(12) United States Patent (10) Patent No.: US 8,540,575 B2 Angelopoulos (45) Date of Patent: Sep
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US00854.0575B2 (12) United States Patent (10) Patent No.: US 8,540,575 B2 Angelopoulos (45) Date of Patent: Sep. 24, 2013 (54) METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR INCREASED 6.261,179 B1 7/2001 Miyamoto et al. REALISM IN VIDEO GAMES 6,292.706 B1* 9/2001 Birch et al. ..................... TOO.91 6,306,033 B1 10/2001 Niwa et al. 6,347.993 B1 2/2002 Kondo et al. (75) Inventor: Athanasios Angelopoulos, San Diego, 6,368,210 B1 4/2002 Toyohara et al. CA (US) 6,412,780 B1* 7/2002 Busch ........................... 273/292 6,783,460 B2 * 8/2004 Galyean et al. ................. 463/40 (73) Assignee: White Knuckle Gaming, LLC, 2002fOO 10026 A1 1, 2002 York Bountiful, UT (US) OTHER PUBLICATIONS (*) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this http://www.answers.com/topic/microsoft-baseball-2001.* patent is extended or adjusted under 35 Newton's Telecom Dictionary by Harry Newton. Printed Mar. 1998 U.S.C. 154(b) by 2275 days. by Flatiron Publishing. ISBN 1-57820-023-7. p. 460.* NFL 2K1 GameFAQs—Dreamcast http://www.gamefaqs.com/ (21) Appl. No.: 10/266.795 console? dreamcast/file/914206/10283 Feb. 8, 2001.* Madden NFL 2003—PlayStation2 Manual http://www. (22) Filed: Oct. 8, 2002 replacementdocs.com release date: Aug. 12, 2002. NBA 2K1 Manual, Sega Dreamcast video game system, Nov. 1, (65) Prior Publication Data 2OOO.* NFL 2K1 Review. http://www.gamespot.com/dreamcast/sports/ US 2004/OO67788A1 Apr. 8, 2004 infl2k1/review.html, 9/08/200.* US 2010/O137045A2 Jun. 3, 2010 Nintendo Entertainment System Tecmo Super Bowl—1991.* (51) Int. Cl. (Continued) 52 (412 (2006.01) Primary Examiner — Damon Pierce (52) USPG 463/42: 463/30 (74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm — Workman Nydegger (58) Field of Classification Search (57) ABSTRACT USPC ...... 463/1-4, 6–8, 40 43, 30–33: 700/90-93 See application file for complete search history. A system and method for updating parameters of a video game is provided. As events occur in the real world that may (56) References Cited influence a game attribute, a parameteris recorded on a server. A video game player may connect to the server and download U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS the parameter. The parameter is stored by the video game and 5,411,259 A * 5/1995 Pearson et al. .................. 463,36 changes an attribute of the video game. Thus, for example, the 5,526,035 A 6/1996 Lappington et al. new performance characteristics of the rising star may be 5,694,546 A * 12/1997 Reisman ......................... 705/26 recorded on the server as improved performance parameters. 5,810,680 A 9, 1998 Lobb et al. When these parameters are downloaded by the video game 5,860,862 A 1/1999 Junkin 5,971,855 A * 10/1999 Ng .................................. 463/42 player, the video game incorporates the star-like qualities of 6,080,063 A 6, 2000 Khosla the rising star. 6,135,881 A 10, 2000 Abbott et al. 6,200,216 B1* 3/2001 Peppel .............................. 