CA2119184A1

CA2119184A1 - Multimedia interactive betting game terminal

Info

Publication number: CA2119184A1
Application number: CA002119184A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Jean-Marie Gatto; Dominique Bertrand
Original assignee: Francaise des Jeux SA
Current assignee: Francaise des Jeux SA
Priority date: 1993-03-22
Filing date: 1994-03-16
Publication date: 1994-09-23
Also published as: HUT66504A; TW262546B; HU9400798D0; KR940022299A; FR2703168A1; JPH07635A; EP0617371A1; CN1115061A

Abstract

MULTIMEDIA INTERACTIVE BETTING GAME TERMINAL

ABSTRACT

Game terminal comprising at least one video monitor (35) having a touch-sensitive screen with which is associated a memory (20) adapted to receive at least image data, and a central unit (45) for processing the game applications which may be selected on the touch-sensitive screen (12), and corresponding operation programs. The memory (20) is a single memory space for the storage of compressed data of images, programs, and game applications. The terminal further comprises an access controller (21) adapted to select the data stored in the memory space and switch this data to means (31, 32) for processing data of images, programs and applications (47), respectively associated with the video monitor (35) and with means (33) for multiplexing the image data. Means (30) for decompressing in real-time are interposed between the access controller (21) and the image data processing means (31, 32).
Figure 4.

Description

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MUI TI~DIA INTERACTIVE BETTING Gl~ TER15INaL
The present invention relates to betting game terminals for games quch as lottery, lotto, totalizator or other games, and more particularly relatQ~ to tQrminals S permitting playing betting games in an instantaneous manner. ~-The games are authorized by the State ina3much as the latter exert~ thereon an absolute control owing to the fact that the wager~ are centralized or centralizable. -~
For thi~ purpo~e, the game terminals are usually part of a betting game system for taking bets comprising a network of game ~erminals placed on premises frequented by betting game players who dQposit at thesQ centres betting slips filled out by them and accompanied by the payments of sums of money corresponding to the betting wagers.
In return, they receivQ a receipt that they keep until the drawing.
The terminals are eiJcher connected through a communication network to a central processing ~y~tem or a server centre, or they stand alone.
~ eret~fore, the game player had to wait a certain period of timQ until the date of the drawing to know the result of his game.
Further, any game for which the game player used a game terMinal required hereto~ore that the game player fill in a game ~lip and receive a receipt, re~ulting in a large con~umption o~ paper.

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Among the known game terminals there exi~it devices employing a video monitor which display~ ~upierimposed video planes the corresponding data of which are ~tored in different memory area~.
The~e variou~ plane~ are for example:
a fixed plane having a window di~placeable on X and Y
axe~ relative to thi~ plane;
a plane in which per~onage~ move about;
a fixed plane placed in front of the preceding two 10 planeq.
Generally, the~e images are m~rely drawn and animated image~.
In another known arrangement, the video image~ are ~tored in miemory area~ corre~ponding, a~ in the preceding ca~e, to different di~play plane~ on the monitor and they are tran~mitted to the di~play device via an appropriate interface circuit.
In storage means ~uch a~ a di~k, the images are stored in the compres~ed or noncompres~ed form.
For their display, the image file~ are read on the di~k, then ~tored in a me ry o~ a card a~Yociated with a video monitor, through a central proce~ing unit which deco~pre~e3 them upon the reading thereof.
~he decompre~ed image~ are then transmitted to the -25 di~play monitor by mean~ o~ an appropriate circui~. -Such an arrangement permit~ a good definition of the image but it require~ a large memory capacity for the .': ' , , , ,,." ", , ., , ,, ',, '', ' '' :' ' , ~ ' ~ '^' ' '' storage of the images which renders this arrangement costly .
It is moreover known to control by mean¢~ of a plurality of video 3ignal ~ources the di3play of image¢~ on a monitor ¢craen by the in~etting of these ~ource3.
An object of the invention i-~ to provide a betting game terminal which permit¢3 the user¢~ to play in an instantaneous manner.
Another object of the invention is to provide a betting game terminal which permits a considerable reduction in the amount of paper used.
A further object of the invention is to provide an interactive gamQ terminal which attract¢¢ players in that it permits them to amu3e them~elves when filling in theix game slip¢3.
The invention therefore provide¢3 a betting gamR
terminal for taking b¢2ts compri¢3ing at least one video monitor with which are a~ociated means for i~suing receipt~ against payment of a wager and ~alidation of a game by the player on the monitor, at least one memo~y for receiving at least image data, at lea¢~t one cen~ral uni~
for proce¢3sing game applications which may be selected, corre~ponding operation program~, and mean¢3 for ~electing game application~, characterized in that the mem~ry i~ a single memory ¢3pace for the storage o~¢ compressed data of images, program¢~, game applications, and in that the terminal f¢urther comprise3 an acce3¢~ controller having a ~,,,,, ¢, ~, ,,",, , ,' ,~

