Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
  • A63F—CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • A63F13/00—Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions
  • A63F13/45—Controlling the progress of the video game
  • A63F13/47—Controlling the progress of the video game involving branching, e.g. choosing one of several possible scenarios at a given point in time
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
  • A63F—CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • A63F9/00—Games not otherwise provided for
  • A63F9/14—Racing games, traffic games, or obstacle games characterised by figures moved by action of the players
  • A63F9/143—Racing games, traffic games, or obstacle games characterised by figures moved by action of the players electric
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
  • A63F—CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • A63F13/00—Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions
• • A63F13/10—
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
  • A63F—CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • A63F13/00—Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions
  • A63F13/45—Controlling the progress of the video game
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
  • G07F—COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS
  • G07F17/00—Coin-freed apparatus for hiring articles; Coin-freed facilities or services
  • G07F17/32—Coin-freed apparatus for hiring articles; Coin-freed facilities or services for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
  • G07F—COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS
  • G07F17/00—Coin-freed apparatus for hiring articles; Coin-freed facilities or services
  • G07F17/32—Coin-freed apparatus for hiring articles; Coin-freed facilities or services for games, toys, sports, or amusements
  • G07F17/326—Game play aspects of gaming systems
  • G07F17/3272—Games involving multiple players
  • G07F17/3276—Games involving multiple players wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
  • G07F—COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS
  • G07F17/00—Coin-freed apparatus for hiring articles; Coin-freed facilities or services
  • G07F17/32—Coin-freed apparatus for hiring articles; Coin-freed facilities or services for games, toys, sports, or amusements
  • G07F17/3286—Type of games
  • G07F17/3295—Games involving skill, e.g. dexterity, memory, thinking

Definitions

• an interactive system for producing any one of a plurality of events in dependence upon users' responses, characterised in that the events are composed of a sequence of event segments, and the system comprises: a plurality of random access storage means for storing a plurality of said event segments from which any one of a plurality of events, having different outcomes, may be constructed; means for reproducing selected segments from the storage means whereby the constructed event may be perceived by the users; control means for controlling the storage means to select the sequencing of event segments to be perceived; and a plurality of user terminals for coupling to the control means to provide data to said control means, the control means being responsive to said data to influence the selection of event segments such that the perceived event is a function of the data from the user terminals.
• Preferred embodiments use disc drives, e.g. video storage means, for storing said event segments as video and/or audio event segments.
• computer graphics provides a controllable visual sequence of event segments, whilst the storage means provides corresponding audio event segments as a commentary.
• a plurality of video storage means provides video, and corresponding audio, event segments for display by a video display means.
• the system provides a computer controlled, interactive, large-audience video game where players at individual user terminals compete , w eac o er y means o e manner n w c ey operate their terminals in order to determine the outcome of an event, e.g. the finishing order of a race such as a horse race or motor race, displayed by video display _ means.
• the users are provided with challenges requiring a response by users at their terminals, such responses determining the image selection.
• provision may be made for accepting bets at the terminals and for allocating betting odds to individual terminals.
• the control means may then calculate, from the odds and the stakes, the total outgoings for the projected outcomes of the event.
• the control means can be designed to modify the challenges as necessary to ensure a predetermined
• _ profitability i.e. margin between the total of the stakes and the total outgoings.
• a computer system for use in the system of the first aspect and comprising means for receiving r j . data from a plurality of user terminals, means- for producing video signals to operate video display means to display data to users calling for responses at their user terminals, means for sending to each user terminal data defining the betting odds to pertain to that terminal
• the system may be arranged to modify the display
• responses are not analysed terminal by terminal but in groups, so that the response used to determine outcome is the average of that at a set of
• a bank of laser disc machines may be used to receive video discs carrying the various images which
• a video system comprising a plurality of laser-vision video disc players each arranged to receive a video disc of pre-recorded visual
• sequences and a multi-user control computer for selecting sequences from said bank, the computer being so arranged that data received from the users is employed' by the computer to calculate a desired video sequence created by control signals from the computer to said bank.
