US 5,667,440 AGranted

Bidirectional communication system

AssigneePioneer Electronic Corporation

InventorsMasafumi Sasaki, Takemi Yumoto, Kazuki Komatsu, Noriyuki Shiragami

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Abstract

A bidirectional communication system includes a center unit and one or more terminal units connected to the center unit via a communication line. The center unit includes: program executing unit for executing one or more programs utilizing operation data in response to selection signals specifying a program to be executed and transmitting information associated with the programs to the terminal units via the communication line; control unit for controlling the program executing unit and the terminal units; and receiving unit for receiving the operation data from the terminal units and supplying the operation data to the program executing unit. The operation data being necessary for execution of the program. Each of the terminal units includes: transmitting unit for transmitting selection signal to the center unit via the communication line; display unit for displaying the associated information transmitted from the center unit; and operation unit for generating the operation data in accordance with user's instruction and transmitting the operation data at data output timings distributed to each terminal units.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A bidirectional communication system comprising a center unit and one or more terminal units connected to the center unit via a communication line, said center unit comprising:

a program executing unit for executing one or more programs utilizing operation data in response to a selection signal specifying one of the programs to be executed and for transmitting information associated with the execution of the programs to the terminal units via the communication line;
a control unit for controlling the program executing unit and the terminal units, the control unit permitting the program executing unit to execute the programs specified by the selection signals utilizing the operation data transmitted from one or more terminal units;
a receiving unit for receiving the operation data from the terminal units and for supplying the operation data to the program executing unit, said operation data being necessary for execution of the programs specified by the selection signals;
and
an inviting unit for sending invitations to select the programs to be specified by the selection signals to all of the terminal units at every predetermined times, each of said terminal units comprising:
a transmitting unit for transmitting the selection signal to the center unit via the communication line;
and
an operation unit for generating the operation data in accordance with a user's instruction and for transmitting the operation data at data output timings designated to each terminal units by the control unit.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/359,922Filed 20 Dec 1994
Priority: JP 5-33757928 Dec 1993
Granted: 16 Sep 1997
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification19 codes

A63F 13/338
Using wide area network [WAN] connections: using television networks
A63F 13/35
Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection…: details…
A63F 13/44
Processing input control signals of video game devices, e.g. signals generated by the player or derived from the environment: involving timing of…
A63F 13/533
Involving additional visual information provided to the game scene, e.g. by overlay to simulate a head-up display [HUD] or displaying a laser…:…