Patent ID: 7628702

Claim:
A method of operating a mission control (administration) system for controlling multiple game playing satellite computers on a network comprising: (a) providing a mission control computer which operates administrative programs for performing administrative functions for multiple game playing satellite computers on a network; (b) providing a plurality of game-playing satellite computers connected to the network, each of which maintains a plurality of game programs and game-specific command sets for controlling the play of respective ones of said plurality of game programs; (c) storing in each game-specific command set of a satellite computer at least a game-specific start signal and a game-specific stop signal for starting and stopping a respective game program, respectively, on the satellite computer; (d) issuing a generic game start signal from the mission control computer to a satellite computer which is indexed to the game-specific start signal of the game-specific command set for a respective game program on the satellite computer in order to cause the game-specific start signal of the game-specific command set to be issued by the satellite computer for starting the game program; (e) enabling the game program once started to be played on the satellite computer by local game-specific command inputs of a game player to the satellite computer; and whereby generic command signals can be issued by the mission control computer to control the administration of game programs played on any of the satellite computers, while enabling local game-specific command inputs to be used by a game player to control the playing of a game program on the satellite computer.