Bowling Game Playable in Separate, Remote Locations

Abstract

A bowling game including at least two spaced apart bowling lanes, the bowling lanes each including two cameras, a screen and a scoreboard such that a first bowling lane includes a first camera and a third camera, a first screen and a first scoreboard; and a bowling lane includes a second camera and a fourth camera, and a second screen and a second scoreboard, wherein the game further includes at least one controller which controls the images from the cameras such that the first screen displays images from the second camera and the fourth camera and the second screen displays images from the first camera and third camera, and wherein the first camera captures images of the play at the first lane, the second camera captures images of play at the second lane, the third camera captures images of the first scoreboard and the fourth camera captures images of the second scoreboard; such that the first screen displays images of the play and scoreboard at the second lane and the second screen displays images of the play and scoreboard at the first lane.

1 . A system for playing a bowling game in at least two spaced apart bowling lanes, said system comprising:
 a first optical camera adapted to capture images of a first bowling play at a first bowling lane;   a second optical camera adapted to capture images of a second bowling play at a second bowling lane;   a first scoreboard at said first bowling lane being adapted to display scores achieved by the first bowling play;   a second scoreboard at said second bowling lane being adapted to display scores achieved by the second bowling play;   a third optical camera at said first bowling lane being adapted to capture images of said first scoreboard displaying scores achieved by the first bowling play;   a fourth optical camera at said second bowling lane being adapted to capture images of said second scoreboard displaying scores achieved by the second bowling play;   a first screen at said first bowling lane being adapted to display images captured by said second and fourth optical cameras;   a second screen at said second bowling lane being adapted to display images captured by said first and third optical cameras; and   a first controller being programmed to rewrite images from respective said optical cameras to respective said screens.   
     
     
         2 . A system as in  claim 1  wherein said optical cameras digitally capture images. 
     
     
         3 . A system as in  claim 2 , including a second controller programmed to relay images from respective said optical cameras to respective said screens. 
     
     
         4 . A system as in  claim 3  wherein said first controller is programmed to collect first digital image data from said first and third optical cameras, and to transmit such first digital image data to said second controller. 
     
     
         5 . A system as in  claim 4  wherein said second controller is programmed to collect second digital image data from said second and forth optical cameras, and to transmit such second digital image data to said first controller. 
     
     
         6 . A system as in  claim 5  wherein said first controller is programmed to relay the second digital image data to said first screen for transformation of the second digital image data into first visual displays at said first screen, and said second controller is programmed to relay the first digital data to said second screen for transformation of the first digital image data into second visual displays at said second screen. 
     
     
         7 . A method of playing a bowling game with first and second spaced apart bowling lanes, the method comprising:
 providing a first digital optical camera, a third digital optical camera, a first screen, and a first scoreboard at said first bowling lane;   providing a second digital optical camera, a fourth digital optical camera, a second screen, and a second scoreboard at said second bowling lane;   providing first and second controllers programmed to collect digital image data from said cameras, and to transmit the digital image data to respective said first and second screens;   making a first bowling play at said first bowling lane;   making a second bowling play at said second bowling lane;   capturing an image of said first bowling play with said first digital optical camera;   capturing an image of said second bowling play with said second digital optical camera;   displaying a first score for said first bowling play at said first scoreboard;   displaying a second score for said second bowling play at said second scoreboard;   capturing an image of said first scoreboard displaying the first score with said third digital optical camera, wherein first digital image data includes the first bowling play images and the first scoreboard images;   capturing an image of said second scoreboard displaying the second score with said fourth digital optical camera, wherein second digital image data includes the second bowling play images and the second scoreboard images;   operating said first controller to collect the first digital image data and to transmit the first digital image data to said second controller;   operating said second controller to collect the second digital image data and to transmit the second digital image data to said first controller;   operating said first controller to transmit the second digital image data to said first screen;   transforming the second digital image data into a first visual display at said first screen;   operating said second controller to transmit the first digital image data to said second screen; and   transforming the first digital image data into a second visual display at said second screen.   
     
     
         8 . A bowling game including at least two spaced apart bowling lanes, the bowling lanes each including two cameras, a screen and a scoreboard such that a first bowling lane includes a first camera and a third camera, a first screen and a first scoreboard; and a bowling lane includes a second camera and a fourth camera, and a second screen and a second scoreboard, wherein the game further includes at least one controller which controls the images from the cameras such that the first screen is adapted to display images from the second camera and the fourth camera and the second screen is adapted to display images from the first camera and third camera, and wherein the first camera captures images of the play at the first lane, the second camera captures images of play at the second lane, the third camera captures images of the first scoreboard and the fourth camera captures images of the second scoreboard. 
     
     
         9 . A game according to  claim 8 , wherein the first bowling lane includes a first screen which is adapted to display images from the second camera and images of the first and second scoreboards as captured by respectively the third and fourth cameras, and the second bowling lane includes a second screen which is adapted to display images from the first camera and images of the first and second scoreboards as captured by respectively the third and fourth cameras 
     
     
         10 . A game according to  claim 9 , wherein the first screen is connected to a first controller, the second screen is connected to a second controller and the first and second controllers are connected to each other. 
     
     
         11 . A game according to  claim 8 , wherein the two bowling lanes each include a further camera such that the first bowling lane includes a first screen, a first camera a third camera and a fifth camera, and the second bowling lane includes a second screen, a second camera, a fourth camera and a sixth camera, wherein the fifth camera captures images of the player(s) at the first bowling lane and the sixth camera captures images of the player(s) at the second bowling lane, and wherein the first screen is adapted to display images from the second, fourth and sixth cameras and the second screen is adapted to display images from the first, third and fifth cameras. 
     
     
         12 . A game according to  claim 11 , wherein the fifth and sixth cameras are configured to enable videoconferencing between players at the first and second bowling areas. 
     
     
         13 . A game according to  claim 8 , wherein the first bowling lane further includes a first microphone and a first speaker and the second bowling lane further includes a second microphone and a second speaker, wherein the first microphone is connected to the second speaker such that the second speaker is capable of emitting sounds captured by the first microphone and the second microphone is connected to the first speaker such that the first speaker is capable of emitting sounds captured by the second microphone.