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section adapted to ~elect the data stored in the memory spaae and to ~witch the data to mean~ for demultiplexing the image data, in turn connected to real-time image data decompressing mean~, connected to image data proce~ing means, multiplexing and/or mixing means being interpo~ed between the video monitor and said image data processing mean~, the acce3s controller further comprising a section for controlling the multiplexing and~or mixing mean~..
A better understanding of the invention will be had from the following description which i~ given solely by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing~, in which:
Fig. 1 is a block diagram o~ a gam~ terminal according to the invention;
Fig. 2 i~. a block diagram of an alternative embodiment of the game terminal shown in Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 i~ a block diagram of another alternative -embodiment of the game terminal according to the invention;
Fig. 4 is a more detailed logic diagram illu~trating the various functions of the gamQ ~erminal according to the invention, and F~g. 5 is a block diagram corre~.ponding to the logic diagram shown in Fig. 4. ~-An object o~ the invention i~ to provide a betting game terminal comprising a video di3play device controlled by mæan~ for producing a succe~.sion oi image ~equences resulting from camera ~hot~ recon~tituting reality while ' ' , '" ' ~,' ' ,', ,','i " '', '",' ' , ' , ', ' ~ ' "' ' , , ",, ~, - , -2 ~ a ~ ~

introducing sequences having a random character in this succe~sion of sequences.
The impression of reality is ob~ained with the aid of sub-a~semblies of images and ~ound~ coming from real chots and real sounds which become interleaved and/or ~ucceed one another.
The reconstitution i~ achieved by the fact that the ~ucces~ion of sequence~ of images and ~ounds produce a ~ingle ~equence the ~ight of which give~ the impre~ion of reality.
The random character, which may moreover be interactive, i5 obtained by the fact that the sequQnces of images and sounds may be combined infinitely, thereby producing pseudo-real sequence~ by acting on certain parameters.
Among the~e sequences, ~ome may be selected outside the control of the player, which gives the random character to the pre3ented sequences of images and sounds.
Another object of the invention is to permit obtaining combination~ of natural images and computer-generated images.
The betting game terminal for taking bet~ ~hown in Fig.
1 mainly comprises a circuit card 1 having a memory 2 con~tituted for example by a Fla~h memory and/or a DRAM for the ~torage of compressed images and connected via a bus 3 to a cen~ral proce3~ing unit ~or CPU) 4 which comprise3 a memory area 5 ~or the storage o~ the application~ to be ~,",,," ~, ", -~" ~ "~ ,"" " ,, ," ,~
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carried out by the terminal and a memory area 6 for the ~torage of the operation program o~ the terminal. The central proce~ing unit 4 i~ of the DOS or OS di~k operating type of ~y~tem.
A receipt i~uing mean~ 4a is associated with the central proces~ing unit 4.
The memory 2 of the card 1 i~ connected to a real-time i ge and sound data decompressing unit 7 which in turn is connected by its output to a multiplexing unit 8 for image insetting and ~ound mi~ing.
The latter include~ an output connected to a video monitor 9 and an output connected to a ~ound reproducing device 10.
~ his card is completed by a circuit 11 connected between the memory 2 and the multiplexing circuit 8 for the purpo~e of tran~mitting thereto computer-generated image data to b~ combined with image data coming from camera shots .
The monitor 3creen i9 a~ociated with a touch-~en~itive keyboard 12 connected to the central proces~ing unit 4.
Other ergonomic selecting mQans adapted to thi~ type of application may al~o be employed.
The terminal who~e circuit i~ ~hown in Fig. 2 also compri~e~ a Fla~h memory and a DRAM 2 for the storage of compr~s~ed image and sound data.
A~ it~ output, the memory 2 i~ connected to a data decompre~ing unit 7 which in turn is connected to a , ,~ , . . .

