Smart Software Computer Sports on and off the Internet

Abstract

A multifunctional self-contained system that wirelessly integrates actual sports equipment with a computer providing critical feedback to improve all aspects of a player's game, and also allows players to play an actual competitive real and or visually simulated game or sports with one or more players. Therefore, an individual player may opt to play solo or practice to improve basic golfing skills and techniques. The system employs specially developed sports computer software to process player performance data, control game play, communicate game information and status to players, generate and control visual simulations, and display player performance information for standalone and multiplayer game play both on and off the Internet. The system includes sport implements that include, but are not limited to, smart golf clubs, a golf ball receptacle and a golf club motion sensing device, among other sports implements, all containing circuits with contact sensors and or motion sensors coupled with signal processing and radio frequency transmitter and or receiver circuitry to wirelessly communicate game status and performance parameters to a remote receiver and computer. The computer then optionally displays important parameters such as proximity of a sports implement contact face to an object, the impact of a sports equipment item with a sports implement, wherein the contact force, contact time, impact location, face angle, the spatial orientation of a sports implement in motion, and the subsequent energy, velocity, and trajectory of a game projectile such as a golf ball. The sports implements can be further equipped with motion sensing devices, and its motion and or swing trajectory is visually simulated on the computer display. Standard sport implements which include, but are not limited to, golf clubs may be retrofitted with the device sensors and associated electronic circuitry to convert such clubs into “smart clubs” for use with the system.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer sports software, comprising:
 (a) Internet sequential information exchange software, operating in conjunction with;   (b) Internal sequence and control operating software, controlling:
 (i) software monitoring transmitted data from sports devices; and 
 (ii) sports image simulation and display software; 
   wherein the sequential information exchange software processes and controls data acquired from one or more sports implements and or sports equipment items, and or if desired, operates as a game server for an Internet sports competition for players remotely located from each other.   
     
     
         2 . The computer sports software of  claim 1 , wherein the internet sequential Information exchange software includes programming responsive to a local event to effect a change of turn, effective to cause a programmed local computer to await a communicated remote event. 
     
     
         3 . The computer sports software of  claim 1 , wherein the internal sequence and control operating software includes programming effective to respond to indicated local and remote events to cause the sports image simulation and display software, to simulate and display, the local and remote events. 
     
     
         4 . The computer sports software of  claim 1 , including programming routines for causing a computer to signal readiness to play, await communication signaling the availability of a remote player, and programming for connecting the system to single local player responsive software. 
     
     
         5 . A system that responds to a predefined event occurring within a gaming environment, by automatically transmitting an alert and or message to a person outside the gaming environment, comprising: a game server that includes a processor; and a memory, storing a plurality of machine instructions; wherein said game server being included within a gaming service that establishes the gaming environment and further including a communication interface that couples the game server to a network; and said processor executes the machine instructions stored in the memory, causing the processor to carry out a plurality of functions, including: detecting when a predefined event occurs within the gaming environment, wherein the gaming environment provides a secure and limited access such that players only gain access to the gaming environment through a secure gateway; the secure gateway is inaccessible by any person communicating over a network that is outside of the gaming environment; the network is accessible from within the gaming environment by players participating in the gaming environment; and in response to detecting the predefined event, initiating transmission of an alert and or message to a person outside the gaming environment over the network. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the machine instructions stored in the memory of the game server further cause the processor of the game server to map an identifier of the player within the gaming environment to a corresponding identifier of the person that is used to identify the player on the network, so that the alert of message will be sent to the person by an alert server outside the gaming environment. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the predefined event is detected when a player gains access to the gaming environment, said information identifying the player, and is transmitted to at least one person who is on a list of the player. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein execution of the machine instructions causes the game server to detect that the predefined event has occurred when a player gains access to the gaming environment, and wherein execution of the machine instructions causes the processor to initiate transmittal of information identifying the player to at least one person who is on a list of the player, wherein said list is stored in the memory. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the alert and or message comprises an invitation to at least one awaiting player to access the gaming environment and participate in playing a game thereon with the player. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the information included in the alert and or message refers to a change in a gaming content within the gaming environment. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein execution of the machine instructions further cause the processor to enable a person to select at least one communication medium in which the alert and or message will be transmitted in response to the predefined event, wherein said communication medium being selectable from among a plurality of different forms. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the plurality of forms, comprise an email, a pop up, that is displayable, and or a message perceivable on a portable communication device that is coupled to a communication system. 
     
     
         13 . A messaging system comprising: a web server computer; a video game self-contained sports system for executing a video game; a sports program for a video game for competitive sports play, the sports program being embodied on a storage device, remotely connected to a user of the video game sports program, and comprising program instructions for both the video game sports competition, and for a messaging service client, whereby the messaging service client is activated by connecting the storage device to a remote game system and executing the game program embodied thereon, wherein the activated messaging service client establishes a connection between the game system and said web server computer via the Internet and sending status data from the game system to said web server computer that is indicative of the sports competition game program being executed by the sports server game system, wherein said web server computer generates a session file when the local sports game computer system connects thereto, wherein the session file comprises the status data sent from the local game system and status data indicative of the particular sports game programs being executed by the game systems of each of one or more buddies identified on a buddy list previously defined by the user;
 wherein the status data of the one or more buddies on the buddy list is accessible to the user even if the game system of the user and the game systems of one or more buddies are executing the sports game programs for playing different games.   
     
     
         14 . The messaging system according to  claim 13 , wherein the status data for each buddy on said buddy list further indicates whether that buddy is on the Internet online, and able to send and or receive messages. 
     
     
         15 . The messaging system according to  claim 13 , wherein the web server computer stores a user profile for the user. 
     
     
         16 . The system according to  claim 15 , wherein the user can configure accessibility of the user profile to others. 
     
     
         17 . The system according to  claim 15 , wherein a system administrator can configure accessibility of the user profile to others. 
     
     
         18 . The messaging system according to  claim 13 , wherein said web server computer is responsive to a user-supplied request for communicating to the user and identification of all buddy lists on which the user appears. 
     
     
         19 . The messaging system according to  claim 13 , wherein said web server computer is further responsive to a user-supplied request for deleting the user's name from one or more other user buddy lists. 
     
     
         20 . The messaging system according to  claim 13 , comprising further instructions for: receiving a message from another player while the player is playing said video sports game; providing a prompt to the player that the message has been received; and receiving and storing, player preference data that is referenced when the messaging service client is executed.