Amusement devices: games – Including means for processing electronic data
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-07
2003-04-01
Martin-Wallace, Valencia (Department: 3713)
Amusement devices: games
Including means for processing electronic data
C463S007000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06540606
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable information terminal which can be held by hand and played by the user, and can also be used as an auxiliary storage unit for an information apparatus, a recording medium which stores a program to be downloaded into such a portable information terminal, and a program itself to be downloaded into such a portable information terminal.
2. Description of the Related Art
Slave units such as conventional memory card devices for insertion into, master units such as information apparatus such as entertainment apparatus including video game machines comprise an interface for connection to a master unit such as an information apparatus and a nonvolatile memory for storing data.
FIG. 57
of the accompanying drawings shows major components of such a conventional memory card device. As shown. in
FIG. 57
, a conventional memory card
1000
comprises a control means
102
for controlling operation thereof, a connector
1004
for connection to a terminal in a slot in an information apparatus or the like, and a nonvolatile memory
1006
for storing data. The connector
1004
and the nonvolatile memory
1006
are connected to the control means
1002
.
The control means
1002
comprises a microcomputer, for example. The nonvolatile memory
1006
comprises a flash memory, an EEPROM, or the like. An interface for connection to the information apparatus or the like may comprise a micro-computer as a control means for interpreting a protocol.
FIG. 58
of the accompanying drawings shows control items in the control means
1002
of the conventional memory card
1000
.
As shown in
FIG. 58
, the conventional memory card
1000
only has an apparatus connection interface for connection to a master unit such as a information apparatus or the like, and a memory interface for storing data into and reading data from the nonvolatile memory.
Conventional entertainment apparatus which allow the user to enjoy home TV games have a function to store a program and data into an auxiliary storage unit. The above memory card device can also be used as an auxiliary storage unit for such an entertainment apparatus.
FIG. 59
of the accompanying drawings shows a conven
20
tional entertainment apparatus
1010
which employs a memory card as an auxiliary storage unit. The conventional entertainment apparatus
1010
has a rectangular casing which houses a disk loading unit
1014
substantially centrally therein for loading an optical disk as a recording medium for supplying an application program recorded therein, a reset switch
1016
for resetting the program being executed at present, a power supply switch
1018
, a disk control switch
1020
for controlling the loading of the optical disk, and two slots
1022
A,
1022
B, for example.
The memory card
1000
for use as an auxiliary storage unit is inserted into one of the slots
1022
A,
1022
B. The result of a program executed by the entertainment apparatus
1010
is sent from the control means (CPU)
1024
, and written into the nonvolatile memory
1006
. A plurality of controllers (not shown) can also be connected to the slots
1022
A,
1022
B for allowing a plurality of users to play a competition game or the like at the same time.
It is been proposed to give a function to execute a program such as of a game to a slave unit that can be connected to a memory card slot in an entertainment apparatus serving as a master unit. The slave unit can also be used as a portable information terminal, and may find a wider range of applications and create new demands by facilitating communications with other devices.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a portable information terminal which can be used as a portable game machine for playing a roll-playing game (RPG) in particular, a recording medium that stores a program to be downloaded into such a portable information terminal, and a program itself to be downloaded into such a portable information terminal.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a portable information terminal which can achieve a battle mode for fighting with an imaginary enemy (e.g., a monster), a recording medium that stores a program to be downloaded into such a portable information terminal, and a program itself to be downloaded into such a portable information terminal.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a portable information terminal which allows a user to register imaginary enemies (monsters) defeated in the battle mode and view the registered imaginary enemies in a monster picture book, for example.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a portable information terminal which can perform the above battle mode between a plurality of users at any time in any place by way of wireless communications (e.g., infrared communications), so that the portable information terminal can find widespread use, a recording medium that stores a program to be downloaded into such a portable information terminal, and a program itself to be downloaded into such a portable information terminal.
A portable information terminal according to the present invention has character display means for displaying at least one imaginary character on a display screen, comparing means for comparing the input timing of a control signal and the output timing based on a predetermined sequence with each other, and influence determining means for determining the magnitude of an influence on the imaginary character based on the result of comparison from the comparing means.
A recording medium according to the present invention stores a program having the steps of displaying at least one imaginary character on a display screen, comparing the input timing of a control signal and the output timing based on a predetermined sequence with each other, and determining the magnitude of an influence on the imaginary character based on the result of comparison from the comparing step.
A program according to the present invention has the steps of displaying at least one imaginary character on a display screen, comparing the input timing of a control signal and the output timing based on a predetermined sequence with each other, and determining the magnitude of an influence on the imaginary character based on the result of comparison from the comparing step.
When a control signal is inputted at a certain one of the output timing based on the predetermined sequence, the magnitude of the influence on the imaginary character is determined depending on the output timing at the time.
When the program stored in the recording medium is downloaded into the portable information terminal, the portable information terminal may be used as a portable game machine, which can be used to perform a roll-playing game (RPG).
The influence may comprise a numerical value for reducing a level of the imaginary character, i.e., a numerical value for giving damage, or a numerical value for suppressing a reduction in a level of the imaginary character, i.e., a numerical value indicative of a defense against damage.
The influence may be calculated on the basis of a calculating value based on the length of the bar displayed when the control signal is inputted on an attack side, a calculating value based on the length of the bar displayed when the control signal is inputted on a defense side, and a variable derived from the difference between statuses of the attack and defense sides. One element for deriving the variable may include time information. The control signal may be inputted when a button of a manual control pad is operated.
The above arrangement makes it possible to play a game, i.e., a roll-playing game (RPG), in which the imaginary character walks in a mage, a field, or a dungeon, and fights against a monster that shows up, and the level of the imaginary character with respect to its physical strength and intelligent ability increases based on the experience of the fight.
The comparing means may have bar display means fo
Guss Paul A.
Hotaling, II John M
Martin-Wallace Valencia
Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
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