multiplexing unit 8 controlling a display monitor 9 and a sound reproducing device lO.
The memory 2 is connected via a bus to the central processing unit 4 which also controls the decompressing and multiplexing units 7 and 8 and processes the in~tructions coming ~rom the touch-sensitive screen 12.
Receipt issuing mean~ 4a are also associated with the central unit 4.
This circuit differs from that shown in Fig. 1 in that the DRAM memory 2a of the me ry 2 is connected to a CD-ROM
memory 13 for the storage of the compressed data.
The memory 2 of thi~ arrangement is considered as a virtual disk seen by the central processing unit 4 and con~equently as being part of the me ry of the central proce~sing unit, and aq a memory ~een by the decompre~ing unit 7.
The circuit of the terminal ~hown in Fig. 3 mainly differs from the circuit ~hown in Fig. 1 by the fact that it~ memory 2 ha~ a virtual area i4 for the ~torage of i ge and sound data sharQd with a memory area 15 of the central processing unit 4, and a management circuit 16 having a double acce~ interpo~ed between the CPU 4 and the memory 2 on one hand and between the memory 2 and the decompressing circuit 7 on the other hand.
Thi~ arrangement ensure~ a rapid ~low of data between th~ video memory 2 and the multiplexing unit 8 ~hown in heavy line in Fig. 3 and a controlled flow o~ in~truction~

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on one hand between the memory 2 and the central proces~ing unit 4 and on the other hand between the latter and the decompre~sing circuit 7 and the multiplexing unit 8 ~hown in double line in Fig. 3.
There will now be described in more detail the logic diagram o~ the interactive betting game terminal for taking bet~ according to the invention ~hown in Fig. 4.
This ~tructural block diagram must be read from the csntre indicating the general function o~ the de~cribed device toward the periphery ~y succe~ive concentric layer~
which give more and m~re detailed indication~ of the - --structure of the device. --The terminal repre~ented in thi~ way compri~es a memory --space 20 for the ~torage of image, ~ound and instruction 15 data. -~
This memory qpace compri~es a Flash memory and/or a ,~-~tatic or dynamic RAM and/or a ROM and/or a disk mQmory. ~--A~ociated with thi~ memory ~pace 20 i3 an acce3s controller 21 which may be con~tituted by a microproce~sor, by a cabled logic or by a combination o~ ~uch arrangement~
and which comprise3 a section 22 controlling direct acces~
to a CD-ROM, a section 23 controlling access to a disk, a ~ection 25 con~rolling acce~s ko image data proce~ing means, and a section 26 controlling access to ~ound data proce~ing mQans.
The ~ection~ 25 and 26 controlling acce~s to the video and ~ound data processing mean~ o~ the acces~ controller 21 ,",- ~, " ~ ,,,,,~,~",;, ~ ,"," ,,~ , ,, , "

