DVD game remote controller
Contents
1. available to potential game players on media targeted to portable game consoles on media playable by personal computers such as CDROMs and other portable media or by downloading game software from a network To date personal computer based games are typically indi vidual games or games that are connected to other players such as massive multi player role based games via one or more networks Typically the standard input devices used to control other aspects of the PC such as a keyboard and mouse are used to control the game External input devices such as joysticks are sometimes integrated to enhance the gaming experience Multiplayer and portable game consoles on the other hand provide self contained environments sometimes with wired controllers that allow one or more players to control game displayed on a display screen attached to the console such as a standard television TV A media containing the game and designed specifically to operate with the game console logic is loaded into the console and the wired controller provides player input to control content display on the TV Handheld game consoles are typically single player games that may display content and feedback on an inte grated small LCD display Examples such as electronic versions of poker puzzles etc abound In general these devices suffer in their ability to provide a rich visual and auditory experience due to physical limitations of2. DGRC may be programmed to determine US 7 115 032 B2 13 which mode the button is in communication with the DGRC or with the DVD player and then to transmit a signal to the DVD player if appropriate Alternatively the DGRC can transmit both a signal to the DVD player and informa tion to the DGRC and any unneeded or not understood communication will simply be ignored FIG 4 is an example block diagram of functional com ponents of an example DVD Game Remote Controller for practicing embodiments of the present invention These components can be implemented in various combination of hardware software and firmware using off the shelf or standard parts An example DGRC 400 includes a central processing unit CPU 401 a communication bus 420 memory 402 an auxiliary memory input output I O mechanism 403 internal display screen module 404 a keypad button or other user control input module 405 transmitter module 407 and receiver module 406 The CPU 401 communicates with all of the other components of the DGRC 400 over communication bus 420 Memory 402 comprises any kind of programmable memory for example an EPROM that can contain DGRC control code 410 e g a program for implementing default DGRC functions such as input and output processing scoring functions timer functions scoreboard support etc as appropriate to the particular DGRC implementation The DGRC control pro gram 410 resides in the memory 4
3. In addition through the use of additional memory media connected to the DGRC the capabilities of the DGRC can be modified to provide game specific func tionality such as particular scoring methods or timers gen eral enhancements or updates to the control capabilities of the DGRC itself and potentially additional game content or control by downloading additional content or control instructions to the local memory of the DGRC Distribution of a DVD based game for use with the DGRC may include one or more such memory media to enhance the overall gaming experience A DGRC can be incorporated into a DVD based game according to a wide spectrum of integration For example DVD based games can be specifically authored to take advantage of the capabilities of the DGRC such as direct navigation to game functions in order to provide a richer audio and visual interactive player experience Well known DVD authoring techniques available using programs on the market such as DVD Studio Pro 2 0 from Apple Computer Inc can be used to map game specific menu selections to individual buttons or other input selectors on the DGRC These dynamic game specific mappings allow game par ticipants the ability to access game specific menu options with the click of a single button instead of using the standard navigation and select buttons available on traditional remote controllers which require multiple button presses to make each choice Alternatively the DGR
4. a response to a current game challenge and adjust the visualization of the game board displayed on the integrated display screen in accordance with the determined response 15 52 The remote controller of claim 51 wherein the visu alization concurrently shows a current position or score of each participant 53 The remote controller of claim 51 wherein the DVD based game is a DVD game that stores the game control 20 logic on the DVD along with the game content 54 The remote controller of claim 51 wherein the DVD based game is a DVD enabled game wherein the game control logic is executed by the remote controller and selects game content from the DVD to be displayed 25 55 The remote controller of claim 51 wherein the DVD based game also displays a current score for a current game participant on the display device associated with the DVD player 56 The remote controller of claim 51 further comprising 30 a score button that selectably causes the remote controller to edit a score of a game participant to display statistics associated with a game participant or to display a current representation of scores for each of the game participants 35 57 A remote control device used with a DVD based electronic game having game control logic that controls the flow of the game comprising an integrated display screen a plurality of buttons that indicate to the game control 40 logic responses to game challenges and instructions to
5. actions to invoke and the DGRC 200 buttons is referred to herein as a button map Based upon the received signals which translate to actions the DVD player reads the game content from the DVD and displays the game content on the DVD player display screen along with instructions or other indications for advancing game flow When game participants advance the game flow for example by answering questions correctly or by completing a turn in some other game specific manner the game state is changed to reflect a score for that participant or to advance the participant in a game appropriate way The manner in which the game state is changed is typically dependent upon the particular configuration and type of DVD based game In participant controlled DVD based games the participants move their game pieces in the manner indicated by the game thus changing the game state to reflect the score In embodiments in which the participant advancement or scor ing is automated by the DVD content or by the DGRC when the game flow logic detects the completion of a turn for example as a result of a die roll or indication of completion the game flow logic changes the game state accordingly and may indicate a score on the DVD player display screen or on 0 a 5 20 40 45 50 55 60 6 the integrated display screen 208 It is to be understood that in instances where only one example is described comple mentary descriptions
6. by the auxiliary remote devices are infrared signals 5 The method of claim 3 wherein the signals transmitted by the auxiliary remote devices are radio frequency signals 6 The method of claim 1 wherein an auxiliary device indicates the desire to respond to the current challenge in response to a game participant pressing a buzz in button 7 The method of claim 1 further comprising tracking an order the indications of the desire to respond are received determining that the designated next participant did not respond to the current challenge correctly and designating a new next participant based upon the tracked order thereby giving another one of the game partici pants an opportunity to respond to the current chal lenge 8 The method of claim 1 wherein the DVD based elec tronic game is a DVD game that contains game flow logic stored along with the game challenges on the DVD 9 The method of claim 1 wherein the DVD based elec tronic game is a DVD enabled game having game flow logic that is stored external to the DVD and that selects content from the DVD 10 The method of claim 9 wherein the DVD enabled game is a board game used in conjunction with a DVD containing game presentation material 11 The method of claim 9 wherein the DVD enabled game is a personal game console game used in conjunction with a DVD containing game presentation material US 7 115 032 B2 15 12 A computer readable memory medium containin
