Interactive gaming system with animated, real-time characters

Abstract

A gaming system enables users to interact with one another during electronic game play with animated imagery. The system comprises a central processing unit having certain character-building menus and certain character-directing commands. Users thereof, via user-based hardware, communicate with one another by way of the central processing unit and a communication network. Animatable characters and character display units are displayed upon the user's hardware and provide an entertaining visual and/or auditory forum for interacting with other players. The character commands are operable to animate user-identifying characters for incorporating animated body language into game play for enhancing player interaction.

1 . An electronic gaming system for enhancing player interaction during an electronic gaming event, the gaming system comprising user-based data input means, user-based data output means, central processing means, and a communication network, the user-based data output means comprising visual output means and auditory output means, the communication network electronically interconnecting the user-based data input means, the user-based data output means, and the central processing means enabling a plurality of users to communicate with one another via the user-based data input and data output means in real-time, the central processing means comprising a character menu and a gaming menu, the character menu comprising a plurality of animatable characters, a plurality of character display units, and predefined character commands, each animatable character being cooperatively associated with a set of character commands, the gaming menu comprising a gaming table depiction, a theme menu, and a game menu, the theme menu comprising at least two gaming themes, the game menu comprising at least one game, the gaming table depiction, the character menu, and the gaming menu being displayable upon the visual output means, the users each selecting a select character display unit, a user-identifying character, a select common game theme, and a select common game from the character and gaming menus, the user-identifying characters being selectable from the animatable characters, the character display units being visually presented in peripheral adjacency to the gaming table depiction, the user-identifying characters being visually presented upon the character display units, the central processing means enabling the users to play the selected common game with the selected common theme, the character commands being operable to animate the user-identifying characters for incorporating animated body language into game play for enhancing player interaction therein. 
   
   
       2 . The gaming system of  claim 1  wherein the user-based data input means comprise sound-inputting means, the sound-inputting means for incorporating auditory stimuli into game play for enhancing player interaction therein. 
   
   
       3 . The gaming system of  claim 1  wherein the user-based data input means comprise light-inputting means, the light-inputting means for incorporating user-based visual stimuli into game play for enhancing player interaction therein. 
   
   
       4 . The gaming system of  claim 3  wherein the light-inputting means is defined by at least one live-action camera, each live-action camera for capturing a user's image, the user-identifying characters being selectable from the group consisting of the animatable characters and the user's image, each live-action camera for incorporating user imagery into game play for enhancing player interaction therein. 
   
   
       5 . The gaming system of  claim 1  wherein the character commands are operable to animate the user-identifying characters for incorporating word-based language into game play for enhancing player interaction therein. 
   
   
       6 . The gaming system of  claim 5  wherein the character commands are operable to animate the user-identifying characters for incorporating auditory word-based language into game play for enhancing player interaction therein. 
   
   
       7 . The gaming system of  claim 1  wherein the gaming table depiction comprises symbolic interactive element depictions, the character commands being operable to enable the user-identifying characters to interact with the interactive element depictions for incorporating object-based language into game play for enhancing player interaction therein. 
   
   
       8 . The gaming system of  claim 1  wherein the character menu comprises a character-building menu, the user-identifying character being constructed from the character-building menu for incorporating user-built characters into game play for enhancing player interaction therein. 
   
   
       9 . An electronic gaming system for enhancing player interaction during an electronic gaming event, the gaming system comprising user-based data input means, user-based data output means, central processing means, and a communication network, the user-based data output means comprising visual output means, the communication network electronically interconnecting the user-based data input means, the user-based data output means, and the central processing means enabling at least two users to communicate with one another via the user-based data input and data output means in real-time, the central processing means comprising a character menu and a gaming menu, the character menu comprising at least two animatable characters, at least two character display units, and a plurality of predefined character commands, each animatable character being cooperatively associated with a set of character commands, the gaming menu comprising a theme menu and a game menu, the theme menu comprising at least one gaming theme, the game menu comprising at least one game, the character menu and the gaming menu being displayable upon the visual output means, the users each selecting a select character display unit, a user-identifying character, a select common game theme, and a select common game from the character and gaming menus, the user-identifying characters being selectable from the animatable characters, the character display units being visually presented in adjacency to one another, the user-identifying characters being visually presented upon the character display units, the central processing means enabling the users to play the selected common game with the selected common theme, the character commands being operable to animate the user-identifying characters for incorporating animated body language into game play for enhancing player interaction. 
   