are connected respectively to a video demultiplexor 27 and to a sound data demultiplexor 28.
The video demultiplexor 27 is connected to a real-time decompre~ing unit 30 which i~ in turn connected to S circuits 31 for processing video data 1 to n coming from camera ~hot~ for the purpose of di~playing different plane~
of images con~tituting scene~ to be represented on the monitor~, and to circuit~ 32 for proce~ing computer-generated video data 1 to n or videographic adaptors for the purpo~e of combininq them in corre~ponding image plane~
with video data coming from real camera shot~. Connected to the proce~ing circuit~ 31, 32 i~ a video ~ignal multiplexor 33 at the output~ o~ which axe connected digital-to-analog converter~ 34 connected to a~ many video monitors 35 as the terminal has screen~
The sound ~ignal demultiplexor 28 i~ connected to a real-time decompre~ing unit 28a connected to circuit~ 36 for proce~sing ~ound data 1 to n o~ corre~ponding recorded ~ound ~ources and circuit~ 37 ~or proce3~ing computer-generated sound data of a plurality of ~ource~ 1 to n.
~ he proce~ing circuit~ 36, 37 are connected to anaudio signal multiplexor 38 which i~ in turn connected to digital-to-analog converters 39 the number of which i~
equal to the number of sound reproducing device~ 40 the te~minal po~se~e~.
The acce~ controlling ~ection 22 i~ connected to a CD-RO~ reader 42.

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The acce~s control section 23 i~ connected to a disk reader 43.
The acce~ controller 21 further compri~es a section 44 controlling and demultiplexing program and application~
data which, a~ indicated by the arrow 45, en~ure~ the control o~ the other sections 22, 25, 26 of the acce~s controller 21 and that of the multiplexor~ 33 and 38 of the image and ~ound data.
A~ociated with the section 44 controlling the program and applications data is a bus arbitration circuit 46 connected to a central proces~ing unit 47.
In accordance with needs, a plurality of central units ~uch a~ the unit 47 may be connected to an arbitration bus 46.
La~tly, the device ~hown in Fig. 4 comprises an exten~ion area 48 adapted to receive an additional proces~ing and acce3~ control device.
Ths item~ of information ~or storage in the memory space 20 are pre~ented coded in the form of a chain compo~ed of a plurality of data fields.
~ ach ~ield corresponding to a type of data is of the type predefinable by either a header or an associated tag.
Certain ~ields are compres~ed in accordance with different proce~se~ which may be predictive, adaptive or otherwi~e.
A~ mQn~ioned be~ore, data are recognized and ~orted by the acce~ controller 21 which may be a microprocessor or a ~ "/,~ ," , ",~ ", ,", , "~

programmed logic or a mixture of ~uch arrangement~.
The operation of the multimedia interactive terminal just de~cribed will now be explained in the following example with reference to the diagram of Fig. 4.
When ~witched on, the central proce~ing unit 47 is initialized.
The terminal can lmmediately ~end out image~ to the video monitor or nitors 35 ~ince the imageq are already ~tored in the memory space 20.
Indeed, by means of the invention, the tran~fer operations between the disk and the memory of the terminal are eliminated.
~he images taken from the memory space 20 simply pa~
through the real-time decompre~sion circuit 30 and are in3tantaneou~1y tran~mitted to the monitors 35.
While the interactive terminal send~ the images to the monitor~, the central processing unit 47 can interrogate the memory 20 a~ a virtual di~k of the arbitration bu~
circuit 46 and load the programs, the data, the image~, the ~ound~ nece~sary for the application ~elected by the player in it~ own memory for the purpo~e of proces ing them and thereby ensuring the initialization of the terminal for the purpo~e of carrying out thi~ application.
The central proce~ing unit 47 drive~ the decompre~ion circuit~ 30 and the multiplexor 33, 38 for insetting the image and mixing the ~ound according to the program of ~he applica~ion.

