WO2004049607A1

WO2004049607A1 - Distributing data using a broadcast and wireless network

Info

Publication number: WO2004049607A1
Application number: PCT/IB2003/004835
Authority: WO
Inventors: David E. Penna; Stuart Butterfield; Richard C. Turner
Original assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics NV
Current assignee: Koninklijke Philips NV
Priority date: 2002-11-12
Filing date: 2003-10-30
Publication date: 2004-06-10
Anticipated expiration: 2005-05-12
Also published as: AU2003274500A1; GB0226400D0

Abstract

A communication system comprises a central server, a broadcast station for transmitting broadcast data, a wireless transceiver for participating in a wireless network, and a plurality of mobile terminals. The central server maintains the state of an interactive game world, supplying general data concerning the game world for broadcast by the broadcast station and supplying specific data concerning the game world for transmitting by the wireless transceiver. Each terminal comprises receiver means for receiving the broadcast data and transceiver means for participating in the wireless network.

Description

DESCRIPTION

DISTRIBUTING DATA USING A BROADCAST AND WIRELESS NETWORK

This invention relates to a communication system and method and to a terminal for use in the communication system. The terminal can receive data from a broadcast station and simultaneously participate in a wireless network. In the present specification, the term "broadcast" is used to denote a substantially unidirectional transmission of information to a plurality of terminals, but does not exclude the presence of a return channel between a terminal and the broadcast station. Such a return channel could be provided in any convenient manner, for example via a fixed or wireless telephone connection. The term "wireless network" is used to denote a bi-directional communication link between the terminal and a base station or another terminal.

Terminals are under development which have the combined capabilities of receiving data from a broadcast network and separately interacting with a wireless network. Examples of broadcast networks include DVB-T (Terrestrial Digital Video Broadcast) and DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting), while examples of wireless networks include GSM (Global System for Mobile communications), UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunication System), and wireless LAN (Local Area Network) standards such as IEEE 802.11 and Bluetooth. Current examples of such terminals include DVB-T and GSM enabled web pad devices, and high end PDAs with the ability to receive broadcasts and participate in a wireless network.

Communication systems are well known for the playing of games. For example, the Internet is widely used for the playing of multi-user games. Generally one or more servers will run the game, with remote terminals, connected by a wire or cable link, being used by a player of the game. The main disadvantage of such a system is that the user can only access the game from a fixed terminal, almost always a PC (personal computer) connected to the fixed line telephone network. There can also be significant problems with data latency and bandwidth back to the server(s).

WO 02/41961 describes a game system, gaming method and suitable games terminals. In the system, a number of portable, mobile games terminals each transmit user game data over a mobile radio network, by means of a communication module, to a computer-based games centre, which determines the game winner and the winnings due to said game winner, based on predefined games rules and accepted user gaming data. The game system comprises at least one broadcast transmitter, for the broadcast of radio and/or television programmes and programme-accompanying data, whereby the broadcast transmitter comprises means for the addition of game user programme modules to the programme-accompanying data. The games terminals each comprise a receiver for receiving the radio and/or television programme and programme-accompanying data, filters for the extraction of game user programme modules added to the received programme- accompanying data and a processor for carrying out the extracted game user programme modules. The game user programme modules accept gaming instructions from users by means of an input device on the games terminal and generates corresponding user gaining data for transmission to the games centre. Such a system does not have the possibility of real time user interaction with other users, being merely a system for reporting a result to a games centre.

It is an object of the invention to improve upon the known art. According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a communication system comprising a central server, a broadcast station for transmitting broadcast data, and a wireless transceiver for participating in a wireless network, said central server maintaining the state of an interactive game world, supplying general data concerning the game world for broadcast by the broadcast station and supplying specific data concerning the game world for transmitting by the wireless transceiver. According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a communication method comprising maintaining the state of an interactive game world, supplying general data concerning the game world for broadcast by a broadcast station and supplying specific data concerning the game world for transmitting by a wireless transceiver.

According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a terminal for participating in a communication system, comprising receiver means for receiving broadcast data in the form of general data concerning a game world, transceiver means for participating in a wireless network and for receiving data in the form of specific data concerning the game world and processor means for processing the general and specific data.

Owing to the invention, it is possible to facilitate an interactive game world for mobile users while maintaining a relatively high bandwidth based upon currently available technologies. Advantageously, the server updates the game world based upon feedback received from a mobile terminal. Preferably the server communicates with local storage means, and obtains details of the connection time of each mobile terminal and stores the details in the local storage means. The server can supply program code to the broadcast station.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system, and Figure 2 is a flow diagram of a communication method.

