US5114155A — System for automatic collection and distribution …

Claim 1

Independent Claim 100 words

A method of conducting dart leagues or tournaments utilizing a plurality of electronic dart games, each dart game having means for receiving, storing and transmitting data, said method further utilizing a central control device (CCD) having means for processing, inputting, storing and outputting data, said method comprising the steps of: connecting the plurality of the electronic dart games to the central control device via a communication medium; inputting data on each player into the central control device via the inputting means; and communicating bidirectionally between the central control device and the plurality of electronic dart games via the communication medium.

Claim 2

Independent Claim 100 words

A method of conducting dart leagues or tournaments utilizing a plurality of electronic dart games, each dart game having means for receiving, storing and transmitting data, said method further utilizing a central control device (CCD) having means for processing, inputting, storing and outputting data, said method comprising the steps of: connecting the plurality of the electronic dart games to the central control device via a communication medium; inputting data on each player into the central control device via the inputting means; and communicating bidirectionally between the central control device and the plurality of electronic dart games via the communication medium.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 34 words

The method of conducting dart leagues or tournaments as set out in claim 1, wherein the plurality of electronic dart games are situated at one or more locations remote from the central control device.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 126 words

The method of conducting dart leagues of tournaments as set out in claim 2, each dart game further comprising means for displaying data, said method further comprising the steps of: recording play-by-play of each player automatically via the game storing means upon impact of a dart thrown by a player striking a dart board on said player's respective dart game; calculating a score of each player resulting from a dart thrown by a player striking a respective dart board of the player; displaying at each location current scores of every player participating at that location; and polling each remote location by the central control device via the communication medium at a predetermined time in order to upload data from each remote location and process the data.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 42 words

The method of conducting dart leagues or tournaments as set out in claim 2, said method further comprising the step of outputting from the central control device to each remote location current data regarding player standings, statistics of players and team standings.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 45 words

The method as set out in claim 1, said method further comprising the step of providing each player with a player card that identifies the player and stores player data and game statistics, and wherein the communication medium is manual transportation of the player cards.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 33 words

The method as set out in claim 1, wherein the communication medium is provided by electrical wires that enable bidirectional communication between the central control device and the plurality of electronic dart games.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 37 words

The method as set out in claim 1, wherein the plurality of electronic dart games are situated at one or more locations remote from the central control device, and the communication medium is provided by telephone lines.

Claim 9

Independent Claim 168 words

A method of conducting dart leagues or tournaments utilizing a plurality of electronic dart games, each dart game having means for receiving, storing and transmitting data, said method further utilizing a central control device (CCD) having means for processing, storing, inputting and outputting data, said method comprising the steps of: inputting player data into the central control device; providing each player with a player card that identifies a respective player and stores player data and game statistics; inputting player data and game statistics from the player card into the storing means of the electronic dart game via the receiving means of the electronic dart game; storing game statistics and player data within the storing means of the electronic dart game; transmitting game statistics and player data via the transmitting means to the player card; and communicating bidirectionally between the central control device and the plurality of electronic dart games via a communication medium, wherein the receiving and transmitting means of the dart games interface with the communication medium.

Claim 10

Independent Claim 168 words

A method of conducting dart leagues or tournaments utilizing a plurality of electronic dart games, each dart game having means for receiving, storing and transmitting data, said method further utilizing a central control device (CCD) having means for processing, storing, inputting and outputting data, said method comprising the steps of: inputting player data into the central control device; providing each player with a player card that identifies a respective player and stores player data and game statistics; inputting player data and game statistics from the player card into the storing means of the electronic dart game via the receiving means of the electronic dart game; storing game statistics and player data within the storing means of the electronic dart game; transmitting game statistics and player data via the transmitting means to the player card; and communicating bidirectionally between the central control device and the plurality of electronic dart games via a communication medium, wherein the receiving and transmitting means of the dart games interface with the communication medium.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 23 words

The method as set out in claim 8, wherein manual transportation of the player cards provide the communication medium for the bidirectional communication.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 33 words

The method as set out in claim 8, wherein the communication medium is provided by electrical wires that enable bidirectional communication between the central control device and the plurality of electronic dart games.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 37 words

The method as set out in claim 8, wherein the plurality of electronic dart games are situated at one or more locations remote from the central control device, and the communication medium is provided by telephone lines.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 120 words

The method as set out in claim 11, each dart game further comprising means for displaying data, said method further comprising the steps of: recording play-by-play of each player automatically via the game storing means upon impact of a dart thrown by a player striking a dart board on said player's respective dart game; calculating a score of each player resulting from a dart thrown by a player striking a respective dart board of the player; displaying at each location current scores of every player participating at that location; and polling each remote location by the central control device via the transmitting means at a predetermined time in order to upload data from each remote location and process the data.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 40 words

The method as set out in claim 12, said method further comprising the step of transmitting from the central control device to each remote location via the communication medium current data regarding player standings, statistics of players and team standings.

Claim 16

Independent Claim 140 words

An apparatus for conducting dart leagues or tournaments wherein players can participate at a plurality of remote locations, comprising in combination: a central control device for computing league or tournament statistics from received player data and game statistics, wherein the central control device (CCD) includes means for processing, storing, inputting and outputting data; a plurality of remotely located electronic dart games, wherein each dart game includes means for receiving, storing and transmitting data into and out of the dart game; and a communication medium coupling the plurality of remotely located electronic dart games to the central control device and enabling bidirectional communication between the central control device and the plurality of remotely located electronic dart games, wherein the receiving and transmitting means of the dart games and the inputting and outputting means of the CCD interface with the communication medium.