• the user terminals themselves, for a betting usage of the system may comprise identification means to display to a user the 'competitor' allocated to the terminal and to display data such as the odds for the user, input means by which the user can respond to
• Figure 1 is a block diagram of the electronic circuit of an interactive video system
• Figure 2 is a perspective view of a player module
• Figure 3 is a diagram representing the function of a central control computer of the system of Figure 1
• 1Q Figure 4 is a block diagram of a further embodiment of an interactive video system
• Figure 5 is a circuit diagram of a keyboard interface of the system of Fig 4;
• Figure 6 is a video player switching module of the ,. system of Figure 4.
• Figure 7 is an audio mixer of the system of Figure 4.
• Figure 8 is a circuit diagram of a further embodiment of interactive system;- and _ 0 Figure 9 is a block diagram of a modification to a keyboard interface.
• the first embodiment to be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3 is equipment designed to implement a computer-controlled, interactive, 25 large-audience, video game where individual groups of players compete with each other to determine the finishing order of " competitors in an event, such as a race. In addition, each player has the opportunity to place a bet on the outcome of the event.
• This event 3 Q could be horse-racing, motor-racing, power-boat racing or any other form of competitive event where the competing groups in an audience can identify with a particular event entrant.
• the example of horse-racing will be used. 35 In essence the players watch a horse-racing event displayed on a large screen video projection system 5 ( Figure 1), during which their responses to a series of winning horses conclude the race.
• the race they watch will involve real horses accompanied by 'famous' voice commentary. In all respects it will appear that they are 5 watching the live transmission of an actual race relayed to them by television onto a cinema-size screen. In fact they will be television images but the sequence of images will be selected by the system. At no time will the participants feel they are playing a video game Q controlled by a programme; rather there will be all the excitement and anticipation of an unpredictable result. Indeed, in that the players actually determine the outcome of every race, each race is uniquely 'live' .
• Each member of the audience communicates with the 5 game through his own computer-linked player-module 2 which may comprise ( Figure 2): i) a series of group assignation lights 20. These allow each player to identify with a particular race entrant; 0 ii) a series of multiple-choice buttons 21; iii) a visual display screen 22 which allows each player to receive discrete information (e.g. Odds' , 'Stake' , 'Winnings' , etc); iv) a magnetic card reader 23. This is operated to 5 read token cards of different values (e.g.
• the game is managed by a central control computer 1 which not only interacts with upto, for example, ninety six player-modules 2 but also controls a laser-vision video projection arrangement 3 via a multiplexed, 5 asynchronous, data communication link.
• the system can be programmed, if desired, to guarantee a profitable return to the operators regardless o e ou come o any par cu ar race. us, no on y s there a fast-reference facility available from a plurality of laser-vision disc players 4, but computer 1 is able to calculate profitability and 'talk' to the laser system.
• the projection arrangement 3 comprises a bank of laser-vision video disc players 4, the large-screen video projector 5 with stereo sound system 6, and an audio and video matrix interface 7 coupling the disc players 4 to the projection system 5 and sound system 6.
• a PAL encoder 25 supplies graphics data from the computer to the interface 7, and encoder 25, disc players 4 and interface 7 are controlled by a computer generated sych signal denotes SYNCH.
• the game begins with each player either selecting or being assigned a horse.
• the audience is divided into a number of competing groups ("SETS") of approximately equal size which match the number of horses e.g. s x n e race.
• T e compos t on o eac i.e. the particular players assigned to each horse is noted by the controlling computer 1.
• the game then continues with the computer 1 generating a series of multiple-choice questions which are supplied to a PAL encoder 25 from the R, G, B outputs of the computer.
• the output of the encoder passes via a computer text and graphics line to the interface 7 for mixing with the video signals so as to be displayed on the large-format screen.
• the computer records the successful results of each player keyed in at his module 2 and at the end of the sequence informs the players individually, via their player-module display screens, of ⁇ the gambling odds offered to each of them. That is, the more successful group of players receives better odds than the less successful ones.
• Each individual player's reaction-time is recorded by the computer and after each test the computer averages the response times for each SET (a SET being a group of l players dent ed w th the fortunes o a part cu ar horse in the race).
• the computer aggregates the overall performance of each "SET" and assigns an order to 5 them from fastest to slowest. This assigned order of performance determines the finishing order of the first three horses in the race.
