U.S. Pat. No. 6,848,991

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A preferred embodiment in which a game system of the present invention is applied to an online horse racing game is described below.

FIG. 1is a block diagram of a game system of the present embodiment. The game system includes horse racing game machines1a,1b, . . .1nwhich are installed, respectively, in arcades and a control unit2for performing bidirectional communication through a communication line L such as a public network with the horse racing game machines1a,1b, . . .1n.

Horse Racing Game Machine

The horse racing game machines1a,1b, . . .1neach include a plurality of racehorses (not shown) which are running models, a casing for forming hardware for a horse racing game environment, and a game progress control device for controlling the progress of a horse racing game. Since the horse racing game machines1a,1b, . . .1nare identical in construction, subfixes are omitted in the following description, and numeral1is assigned to one of the game machines.

The horse racing game machine1performs a single horse racing game played by a plurality of players who assembles in one place to play the game. A feature of the embodiment is that running abilities of a racehorse can be improved in accordance with player's intentions and operations, and the running abilities of the raised horse can be competed against those of other racehorses in a race. In a race, betting odds are displayed, and a running commentary of the course of the race is given using synthesized speech. It is therefore possible to make the player feel the atmosphere of an actual race.

A racehorse is a model including therein a control device for controlling a running mechanism. The internal control device is driven by a wireless signal from the game progress control device, thus enabling the racehorse to run.

The casing of the horse racing game machine1has, for example, a structure shown in FIG.2.

Specifically, the casing includes a racing field10provided substantially at the central part of a flat board, a plurality of stations14provided so as to surround the field10, a board15for displaying odds, race results, and other guidance information, and a speaker system16for outputting synthesized speech such as race running commentaries and the like.

The field10is provided with two types of tracks12and13, which include a starting gate11. Specifically, the track12simulates a turf course (hereinafter referred to as a “turf track”), and the track13simulates a dirt course (hereinafter referred to as a “dirt track”). By running a plurality of racehorses on the tracks12and13, races are held.

The turf track12and the dirt track13cause each of the racehorses to run in a manner in which the current ability parameters are reflected. At the same time, variable factors of the ability parameters, which differ in accordance with the running, are provided for each of the racehorses. In other words, the turn track12or the dirt track13is arbitrarily selected and the horse runs a race on the selected track. While enjoying the race based on the current running ability of the horse owned by the player, the player can improve a parameter for strengthening the body or a speed parameter or exert that parameter at an arbitrary time. It is expected that enjoyment will be substantially enhanced compared with the conventional type of game system. A passageway is formed between the tracks12and13so that racehorses can enter and exit. A single type of racehorse can participate in races held on two different types of track.

Concerning each of the stations14, the player sits opposite the station14and operates the station14. The station14includes a display141for displaying various screens changing in accordance with the progress of the horse racing game and a touch panel142provided on a display surface of the display141. When the player touches a predetermined position on the screen displayed on the display141in accordance with instructions on the screen, the touch panel142detects the touched position. Hence, the corresponding data can be input to the game progress control device, which will be described below. The station14further includes a medal insertion slot143into which the player inserts medals, a medal ejection hole144from which medals are paid off in accordance with the game result, and a card insertion slot145into which a game card, having recorded therein racehorse raising information as occasion demands, is inserted.

The game progress control device of the horse racing game machine1is described next.

The game progress control device of the present embodiment includes, as shown inFIG. 3, a wired communication unit171for performing bidirectional communication with the control unit2through the communication line L, a wireless communication unit172for transmitting a control signal to the racehorse, and functional blocks implemented by a programmed computer. The functional blocks include a display controller173, an acoustic controller174, a station controller175, a syllabic phoneme data manager176, a racehorse data manager177, a player data manager178, and a main controller179.

When monitoring and controlling the movement and the position of the racehorse in detail, the game progress control device further includes a camera capable of capturing an image of the entire field10and image processing device for performing pattern recognition of an image captured by the camera.

The display controller173controls the display of the board15. The acoustic controller174controls the output of sound data to the speaker system16. The station controller175separately controls the operation of each of the stations14. The syllabic phoneme data manager176manages syllabic phoneme data in a predetermined order. For each sound, a variety of combinations is prepared.