Claim 17

Independent Claim 140 words

An apparatus for conducting dart leagues or tournaments wherein players can participate at a plurality of remote locations, comprising in combination: a central control device for computing league or tournament statistics from received player data and game statistics, wherein the central control device (CCD) includes means for processing, storing, inputting and outputting data; a plurality of remotely located electronic dart games, wherein each dart game includes means for receiving, storing and transmitting data into and out of the dart game; and a communication medium coupling the plurality of remotely located electronic dart games to the central control device and enabling bidirectional communication between the central control device and the plurality of remotely located electronic dart games, wherein the receiving and transmitting means of the dart games and the inputting and outputting means of the CCD interface with the communication medium.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 40 words

The apparatus as set out in claim 9, wherein a player card that identifies the player and stores player data and game statistics is provided to each player, the communication medium being provided by manual transportation of the player cards.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 33 words

The apparatus as set out in claim 14, wherein the communication medium is provided by electrical wires that enable bidirectional communication between the central control device and the plurality of electronic dart games.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 37 words

The apparatus as set out in claim 14, wherein the plurality of electronic dart games are situated at one or more locations remote from the central control device, and the communication medium is provided by telephone lines.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 80 words

In an electronic dart game apparatus especially for use in a dart league or tournament, the combination comprising: electronic input means for receiving player data and league or tournament player pairings information from at least one external source and game statistics; storage means within the dart game apparatus for storing the external data and game statistics generated within the dart game; and output means for transmitting the player data and game statistics to a location external to the dart game.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 80 words

In an electronic dart game apparatus especially for use in a dart league or tournament, the combination comprising: electronic input means for receiving player data and league or tournament player pairings information from at least one external source and game statistics; storage means within the dart game apparatus for storing the external data and game statistics generated within the dart game; and output means for transmitting the player data and game statistics to a location external to the dart game.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 34 words

The electronic dart game apparatus as set out in claim 18, further comprising: a printer electronically connected to the dart game apparatus for providing a hard copy printout of game statistics and player data.

Claim 24

Independent Claim 164 words

A system for conducting dart leagues or tournaments wherein players can participate at a plurality of remote locations, said system comprising: a central control device for computing league or tournament statistics from received player data and game statistics, the central control device including means for processing data, storing data, inputting data, and outputting data; a plurality of remotely located electronic dart games, wherein each electronic dart game includes means for receiving, storing and transmitting player data into and out of the dart game; a plurality of player cards for players participating in the league or tournament that are accepted by the receiving and transmitting means of the electronic dart games, wherein the player cards store player data and game statistics; and a communication medium interlinking the central control device with the plurality of remotely located electronic dart games, wherein the receiving and transmitting means of the dart games and the inputting and outputting means of the central control device interface with the communication medium.

Claim 25

Independent Claim 164 words

A system for conducting dart leagues or tournaments wherein players can participate at a plurality of remote locations, said system comprising: a central control device for computing league or tournament statistics from received player data and game statistics, the central control device including means for processing data, storing data, inputting data, and outputting data; a plurality of remotely located electronic dart games, wherein each electronic dart game includes means for receiving, storing and transmitting player data into and out of the dart game; a plurality of player cards for players participating in the league or tournament that are accepted by the receiving and transmitting means of the electronic dart games, wherein the player cards store player data and game statistics; and a communication medium interlinking the central control device with the plurality of remotely located electronic dart games, wherein the receiving and transmitting means of the dart games and the inputting and outputting means of the central control device interface with the communication medium.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 35 words

The system as set out in claim 20, wherein player data and game statistics are bidirectionally communicated between the central control device and the electronic games by utilizing the player cards as the communication medium.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 17 words

The system as set out in claim 20, wherein the communication medium is provided by telephone lines.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 70 words

The system as set out in claim 22, wherein the central control device polls each of the remotely located electronic dart games at a predetermined time, statistical data from each remote location regarding play is uploaded to the central control device and assimilated, the central control device calculates current standing of each player, and then the central control device downloads the current standing of each player to each remote location.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 49 words

The system as set out in claim 23, wherein the central control device polls each of the remote locations during off-hours of establishments hosting the dart league or tournament, whereby transmission of statistical data via the telephone lines does not interfere with the establishments' use of their phone lines.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 18 words

The system as set out in claim 20, wherein the player cards are noncontact integrated circuit (IC) cards.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 114 words

The system as set out in claim 20, further comprising: means for recording play-by-play of each player automatically upon impact of a dart thrown by a player striking a dart board on the player's respective dart game; means for calculating a score for each player resulting from a dart thrown by a player striking a respective dart board of the player; means for displaying at each location current standings of all players and current scores of every player participating at each location; and means for polling each remote location by the central control device at a predetermined time in order to upload all results of play from each remote location and analyzing the results.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 102 words

The system as set out in claim 20, wherein a master dart game is located at each remote location and the central control device communicates with each remote location by solely interfacing with the master dart game located at each remote location, and all non-master dart games at each remote location are individually connected to the master dart game, thereby the master dart game interfaces with each non-master dart game and data is uploaded to the master dart game which in turn uploads the data to the central control device when the master dart game is polled by the central control device.

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 29 words

The system as set out in claim 20, wherein the remotely located dart games include means for loading and executing new game programs downloaded from the central control device.

Claim 34

Dependent Claim 51 words

The system as set out in claim 20, wherein information regarding game statistics and player data is stored in the central control device, and the information can be retrieved by inputting a request to one of the remotely located electronic dart games to retrieve stored information from the central control device.

Claim 35

Dependent Claim 28 words

The system as set out in claim 20, wherein each electronic dart game further comprises: means for printing a hard copy printout of player data and game statistics.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1995-05-19	1995-11-18	1996-05-19	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1999-05-19	1999-11-18	2000-05-19	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2003-05-19	2003-11-18	2004-05-19	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

System for automatic collection and distribution of player statistics for electronic dart games

Abstract

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