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The touch-sensitive screen shown at 12 in Fig~. 1 to 3 i~ u~ed for creating the interactivity in each application the instruction~ of which are contained in the memory ~pace 20. -- -Fig. 5 -4how~ the details of the block diagram of the betting game terminal for taking bet~ according to the invention.
The elements of thi~ diagram which corre~pond to those -of the logic diagram shown in Fig. 4 are de~ignated by the same reference numeral~.
The memory space 20 i~ connected to an acce~ -controlling logic 21 which corresponds to the acce~s controller 21 of the diagram shown in Fig. 4 and deliver~ -to the memory ~pace pointer~ pl to pn.
15The logic 21 i9 connected at its output to a demultiplexor 50 constituted either by a cabled logic, or by a program which i~ adapted to ~elect in the ~tream of data reaching it from ~he memory space via the addre~ing logic which constitutes the acce~ controller 21, the 20 video, ~ound, program~ and applica~ion~ data. !', This demultiplexor 50 corre~ponds to the demultiplexors 27, 28 and 45 of the diagram ~hown in Fig. 4.
The demultiplexor 50 compri~e~ output~ connected to real-time video data decompres~ing circuits 30 which are in turn connected to circuits 31, 32 ~or proce~ing natural image data and computer-generated image data.
The output~ of the~e proce~ing circuit~ are co~nected to an in~etting multiplexor 33 which i~ connected through an analog converter 34 to a monitor 35 which represents in Fig. 5 the monitors 35 shown in Fig. 4.
Likewise, the demultiplexor 50 compri~e~ sound data outputs connected to real-tim~ sound data decompressing circuit~ 28a which în turn are connected to natural sound data procesYing circuits 36.
The demultiplexor 50 comprisQs a computer-generated sound data output directly connected to a proce~sing circuit 37 wi~hout passing through a decompression circuit.
The outputs of the proce3sing circuits 36, 37 are -~
connected to a multiplexor 38 the output of which is connected via an analog converter 39 to sound reproducing .
device~ 40. ~-~he demultiplexor 50 further comprises program and application outputs which are connected ~o central , ~ -processing unit~ 52 in turn connected via input/outpu~
logics 53, on one hand, to ~electing mean~ 54 which may be for example the touch-sensitive screen 12 of the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 3, a keyboard, a game joystick, a sensor constituted for example by a ball which must be struck by the player, a keyboard or other mean3, on the other hand, to re3ult issuinq mean~ which may ~or example drive the printer 4a of the embodiments shown in ~igs. 1 to 3 and la~tly to the access control section 44 of the proqram and application data which control3 at it~ output the address pointers pl to pn kransmitted to the mery ~, ......... .. . . .. . ... . . . .

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space 20 and also the demultiplexor 50.
The central proce~sing unit~ 52 and their a~sociated input/output logic~ 53 con~titute in fact the central proce~sing unit 47 of the diagram shown in Fig. 4.
5~he arrangement ju~t described therefore permits providing a multimedia interactive terminal which permit~
repre~enting on the video nitor ~creen or screPn~ in a plurality of planes im~ge~ coming from real camera ~hots and~or computer-generated im~ge~ and reproducing on one or a plurality of sound reproducing devices natural ~ounds from a recording and/or computer-generated sounds.
The applications ~tored in the memory ~pace 20 are for example the rule~ of a plurality of gam~ the ~election of which by the game player on the touch-sensitive ~creen of the video monitor available to him cau~es to appear on the ~creen of the monitor either a game grid such a~ a lotto grid that the player merely ha~ to fill in by bearing against the boxe~ of the grid, or a ~cene repre~enting a game ~ituation in which the player mN8t participate, for example the goals of a football field, with a crowd of spectators in the background, a goalkeeper in front of the goal~ ready to ~top a shot, and on the penalty ~pot a ball to be kicked by anokher player, these variou~ image~ being real image~ taken from camera ~hot~, and ak the base of the ~cr~sn computer-generated Lmages ~howing ~he po~sibilities open to the player ~or choosi~g various path~ for the ball ~o a~ to ~ry to "beat" the goalkeeper.