7. for the for various configurations are contemplated The integrated display screen 208 may be used for any purpose that can be contemplated for incorporation with a DVD based game For example screen 208 may be used to present game instructions or additional game content In addition one or more display screens such as screen 108 may be integrated into the DGRC for presenting other information such as individual or cumulative scoring infor mation timers simulated die rolls participant statistics animations etc or a virtual representation or abstraction of the game The DGRC 200 supports different kinds of buttons that can be mapped programmed to access game specific func tions DVD player functions and remote controller func tions These buttons are preferably manufactured to visually correspond to game choices by attributes such as color shape and text One skilled in the art will recognize that the indication used is typically based upon the intended audi ence For example if the audience speaks primarily a language that is not English the buttons are labeled in a manner that doesn t depend upon knowledge of English such as symbols color shape etc Moreover the buttons might be labeled in a manner that can be understood by the hearing or visually impaired or tailored for a specific age group The embodiment shown illustrates one such set and one skilled in the art will recognize that many other types of controls c
8. in button 219 first the A button 209 on the DGRC 200 will be backlit Other games may incorporate different logic that defines which participant gets to respond and what that participant is permitted to do In some embodiments the DGRC 200 may track the ordering of the buzz in transmis sions and thus allow a second participant to respond and so on until a participant selects the correct response or all participants have had an option to respond One skilled in the art will recognize that different types of arbitration logic may be similarly incorporated It should be noted that use of the buzz in button 219 also allows the DGRC 200 to potentially track each participant s turn so that embodi ments that support an integrated automated game board or scoring can advance participants appropriately especially if a simulated die function is used Each buzz in remote 222 also includes a special feature button 218 which can be incorporated by games in game specific ways to access special game features For example the special feature button 218 can be pressed while a question is pending to access an additional audio clue The audio clue can then help the participant answer the pending question correctly Additional examples of special game features include extra bonus point questions video clues etc The DGRC 200 can be programmed to invoke special functions on the DGRC 200 itself or on the DVD player or both upon receiving a signal f
9. participant to minimize the number of buttons needed to be pressed to play the game This feature is particularly ben eficial for DVD games played with young children or other persons whose fine motor skills may be less agile A more traditional model of navigation for example that used by remote control devices such as those used for controlling TV programs would require manipulating direction navigation keys to get to the correct selection and then depressing a selection button to signal activation For example the mul tiple choice Q amp A pair example above would require a participant to press between 2 and 5 buttons using a tradi tional remote controller model One skilled in the art will also recognize that the DGRC of the present invention can be built to operate with any type of defined mapping mechanism Also DVDs support hier archical mappings of buttons to DVD player functions Thus at times other than when the DVD is first read new maps can be downloaded from the DVD that vary the button mappings in response to displayed content In addition to game specific button mappings that control the behavior of a DVD player a DGRC can be programmed to behave in a game specific manner by downloading addi tional functionality and or content from the removable memory media associated with the DGRC and mapping some or all of DGRC buttons to DGRC specific functions that do no necessarily communicate with the DVD player In such cases the
10. using the up arrow 213 to increase the score in increments e g as defined by the memory media or DGRC defaults and the down arrow 215 to decrease the score in increments After the participant s score has been edited correctly pressing the select button 214 sets the score Note also that the score button 207 or some other button can be used to store or view participants statistics for a particular game or over time A table of participant statistics may be displayed on the DGRC integrated display screen 208 Such table data may be stored on the removable memory media if writeable or internally in the memory inside the DGRC 200 The media slot 220 may be used to define modify or update the DGRC 200 with new or different functions auxiliary content or redefine button mappings for the DGRC 200 Different types of media can be accommodated depending upon the particular implementation of the DGRC 200 In one embodiment a media card such as that used in a camera e g a smart card is used Other implementations can be supported including but not limited to a standard memory stick a USB memory stick or other memory integrated into the DGRC 200 The distributed media that is read from media slot 220 may include DGRC specific code that updates current functions available from the DGRC 200 or new game independent or game dependent features and functions One skilled in the art will recognize that general DGRC functions can be overridd
11. 02 and executes on CPU 401 to communicate over communications bus 420 to the various other components such as the internal display screen module 404 which outputs data onto an integrated display screen such as screen 208 in FIG 2 Auxiliary memory I O module 403 may comprise a card reader for example capable of reading data and code from an auxiliary memory device such as auxiliary memory that inserts into media slot 220 in FIG 2 In typical operation of the DGRC 400 logic implemented by transmitter module 407 upon receiving instructions transmits signals such as IR signals using well known mechanisms through a transmitter such as transmitter 217 to a corresponding DVD player Corre spondingly logic present in receiver module 406 receives signals from the receiver 216 received typically from one or more buzz in remotes and notifies the DGRC control program 410 The keypad button input module 405 detects game participant input and notifies the DGRC control pro gram 410 appropriately One skilled in the art will recognize that many other organizations and distribution of function can be implemented in an DGRC embodiment and that FIG 4 represents one such example Variations such as combin ing multiple functions in one module or laying out the components in a particular way are contemplated For example the term communication bus is used to refer to any communication means for communication between modules residing on the DGRC
12. C can be incorporated into a DVD based game without any knowledge on the part of the game author to provide additional capabilities such as con current turn arbitration which results in one participant s selection being communicated to the DVD player The phrase concurrent turn or simultaneous turn refers to a game turn in which multiple participants are engaging in attempting to respond to a challenge and does not necessar ily require that two or more responses coincide precisely in time For example buzz in remotes described further below can be used to select one of several game participants that are attempting to respond to a particular challenge and then sending one response indicator that corresponds to the selected participant to the DVD player In this manner an existing DVD based game can be enhanced to support concurrent turn arbitration without changing the game One skilled in the art will recognize that many interim levels of integration of a DGRC into DVD based games also can be defined 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 4 The DGRC will be described as it is contemplated for typical use with a DVD based game such as question and answer Q amp A type game that displays questions from a multitude of categories Other types of game content and uses of a DGRC are of course contemplated and one skilled in the art will appreciate that a Q amp A game is merely exemplary In a typical DVD bas