• the computer calls up this 'particular' race Q from the laser disc stores. For example, if six horses are racing, then, by simple permutation, there are one hundred and twenty possible ways in which the first three horses can pass the finishing post. (e.g. 6 x 5 x 4). All of these filmed endings are held in the disc stores 5 ready for projection as required.
• the race concludes with scenes in the saddling enclosure, of the horses and of the crowd, whilst on each player-module the print-out unit produces a winning slip for each successful player. These can be exchanged for 0 money at the cashier's pay-out desk.
• the computer contains a program to determine these functions and which is divided into a number of modules or routines which are shown diagramaticaly in Figure 3.
• a module 8 is coupled to the player modules 2 for the 5 allocation of player-modules into SETS.
• Computer-text generation of a series of multiple-choice questions is accomplished by a module 9 coupled to the video projector 5.
• a module 10 processes the players' answers and 0 allocates ODDS to each player-module.
• the recording of the STAKES placed by each player is effected by a module 11.
• a module 12 is provided, coupled to a laser vision control module 13 which controls access to the filmed race sequences which are chosen finishing sequence to the race.
• a module 14 is coupled to receive data from module 8 and the player modules 2 to generate the randomly-sequenced reaction test signals and to average the response times of all the players within each SET after each reaction-time test.
• module 19 controls error detection through-out the system, including faulty data and equipment failure.
• the gate module 15 will now be further described. ' It monitors all the relevant financial data in the system and only allows the final race sequen es to be selected when a profitable return to the equipment operators is assured. In system terms the eventual finishing order of the horses is determined by the collective response of each SET of players to a series of reaction-time tests. The function of the gate module 15 is to analyse the financial implications of any finishing order in terms of the ODDS and STAKES involved and to see whether such a finishing order produces an acceptable return to the commercial operator.
• the gate's threshold formula is set at: x - y equals not less than 0.2x. 1 u n y ac e e mp e process of multiplication and addition, where the financial situation pertaining at every player-module for a given race-ending is discovered by multiplying the
• the gate module remains closed, then the module is programmed to adjust the THRESHOLD downwards, thus reducing profitability to the operator.
• the detailed operation is as follows in one example.
• FIG 4 is a block diagram of an interactive 5 video system for a few players, e.g. three players, based again on recorded horse-racing images, but using two laser-vision disc players 4 under computer control, i.e. a scaled-down version of the embodiments of Figures 1 to 3.
• Q It comprises three player modules 2 coupled to the user port of an Acorn BBC module B computer 1 (6502 based) by an interface 30.
• One of modules 2 and the interface 30 are shown in more detail in Figure 5.
• the computer 1 is coupled to a disc drive 31 on which is 5 provided the software which, together with the hardware and firmware of computer 1, provide the various modules or routines to control the system.
• the computer 1 has a « serial RS 423 interface coupled by a second interface module 3 ⁇ 2 (shown in Figure 6) to two Philips laser-vision 0 players 4 (VP 831) the audio outputs of which are coupled to a loadspeaker 33 by an audio mixer 34 ( Figure 7) and the video outputs of which are coupled by a video amplifier and mixer 35 to a video projector 5.
• a cassette output of the computer 1 is coupled to the mixer 5 34 by a cassette player 70, the computer controlling the cassette player motor, whilst the cassette used contains a recording of background noises for the event to be produced, e.g. a continuous sound of hoof beats, which is to continue without stop during changing of the segments 0 of the event.
• PAL encoder 25 is included to transmit computer generated text and graphics to the mixer 35 and there is a separate synch generator 27 to control the system.
• FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the circuitry 5 of one player module and the interface 30 (the parts shown dotted are used only in the embodiment of Figure 8).
• the player module 2 comprises three double pole switches 36 which, in use, may be labelled with colours, 1 e.g. red (R), blue (B) and white (W) .
• the players watching an event are intended to look for coloured markers appearing, apparently at random, on the video display 5 and to press the corresponding one of their 5 switches as soon as possible.
• the interface has nine latches 37 one for each switch 36.
• the three latches 37 for one player module are intercoupled to provide two outputs 38 to tristate Q switches 39 (type 74LS244) the outputs of which are coupled to terminals PBO to PB5 of the user port of the computer 1.