   
       10 . The gaming system of  claim 9  wherein the user-based data output means comprise auditory data output means, the auditory data output means enabling the users to communicate with auditory messages via the character commands. 
   
   
       11 . The gaming system of  claim 10  wherein the user-based data input means comprise sound-inputting means, the sound-inputting means for inputting real-time auditory stimuli into game play for enhancing player interaction. 
   
   
       12 . The gaming system of  claim 11  wherein the user-based data input means comprise light-inputting means, the light-inputting means for inputting visual stimuli into game play for enhancing player interaction. 
   
   
       13 . The gaming system of  claim 12  wherein the light-inputting means is defined by at least one live-action camera, each live-action camera for capturing and conveying a user's image, the user-identifying characters being selectable from the group consisting of the animatable characters and the user's image, each live-action camera thus for incorporating user imagery into game play for enhancing player interaction. 
   
   
       14 . The gaming system of  claim 13  wherein the theme menu comprises a gaming table depiction, the gaming table depiction being visually depicted upon the visual output means, the character display units being visually presented in adjacency to one another about the periphery of the gaming table depiction for enhancing player interaction. 
   
   
       15 . The gaming system of  claim 14  wherein the gaming table depiction comprises symbolic interactive element depictions, the character commands being operable to enable the user-identifying characters to interact with the interactive element depictions for incorporating object-based language into game play for enhancing player interaction therein. 
   
   
       16 . A gaming system for enhancing player interaction during an on-line gaming event, the gaming system comprising user-based data input means, user-based data output means, central processing means, and a communication network, the user-based data output means comprising visual output means, the communication network electronically interconnecting the user-based data input means, the user-based data output means, and the central processing means enabling at least two users to communicate with one another via the user-based data input and data output means on-line in real-time, the central processing means comprising a character menu and a gaming menu, the character menu comprising at least two animatable characters, at least two character display units, and predefined character commands, each animatable character being cooperatively associated with a set of character commands, the gaming menu comprising at least one game, the character menu and the gaming menu being displayable upon the visual output means, the users each selecting a select character display unit, a user-identifying character, a select common game theme, and a select common game from the character and gaming menus, the user-identifying characters being selectable from the animatable characters, the character display units being visually presented in adjacency to one another, the user-identifying characters being visually presented upon the character display units, the central processing means enabling the users to play the selected common game with the selected common theme, the character commands being operable to animate the user-identifying characters for incorporating animated body language into game play for enhancing player interaction. 
   
   
       17 . The gaming system of  claim 16  wherein the user-based data output means comprise auditory input-output means, the auditory input-output means enabling the users to communicate with auditory messages. 
   
   
       18 . The gaming system of  claim 16  wherein the user-based data input means comprises at least one live-action camera, each live-action camera for capturing a user's image, the user-identifying characters being selectable from the group consisting of the animatable characters and the user's image, each live-action camera for incorporating user imagery into game play for enhancing player interaction. 
   
   
       19 . The gaming system of  claim 16  wherein the character commands are operable to animate the user-identifying characters for incorporating gesture-based language into game play for enhancing player interaction. 
   
   
       20 . The gaming system of  claim 16  wherein the theme menu comprises a gaming table depiction, the gaming table depiction being visually depicted upon the visual output means, the character display units being visually presented in adjacency to one another about the periphery of the gaming table depiction for enhancing player interaction.