13. Jun 4 2004 74 Attorney Agent or Firm Seed IP Law Group PLLC 51 Int Cl 57 ABSTRACT A63F 9 24 2006 01 52 463 9 463 40 273 432 58 Field of Classification Search 273 138 R Methods and systems for enhancing a DVD based game 273 429 432 460 463 9 40 43 700 91 93 using a remote controller are provided Example embodi 340 323 R ments provide a DVD game remote controller DGRC See application file for complete search history which provides input to DVD based games access to addi tional game functions and special features such as game 56 References Cited hints enhanced timing and scoring functions die roll simu U S PATENT DOCUMENTS 4 592 546 A 6 1986 Fascenda et al 463 29 4 799 678 A 1 1989 Terzian et al 463 32 5 213 337 A 5 1993 Sherman 463 40 5 519 433 5 1996 Lappington et al 725 110 6 565 440 Bl 5 2003 Hames 463 39 6 565 441 5 2003 Hames et al 463 39 6 786 822 Bl 9 2004 Leifer 463 37 6 794 992 9 2004 Rogers 340 825 25 DVD Player lation and support for buzz in remotes The buzz in remotes provide automated support for turns in which multiple participants can respond to challenges In one embodiment the DGRC provides a transmitter an integrated display screen game related selection buttons navigation
14. One skilled in the art will recognize that one or more such means may be included and that the functions of the bus may be distributed accordingly All of the above 0 8 patents U S patent application publications U S patent applications foreign patents for eign patent applications and non patent publications referred to in this specification and or listed in the Application Data Sheet including but not limited to U S Provisional Patent Application No 60 577 446 entitled DVD Game Archi tecture filed Jun 4 2004 and U S Provisional Patent Application No 60 519 017 entitled DVD Game Remote Controller filed Nov 12 2003 are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety From the foregoing it will be appreciated that although specific embodiments of the invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration various modifications 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 14 may be made without deviating from the spirit and scope of the invention For example one skilled in the art will recognize that the methods and systems discussed herein are applicable to differing protocols communication media op tical wireless cable etc and devices such as wireless handsets infrared controlled handheld devices navigation devices such as GPS receivers telephones etc and other handheld devices that can be programmed now and in the future to communicate with a DVD player The in
15. The timer functions can be used to limit the amount of time a game participant is allowed to complete a task The amount or time start stop and reset values may be implemented on the DGRC 200 either as explicit buttons not shown or by programming additional buttons of the DGRC 200 to further control the timer function when in a timer mode For example the DGRC 200 could define that pressing a navi gation button such as buttons 213 and 215 once timer mode is activated by pressing the timer button 206 causes the number of initial seconds off the timer function to be incremented or decremented in intervals Also the DGRC could define the timer button 206 with or without pressing another button to invoke a timed mode of play that tracks the collective time used to respond to all the questions in a game or the collective time on a participant by participant basis Any such timer enhancements are provided by code associated with the DGRC 200 and may be incorporated directly into the DVD based game flow logic or used as auxiliary function to an existing game The score button 207 when pressed controls access to game scoring functions of the DGRC When used with DVD enabled games these scoring functions can be default general scoring functions that are usable independent of the game content or functions that behave specific to the game being played In DVD enabled board games there is typically no automated tracking of score
16. United States Patent US007115032B2 12 10 Patent No US 7 115 032 B2 Cantu et al 45 Date of Patent Oct 3 2006 54 DVD GAME REMOTE CONTROLLER 2004 0054826 Al 3 2004 Kavanagh 710 62 2004 0132533 Al 7 2004 Leifer 463 42 75 Inventors David Cantu Kirkland US Kurt Buecheler Palo Alto CA US Peter Sauers San Mateo CA US FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS 73 Assignee The EduGaming Corporation Palo Alto CA US EP 1 400 267 Al 3 2004 Notice Subject to any disclaimer the term of this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 OTHER PUBLICATIONS U S C 154 b by 0 days Trivia NEWS A New Trivial Pursuit Game Combines America s 21 Appl No 10 987 199 Love of Pop Culture and DVDs with New Edition Trivial Pursuit DVD Pop Culture press release Nov 16 2003 downloaded from 22 Filed Nov 12 2004 internet site www trivialpursuit com trivialpursuit news_ index html 2 pp 65 Prior Publication Data Fisher Price Your Source for Toys Playtime Ideas Parenting Advice and More Interactv URL http www fisher price com US 2005 0227764 Al Oct 13 2005 us interactv intro asp download date Nov 2 2004 3 pages Declarati f Kurt Buecheler dated Feb 5 2006 Related U S Application Data 60 Provisional application No 60 519 107 filed on Nov cited by examiner 12 2003 provisional application No 60 577 446 Primary Examiner Mark Sager filed on
17. as DGRC 2000 can be incorporated into a DVD based game according to a wide spectrum of levels of integration In a game such as a Q amp A type game participants use the DGRC to select game options respond to challenges and in some cases manage player scores timers and other game flow and progression In highly integrated games each DVD based game is authored to operate with the DGRC and the DVD player in a manner that tailors the buttons and functionality of the DGRC to the particular game For example in one Q amp A game each of four buttons of the DGRC may be used to select each of four answers while in another game the same four buttons may be used instead for directional navigation In one embodiment such tailoring is accomplished by providing with each game a new map between the buttons of the DGRC and the functionality of the DVD player Specifically DVD players typically provide some kind of mapping between buttons on a remote controller and opera tions functions or actions that control various aspects of the DVD player When a button on a remote controller is selected activated the signal transmitted by the remote controller is then interpreted by the receiver or transceiver in the DVD player to cause to occur the action that was previously mapped to the button For example pressing an gt gt button on a remote controller may cause the DVD player to perform a fast forward operation as previously defin
18. buttons a roll button a timer button a score button and a media slot The DGRC also provides buzz in remotes and a receiver for receiving signals therefrom 60 Claims 4 Drawing Sheets US 7 115 032 B2 Sheet 1 of 4 Oct 3 2006 U S Patent 20 BLY U S Patent Oct 3 2006 Sheet 2 of 4 US 7 115 032 B2 DGRC With Integrated Screen TA gt i 217 3 z Roll Timer Score sa Fig 2 218 Buzz In Remote U S Patent Oct 3 2006 Sheet 3 of 4 US 7 115 032 B2 DGRC With Integrated Game Board gt 300 744 303 yellaw 316 Fig 3 320 Buzz In Remote U S Patent Oct 3 2006 Receiver Module Transmitter Module Internal Display Screen Module Sheet 4 of 4 US 7 115 032 B2 yo ne Intemal Memory fo Control Program Code Auxiliary Memory Input Output Keypad Button Module Fig 4 US 7 115 032 B2 1 DVD GAME REMOTE CONTROLLER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1 Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a remote controller for electronic games and in particular to a programmable remote controller for DVD based electronic games and associated methods 2 Background Information Games that are played electronically such as those played on a game console or computer system are typically made