• the two outputs define four states, i.e. no switch presses and the three different key presses.
• the tristate latches are enabled by way of inverters 40 controlled by a latch 41 enabled and disabled by NOR gates 42 and 43 receiving control signals from PB6 and PB7 configured as outputs by and from the computer.
• Gate 43 also provides a control signal CTRL to 0 the interface of Figure 6.
• FIG. 6 shows the interface between the RS423 input/output of the computer 1 and the laser vision players.
• Level converters 44 (type DS88LS120) receive the RS423 DATA and RTS signals and supply them to a first 5 of the players 4 via elements 45, 49, 47 and 51 and to the second player 4 via elements 46, 50, 48 and 52.
• Elements 49 to 52 are provided by a line driver 53 of type DS3691 and elements 45 to 48 are part of a set 54 of schmitt trigger circuits of type 74LS241.
• Line driver 55 0 supplies the DATA and CTS inputs to the RS423 input/output from four further schmitt trigger circuits 56 to 59 of set 54.
• Elements 45, 47, 56 and 58 are controlled by signal CTRL via an inverter 60 and elements 46, 48, 57 and 59 are controlled by a non-inverting 5 element 61.
• a level converter 62 receives DATA and CTS signals from the first player 4 and supplies them to elements 56 and 58 and, similarly, level converter 63 1 n rom e sec p ye o elements 57 and 59.
• Figure 7 shows the audio mixer 34. It comprises an amplifier 64 (type 741N) receiving the audio signals 5 from the video players and cassette player through variable resistance paths. A switch 65 enables the amplification to be altered. The output of amplifier 64 is coupled to the loudspeaker 33 via an audio amplifier 66.
• the computer software provides various of the functions indicated in Figure 3 as follows:
• Figure 8 shows a modification of Figure 4 in which 0 the video image segments are generated by the control computer 1 as R, G, B and synch signals supplied to a colour synthesiser 37, available from Interactive Research of Ascot, England as a model referrred to as 'Peacock'. It is coupled as well to the interface 30, as 5 shown in dotted lines in Figure 5. Its function is purely to increase the number of colours which can be displayed and so may be dispensed with if the colour facilities of the computer 1 are considered sufficient.
• the computer graphical images comprise a background, including a race track rail, and three graphics representations of horses with their legs being shown in a number of successive positions to indicate motion. These representations are superimposed on the background.
• the background is caused to scroll to the left to indicate motion of the horses to the right whilst the relative positions of the horses are adjusted according to current decisions by the computer of the eventual outcome determined by the players' responses to coloured markers also superimposed at random times on the video signal.
• the positions of the horses may be calculated in a random manner during the body of the race, if desired, only the final stages being determined by player response.
• control - algorithm In order to provide a smooth, logical concatenation of the images of the horses, a control - algorithm is used which also acts as a pointer to the necessary components of a 'shooting-script' to produce the large number of recorded race sections required of the system. Further subsidiary activities of the control computer include the generation of the reaction test stimuli or other knowledge-based tests, text information on the race and the arithmetic processing of players' odds and winnings in the game.
• the system also incorporates a recorded sound commentary (with suitable background effects) which is precisely synchronised to the movements of the horses on the screen.
• the method to be described is to record a large number of short, tightly-scripted, commentary snippets on two Philips laser-vision discs which are then randomly accessed as required by the control computer when replayed in the Philips VP831 laser-vision disc players " 4.
• a second function of the algorithm is its use in the development of suitable software graphics segments which are simulations of television images.
• the simulations enable a commentator's script to be prepared and an actor to record a commentary to each of the many action sequences required and generated by the algorithm.
• Each commentary segment is given a code number so the algorithm continually creates Commentary Code Numbers CCNs " throughout the race. This process indirectly produces a unique address for each commentary fragment on the laser-vision players, with each fragment being associated 5 with a unique movement of the 'horses' on the display.
• the algorithm also includes an arithmetic process whereby the various movement patterns produced are encoded or translated into a particular CCN.
