Amusement devices: games – Including means for processing electronic data – Player-actuated control structure
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-22
2002-07-23
Martin-Wallace, Valencia (Department: 3713)
Amusement devices: games
Including means for processing electronic data
Player-actuated control structure
C463S043000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06422943
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a game apparatus, a game machine manipulation device, a game system, and an interactive communication method for a game apparatus, for example, which are suitably applied for the case in which any of various game machine manipulation devices are connected to a game apparatus so as to produce an appropriate presence in response to a particular signal from a game machine main body for reproducing a video recording medium.
BACKGROUND ART
Conventionally, there has been a game system which reproduces information on a game from a video recording medium in response to user's manipulation on a controller to progress the game.
Specifically, as illustrated in
FIG. 1
, in this game system GS, a game machine main body
27
contains a CD-ROM driver having a function of reproducing data recorded on a CD-ROM, which is a video recording medium. The game machine main body
27
has, on a top surface thereof, a lid member
28
which is closed after a CD-ROM is accommodated; an open/close switch
29
for opening and closing the lid member
28
; a power supply switch
30
for supplying electric power; a reset switch
31
for returning the operation of the game machine main body
27
to an initial state; and a connection port
32
capable of connecting two manipulation devices.
Connecting a connector
20
of a game machine manipulation device CT
1
to this connection port
32
makes it possible to perform interactive communications between the manipulation device CT
1
and the game machine main body
27
.
The game machine manipulation device CT
1
, as illustrated in
FIG. 2
, is formed in the shape of eyeglasses, and has a housing body composed of an upper case
2
and a lower case
3
which can be separated. This housing body is formed at both longitudinal ends with first and second manipulation supports
4
,
5
which outwardly protrude just like horns so that a user can grip them with both hands for supporting. In a narrower middle portion of the housing body, a start select unit
6
including switches is provided for use in starting a game, selecting one from games, and so on. Also, first and second manipulation units
7
,
8
are formed in a circular shape at horizontally symmetric positions on both sides of the housing body and a plurality of switches are arranged in substantially a central portion of each of the manipulation units
7
,
8
. Further, third and fourth manipulation units
9
,
10
each comprising a plurality of switches, which allows the user to manipulate mainly with the index finger and middle finger, are disposed at horizontally symmetric positions on side wall surfaces in front portions of the housing body.
The start select unit
6
is a group of switches which include a start switch
11
and a select switch
12
, both positioned between the first manipulation unit
7
and the second manipulation unit
8
. The select switch
12
is provided for selecting the degree of difficulty or the like, for example, when a game is started, while the start switch
11
is a switch for actually starting the game.
The first manipulation unit
7
is structured to have a concavity
13
corresponding to a concave portion formed substantially in a cross shape in a central portion of the circular first manipulation unit
7
, which was an end portion of the housing body, and windows
15
formed in the concavity
13
to make four key tops
14
a
,
14
b
,
14
c
,
14
d
extend therethrough from the inside to the outside. The windows
15
are positioned in conformity with the concavity
13
substantially in a cross shape, such that the heads of the four key tops
14
a
,
14
b
,
14
c
,
14
d
face each other in four directions.
The second manipulation unit
8
is formed with a concavity
16
corresponding to a concave portion formed substantially in a cross shape in a central portion of the circular second manipulation unit
8
. Also, the second manipulation unit
8
has four cylinders
17
at upper, lower, left and right positions, respectively, of the cross-shaped concavity
16
, each having an opening of a size that allows each of cylindrical key tops
16
a
,
16
b
,
16
c
,
16
d
to extend therethrough from the inside to the outside.
The four top keys
16
a
,
16
b
,
16
c
,
16
d
have readily viewable recognition symbols on their top surfaces, for example, symbols (marks) representative of functions such as ◯, &Dgr;, □, X or the like to allow the user to readily identify the functions of the respective switches. Also, these key tops
16
a
,
16
b
,
16
c
,
16
d
and the cylinders
17
are formed with unique protrusions or cut-outs at respective lower end portions thereof such that the key tops cannot be inserted into different cylinders
17
when assembly.
The third and fourth manipulation units
9
,
10
are formed to protrude from the wall surfaces of front portions of the first and second manipulation units
7
,
8
. The third and fourth manipulation units
9
,
10
include openings
18
which are two lines of two slits formed through the protruding wall surfaces in parallel, one above the other, and operation support manipulation switches formed by protruding elongated key tops
19
a
,
19
b
,
19
c
,
19
d
, which substantially fit into the openings
18
, from the inside to the outside.
The game machine manipulation device CT
1
having the structure as mentioned above is connected to the game machine main body
27
, described above with reference to
FIG. 1
, with a predetermined connector
20
. Further, the game machine main body
27
is connected to a monitor such as a television receiver or the like. In general, the user holds the manipulation device with both hands, manipulates manipulation buttons in the first to fourth manipulation units
7
,
8
,
9
,
10
with fingers of both hands to instruct movements of an operation target such as a character or the like on the monitor screen for playing a game.
The game machine manipulation device CT
1
, having the structure as described above, is adapted to allow the user to manipulate the groups of buttons in the first to fourth manipulation units with fingers to instruct an operation target of a game to move on the screen of a monitor, thus advancing the game. During the play, the user experiences bodily sensation of how the game is advancing, only with visual sense obtained by viewing characters on the monitor screen and with acoustic sense obtained by listening to sounds generated from a speaker of the monitor. However, it is not sufficient to fully satisfy the user with the bodily sensation of the game.
In addition, in the conventional game machine manipulation device CT
1
, when any of the manipulation buttons in the first to fourth manipulation units
7
,
8
,
9
,
10
is depressed to operate the game machine, data indicative of either ON or OFF is transmitted in accordance with the depression of the button as manipulation data to the game machine main body. With such a game machine manipulation device like CT
1
adapted for digital control, it is difficult to provide a fine control such as an analog control.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in view of the problems mentioned above, and is intended to propose a game apparatus, a game machine manipulation device, a game system, and an interactive communication method for a game apparatus, which are capable of performing an optimal control, when any of various game machine manipulation devices having a variety of functions is connected to the game machine main body, by recognizing functions available from the connected game machine manipulation device by the game machine main body.
To solve the problems mentioned above, in the present invention, a game machine manipulation device has storing means for storing predetermined function information so as to transmit the function information to a game apparatus in response to an information request command from the game apparatus, while a game apparatus retrieves the function information possessed by the game machine manipulation device, s
Honda Toshio
Shinohara Satoshi
Brochetti Julie
Fulwider Patton Lee & Utecht LLP
Martin-Wallace Valencia
Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
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