19. ct a number and display a visual ization of a number between one and six Or as another example the DGRC 200 may select a color that corresponds to one of the color buttons 201 204 If applicable the participant s game piece is then moved the number of spaces on the game board physical or virtual to correspond with the number displayed on the screen This movement or scoring adjustment may be automatically performed by the DGRC 200 if the board is displayed and integrated into the DGRC 200 or if the board representation or scoring is provided by the DVD game Otherwise the participant may be required to physically move the game piece on a physical US 7 115 032 B2 7 board Die roll functionality may even be incorporated into game logic that is provided by the DGRC 200 independent of the DVD based game For example the DGRC 200 may support additional types of game function such as scoring enhancements based upon simulated die rolls even though they were not contemplated when the DVD based game was shipped The timer button 206 when pressed controls access to timer functions of the DGRC 200 For example when a game participant presses the timer button 206 the DGRC 200 displays on integrated display screen 208 a countdown from some number of seconds e g 30 seconds to zero In embodiments of the DGRC 200 that have speakers and audio capabilities the timer count down may be accompa nied with countdown music and sound effects
20. e However one skilled in the art will recognize 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 65 8 that the DGRC could easily be enhanced to accommodate feedback provided by a DVD player or auxiliary attachment if such feedback were made available In instances where DRGC game scoring can be incorpo rated the game scoring function that is executed as a result of pressing the button 207 may track each participant s score turn by turn or on a cumulative basis In other modes the function may track a score for teams or cumulatively for the entire game Other buttons can be incorporated to edit scores or set preferences for the game scoring function such as whether scores are tracked on an individual or total basis a color to represent for each participant etc For example according to one embodiment of a DGRC when a partici pant presses the score button 207 the DGRC 200 displays the scores of all of the participants on the integrated display screen 208 The score may be for example a graphical or numeric indication of each participant s score The DGRC then enters a score mode in which a participant can use the DGRC buttons for example the screen navigation buttons 213 215 to edit a score For instance the participant can press the up arrow 213 and down arrow 215 to scroll through the participants scores select a particular participant s score with the select button 214 and then edit the selected score
21. e same turn and the DGRC 200 is responsible for arbitrating among the participants For example games such as Trivial Pur suit DVD Pop Culture Edition by Hasbro provide an ALL PLAY mode where all the participants that have not yet correctly answered a question in a particular category are allowed to shout out an answer The first participant to have answered the question correctly wins that turn The buzz in remotes 222 can be used to enhance an ALL PLAY type of game function by enabling the DGRC 200 to automatically determine which participant was first to respond to the challenge and give that participant the chance to select an answer button Each buzz in remote 222 includes a buzz in button 219 that is used to signal the DGRC by means of transmitter 221 The DGRC receives the transmission through receiver 216 Once the DGRC 200 receives a transmission and indication of which buzz in remote 222 has responded the DGRC 200 can display an appropriate indication of or instructions to the transmitting participant on integrated display screen 208 In one embodi ment each text labeled button 209 222 or other set of buttons corresponds to each participant and the correspond ing participant s button is backlit or otherwise given empha sis when the corresponding participant presses the buzz in button 219 first For example if participant 1 corresponds to the A button 209 then when participant 1 presses the buzz
22. ed Q amp A game game content is provided on a DVD medium capable of being read by a DVD player and displayed on a display device In the DVD games described in U S Provisional Application No 60 577 446 game control is also provided on the DVD itself and the game logic encoded in the DVD game selects content to be displayed on a display screen connected directly or indirectly to the DVD player a DVD player display screen In contrast in DVD enabled game envi ronment control is provided outside of the DVD technology for example by a game participant in the case of a DVD enabled board game or by an auxiliary device such as a personal computer or code resident on the DGRC which selects content to be displayed on the DVD player display screen FIG 1 is a block diagram of an example DVD based game environment that incorporates a DVD Game Remote Controller Although many different configurations are pos sible a DVD based Q amp A game for use with the present invention is typically distributed on a DVD 103 and played by one to four participants using a DVD player 101 a DVD player display screen 102 and a DGRC 104 For DVD enabled games a game board 105 and game pieces 106 that represent each participant may also be provided In typical operation the game content from DVD 103 is displayed by the DVD player 101 on the DVD player display screen 102 and participants manipulate the DGRC 104 to advance game flow Game pieces wh
23. ed and implemented by the DVD player In some DVD players the mapping between the transmitted signal and the action that is invoked as a result is provided using a resident program or hardware or firmware of the DVD player that operates on data a button map downloaded from a DVD onto the DVD player to control the mapping The DVD player provides a published means for modifying this map ping including the format for the data One of ordinary skill in the art will also appreciate that other embodiments where the remote button mapping is downloaded from an external source to the DVD player are also possible 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 12 For example in one embodiment when DVD game is authored a new button map is written to the DVD that specifies what operations actions are to be invoked when the buttons on the DGRC that transmit signals to the DVD player are pressed Later when the DVD is first read by the DVD player this map is downloaded into memory of the DVD player according to well known techniques and as appropriate to the DVD player implementation By provid ing a new map with each DVD game the buttons on the DGRC can be programmed to cause various predefined actions on the DVD player to be executed An action can be to process go to load select skip to etc any pre specified item on a DVD medium for example a track marker story menu script slideshow or a single s
24. en supplemented or oth erwise modified to be game specific by providing data including potentially code on such memory media Examples of additional functions that may be supplied through such media include new or modified graphics for displaying participants or game specific display graphics for presentation on the integrated display screen 208 such as a game skin code for manipulating a virtual representation of a game board on the screen 208 timer functions game scoring functions and simulated die roll functions In addi tion new rules for arbitrating between participants using the buzz in remotes 222 may also be supplied in this fashion Essentially the media slot 220 can be used to provide game specific functionality or to update the DGRC 200 with new or modified capabilities One skilled in the art will understand how to write and distribute code on a media using well known techniques that will execute on the DGRC 200 and that the specifics of such code depends upon the US 7 115 032 B2 9 particular hardware processing unit and instructions used in the DGRC 200 Example functional components of stan dard hardware that can be used to implement a DGRC 200 is described with reference to FIG 4 The buzz in remotes 222 are used to provide additional game enhancements such as support for features such as simultaneous game play in which multiple game partici pants can respond concurrently to a challenge in th
