Apparatus and method for electrically connecting remotely located video games

A video game communication assembly (100) for communicating command signals between a local video game (12) having at least two player ports (A, B), one set of player controls (20), and a microprocessor (12), and at least one remote video game (30) in a medium capable of transmitting plurality of data signals and voice signals, said assembly (100) comprising:

• control means (106) for receiving command signals from a set of player controls (20) from a local video game and for creating communication signals from the command signals;
• modem means (114) for bilaterally transmitting said communication signals between said control means (106) and at least one remote video game (30);
• first port means (112) for bilaterally transmitting said communication signals between said control means (106) and said modem means (114), said assembly (100) characterized by
• voice over data means (134) for simultaneously receiving voice signals and said communication signals and for transmitting said communication signals to said modem means (114).

A video game communication assembly (100) for communicating command signals between a local video game having at least two player ports (A, B) and one set of player controls (20), and at least one remote video game (30) having two player ports in a medium capable of transmitting plurality of data signals and voice signals, said assembly (100) comprising:

• control means (106) for controlling command signals received from the local video game and for creating communication signals;
• modem means (114) for bilaterally transmitting said communication signals between said control means (106) and at least one remote video game (30);
• first port means (112) for bilaterally transmitting said communication signals between said control means (106) and said modem means (114), said assembly (100) characterized by
• pausing means (138) for automatically pausing the transmission of both the command signals and said communication signals upon receipt of a pause signal.

A video game communication assembly (100) for communicating command signals between a local video game (12) and at least one remote video game (30) having two player ports (A, B) in a medium capable of transmitting plurality of data signals and voice signals, said assembly (100) comprising:

• local video game means including at least two player ports (A, B), at least one set of player controls (20) for orchestrating a video game;
• control means (106) for controlling command signals received from said set of player controls (20) and for creating communication signals from the command signals;
• modem means (114) for bilaterally transmitting said communication signals between said control means (106) and at least one remote video game (30);
• first port means (112) for bilaterally transmitting said communication signals between said control means (106) and said modem means (114), said assembly (100) characterized by
• said control means (106) including transit time means (126) for determining the amount of time required for said communication signals to travel between said first port means (112) and at least one of said remote video games (30).

A video game communications circuit for communicating command signals between a local video game having at least two player ports (A, B), at least one set of player controls (20), and at least one remote video game (30) in a medium capable of transmitting plurality of data signals and voice signals, said circuit comprising:

• a first microprocessor (140) electrically connected to one set of player controls (20), two player ports (A, B) and an oscillating circuit (Y1, C2, C3, R2);
• two player port logic circuits (108, 124) electrically connected between said first microprocessor (140) and the two player ports (A, B);
• a switch (150) connected to said first microprocessor (140) having at least two positions;
• a modem circuit (114) electrically connected to said first microprocessor (140) for bilaterally transmitting communication signals to and from said first microprocessor (140);
• a voice over data circuit (134) for filtering voice signals from communication signals and for transmitting both to said modem circuit (114);
• and
• communication couplers (L1, L2) for connecting said voice over data circuit (134) to the medium of communication.

A method for communicating command signals of a video game between a local video game (12) having player controls (20) and two ports (A, B) and a remotely located video game (30) over a defined medium of communication, the method comprising the steps of:

• receiving command signals from the player controls (20);
• transferring the command signals to the local video game (12);
• converting the command signals to communication signals;
• transmitting the communication signals to a remotely located video game (30), the method characterized by
• delaying the transmission of the command signals to the local video game until the communication signals reach the remotely located video game (30).