Coin operated entertainment system
AssigneeTouchTunes Music Corporation
InventorsDominique Dion, Kenneth J. Fedesna, Mark D. Loffredo, Edward J. Suchocki, Edward E Pellegrini, Frank J. Pellegrini, Edward F. Hicks, Cary M. Mednick
Life of this patent
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Abstract
This invention in certain example instances relates generally to coin-operated video entertainment systems. More particularly, certain exemplary aspects of the invention provide methods and/or systems for controlling access to a portable coin-operated interactive entertainment device that may be used to play video games and access other forms of entertainment as well as providing features via such portable coin-operated interactive entertainment devices.
Claims16
An interactive entertainment system provided in a venue comprising:
- a central audiovisual data reproduction device including a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, and a processor configured to reproduce audiovisual data in accordance with user inputs;
- a plurality of portable interactive entertainment devices operable independently of one another, each of the portable interactive entertainment devices comprises:
- a display,
- a communication interface configured to wirelessly send and receive data to and from other portable interactive entertainment devices and/or the central audiovisual data reproduction device, and
- at least one processor configured to:
- cause a user interface to be displayed on the display, and
- in response to inputs to the user interface, enable selection of instances of media for playback via the portable interactive entertainment device and/or the central audiovisual data reproduction device:
- a transceiver located proximate to entryway/exit of the venue and configured to detect signals emitted by each of the plurality of portable interactive entertainment devices;
- and
- distance determining programmed logic circuitry configured to determine whether a distance between each of the plurality of portable interactive entertainment devices and the entryway/exit of the venue is beyond a predetermined distance,
- wherein the plurality of portable interactive entertainment devices are remote interfaces of the central audiovisual data reproduction device, and
- each of the plurality of portable interactive entertainment devices comprises:
- a security interface configured to periodically send signals to the transceiver located proximate to the entryway/exit of the venue so that the distance determining programmed logic circuitry determines whether the portable interactive entertainment device is within the predetermined distance from the entryway/exit of the venue,
- a timer configured to initiate a timing operation in response to determination that the portable interactive entertainment device has moved beyond the predetermined distance from the entryway/exit of the venue, and to continue the timing operation while the device remains beyond the predetermined distance;
- and
- alarm programmed logic circuitry configured to trigger an alarm only when the portable interactive entertainment device remains beyond the predetermined distance from the entryway/exit of the venue for the predetermined amount of time, and increase intensity of the triggered alarm when the distance between the portable interactive entertainment device and the entryway/exit of the venue increases.
A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein an information processing program for execution by a portable interactive entertainment device comprising a processor operatively coupled to a display, a communication interface, the information processing program comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the portable interactive entertainment device to perform operations comprising:
- causing a user interface to be displayed on the display,
- accepting inputs from a user via the user interface,
- in response to the inputs to the user interface, enabling the user to select instances of media for playback remotely via a central audiovisual data reproduction device provided in a venue,
- transmitting instructions corresponding to the inputs to the central audiovisual data reproduction device to cause the central audiovisual data reproduction device to playback the instances of media selected by the user,
- causing the interactive entertainment device to wirelessly transmit and receive data to and from other portable interactive entertainment devices and/or the central audiovisual data reproduction device,
- periodically sending signals to a transceiver located proximate to an entryway/exit of a venue so that it is determined whether a distance between the portable interactive entertainment devices and the entryway/exit of the venue is beyond a predetermined distance,
- initiating a timing operation of a timer in response to determination that the portable interactive entertainment device has moved beyond the predetermined distance from the entryway or exit of the venue, and continuing the timing operation while the device remains beyond the predetermined distance,
- determining whether the portable interactive entertainment device remains beyond the predetermined distance from the entryway/exit of the venue for a predetermined amount of time, and
- triggering an alarm only when the portable interactive entertainment device remains beyond the predetermined distance from the entryway/exit of the venue for the predetermined amount of time, and increasing intensity of the triggered alarm when the distance between the portable interactive entertainment device and the entryway/exit of the venue increases,
- wherein the central audiovisual data reproduction device includes a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and a processor configured to reproduce audiovisual data stored thereon, and the portable interactive entertainment device is a remote interface of the central audiovisual data reproduction device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.