25. en used are typically advanced on the game board in concert with the displayed game content and the game flow logic In the case of DVD games a game board not shown and scoring mechanisms can be inte grated into the game itself and displayed on the DVD player display screen In the case of DVD enabled games such as those provided in DVD enabled board games available currently the game board and game pieces can be a separate physical board such as board 105 and pieces 106 Alterna tively the game board can be physically integrated into the DGRC 104 and the game pieces moved on the DGRC 104 by game participants or may be virtually represented on a display screen that is integrated into the DGRC 104 Embodiments that integrate a game board and game pieces into the DGRC physically or virtually are described further with respect to FIG 3 In one example embodiment the DGRC comprises one or more functional components modules that work together to provide DVD game specific functions DVD player func tions DGRC functions and other capabilities The descrip tion that follows is an example embodiment of one such DGRC which refers to Q amp A DVD based games As men tioned one skilled in the art will recognize that many of the techniques and apparatus described herein may be applied to other types of games and to other game content One skilled in the art will recognize that some of the components or portions thereof may be implemented in ha
26. finitions and behavior for a timer function can be incorporated A DGRC such as DGRC 200 or DGRC 300 can be customized for use with different manufacturer s DVD players using standard universal remote technology which transmits different signals to a DVD player based on a manufacturer s numeric code However since DGRCs can operate without numeric keys the DGRC can be pro grammed in a non numeric manner to register a manufac turer s numeric code Once the manufacturer s code is registered with the DGRC the DGRC transmits signals in a manner understood by the DVD player The signals that correspond to each manufacturer s code are programmed into the control logic of the DGRC For example a game participant may press a combination of the category mul tiple choice special and navigation buttons to convey the manufacturer s code to the DGRC In one embodiment the DGRC user manual contains information on how to program the DGRC for use with DVD players from several manu facturers For example if the game player wants to program the DGRC to work with a Sony DVD 330 player then the manual might instruct the player to hold down the blue button 301 until the screen 308 flashes then press the A button 309 the yellow button 303 the D button 112 and the green button 304 This code would then cause the DGRC to communicate with the DVD player using the correct Sony IR protocol As mentioned previously a DGRC such
27. g instructions downloadable to a remote control device that when executed by a computer processor in the remote control device cause the device to arbitrate between a plurality of game participants playing a DVD based elec tronic game by receiving an indication of a desire to respond to a current challenge in a game turn from a plurality of auxiliary devices each associated with one of the game partici pants determining which of the received indications was the first received indication designating the game participant associated with the aux iliary device that corresponds to the determined first received indication as the next participant to respond to the current challenge and notifying the game control logic of the designated next participant 13 The memory medium of claim 12 further containing instructions that control the remote control device by tracking an order the indications of the desire to respond are received determining that the designated next participant did not respond to the current challenge correctly and designating a new next participant based upon the tracked order thereby giving another one of the game partici pants an opportunity to respond to the current chal lenge 14 The memory medium of claim 12 wherein the DVD based electronic game is a DVD game that contains game flow logic stored along with the game challenges on the DVD 15 The memory medium of claim 12 wherein the DVD based electron
28. ic game is a DVD enabled game having game flow logic that is stored external to the DVD and that selects content from the DVD 16 A remote control device used by a plurality of game participants to play a DVD based electronic game having game control logic that controls game flow comprising a transmitter that transmits signals 10 DVD player each indicating an instruction to perform an action that is associated with the DVD based electronic game a receiver that receives signals that indicate a desire to respond to a current challenge in a single game turn from a plurality of auxiliary devices each associated with one of the game participants game arbitration logic that is structured to receive from the receiver a plurality of indications each indicating a corresponding game participant that desires to respond to the current challenge determine which of the received signals was received first in time designate based upon the determined first received signal a next game participant and provide to the game control logic an indication of the designated next game participant so that a next signal transmitted by the transmitter that corresponds to the current challenge is associated with the designed next game participant 17 The remote control device of claim 16 wherein the game arbitration logic is further structured to cause display of an indication of the next game participant 18 The remote control device of claim 17 further co
29. ignals indicating operations actions commands etc to an associated DVD player and a receiver 216 for receiving signals from other devices The DGRC 200 also includes four Buzz In remotes 222 each with a buzz in button 219 and special feature button 218 The number of remotes depends upon the number of game participants supported by the DGRC 200 The Buzz In remotes 222 communicate with the DGRC 200 by means of transmitting signals such as infrared signals or radio frequency transmitters via transmitter 221 which are received by the corresponding receiver 216 of the DGRC 200 For buttons that cause the DGRC to send signals to the DVD player the DGRC transmits signals via transmitter 217 These signals are dependent upon the type of signals recognized by the DVD players which are typically infra red One skilled in the art will recognize however that other signal transmission media and signal types both existing and to be developed in the future may be used to with the DGRC In typical operation game participants use the DGRC 200 to influence and interact with the game content and game flow by pressing buttons on the DGRC 200 such as buttons 201 204 and through resultant interactions between the DVD player and the DGRC When the DGRC 200 receives input for example through button presses or from the buzz in remotes it sends signals as appropriate to the DVD player to specify actions The correspondence between which DVD
