Patent · US Expired

System and method for networking video games

US6315668A · kind A · utility

91Cited by
23References
41Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 13, 1999
Grant dateNov 13, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 13, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04L69/329
  • WIPO fieldFurniture, games
  • WIPO sectorOther fields

Abstract

A system for a networking electronic game units, includes an arcade router coupled with one or more game units at each of a plurality of locations and coupled to a communications resource for supporting bi-directional exchange of information with the one or more game units. A first router is coupled with a first group of the communications resources for supporting bi-directional exchange of information with a first group of game units. A first server is coupled with the first router for controlling the bi-directional exchange of information so as to support interactive play by game units at different locations. Embodiments of the system may include a state synchronizing method for synchronizing the exchange of information among game units which are engaged in interactive play in such a manner that each of the game units operates on substantially the same sequence of incoming information, and a bandwidth manager for controlling access of each game unit to the network based on available bandwidth and on a player skill level associated with each game unit.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.