to dispute games and competitions between electronic gaming machines, such as for the game of darts, located in the same place or in remote locations.

The present invention consists of a system for Dispute games and competitions between gaming machines electronic devices, such as for the game of darts, located in a Same location or in remote locations.

Different systems are known that allow two or more players develop the same game game electronic (for example, darts) on different machines located in the same premises or even located in premises different.

Thus, in German patent DE4237603, it is described how to relate different machines to the game of darts located distant from each other, by means of modems that connect them to a central computer that governs the whole system.

In the DE4314145 patent this result is obtained by means of a bidirectional cable connected between two machines in different locations. These known machines are equipped with a indicator to show directly to the remaining machines all relevant data of the game.

In WO 95/30872 the dialogue is the interconnection of two or more machines, located in different locations, by means of a PC computer associated to each machine, being said computers, connected to each other by modem, which govern the transfer of information between electronic gaming machines different.

In this patent WO 95/30872, dedicated to the game of darts, the target is surrounded by `` a sensor frame '' that informs the PC where the dart fell, providing data from the actual position where the impact occurred, giving its coordinates X and Y. The sensor consists of a row of transmitters and receivers of laser diodes

In WO 95/30872 the machines are focused to make a game in real time and in local other than two or more opponents, so that players Know at all times what others are doing. Without However, it is not expected to make a record of this information, as The system is not intended to manage competitions.

To improve communication between machines electronic game the applicant created the object of the patent ES2150850, in which the connection between machines is made by an RS-485 so that it can be sent in the form Reliable and accurate information between machines. This medium allows to simplify the structure and obtain lower cost machines and suppress, for its own simplicity, many of the breakdowns and errors in sending information of the machines provided.

On the other hand, in the ES2150850 patent you can dispense with the barcode that are incorporated electronic cards of known machines. In the machines of said invention avoids all defective information, since introduced substitutions allow data exchange without possibility of error between machines located at close range within the same game room.

The mentioned systems require the need of computers implemented at each point of the system, or of a central computer, to govern the operation of the set and the game rules and communications between computers and machines.

A drawback of the systems previously described is its difficulty to be implemented in locations distant and establish the resulting mutual communication Extremely expensive and complex.

On the other hand, none of the systems described allow simultaneous participation, at any time, of different participants, for example in a game contest of electronic darts through global telematic networks, such as for example Internet, without using computers on each machine or in a local system

Thanks to the object of the present invention, remedy this problem, which allows participation simultaneous in the same game of several players, and the timely monitoring of the competitions that are being developed in any other gaming machine located anywhere in the world, following the system object of the present invention.

In addition, the present invention provides a system to dispute games and competitions between machines electronic games, such as for darts, located in the same place or in remote locations that is economical in terms of manufacturing costs, as it suppresses the need for computers central units in each local system as well as connected computers or on each dart machine, with the subsequent cheaper in software costs of each individual set, lower cost of there are less peripheral machinery, etc.

For a correct interpretation, a then a case of practical realization, by way of example, non-limiting, of the object of the invention, accompanied by 4 sheets of schemes in which in

Figure 1 is a schematic of the operation of the TCP / IP agent

Figure 2 is a scheme of the system object of The present invention.

Figures 3 and 4 are schematics of modules describing the operating rules of the whole system.

The invention consists of a system to dispute games and competitions between electronic gaming machines, such as for the game of darts, located in the same place or in remote locations

The electronic machines used by the system of the present invention are designed incorporating a device electronic which is a TCP / IP agent (1).

The TCP / IP protocol is a protocol of communication between computers, used in local networks of computers and Internet network base.

The TCP / IP agent (1) of the invention is constituted by a microprocessor (2) responsible for processing and execute the prerecorded instructions, or by design of the TCP / IP agent circuit or via data placed in a memory storage; in a favorite design of the invention, as shown in Figure 1, said operating orders They are stored in a FLASH memory (3).

For your temporary storage tasks of data and instructions, the TCP / IP agent (1) also incorporates sufficient amount of RAM (4), as auxiliary memory of the microprocessor (2).

Game sequences, data and development of the game are encapsulated by the microprocessor (2), according with the TCP / IP protocol rules and communication packets of said protocol are sent to a conventional Ethernet chip (5) which connects to an Ethernet port (6), where the data will come out of the local machine.

Said communication mechanism also works in reverse. The data encoded with the protocol data transmission and control, TCP / IP protocol, arrive from outside via the Ethernet port (6) from which they are read regularly via the Ethernet chip (5) which, after processing them, transmits them to the microprocessor (2).

The microprocessor (2) of the TCP / IP agent (1) of the system of the invention is empowered to interpret the flow of data received using the TCP / IP protocol and convert them into operating instructions for the local machine, either for show scores, names, classifications through a display, or to regulate the conditions of the game, the turns of the game, the participants handicaps, etc.

Said TCP / IP agent (1) provides each individual machine (7) the possibility of interpreting and using the TCP / IP protocol in relation to other machines.

Each electronic machine has one or several microprocessors, not shown, responsible for controlling facets game development, receive information on the impacts result of the players' pitches, show the relevant information to users, either with the flash of lights, light messages via LEDs, LCD screens, TV or monitors

The whole the System object of the present invention is described and represented in Figure 2. The machines premises (7) are connected to a Hub or Hub (8) that receives and issues the TCP / IP information of each individual machine (7), of so that all the local machines know what is happening in the shots made on the other machines and inform pertinent of it to each and every one of the players whose Machines are connected to the system.