30. ignals to an associated DVD player and in some embodiments a receiver for receiving signals from other devices The DGRC may also include one or more buzz in remotes that provide signaling from one or more associated participants such as during game turns where multiple participants are permitted to respond Each remote may comprise a buzz in button for signaling the DGRC and a special feature button BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG 1 is a block diagram of an example DVD based game environment that incorporates a DVD Game Remote Controller FIG 2 is a block diagram of an example DVD Game Remote Controller with an integrated display screen FIG 3 is an example block diagram of an alternative DVD Game Remote Controller with an integrated game board FIG 4 is an example block diagram of functional com ponents of an example DVD Game Remote Controller for practicing embodiments of the present invention DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention provide a special ized remote control device for use with DVD based elec tronic games DVD based games herein referred to as a DVD Game Remote Controller a DGRC As used herein DVD based games are either self contained DVD games that provide game logic as well as game content such as those authored by the DVD platform described in detail in U S Provisional Application No 60 577 446 entitled DVD Game Architecture a
31. le results associated with the die 46 The remote controller of claim 40 wherein the deter mined result is used to adjust an automatically tracked score associated with a game participant 47 The remote controller of claim 46 wherein the adjust ment results in a scoring bonus or a scoring penalty 48 The remote controller of claim 40 wherein the game control logic resides and executes on the remote controller 49 The remote controller of claim 40 wherein the DVD based electronic game is a DVD game that stores the game control logic on the DVD with game content 50 The remote controller of claim 40 wherein the DVD based electronic game is a DVD enabled game 51 Aremote control device used to provide an automated game board to supplement a DVD based electronic game having game control logic that controls the flow of the game including selecting game content from the DVD for presen tation on a display device associated with a DVD player comprising 18 an integrated display screen that displays a visualization of the game board and a current position on the game board associated with each game participant a plurality of buttons that indicate to the game control 5 logic responses to game challenges and further instruc tions to the game control logic and a scoring module that contains logic structured to receive an indication of activation of one of the plu rality of buttons 10 determine based upon the received indication
32. les include games such as Trivial Pursuit DVD Pop 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 2 Culture Edition by Hasbro which adds media questions selectable from a DVD in addition to traditional card selec tion BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention provide a special ized remote control device for use with DVD based elec tronic games DVD based games herein referred to as a DVD Game Remote Controller DGRC The DGRC is used to enhance a DVD based game by providing easy and direct navigation to game functions access to game specific functions and special features and enhanced timing e g additional timers game movement e g die roll simula tion and scoring functions as well as enhanced support for arbitration between participants For example the DGRC may arbitrate between participants when multiple partici pants are allowed to respond to a game challenge during the same turn In one example embodiment the DGRC comprises one or more functional components modules that work together to accomplish these functions For example a DGRC may comprise an integrated display screen game related selec tion buttons such as colored selection buttons text labeled buttons and navigation buttons a roll button a timer button a score button and a media slot Other buttons controls and selectors are also possible The DGRC also includes trans mitter for sending s
33. lide This new map alters how the signals transmitted by the DGRC are interpreted by the DVD player After downloading a new map the DGRC then appears to operate in potentially a different fashion specific to the DVD game being played The operations actions and hence the actual button map will depend upon the particular implementation of the DGRC how many buttons it has that are configured to transmit signals to the DVD player there may be additional buttons on the DGRC that are only interpreted by the DGRC and that do not transmit signals Preferably the DGRC buttons are assigned actions that are make sense within the context of a particular DVD game For example the buttons on a DGRC can be assigned to specific responses To program a multiple choice Q amp A pair there may be four possible responses of answer A answer answer or answer D Each response can be mapped to one of four DGRC text buttons 209 212 labeled A and D where button selects answer A button B selects answer B button C selects answer and button D selects answer D Example explanations of how a game author can create mappings for remote controller buttons using DVD content are described in the DVD Studio Pro 2 Manual Apple Computer Inc 2003 which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety A DGRC programmed in this manner allows a game
34. m prising an integrated display screen and a speaker wherein the displayed indication is at least one of a backlit button an audio sound or an indication of the designated participant on the integrated display screen 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 16 19 The remote control device of claim 16 wherein the plurality of auxiliary devices are wired or wireless remote devices each having a buzz in button that causes a signal to be transmitted that is received by the receiver of the remote control device 20 The remote control device of claim 16 wherein the receiver receives infrared or radio frequency signals from the plurality of auxiliary devices 21 The remote control device of claim 16 wherein the game control logic resides and executes on the remote control device 22 The remote control device of claim 16 wherein the DVD based electronic game is a DVD game that stores the game control logic on the DVD with game content 23 The remote control device of claim 16 wherein the DVD based electronic game is a DVD enabled game 24 The remote control device of claim 16 wherein the game arbitration logic is structured to track an ordering that the signals that indicate the desire to respond are received so that a new next game participant is designated based upon the tracked ordering when a response to the current chal lenge is determined to be incorrect 25 A wired or wireless auxiliary remote device used t
35. o transmit signals to a separate remote controller that controls a DVD player to present a DVD based electronic game comprising a buzz in button that transmits a signal to the remote controller to indicate a desire to respond to a current game challenge presented on a display associated with the DVD player and a special feature button that transmits a signal to the remote controller to initiate the presentation of a game specific feature associated with the DVD based elec tronic game 26 The auxiliary remote device of claim 25 wherein the signals transmitted are infrared or radio frequency signals 27 The auxiliary remote device of claim 25 wherein the special feature button causes presentation of an audio or video clue related to a current game challenge 28 The auxiliary remote device of claim 25 wherein the special feature button causes a game specific presentation to be displayed on the display associated with the DVD player 29 The auxiliary remote device of claim 25 wherein the special feature button is associate with a scoring bonus or a scoring penalty 30 The auxiliary remote device of claim 25 used in conjunction with at least one other similarly configured auxiliary remote device to respond concurrently to a game challenge 31 A remote controller used with DVD based electronic game having game control logic that controls the flow of the game comprising an integrated display screen a plurality of buttons tha
