Game Watching System for Remote Physical Item Display
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Solution Overview
Problem
Games that progress through the presentation of physical items, such as trading card games, face limitations in being played or watched remotely due to the need for players to be at the same location and have sufficient space to deploy physical items, making it difficult to participate or spectate without nearby players.
Innovation Solution
A game watching system that includes a playing terminal for players and a watching terminal for spectators, with a connection device enabling communicable connections between them, allowing the display of physical game item information between players and spectators, regardless of their location, using smartphones and a game server to facilitate online competitive games.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If players deploy physical game items on a game board to play competitive games, then the game can progress through presentation of physical items, but the players must be at the same location with sufficient space to deploy items
Solution Approach 1:
The patent captures images of physical game items and game boards using imaging devices, then transmits these visual copies to players' terminals. This allows players to view the physical item deployment status remotely without needing to be physically present at the same location, thereby resolving the contradiction between maintaining physical item presentation and enabling remote play.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an image transmission system as an intermediary between the physical game setup and the players. The imaging device captures the physical state, the transmission system conveys this information remotely, and the display device presents it to players. This intermediary chain enables the physical game to function in a remote setting, overcoming the location requirement.
2Adaptability or versatility
If players need to be at the same location to recognize deployment status of physical items, then the game can be played traditionally, but online spectating and remote participation become difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The imaging device creates visual copies of the physical game item deployment status and transmits them to spectators' terminals. This ensures that spectators can see the same information that players see, eliminating the loss of information and enabling fully remote spectating without compromising the visibility of deployment status.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical requirement of players and spectators being physically present at the same location with an electronic information transmission system. Instead of relying on direct visual contact in person, the system uses image capture and digital transmission to convey the game state, thereby enabling remote participation while maintaining information completeness.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a large space is required for deploying physical game items, then the game can be played properly, but the game cannot be easily played or watched at home or in small venues
Solution Approach 1:
The imaging device captures the entire game board and its contents, then transmits this visual information to players and spectators. This allows the game to be played in small venues or at home without needing the large physical space required for traditional deployment, as the visual copy provides complete information about the game state.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions the game experience from a two-dimensional physical space requirement to a digital information transmission dimension. Instead of needing physical square footage for the game board, the system uses digital communication to convey the game state, thereby enabling the game to be played in constrained spaces while maintaining full gameplay functionality.
Data Source
AI summary
A game of a type progressing through presentation of physical game items is enabled to be held or watched online. A game watching system enables watching of a competitive game progressing through presentation of physical game items between players. The game watching system includes: a playing terminal that is associated with a player, and includes: an acquisition unit configured to acquire information on a physical game item of the player, a first display control unit configured to control displaying of information on a first display unit, and a first information communication unit; a watching terminal that is associated with a spectator, and includes: a second display control unit configured to control displaying of information on a second display unit, and a second information communication unit; and a connection device including a connection unit configured to establish communicable connection between a plurality of the playing terminals associated with players participating in the competitive game, and the watching terminal associated with the spectator of the competitive game. For the competitive game for which the communicable connection is established by the connection unit, the first display control unit of the playing terminal associated with each of the players participating causes the first display unit to display information on the physical game item acquired by the acquisition unit of the playing terminal associated with another one of the players participating, when progress of the competitive game reaches a predetermined stage, whereas the second display control unit of the watching terminal associated with the spectator of the competitive game causes the second display unit to display the information on the physical game item acquired by the acquisition unit of the playing terminals associated with the players participating, regardless of the progress of the competitive game.