Remote game device for dvd gaming systems

Abstract

A wireless remote game controller is presented for playing video games with a DVD player assembly. The controller may be adapted to receive data and commands in the form of audio tones generated by the DVD player assembly as well as to send commands to the DVD player assembly. The DVD player assembly may include a DVD player and a television. The game controller may use received commands to select data from memory and display the data for the player as part of game play. Alternatively, the received data may be saved into the controller memory to configure the controller for use in a specific game. Data received by the controller may include values saved to DVD player memory during game play. Data transmitted from the controller to the DVD player may be coded so the DVD player can identify the transmitting controller. Similarly, signals received concurrently by multiple remote game controllers may be coded so that only one device responds to the signal.

1 . A remote game device to be used with a DVD player assembly comprising: 
 a microphone configured to receive one or more sonic signals from the DVD player assembly;    memory including a lookup table with data for game play;    a display; and    a processor configured to: 
 select data related to game play from the lookup table, the selection based at least in part on a first received sonic signal; and  
 send the selected data to the display.  
   
   
   
       2 . The remote game device of  claim 1  wherein the processor is further configured to modify memory contents based on a second received sonic signal.  
   
   
       3 . The remote game device of  claim 1  where data is written into memory through a communication link between the DVD player assembly and the remote game device.  
   
   
       4 . The remote game device of  claim 1  wherein the memory includes a smart card.  
   
   
       5 . The remote game device of  claim 1  wherein the memory includes at least one dual inline memory module.  
   
   
       6 . The remote game device of  claim 1  further comprising at least one input key and a transmitter configured to send output signals to the DVD player assembly in response to the operation of the at least one input key.  
   
   
       7 . A DVD gaming system comprising: 
 a DVD player;    a DVD media disk including scenes and game commands;    a television, including a speaker, operatively connected to the DVD player; and    at least one remote game device including: 
 a display; and  
 memory including a lookup table;  
 the at least one remote game device configured to:  
 receive one or more sonic signals generated by the television speaker;  
 select data related to game play from the lookup table, the data selection based at least in part on a first received sonic signals; and  
 display a representation of the selected data.  
   
   
   
       8 . The DVD gaming system of  claim 7  wherein the at least one remote game device is further configured to convert a second received sonic signal to digital data and save the data to the memory.  
   
   
       9 . The DVD gaming system of  claim 7  where data is written into the lookup table through a communication link between the television and the remote game device.  
   
   
       10 . The DVD gaming system of  claim 7  where data is written into the lookup table through a communication link between the DVD player and the remote game device.  
   
   
       11 . The DVD gaming system of  claim 7  wherein the sonic signals are duotone signals.  
   
   
       12 . The DVD gaming system of  claim 7  where the remote game device further includes an LED and at least one input key operably connected so the LED transmits a signal when an input key is pressed.  
   
   
       13 . The DVD gaming system of  claim 12  where the DVD player selects a scene from the DVD media disk based on the transmitted signal.  
   
   
       14 . The DVD gaming system of  claim 7  further comprising a plurality of the remote game devices, where the plurality of remote game devices is configured to receive a sonic signal and at least one but not all of the plurality of remote game devices displays data based on the received signal.  
   
   
       15 . The DVD gaming system of  claim 7  further comprising first and second remote game devices, where the first and second remote game device receive a sonic signal from the television speaker, and the data displayed on the first remote game device as a result of the received signal is different than data displayed on the second remote game device.  
   
   
       16 . A DVD gaming method comprising: 
 transmitting from a remote game device a command to a DVD player;    transmitting from the DVD player an electronic signal;    converting the transmitted electronic signal to a sonic signal;    receiving the sonic signal at the remote game device;    selecting data related to game play from a memory on the remote game device in response to the received sonic signal; and    displaying the selected data on the remote game device.    
   
   
       17 . The DVD gaming method of  claim 16  wherein the remote game device is used in conjunction with a remote control configured to operate the DVD player.  
   
   
       18 . The DVD gaming method of  claim 16  wherein transmitting an electronic signal includes transmitting an electronic signal including identifying one or more remote game devices among a plurality of remote game devices to respond to the received sonic signal.  
   
   
       19 . The DVD gaming method of  claim 16  wherein transmitting a command includes transmitting a command identifying uniquely the remote game device among a plurality of remote game devices transmitting the command.  
   
   
       20 . A remote game device to be used with a DVD player assembly comprising: 
 a microphone configured to receive sonic signals transmitted by the DVD player assembly and convert the signals to electronic signals;    memory configured to store program instructions and data;    a display configured to display data stored in memory; and    a processor that receives the electronic signals from the microphone, the processor operably connected to the memory, display and microphone;    where the remote game device in a first mode is configured to: 
 convert a first received signal to data at the processor; and  
 save the converted data from the processor into the memory;  
   and the remote game device in a second mode is configured to: 
 convert a second received signal to a command at the processor;  
 select data from memory based at least in part on the command; and  
   display the selected data on the display.    
   
   
       21 . The remote game device of  claim 20  where the data displayed is related to game play.  
   
   
       22 . The DVD gaming system of  claim 20  where the remote game device further includes an LED and at least one input key operably connected to the processor so the LED transmits a signal when an input key is pressed.