The racehorse data manager177manages information concerning racehorses appearing in the course of the game, stables, jockeys, and the like. The player data manager178is a type of database system for storing player data inherent to the player while linking the player data with a player ID (identification data).

The “player data” includes raising information for each player, including conditions under which a racehorse was raised and setting information (parameter setting for raising racehorses and the like) required for the game progressing.

While controlling the foregoing units171and172and the controllers173,174, and175, the main controller179performs overall information management concerning horse racing game progress and forms functions. Specifically, the main controller179implements the following functions.

(1) Function of controlling operation of mechanical portion for race

This function prepares for a race, and when everything is ready, the function controls the starting gate11and causes each racehorse to run. The movement of each racehorse is sequentially controlled, and the position of each racehorse is detected. After the race is terminated, the order of arrival is determined. The function generates information indicating the series of race execution states.

(2) Function of totaling betting odds

This function totals betting odds for each race at the horse racing game machine1. The betting odds are displayed on the display141of the station14and on the board15. When integrated betting odds are transmitted from the control unit2, the integrated betting odds are displayed on the board15or the like.

(3) Function of cooperating with the control unit2

This function sends the betting odds and race execution states of the horse racing game machine1to the control unit2and receives the integrated race execution states and the integrated betting odds from the control unit2. Concerning the race execution states, the function converts the states into synthesized speech and outputs the speech in real time from the speaker system16. Concerning the integrated betting odds, the function displays the integrated betting odds and the betting odds at the horse racing game machine1on the board15or on the display141of the station14.

The race execution states can be displayed on the board15along with synthesized speech or instead of using synthesized speech. If the player desires, speech registration data is accepted, and synthesized speech in which the speech registration data is reflected is formed when giving a running commentary of a race using the synthesized speech.

In order to facilitate the production or formation of synthesized speech, data concerning speech is managed using syllabic phoneme data which is a minimum phonetic unit. Concerning conventional techniques for giving running commentaries which can be applied to this type of game, these techniques cannot produce synthesized speech other than those produced using pre-recorded speech segments. In contrast, when the data is managed using syllabic phoneme data, a wider variety of synthesized speech can be produced. It is therefore possible to achieve a mode which is suitable for giving a running commentary.

Specifically, the number of racehorses' names can be flexibly updated or increased, and it is possible to change only part of the data. As described above, the syllabic phoneme data is managed in a manner in which accent and intonation are taken into consideration.

(4) Function of raising and controlling racehorse

To each racehorse, inherent ability parameters are assigned in advance. The running ability changes in accordance with the ability parameters.

The ability parameters include a group of multi-dimensional parameters including functional parameters, such as a stamina parameter and a speed parameter, and parameters (numeric values) indicating arbitrary characteristics, such as weight, running ability, temperament, and the like. Each of these parameters changes in accordance with a given environment. Concerning variable factors, there is a running environment or the like. Although a player raises a racehorse selected by the player, the player is initially not aware of how the racehorse will mature. While subjecting the racehorse to various environments, the player enjoys the growth process in accordance with the variable ability parameters. This function performs the overall management of the ability parameters.

Control Unit

The control unit2of the present embodiment is implemented by a computer (or computer system) having a communication function.

The functional structure of the control unit2is shown in FIG.4.

Specifically, the control unit2includes various functional blocks formed by the computer reading and executing a computer program recorded in a predetermined recording medium. The functional blocks include a communication controller21for establishing a connection with the communication line L; a game-related data manager22for managing game-related data to be provided to each horse racing game machine1while updating the data as occasion demands; a syllabic phoneme data manager23for outputting combinations of syllabic phoneme data so as to enable all the game machines1to present game execution states, which can be played by the game machines1and are common among the game machines1, using synthesized speech; a statistical processor24for taking statistics of race results according to each racehorse and determining the ranking or the like for a predetermined period of time; and a main controller25for performing the overall control other than those mentioned.

The operations of these functional blocks will be described in the following portion on the operation.

Operation

An online game method using the above-configured game system is described.

FIG. 5is a chart of an overall process performed by the control unit2to perform the online game method.FIG. 6is a chart of an overall process performed by the horse racing game machine1.FIGS. 7 and 8illustrate examples of displays which are displayed on the display141of the station14.