The communication system of Figure 1 comprises a central server 10, a broadcast station 12 for transmitting broadcast data, and a wireless transceiver 14 for participating in a wireless network. The central server 12 maintains the state of an interactive game world, such as a multi-user dungeon, where users take on the role of specific characters within the game environment and interact with aspects of that environment and with other players' characters. The server 10 supplies general data concerning the game world for broadcast by the broadcast station 12 and supplies specific data concerning the game world for transmitting by the wireless transceiver 14. The general data is the information that is common to all the users of the game world, for example in the case of a multi-user dungeon, this would be such things as the location of the walls and the size of caves. The specific data would be different for each user and would relate to things such as the objects they are carrying, the other characters that are close by and information on computer-controlled characters within the game (e.g. monsters). In effect, the general data can be characterised as the static elements of the game world, and the specific data can be characterised as the dynamic elements of the game that are relevant to a particular user.

The system further comprises a plurality of mobile terminals 16, each terminal comprising receiver means 18 for receiving the broadcast data and transceiver means 20 for participating in the wireless network. The receiver means 18 is for receiving the broadcast data in the form of general data concerning the game world, and the transceiver means 20 that participates in the wireless network is for receiving data in the form of specific data concerning the game world. Each terminal 16 further comprises processor means 22 for processing the general and specific data.

A user of a terminal 16 can play the game via software stored on their terminal 16 and executed by the processor means 22. As the user interacts with the game world, the transceiver means 20 can transmit via the wireless network data concerning the game world. For example, if a user operates their character to pick up an object, then this information is transmitted by the transceiver means 20 back to the wireless transceiver 14. The server 10 updates the game world based upon feedback received from the mobile terminal 16.

The server 10 is provided with local storage means 24 and the server 10 communicates with local storage means 24 in conventional fashion. The information concerning the game world is stored on the storage means 24 and is updated by the server 10. The server 10 also obtains details of the connection time of each mobile terminal 16 and stores the details in the local storage means 24. This information can be used for such things as levying a charge on users, obtaining demographic information etc. Each terminal 16 must communicate with the transceiver 14 when a user begins and ends their gaming session, so accurate time information can be obtained by the server 10.

The server 10 also has the capability to supply program code to the broadcast station 12, for broadcast by the broadcast station 12 to the terminals 16. This allows the specific upgrading of the functionality of the game world being run by the server 10, without the user necessarily being aware of it. This allows such things as new game elements to be sent to the terminals 16 for storage by each terminal 16. New game levels can also be distributed in this fashion.

Figure 2 shows a flow diagram of the method of operation of the game system as discussed above. The method comprises the steps of maintaining 30 the state of the interactive game world, supplying 32 general data concerning the game world for broadcast by a broadcast station and supplying 34 specific data concerning the game world for transmitting by a wireless transceiver. These are the basic steps of the operational method. Optionally the method can include receiving 36 feedback from a mobile terminal and updating said game world, obtaining and storing 38 details of the connection time of each mobile terminal, and supplying 40 program code to the broadcast station.

Although the terminals have been described as mobile terminals, in fact the system described will work equally well if one or more of the terminals are fixed terminals such as digital television receivers or PCs. As above, general data is broadcast to the terminal device and specific data is transmitted via a wireless network.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising a central server (10), a broadcast station (12) for transmitting broadcast data, and a wireless transceiver (14) for participating in a wireless network, said central server (10) maintaining the state of an interactive game world, supplying general data concerning the game world for broadcast by the broadcast station (12) and supplying specific data concerning the game world for transmitting by the wireless transceiver (14).

2. A system according to claim 1 , and further comprising a plurality of mobile terminals (16), each terminal (16) comprising receiver means (18) for receiving broadcast data and transceiver means (20) for participating in a wireless network.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein said server (10) updates said game world based upon feedback received from a mobile terminal (16).

4. A system according to claim 2 or 3, wherein said server (10) communicates with local storage means (24), said server (10) obtaining details of the connection time of each mobile terminal (16) and storing the details in said local storage means (24).

5. A system according to any preceding claim, wherein said server (10) supplies program code to said broadcast station (12).

6. A communication method comprising maintaining (30) the state of an interactive game world, supplying (32) general data concerning the game world for broadcast by a broadcast station (12) and supplying (34) specific data concerning the game world for transmitting by a wireless transceiver (14).

7. A method according to claim 6, and further comprising receiving feedback (36) from a mobile terminal (16) and updating said game world.

8. A method according to claim 7 and further comprising obtaining and storing (38) details of the connection time of each mobile terminal (16).

9. A method according to claim 6, 7 or 8, and further comprising supplying (40) program code to said broadcast station (12).

10. A terminal for participating in a communication system, comprising receiver means (18) for receiving broadcast data in the form of general data concerning a game world, transceiver means (20) for participating in a wireless network and for receiving data in the form of specific data concerning the game world and processor means (22) for processing the general and specific data.

11. A terminal according to claim 10, said receiver means (18) for further receiving program code and said processor means (22) executing said program code.

12. A terminal according to claim 10 or 11 , wherein said transceiver means (20) transmits data concerning said game world.