Amusement devices: games – Including means for processing electronic data – Player-actuated control structure
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-19
2004-01-06
O'Neill, Michael (Department: 3713)
Amusement devices: games
Including means for processing electronic data
Player-actuated control structure
Reexamination Certificate
active
06672962
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a gun-shaped controller to be connected to electronic devices such as a video game machine, and particularly to a gun-shaped controller suitable for being used in gun games whereby characters displayed on a monitor screen are shot as targets.
The present invention further relates to a game device comprising a gun-shaped controller imitating, for example, bazookas, rocket launchers, grenade launchers, and torpedoes, a game machine for processing game programs in accordance with instruction signals from the gun-shaped controller, and a display means for displaying pictures from this game machine.
2. Description of the Related Art
Pursuant to the diversification of video game software in recent years, various controllers-from conventional controllers having instruction buttons and cross-shaped keys to joystick-type controllers and gun-shaped controllers-are out on the market corresponding to the game software to be used. In Patent Publication No. 2686675, for example, disclosed is a gun-shaped controller, which is a model gun, for a gun game.
This gun-shaped controller for a gun game comprises a trigger lever similar to an actual gun to which a player's finger is placed, and a light sensor for detecting the flashing light from a CRT screen is provided to the tip of this gun-shaped controller. When the player pulls the trigger lever of the controller, the CRT screen instantaneously becomes a white screen in order to detect the impact position and emits flashing light. This white screen is realized by raster scanning. When the raster light appears at the coordinate position on the CRT display indicated by the light sensor, the light sensor detects this light and the controller detects the impact position by reading the X-Y coordinates of the raster scanning at such time. The game machine thereby judges whether the impact position coincides with the shooting target, and the game is progressed in accordance with a hit or a miss.
As an operation means on the player's side in this type of gun-shaped controller for gun games, the present situation is that other than the trigger lever mentioned above, provided is merely a button or the like for starting the game. Therefore, the mainstream of gun games using this controller is an orthodox shooting game whereby a player directly shoots at targets on the monitor screen.
As a variation of this type of game, there is a shooting game where a character, such as a police officer, appears on the monitor screen in place of the player and successively shoots the enemies appearing on the screen. Nevertheless, this character is either fixed to a prescribed position within the screen or, even if it were able to move, the movement is predetermined by the program and the like. Thus, this type of game is also no better than a simple shooting game.
Accordingly, game devices employing these gun-shaped controllers are also no better than a simple shooting game, and therefore lack amusement.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a gun-shaped controller capable of increasing the variation of the game software to be used and performing highly amusing games.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a game device enabling a game development with enhanced amusement by employing the gun-shaped controller.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a game device enabling a virtual sensation in accordance with the situation during such game development.
The above objects are achieved by a gun-shaped controller for transmitting instruction signals pertaining to the game development with respect to the game image displayed on the screen of a display means, characterized in that the gun-shaped controller comprises integrally an operation key for transmitting, as a part of the aforementioned instruction signals, signals instructing a plurality of directions on the screen.
In the gun-shaped controller, preferably, the operation key is manually operable by the operator, and the instruction signals move the objects displayed on the screen in a plurality of directions. As one example, the operation key is a cross-shaped directional key capable of moving the displayed object upward, downward, leftward, and rightward as the plurality of directions.
In the gun-shaped controller, for example, the displayed object is a character or cursor displayed on the screen.
In the above structure, the gun-shaped controller comprises a gun barrel, grip to be held by the player, and trigger lever to be operated by the player, and the operation key may be arranged on the upper part of the grip.
In the above structure, the gun-shaped controller comprises a gun barrel, grip to be held by the player, and trigger lever to be operated by the player, and the operation key may be arranged in the vicinity of the tip of the gun barrel.
The above objects are achieved by a gun-shaped controller for transmitting predetermined instruction signals comprising a gun barrel, grip to be held by the player, and trigger lever to be operated by the player, characterized in that the gun-shaped controller has a contact sensor for detecting the contact of the operator and is provided with a virtual bullet-loading portion for loading bullets virtually based on the contact state of the operator and the contact sensor.
In the gun-shaped controller, the virtual bullet-loading portion is provided to the bottom of the grip and may further comprise a sensor holder for movably mounting the contact sensor on the bottom of the grip.
The above objects are achieved by a gun-shaped controller for transmitting predetermined instruction signals comprising a gun barrel, grip to be held by the operator, and trigger lever to be operated by the operator, characterized in that the gun-shaped controller has a reload lever provided to the side of the gun barrel and arranged so as to be slidable on the side of the gun barrel, and a virtual bullet-loading portion for virtually loading bullets with the operation of the reload lever.
The above objects are achieved by a gun-shaped controller for transmitting predetermined instruction signals comprising a gun barrel, grip to be held by the operator, and trigger lever to be operated by the operator, characterized in that the gun-shaped controller is provided with a mounting portion for mounting a memory device. In the gun-shaped controller, the memory device may be provided with a display screen for displaying information.
In the gun-shaped controller, the mounting portion may be provided to the tail protruding to the rear from the grip.
In the gun-shaped controller, a cable may be provided to the rear end of the grip.
In the gun-shaped controller, a cable may be provided to the rear end of the tail.
The above objects are achieved by a gun-shaped controller for transmitting predetermined instruction signals comprising a gun barrel, grip to be held by the operator, and trigger lever to be operated by the operator, characterized in that the gun-shaped controller is provided with a display screen for displaying information.
The above objects are achieved by a gun-shaped controller for transmitting predetermined instruction signals comprising a gun barrel, grip to be held by the operator, and trigger lever to be operated by the operator, characterized in that the lower face of the gun barrel is formed diagonally with respect to the lengthwise axis of the gun barrel from the lower face of the vicinity of the tip of the gun barrel to the portion to be connected with the trigger, and a directional key for instructing directions is provided to the upper part of the grip.
In the gun-shaped controller, an operation button may be provided to the upper part of the directional key.
In the gun-shaped controller, the directional key may be arranged on a face formed continuously to the rear face of the grip and inclined toward the tip of the gun barrel rather than the rear face.
In the gun-shaped controller, it is preferable that the direc
Hiroyoshi Akihito
Kida Makio
Matsuura Junichiro
Okumura Yutaka
Ozaki Naoji
Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner L.L.P.
Kabushiki Kaisha Sega Enterprises
O'Neill Michael
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