Referring toFIG. 5, the control unit2(main controller25) provides all the horse racing game machines1with the game-related data, which is under the management of the game-related data manager22, via the communication controller21and the communication line L (step S101). In the present embodiment, the game-related data includes information such as the names of actual horse races and information concerning the actual races, the names of racehorses appearing in the actual races and information concerning the racehorses, prizes, running conditions, and the like. It is preferable that the names of racehorses be made different for each horse racing game machine. When the name of a particular racehorse is set in the horse racing game machine1, only additional data is provided. When the game-related data is not properly provided, the game-related data is retransmitted (step S102: No and step S103).

Concerning the information on the actual horse races, whenever up-to-date data is generated, it is possible to provide all the horse racing game machines1with the data as part of the game-related data. Alternatively, it is possible to provide the data at fixed intervals. In the latter case, for example, it is possible to implement an operation in which special races are held on weekends.

When the game-related data is properly provided, the main controller25starts preparing to execute a race (step S104). The main controller25collects betting odds generated at each of the horse racing game machines1, computes integrated odds which is common among all the horse racing game machines1, and delivers the integrated odds to each of the horse racing game machines1(steps S105, S106, and S107). This processing is repeated until closing time (step S108: No).

After the closing time, the main controller25simultaneously instructs all the horse racing game machines1participating in the race to start the race (step S109). In the horse racing game machines1, the racehorses start running at the same time. Subsequently, the race execution states are collected from the horse racing game machines1, and information indicating the integrated execution states is generated, which in turn is delivered to all the horse racing game machines1(steps S110and S111).

The race can be performed using a specific horse racing game machine or using a plurality of horse racing game machines. Even in the latter case, a player can make a bet at all the horse racing game machines.

When the race is terminated, the results of the race are collected, and a dividend based on the integrated odds is computed, which in turn is delivered to all the horse racing game machines1(steps S112to S114). The record of each racehorse is sent to the statistical processor24, and the statistical processor24takes statistics of the record (step S115). When a next race is to be held, the processing returns to step S104.

Referring toFIG. 6, each of the horse racing game machines1receives the game-related data from the control unit2which performs the foregoing processing and starts preparing to execute a race (steps S201: Yes and step S202). Specifically, each of the stations14displays screens shown inFIGS. 7 and 8.FIG. 7is a race selection screen for enabling a player to select a race in which the player wants a specific racehorse, i.e., a player's racehorse, to participate. The names of races are displayed in a region201at the upper right-hand side of the race selection screen. In this example, information such as a prize and racing qualifications for each race, which are included in the game-related data, are displayed. A list of racehorses already owned by the player is displayed in a region202at the lower side of the race selection screen. In this drawing, eight horses owned by the player are displayed. For each horse, sex (male or female), age, acquired prizes, and condition are displayed, and the player can easily read general information on each horse.

A region203on the right of the region202displays, according to each of the races displayed in the region201, messages such as “eligible” indicating that the corresponding horse can participate in that race, “unqualified” indicating that the corresponding horse does not satisfy the racing qualifications, and “closed” indicating that the registration for that race has already been closed. In this way, the player can easily understand whether each horse is eligible for a particular race. Detailed information on the currently-selected horse is displayed in a region204above the region202. In this example, the appearance of the horse, dam's name, sire's name, damsire's name, growth type, distance aptitude, past record, speed parameter, and stamina parameter are displayed. Between the regions201and203, messages indicating whether the currently-selected horse displayed in the region204is eligible for a particular race are displayed based on the messages displayed in the region203.

Concerning a race for which the horse is eligible, the number to be paid in a bet by the player is displayed. For example, inFIG. 7, the race on the farthest left has already been closed, and hence the horse cannot be registered for that race. Concerning the race at second from the left, the horse can be registered for that race by paying a bet of 10. Concerning the remaining races, the horse can be registered for the respective races by paying a bet of 5.

When the desired race name and the racehorse are determined on the race selection screen, a betting screen for enabling the player to make a bet (purchase a ticket) on the racehorse or on another racehorse is displayed.FIG. 8illustrates an example of the betting screen.