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When the player ha~ chosen the manner in which the ball i~ to be kicked, the terminal, with the aid of the mean~
described hereinbefore, produce~ a sequence of -~hot_ at the goal with the movement~ of the goalkeeper in accordance with a prerQgulated path or a path detQrmined in a random manner, a path of the ball corre~ponding to the choice of the u~er of the terminal and sounds reproducing the impact of the foot of the footballer on the ball, the pos~ible ~topping of the ball by the goalkeeper, the noise of the crowd of ~pectator~ and ~o on.
Con~equently, the game terminal according to the invention is in fact a multimedia interactive terminal.
Further, by providing the player with the equivalent of a betting slip by mean~ of a simple display, the terminal according to the invention re~ult~ in a conQiderable economy of paper in that it avoid~ printing betting ~lip~.
When the player has played hi~ game and paid his bet, it is then ~ufficient to provide him wi~h a receipt corre~ponding to hi~ ~et and the wager paid.
In the case of immediate interactive game~, th0 player could immediately receive a receipt and, on thi~ receipt, the amount of hi3 winnings.
The terminal according to the invention may be either in~erted in a network wi~h ~imilar terminals or as~ociated with exi~ing game terminal~.

Claims

1. Game terminal for taking bets comprising at least one video monitor with which are associated means for issuing receipts against payment of a wager and validation of a game by the game player on the monitor, at least one memory for receiving at least image data, at least one central unit for processing game applications which may be selected, corresponding operation programs, and means for selecting game applications, characterized in that the memory is a single memory space for the storage of compressed data of images, programs, game applications, and in that the terminal further comprises an access controller having a section adapted to select the data stored in the memory space and switch the data to means for demultiplexing the image data, in turn connected to real time image data decompressing means connected to image data processing means, multiplexing and/or mixing means being interposed between the video monitor and said image data processing means, the access controller further comprising a section for controlling the multiplexing and/or mixing means.

2. Game terminal according to claim 1, wherein the memory comprises at least one Flash memory and/or a static or dynamic RAM memory and/or a ROM memory and/or a disk memory.

3. Game terminal according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the data for storage in the memory space are presented coded in the form of a single chain composed of a plurality of data fields certain of which are compressed in accordance with different processes, each data field of a type being predefinable by a header or an associated tag.

4. Game terminal according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the access controller is a microprocessor, a programmed logic circuit or a combination of such arrangements.

5. Game terminal according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the image data processing means comprise circuits for processing video data 1 to n coming from camera shots for the purpose of displaying different image planes for the constitution of scenes to be represented on the monitor, and circuits for processing graphic computer-generated video data 1 to n for the purpose of combining them in the corresponding image planes with video data coming from real camera shots.

6. Game terminal according to any one of the claims 1 to 5, further comprising at least one sound reproducing device, wherein the memory also ensures the storage of the compressed or noncompressed sound data, and the access controller comprises a section for controlling access of the sound data stored in the memory to sound data demultiplexing means connected to real-time sound data decompressing means which are connected to sound data processing means, multiplexing means being interposed between the sound reproducing device and said sound data processing means, a section of the access controller also controlling the sound data multiplexing means.

7. Game terminal according to claim 6, wherein the sound data processing means comprise circuits for processing recorded natural sound data and circuits for processing computer-generated sounds stored in the memory.

8. Game terminal according to any one of the claim to 7, wherein the memory is considered as a virtual disk seen by the processing unit and consequently as being part of the memory of the central processing unit and as a memory seen by the decompressing means.

9. Game terminal according to any one of the claims 1 to 7, wherein the memory comprises a virtual area for the storage of image and sound data shared with a memory area of the central processing unit, and a management circuit having a double access interposed between the processing unit and the memory on one hand and between the memory and the decompressing means on the other hand.

10. Game terminal according to any one of the claims 1 to 7, comprising digital-to-analog converting mean connected between the multiplexing means and the video monitor or monitors on one hand and the sound reproducing device or devices on the other hand.