36. oller of claim 31 wherein the DVD based electronic game is a DVD enabled game 40 A remote controller used with a DVD based electronic game having game control logic that controls the flow of the game comprising a plurality of buttons that when activated indicate to the game control logic responses to game challenges and instructions to the game control logic and aroll button that when activated simulates a roll of a die to determine a result causes display of a visualization of the result and forwards the result to the game control logic to advance the DVD based game in accordance with the result 41 The remote controller of claim 40 wherein the visu alization comprises at least one of a color a number a category text a graphic or a representation of a face of the die 42 The remote controller of claim 40 further comprising an integrated display screen and wherein the roll button causes the display of the visualization of the result on the integrated display screen 43 The remote controller of claim 42 wherein the visu alization comprises at least one of a color a number a category text a graphic or a representation of a face of the die 44 The remote controller of claim 40 wherein the plu rality of buttons are used to control preferences associated with the roll button 45 The remote controller of claim 40 wherein the roll button simulates the roll of the die by randomly choosing one of a plurality of possib
37. on some DVD players which supports combining a different audio track with a same video asset or combining a different video asset with a same audio track As another example the special feature button may cause a surprise display to appear on the DVD player display screen informing the participant that the participant has received something for example a bonus question extra points a penalty end another participant s turn or an order to per form a funny task Other special features are of course possible In addition the DVD game can be tailored to display a shape on the DVD player display screen that corresponds to the special feature button 218 to notify the participants when a special function is available FIG 3 is an example block diagram of an alternative DVD Game Remote Controller with an integrated game board The DGRC 300 is shown with integrated game board 305 colored selection buttons 301 304 text labeled buttons 306 309 timer button 310 timer screen 311 and optional game piece storage 312 The DGRC 300 also includes four buzz in remotes 320 each with a buzz in button 315 and special feature button 314 which operate typically as described with reference to FIG 2 The colored selection buttons 301 304 and the text labeled buttons 306 309 also operate typically as described with reference to FIG 2 The integrated game board 305 can be used by the participants to advance virtual or physical game pieces keep sc
38. ore or other such functions For example in the game board demonstrated each participant can advance a game piece from the start position towards the center goal as the participant answers questions correctly The participant who reaches the center of the board first is the winner of the game In a DGRC where the integrated game board 305 includes virtual game pieces participant advancements can be performed automatically by the DGRC providing infor mation is given to the DGRC as to which participant completed a turn and the result of that turn Alternatively the integrated game board 305 may be used by the game to merely reflect a separate physical game board or show the completed move etc The option game piece storage area 312 can be used to store physical game pieces when the game is not in use The timer button 310 can be used as described with respect to FIG 2 or can be used in conjunction with a timer screen 311 to toggle and start a game timer function For example a participant may press the timer button 310 to select a time to count down from Pressing the button 310 at that point toggles through a predefined set of counts such as 30 second 45 second and 60 second options When the timer button 310 has been inactive for some number of US 7 115 032 B2 11 seconds a game timer function begins a count down to zero which is displayed on the timer screen 311 One skilled in the art will recognize that other alternative de
39. ould be mapped in a similar manner The colored selection buttons 201 204 include for example four differ ently colored buttons 201 204 which a game can incorpo rate to differentiate game content selections based upon color coding For example if the game is currently display ing categories of questions each associated with a different color on for example the DVD player display screen or on the integrated display screen 208 then a game participant can press one of the blue button 201 red button 202 yellow button 203 and green button 204 to select the question category that has been previously mapped to that button The text labeled buttons 209 212 are similarly used to allow a participant to select between four items using the A labeled button 209 the B labeled button 210 the C labeled button 211 and the D labeled button 212 One skilled in the art will recognize that selections other than menu items may be selected by buttons 201 204 and 209 212 using these same techniques The roll button 205 when pressed can be used to initiate a simulated die roll that is displayed on the integrated display screen 208 For example when a game participant presses the roll button 205 the integrated display screen 208 then displays a color or a number or other visualization of the roll e g the face of the die that is randomly selected by logic code provided by the DGRC 200 For example the DGRC 200 may sele
40. rdware software firmware or some combination using well known tech niques programming languages hardware etc Also in the following description numerous specific details are set forth such as data formats and code sequences etc in order to provide a thorough understanding of the techniques of the methods and systems of the present invention One skilled in the art will recognize however that the present invention US 7 115 032 B2 5 also can be practiced without some of the specific details described herein or with other specific details such as changes with respect to the ordering of the code flow FIG 2 is a block diagram of an example DVD Game Remote Controller with an integrated display screen The DGRC 200 is shown with an integrated display screen 208 game related selection buttons such as colored selection buttons 201 204 text labeled buttons 209 212 and navi gation buttons 213 215 a roll button 205 a timer button 206 a score button 207 and a media slot 120 These buttons and components are merely representative of the types of components that can be included in an embodiment of the DGRC 200 Depending upon the DVD based game content different components with different shapes texture color etc may be more appropriate Also additional or different types of selectors and controls such as sliders rotating devices etc can also be incorporated The DGRC 200 also includes transmitter 217 for sending s
41. re DVD enabled games that use the DVD player as a passive auxiliary component that presents content from a DVD similar to a deck of cards DVD enabled games may include for example DVD enabled board games as well as DVD US 7 115 032 B2 3 enabled electronic games such as personal game consoles that utilize a TV to display files from a DVD medium The DVD Game Remote Controller a DGRC is used to enhance a DVD based game by providing easy and direct navigation to game functions access to game specific func tions and special features and enhanced timing e g addi tional timers game movement e g die roll simulation and scoring functions as well as enhanced support for arbitration between participants when multiple participants can respond to a game challenge during the same turn The DGRC provides easy and direct navigation by directly mapping buttons or other components of the controller to game functions such as selection of a particular category to make using the DGRC more efficient and more participant friendly Game specific functions and special features may include such aspects as audio hints to assist game partici pants instructions for game play special bonus features etc The DGRC may provide timers die roll simulation and scoring enhancements that can be substituted for those already available or used as supplements depending upon how a particular game chooses to integrate the DGRC capabilities