In a region301at the upper left-hand side of the betting screen, the name of a race, prizes, a place where that race is held, and a racing distance are displayed. At the upper right-hand side of the betting screen, a region302is provided displaying information such as the names of horses running the race, jockeys, and the like. At the lower side of the betting screen, a region303is provided displaying odds on each ticket. The region303displays odds on various types of tickets including quinella, win, box, and the like. These odds vary every time the player purchases a ticket. On all such occasions, the horse racing game machine1sends the odds to the control unit2and receives the integrated odds from the control unit2.

In the present embodiment, the betting screen shown inFIG. 8only displays the odds generated at the horse racing game machine1. Concerning the integrated odds transmitted from the control unit2, the board15(seeFIG. 2) displays the integrated odds.

The foregoing processing concerning the betting odds is repetitively performed until the control unit2gives a race starting instruction (step S203and step S204: No).

In response to the race starting instruction, the race is executed, and execution states are sent to the control unit2(step S205). When integrated race states are received from the control unit2, the integrated race states are output using synthesized speech (step S206). In other words, a running commentary of the race is given. On this occasion, a voice message is generated based on combinations of syllabic phoneme data in segment units which are prepared in advance. For example, the message “XX takes the lead, followed by XX, and XX is stalking on the outside” is generated. In the “XX” portions, the names of racehorses running the race are inserted. Along with the synthesized speech, the board15may display conditions of the racehorses running the race at all the horse racing game machines1.

When speech registration data from the player is accepted, and when giving a running commentary of the race using synthesized speech, the synthesized speech in which the speech registration data is reflected is produced. For example, the player “AAA” causes a racehorse named “XXX Brian” to run the race. In this case, the “AAA Brian” is generated so that the name of the racehorse can be called out. In the present embodiment, the data used for speech synthesis is managed using syllabic phoneme data. It is therefore very simple to perform such processing.

After the race is terminated, the race result is sent to the control unit2(step S207). A dividend result is received from the control unit2, and a game value based on these results is paid off (step S208). When a next race is to be held, the processing returns to step S202, and similar processing is performed.

According to the present embodiment, it is possible to implement a game system by interconnecting numerous horse racing game machines via a communication line, and hence betting odds can be changed dynamically. Furthermore, it is possible to understand states of a race executed at another horse racing game machine.

Hitherto, even when a small number of players participate in a betting-type racing game, odds fluctuate greatly. Thus, such a betting-type racing game is not applied to an arcade-type horse racing game machine. With the arrangement as in the present embodiment, a large number of players can participate in betting, and a game system using realistic odds fluctuations is implemented.

With the arrangement as in the present embodiment, it is possible to hold an event in which each of a plurality of players at different arcades has his own racehorses, which he raised, so as to run a single race to compete with one another.

Even when there is only one player, the player can still play the game. Thus, the game is very appealing to the player. In other words, the player can cause a player's racehorse to run while listening to a running commentary of a race held at a horse racing game machine at another arcade. In doing so, the player can virtually compete against other racehorses in the race. This contributes to an increased rate of use of this type of game system.

It is possible to rank racehorses and players who played major roles at arcades throughout the nation. Using the game system of the present embodiment, it is possible to hold an event in which the ranking is posted on the Internet or the like.

Making the best use of the fact that a plurality of horse racing game machines is interconnected via a communication line, the control unit2can afford services such as provision of game win information, racehorse raising information, and various advertising information.

Although the case in which the field10of the horse racing game machine1is mechanically constructed is described in the present embodiment, the present invention can be applied to a case in which the horse racing game machine1is formed using an electronic device.

For example, the field10can be formed by image processing using holography. Since the field10is electronically formed, characteristics such as the depth of the turf in the turf track12and soil viscosity in the dirt track13can be arbitrarily adjusted. This is expected to further enhance the enjoyment of the game.

The present invention is applicable not only to horse racing games, but also to other betting-type racing games such as cycle racing games and boat racing games.

As is obvious from the foregoing description, according to the present invention, there is an advantage in that it is possible to perform a racing game in which real time features are ensured using a hardware-oriented game machine, such as an arcade game machine.