463.1 35 Claims, 14 Drawing Sheets Players Player S Player 2 Statistic 3 Statistic 2 Statistic 3 Eic. Player3 Satistic Salistic 2 Statistic 3 Elc. Other Player Other Player Other Player Cther Player Etc., US 8,540,575 B2 Page 2 (56) References Cited Todd, Brett, The History of Football Games, available at http://www. gamespot.com, (C) 2009 CBS Interactive, Inc., last accessed Oct. 7, 2009. OTHER PUBLICATIONS 4" & Inches Manual, (C) 1988 Accolade, available at www. Weters, NFL 2K1. FAQ by Weters, Hosted by GameFAQs, Version lemonamiga.com, last accessed Oct. 7, 2009. 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Oct. 9, 2009. replacementdocs.com, (C) 1996 Electronic Arts, last accessed Oct. 7, 2009. * cited by examiner U.S. Patent Sep. 24, 2013 Sheet 1 of 14 US 8,540,575 B2 U.S. Patent Sep. 24, 2013 Sheet 2 of 14 US 8,540,575 B2 Fig. 2 Game Machine 56 70a 73 s Controller Disc Drive E 7Ob o O Controller e . (3 Controller Controller Control 2 52 RIT Circuit Controller 62 7Od D& 65 CPU C - 72 U.S. Patent Sep. 24, 2013 Sheet 3 of 14 US 8,540,575 B2 Game Medium Video Game (e.g., CD, User Interface DVD, Cartridge) 99 CD 95 Local memory U.S. Patent Sep. 24, 2013 Sheet 4 of 14 US 8,540,575 B2 Fig. 4 Stadiums 109 Referees Referee 3 Other Game Parameter Other Game Parameter Etc. U.S. Patent Sep. 24, 2013 Sheet 5 of 14 US 8,540,575 B2 Fig. 5 Statistic l Statistic 2 U.S. Patent Sep. 24, 2013 Sheet 6 of 14 US 8,540,575 B2 135 Stadium Parameter 1 Stadiurn Parameter 2 Stadium Parameter 3 Et C. Referees Referee Parameter Referee Parameter 2 Referee Parameter 3 C. Etc Other Parameters Needed for Current Game Pla U.S. Patent Sep. 24, 2013 Sheet 7 of 14 US 8,540,575 B2 Fig. 7 System 221 Startup 224 227 IS Auto Update Go to Enabled? Fig. 8 23O Displays Main Menu 232 User starts game or requests update 236 234 238 Did user Go to request Go to update? Fig. 9 Fig. 8 U.S. Patent Sep. 24, 2013 Sheet 8 of 14 US 8,540,575 B2 Fig. 8 CPU 241 initializes modem Modem 243 establishes network connection 245 CPU sends request for data to the data server CPU receives requested data and stores it in 249 local memory CPU disconnects modem fron network User is 253 prompted that data transfer is complete Main menu is displayed U.S. Patent Sep. 24, 2013 Sheet 9 of 14 US 8,540,575 B2 Fig. 9 265 User Selects to 2 8O start game 1 C) CPU loads gaming 270 engine from 285 game Game medium to RAM Engine / CPU loads Requested data from Requested Data local Data memory to RAM, if requested or aO updating 5 3OO Game is played with requested data U.S. Patent Sep. 24, 2013 Sheet 10 of 14 US 8,540,575 B2 Fig. 10 CPU initializes -334 modem to network GM displays log- -340 in/sign-up screen User Imakes (Fig 2) selection 342 344 348 35 354 Does auto-SendCPU s pers AC2 1-1 357 CPU 346 <C comparesS. 1nput with GMAC CPU sends loginScrWer data to ( Match) Cld CPU error msg. 366 U.S. Patent Sep. 24, 2013 Sheet 11 of 14 US 8,540,575 B2 Fig 11 369 Server attempts to authenticate login data Server sends Server sends menu of available 372 failure message data to GM to GM 380 Cit 388 neSSage CPU displays CPU displays el failure message 384 U.S. Patent Sep. 24, 2013 Sheet 12 of 14 US 8,540,575 B2 Fig 12 -- 390 User enters CPU displays necessary info-- sign-up Screen 440 393 Does User enters required? auto-send A.C AC CPU compares user input with GMAC CPU sends Sign-up data to Server 404 448 CPU 446 Sign-up 412 displays Da 46 error msg. Server sends aCCOll options to GM CPU sends User Selects users choice O SCIVc account type Server verifies 424 info, creates account and sends menu of game data to GM CPU displays neu ( Ser U.S.