• Each race has the same basic structure and can Q conveniently be separated into three sections: i) The 1st, consisting of the 'horses' coming up to the start-line from left-of-screen with 1 of 10 commentary fragments, followed by the 'horses' moving-off from the start when the 5 'flag' is raised to the accompaniment of a single common commentary sequence used for all races, ii) The 2nd, described as the mid-race part when the 'horses' adopt a series of movements 0 controlled by the computer, and these movements are made to the accompaniment of commentary snippets accessed from the 144 possible mid-race snippets. The reaction tests are carried out in this section.
• the 3rd consisting of some mid-race sequences while the scores of the 3 players are calculated, followed ' by the appropriate end-race sequence, leading to the freeze-frame at the winning post.
• the movement of the 'horses' during the mid-race section is defined as a sequence of discrete steps. The sequence of steps is controlled in such a way that the 'horses' never move off the screen.
• the 'horse animation' consists 5 of periods of steady motion interspersed with the above-mentioned steps when the 'horses' accelerate or decelerate in such a way as to alter their relative .
• the current position of the three 'horses' can be represented as three integers, indicating 'step-units' away from the original position.
• the origin itself is (0, 0, 0).
• movements are denoted by M(0, +1, -1) etc. and positions by P(0, +1, -1).
• M(0, +1, -1) will give rise to P(0, +1, -1)
• M(+l, 0, -1) will give rise to P(+l, 0, -1) etc.
• each of the six movements can be applied to the new position.
• the final position will always be a 5 'one-step' position, i.e. a position that can be arrived at after one movement from the origin.
• the position pattern can be expressed in general terms as P(P,, P_, P_) and the
• CCN Number (CCN). The formula used to calculate CCN is
• the CCN formula described is designed such that it will only ever produce CCNs in the range 1 to 255, but also, only 144 of these numbers can ever be produced during the mid-race phase. Unused numbers. in this range are assigned to the race-end phase. These numbers are
• Constraining CCNs to the range 1 to 255 greatly simplifies the table-driven software (in machine-code) techniques used to look-up the start-frame address of a commentary fragment defined by a particular CCN.
• the micro-processor in the control computer is a 6502 type and indirect indexed addressing is used extensively; the CCN parameter being almost directly usable in the Y Register).
• the final screen positions of the 'horses' at the very end of the race reflect the scores of the players in the reaction tests, taking account of the relative sizes of the scores achieved.
• the scale chosen is such that the winner always finishes at a particular point near the right-hand margin of the screen, whilst the 'horse' of a player who has failed to score correctly on any test (as 5 opposed to simply being rather slow to react) would end at a point close to the left-hand margin of the screen. It follows that the commentary must indicate not only the final positions, but also, to be realistic, it must give some indication of the proximity*of the horses to one Q another at the finishing point.
• race-ending sequence is as follows:
• '0' is for a 'photo-finish' , i.e. the scores of the players' are within a defined tolerance.
• race-end CCNs The formula for the race-end CCNs is devised to give codes which are not only distinct amongst themselves, but which do not duplicate any of the mid-race CCNs.
• the formula used is:
• FIG 9 shows a modification to the interface of Figure 5 for the case in which, with a large number of players (as in Figures 1 to 3), the control computer may not be able to scan the players' button quickly enough accurately to measure reaction time.
• three bistable circuits 37 store the players' actions. from elements 40.
• there is associated with each player a counter 66 reset by the signal from elements 40 issued when a reaction test time is to 5 commence.
• the counter is clocked by a clock signal 67 to cause the counter to count from zero when the reaction test commences.
• Detector 68 is coupled to the elements 39 to detect when a change of state occurs on either line and immediately cause the counter to stop, thus recording Q the time taken to press a button.
• the resulting count is then fed into a register 69.
• the states on lines 38 are supplied to a further register 70 by a gate 71 also opened by the signal from the detector 68.
• the controlling computer can subsequently read out the 5 contents of the two registers for each player for assessment of reaction and reaction time.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Multimedia (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Social Psychology (AREA)
• Indexing, Searching, Synchronizing, And The Amount Of Synchronization Travel Of Record Carriers (AREA)
• Management, Administration, Business Operations System, And Electronic Commerce (AREA)

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• 1985
  • 1985-10-24 WO PCT/GB1985/000489 patent/WO1986002753A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1985-10-24 EP EP85905336A patent/EP0198045A1/de not_active Withdrawn

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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