Abstract: A method of managing user inputs and displaying outputs in a multi-player game that is played on a plurality of terminals on a network in a manner that compensates for differences in network latency among different terminals. The method includes: (a) transmitting a representation of a game challenge such as a trivia question to the terminals via the network; (b) receiving a game response signal such as a "buzz-in" from two or more of the terminals; (c) assigning each responding terminal a priority rank according to a characteristic of their respective game response signal, e.g., elapsed time since receipt of the game challenge; (d) determining which responding terminal has the highest rank; and (e) sending signals to the responding terminals assigning them respective degrees of control of the game, e.g., the right to take a turn, in accordance with their respective ranks.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
January 30, 1996
Date of Patent:
December 9, 1997
Assignee:
Boxer Jam Productions
Inventors:
W. Temple W. Fennell, Jr., Todd Hodes, Scott Witherell, Chris J. Goebel, Rajesh P. Thakkar, Thomas Schwenk