Interactive walkway and gaming method employing same

Abstract

An interactive walkway includes a plurality of walkway segments, each of the walkway segments being associated with a signal generator, a physical location, and an identifying indicium, and at least one receiver in communication with the signal generators, the at least one receiver being adapted to receive a transmission and activate at least one of the signal generators upon receipt of the transmission. Gaming methods that make use of the interactive walkway are also disclosed.

1 . An interactive walkway comprising
 a) a plurality of walkway segments, each of the walkway segments being associated with
 i) a signal generator, 
 ii) a physical location, and 
 iii) an identifying indicium, and 
   b) at least one receiver in communication with the signal generators, the at least one receiver being adapted to receive a transmission and activate at least one of the signal generators upon receipt of the transmission.   
   
   
       2 . The interactive walkway of  claim 1  wherein the walkway segments comprise a plurality of boards forming a boardwalk. 
   
   
       3 . The interactive walkway of  claim 1  wherein the walkway segments comprise a plurality of tiles forming at least a portion of a floor. 
   
   
       4 . The interactive walkway of  claim 1  wherein the walkway segments comprise a plurality of concrete segments forming at least a portion of a sidewalk. 
   
   
       5 . The interactive walkway of  claim 1  wherein the walkway segments are defined areas of an at least partially continuous surface. 
   
   
       7 . The interactive walkway of  claim 1  wherein the signal generator is affixed to the walkway segment. 
   
   
       8 . The interactive walkway of  claim 1  wherein the signal generator is embedded within the walkway segment. 
   
   
       9 . The interactive walkway of  claim 1  wherein the signal generator is remote from the walkway segment. 
   
   
       10 . The interactive walkway of  claim 1  wherein at least one signal generator comprises a light. 
   
   
       11 . The interactive walkway of  claim 10  wherein the light is selected from the group consisting of an incandescent light, a neon light, a fluorescent light and a light-emitting diode. 
   
   
       12 . The interactive walkway of  claim 1  wherein at least one signal generator comprises a sound generator. 
   
   
       13 . The interactive walkway of  claim 1  wherein at least one signal generator comprises a video display device. 
   
   
       14 . The interactive walkway of  claim 1  wherein at least one signal generator comprises a telecommunication device. 
   
   
       15 . The interactive walkway of  claim 1  wherein the physical location of the walkway segment is defined by GPS coordinates identifying a point within the walkway segment. 
   
   
       16 . The interactive walkway of  claim 1  wherein the physical location of the walkway segment is defined by a set of GPS coordinates delimiting at least a portion of an area of the walkway segment. 
   
   
       17 . The interactive walkway of  claim 1  wherein the identifying indicium comprises an alpha-numeric designation. 
   
   
       18 . The interactive walkway of  claim 1  comprising one receiver, the receiver being in communication with each of the signal generators. 
   
   
       19 . The interactive walkway of  claim 1  comprising a plurality of receivers, each of the receivers being in communication with a portion of the signal generators such that each signal generator is in communication with at least one receiver. 
   
   
       20 . The interactive walkway of  claim 1  comprising a plurality of receivers, each receiver being in communication with one of the signal generators, wherein the number of signal generators equals the number of receivers. 
   
   
       21 . The interactive walkway of  claim 20  wherein each walkway segment is associated with a separate signal generator and a separate receiver. 
   
   
       22 . The interactive walkway of  claim 1  wherein at least one signal generator communicates with at least one receiver via an electrical connection 
   
   
       23 . The interactive walkway of  claim 1  wherein at least one signal generator communicates with at least one receiver via a wireless connection. 
   
   
       24 . The interactive walkway of  claim 1  wherein at least one signal generator is solar-powered. 
   
   
       25 . The interactive walkway of  claim 1  comprising at least three non-collinear walkway segments. 
   
   
       26 . The interactive walkway of  claim 25  further comprising at least one walkway segment that is non-coplanar with at least three non-collinear walkway segments. 
   
