Multimedia system and method for remote monitoring or refereeing in dart machines
A system and method which comprises a plurality of amusement machines (i.e., video games, flipper games, pinball machines, prize dispensing games, arcade games, electronic darts, kiddie rides, pool tables, golf games, basketball games, billiards, redemption games, soccer tables, shuffle board alleys and bowling alleys, touch-screen countertop games and the like) equipped with play components and associated apparatus to capture multimedia information based on the performance of the players at the machines, apparatus to transmit the multimedia information captured from the machines to a network, and a processor based machine (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU)) for managing and storing this multimedia information.
1. A remote monitoring or refereeing system for one or more dart machines comprising:
one or more dart machines, each of the one or more dart machines comprising:
play components and means to capture multimedia information relating to conduct of play and performance of players using the one or more dart machines;
at least one camera to capture the conduct of play; and
means for transmitting the multimedia and captured conduct of play information, and
at least one refereeing center to receive multimedia and captured conduct of play information, to determine whether at least one of the players complies with at least one condition of play, either nearly instantaneously or with a time delay, and to transmit data including the determination as to whether at least one of the players complies with at least one condition of play to the one or more dart machines.
2. The system of claim 1 wherein each of the one or more dart machines further comprises:
at least one microphone and at least one speaker for audio communication, and
wherein the means for transmitting further comprises a processor to process the multimedia information and the data captured.
3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein each of the dart machines further comprise a means for providing a game boundary.
4. The system according to claim 3 , wherein each of the dart machines further comprise:
an image recognition system to detect if conditions related to the game boundary are satisfied based on the captured conduct of play information.
5. The system according to claim 3 , wherein the means for providing a game boundary is a laser.
6. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one refereeing center comprises: one or more monitors to enable monitoring of the games being conducted on the one or more dart machines.
7. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more dart machines further comprise a monitor to display the multimedia information and data and additional information from the one or more dart machines, wherein the additional information comprises direct or prerecorded images, text, or computer generated media.
8. The system according to claim 7 , wherein a screen of the monitor is positioned in an upper part of the one or more dart machines, protruding with respect to a front principal plane of the one or more dart machines with a certain gradient with respect to a vertical plane.
9. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the play components comprise one or more darts and a dart board.
10. A remote monitoring or refereeing method for dart machines, to be used in a system comprising:
a plurality of dart machines communicating over a network, each of the plurality of dart machines comprising: play components, means for capturing data on performance of the players at the machines and image capturing means;
means for transmitting the data captured from the dart machines to the communication network; and
one or more refereeing centers for evaluating the data transmitted over the network and to enable refereeing of play substantially instantaneously or with a time delay;
the method comprising:
capturing, if the player complies with certain conditions of play during the game play, a result of a portion of play and an image of the area of play and of the player;
transmitting the result and the image to the one or more refereeing centers to be evaluated by a referee;
enabling a decision by the referee as to whether the portion of play has been performed without infringing a rule of play;
transmitting the decision via the network to corresponding dart machines according to a competition refereed; and
displaying the decision on the corresponding dart machines according to the competition refereed.
11. The method, according to claim 10 , wherein performance of players is refereed in real time.
12. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the decision by a referee occurs in real time in a competition between two players who are in different locations.
13. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the decision by a referee occurs with a time delay.
14. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the decision by a referee is based on the result and the image transmitted to the one or more refereeing centers.
15. The method according to claim 10 , wherein a player, may transmit a signal indicating an objection to a certain portion of play, either the player's own play or another player's play, to the one or more refereeing centers, and the player's are able to communicate using visual and verbal means, and wherein the referee makes a final ruling on objection to the certain portion of play.
16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the final ruling updates is transmitted to and displayed on the corresponding amusement machines.
17. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the player transmits the signal in real-time.
18. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the player transmits the signal after the indicating an objection.
19. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the referee is a human operator assisted by electronic devices.