42. rom the special feature button 218 via receiver 216 Game specific special functions for the DGRC 200 can be supplied via the memory media that is plugged into memory slot 220 or can be pre programmed into a memory resident in the DGRC 200 When the special feature button 218 is pressed at a time that a DGRC special function is available the DGRC 200 detects this fact and executes the appropriate code The DGRC program code can 40 45 50 60 10 arbitrate use of the special feature button based upon the current state of the game or by some other programmed mechanism When used to invoke a special feature on the DVD player the DGRC 200 after receiving the signal via receiver 216 transmits an appropriate instruction to the DVD player using transmitter 217 to activate a special feature For example the transmitted instruction may command the DVD player to display DVD content that is located on track n The particular action taken depends upon the button mapping currently used by the DVD player and hence the signal transmitted One example special feature is an audio clue played on the DVD player When the DVD player receives the signal transmitted by the DGRC 200 the DVD player executes a function that causes the audio clue to be down loaded from a predetermined location on the DVD game One mechanism for displaying game specific special func tions on the DVD player display screen is to use an angle feature available
43. s of the players game pieces are moved on a board and a score is inherent in the position of the game piece on the board Thus the scoring function available on the DGRC 200 is often the only automated scoring available in such games In other DVD based game environments some sort of scoring may already be available with the game flow logic For example in a DVD game a scoreboard can be integrated with the game content and displayed on the DVD player display screen In such environments the DGRC may separately track the score of each game participant if it is possible to determine a current score from the participants selection of buttons on the DGRC 200 independent of content selec tion by the DVD player Example instances where this may be possible include games in which the score is directly accessible from a simulated die roll or games in which a score or other value is associated with a particular button Example instances where this is more difficult include DVD games such as Q amp A games in which the game resident on the DVD itself determines whether an answer is correct or incorrect Since a DVD player is essentially a one way communication mechanism the DRGC can control the DVD player but cannot request information there is cur rently no inherent way as typically manufactured and shipped to have a DVD player inform the DGRC 200 of a particular status such as a score or correctness of a partici pant respons
44. t indicate to the game control logic responses to game challenges and instructions to the game control logic and a timer button that selectably causes the remote controller to start an adjustable countdown timer associated with a current game challenge or to initiate tracking of elapsed time for the game participants to respond to game challenges whereby the tracked elapsed time is displayed on the integrated display screen 32 The remote controller of claim 31 whereby the tracked elapsed time tracks a separate cumulative time for each game participant US 7 115 032 B2 17 33 The remote controller of claim 31 whereby the tracked elapsed time tracks a total cumulative elapsed time for multiple of the game participants 34 The remote controller of claim 31 whereby the tracked elapsed time tracks a total cumulative elapsed time for the entire game 35 The remote controller of claim 31 wherein the plu rality of buttons are used to control the timer button to select values for the countdown timer 36 The remote controller of claim 31 wherein the plu rality of buttons are used to control tracking preferences associated with the timer button 37 The remote controller of claim 31 wherein the game control logic resides and executes on the remote controller 38 The remote controller of claim 31 wherein the DVD based electronic game is a DVD game that stores the game control logic on the DVD with game content 39 The remote contr
45. the game consoles To date Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc DVD technology has been used largely to play movies and to present other types of video content oftentimes accompanied by audio DVD technology was developed as an improvement over the sequential technologies previously available with Video Cassette Recorder technology by pro viding an ability to access video segments on an address able basis instead of sequentially from the beginning of the media However to provide an optimal environment for the narrow purpose of playing videos such as movies DVD technology imposes many constraints on the format of DVD media used to store the content and on the processing and storage capacities of DVD players The only functions that a DVD player is really meant to perform are to play videos with or without audio to present menus which upon selection of an item enable the video player to navigate to play a different video segment and to support general playback control such as speed control skip to next content segment etc A DVD medium that stores such content is hereinafter referred to as a DVD and the machine or system used to play present the DVD content referred to as a player or a DVD player Board games have been developed that integrate the use of a DVD player to incor porate content from a DVD much as a game participant would select a next card from a game specific set of cards Examp
46. the game control logic a score button that selectably causes the remote controller to display scores edit scores or display multiple game statistics on the integrated display 45 a timer button that selectably causes the remote controller to control an adjustable countdown timer to initiate tracking of elapsed time for the game participants or to display timer related values on the integrated display screen 50 roll button that simulates a roll of a die displays a visualization of a result of the simulated roll and causes the game control logic to adjust a location or score of a current game participant accordingly and a media slot for receiving media that contains auxiliary 55 game related content or updates to functions for con trolling processing of at least one of the score button the timer button or the roll button 58 The remote control device of claim 57 wherein the game control logic resides and executes on the remote 60 control device 59 The remote control device of claim 57 wherein the DVD based electronic game is a DVD game that stores the game control logic on the DVD with game content 60 The remote control device of claim 57 wherein the 65 DVD based electronic game is a DVD enabled game
47. vention claimed is 1 A method in a remote control device for arbitrating between a plurality of game participants playing a DVD based electronic game having game control logic that con trols game flow and having game challenges stored on a DVD medium that are presented to the game participants and are selectable by the game control logic comprising receiving an indication of a desire to respond to a current challenge in a game turn from a plurality of auxiliary devices each associated with one of the game partici pants determining which of the received indications was the first received indication designating the game participant associated with the aux iliary device that corresponds to the determined first received indication as the next participant to respond to the current challenge and notifying the game control logic of the designated next participant 2 The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of auxil iary devices are buttons on the remote control device and the indications received by the remote control device are received from the buttons 3 The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of auxil iary devices are wired or wireless auxiliary remote devices that communicate with the remote control device by trans mitting signals and the indications received by the remote control device are received from signals transmitted by the auxiliary remote devices 4 The method of claim 3 wherein the signals transmitted
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