   
       27 . A gaming method comprising the steps of:
 i) providing a gaming system comprising:
 a) an interactive walkway comprising
 1) a plurality of walkway segments, each of the walkway segments being associated with
 A) a signal generator, 
 B) a physical location, and 
 C) an identifying indicium, and 
 
 2) at least one receiver in communication with the signal generators, the at least one receiver being adapted to receive a transmission and activate at least one of the signal generators upon receipt of the transmission, 
 
 b) a transmitter adapted to communicate with the at least one receiver, and 
 c) a controller adapted to communicate with the transmitter and with at least one player, 
   ii) randomly selecting an identifying indicium corresponding to a walkway segment,   iii) determining whether at least one player is within a preselected distance from the walkway segment to which the selected identifying indicium corresponds during at least one time within a preselected time interval, and   iv) alerting the at least one player when the player is determined to be within the preselected distance from the walkway segment by activating at least one signal generator of the interactive walkway.   
   
   
       28 . The gaming method of  claim 27  wherein the controller comprises a computer in communication with a network which is accessible to a player. 
   
   
       29 . The gaming method of  claim 27  wherein the physical location of the walkway segment is defined by GPS coordinates identifying at least one point within the walkway segment, and wherein in step iii) the GPS coordinates of at least one player are obtained and compared with the GPS coordinates identifying the at least one point within the walkway segment. 
   
   
       30 . The gaming method of  claim 29  wherein the player's GPS coordinates are provided to the control site by a telecommunication device carried by the player. 
   
   
       31 . The gaming method of  claim 30  wherein the telecommunication device is a cellular telephone comprising a GPS locator. 
   
   
       32 . The gaming method of  claim 27  wherein the identifying indicium comprises an alphanumeric designation. 
   
   
       33 . The gaming method of  claim 27  wherein in step iv) the player is alerted by activating a plurality of signal generators. 
   
   
       34 . The gaming method of  claim 33  wherein the control site communicates an activation instruction to a transmitter, which communicates the activation instruction to a receiver in communication with at least one signal generator. 
   
   
       35 . The gaming method of  claim 34  wherein the at least one signal generator is associated with the walkway segment the identifying indicium of which was selected in step ii). 
   
   
       36 . The gaming method of  claim 35  wherein the signal generator is affixed to the walkway segment. 
   
   
       37 . The gaming method of  claim 35  wherein the signal generator is embedded within the walkway segment. 
   
   
       38 . The gaming method of  claim 35  wherein the signal generator is remote from the walkway segment. 
   
   
       39 . The gaming method of  claim 35  wherein at least one signal generator comprises a light. 
   
   
       40 . The gaming method of  claim 39  wherein the light is selected from the group consisting of an incandescent light, a neon light, a fluorescent light and a light-emitting diode. 
   
   
       41 . The gaming method of  claim 35  wherein at least one signal generator comprises a sound generator. 
   
   
       42 . The gaming method of  claim 35  wherein at least one signal generator comprises a video display device. 
   
   
       43 . The gaming method of  claim 27  wherein, prior to step ii), the controller contacts at least one player to invite the player to participate in the gaming method. 
   
   
       44 . The gaming method of  claim 43  wherein the controller verifies the player's eligibility to participate in the gaming method when the player accepts the controller's invitation to participate in the gaming method. 
   
   
       45 . The gaming method of  claim 27  wherein in step iii) the preselected time interval is calculated to commence at the time the identifying indicium is selected. 
   
   
       46 . The gaming method of  claim 27  wherein in step iii) the preselected time interval is calculated to commence at a time prior to the time the identifying indicium is selected. 
   
   
       47 . The gaming method of  claim 27  wherein a player pays a premium in order to participate in the gaming method. 
   
   
       48 . The gaming method of  claim 27  wherein steps ii)-iv) are sequentially repeated. 
   
   
       49 . The gaming method of  claim 48  wherein a player pays a premium for each of a plurality of sequential repetitions of steps ii)-iv). 
   
   
       50 . The gaming method of  claim 27  wherein a plurality of interactive walkways are provided. 
   
   
       51 . The gaming method of  claim 27  which commences when a player first approaches a walkway segment such that the distance between the player and the walkway segment is less than or equal to a preselected activation distance.