Connected to the Concentrator (8) is a Router o Router (9) that provides the IP data, or addresses own identifiers, used on the Internet, so that the Local machine set can be reached on the Internet. Saying Router (9) communicates each of the local dart machines with the Internet making them accessible on that network.

Another local system analogous to that described previously and located in a remote location to the previous one can locate said first local system via the Internet by its address Known IP, establishing real-time communication between The local and remote system. The same can happen with different remote systems that connect to each other through a system local.

In a favorite development of the present invention, an Internet server is configured as a Server Internet of Games (10) and is responsible for intercom of all the local systems that connect with it. Said Server Internet of Games (10) manages the development of games remote, taking care of the most complex parts of the inter-machine communications (7) for game development and competitions, resulting in a simplification in the construction of each individual electronic game machine (7). Individual machines (7) and local systems, according to Figure 1, negotiate with the server (10) their participation in a remote game or in a competition and said Game Server Internet (10) is responsible for managing all the details of organization, control and development of competitions, sending the data to the machines (7) via the Internet, using the protocol TCP / IP, and receiving the individual results of each machine (7) In the same way.

Thus, when a remote system asks to participate in a joint game, the Internet Game Server (10) must validate said request which will officially establish the item joint and will be conveniently shown by the microprocessors in the respective displays of each machine.

As depicted in Figure 3, for start a competition, the petitioner located for example in the machine 1 (7), after selecting your game preferences, such as the modalities in which you want to participate in the type of tournament, category, etc., will send a start request signal from remote game, Figure 3, transmitting individual data to Game Server (10) located on the Internet.

The game server (10) also receives other remote game start requests and keeps track of those requests that have not yet been answered. When the conditions of Management of a given event are met, for having been received sufficient requests to start the game from remote machines (7), said Game Server (10) organizes a game or competition involving several machines (7) that had requested to participate The Server (10) proceeds at this point to send messages and data of each participant to all machines (7) involved in a game so that the same.

During the development of the game or game, Figure 4, the server (10) receives the data that each machine individual (7) reports the results obtained for each competitor. Its mission is to group them, classify them, interpret them to evaluate the development of the game and provide the information relevant to all machines (7) involved in a game for that this can be followed in real time on all machines participants (7).

It is understood that in the present case they will be variables how many details of construction and finish do not alter, change or modify the essence of the invention.

Claims (11)

1. System to dispute games and competitions between electronic game machines, such as for the game of darts, located in the same place or in remote locations, of which they consist of interrelated said machines through communication networks of the type they use a Hub that acts as a hub and this in turn is connected to a Router that routes the messages of the local assembly to an external network, characterized by implementing an electronic device in each of said electronic gaming machines (7) that acts as an agent TCP / IP (1), providing the language rules of said protocol to each of said machines (7). 2. System to dispute games and competitions between electronic gaming machines, according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said TCP / IP agent (1) is an electronic circuit that has a microprocessor (2) with means to receive operating instructions from circuits and pre-recorded logic chips or from memories with data and instructions stored in them, such as FLASH memories. 3. System to dispute games and competitions between electronic gaming machines, according to the preceding claims, characterized in that said TCP / IP agent (1) is able to interpret the information received from a network based on said TCP / IP protocol to transmit them to others components of the local machine (7) as development data and game information. 4. System to dispute games and competitions between electronic gaming machines, according to the preceding claims, characterized in that said TCP / IP agent (1) is able to communicate with an Ethernet chip (5) and transmit the appropriate information to inform other machines premises (7), other remote machines (7) or a game server (10) on the Internet or another telematic network using the TCP / IP protocol. 5. System to dispute games and competitions between electronic gaming machines, according to the preceding claims, characterized in that said TCP / IP agent (1) has an Ethernet port (6) in which said Ethernet chip (5) places the information that the mentioned chip (5) intends to transmit. 6. System to dispute games and competitions between electronic gaming machines, according to the preceding claims, characterized in that said Ethernet chip (5) and said Ethernet port (6) are capable of receiving information in TCP / IP format from other gaming machines local electronic (7), remote (7) or via a game server (10) on the Internet or other global telematic network that supports said TCP / IP protocol, and direct them to said microprocessor (2) of said TCP / IP agent (1 ). 7. System to dispute games and competitions between electronic gaming machines, according to the preceding claims, characterized in that in each of said electronic gaming machines (7) one or several microprocessors that govern the operation of each said machine (7) and of its interrelation with the whole. 8. System to dispute games and competitions between electronic gaming machines, according to the preceding claims, characterized by having means to allow the participation of several players in the same game in one of said electronic gaming machines (7) and in which by said system the game development is informed to all the players and machines that participate in it 9. System to dispute games and competitions between electronic gaming machines, according to the preceding claims, characterized in that the requests of individual users, using a machine (7) constructed in accordance with the system described in this invention, to participate in a game together they are processed either by other electronic gaming machines (7) related to each other with the system of the present invention or by a Game Server (10), on the Internet or in another telematic network using the TCP / IP communication protocol . 10. System to dispute games and competitions between electronic gaming machines, according to the preceding claims, characterized in that said Game Server (10), on the Internet or in another telematic network, organizes games and competitions, giving the appropriate instructions to each machine (7) petitioner thereof. 11. System to dispute games and competitions between electronic gaming machines, according to the preceding claims, characterized in that said Game Server (10) controls the development of the joint game and its evolution, transmitting as much information as is necessary to each machine (7) of the system, to allow the simultaneous development of said game and its monitoring in machines (7) in remote locations.