Hand-held electronic game with rotatable display

Details Hand-held electronic game with rotatable display Hand-held electronic game with rotatable display

1999-12-23

2001-06-19

Sager, Mark (Department: 3713)

Amusement devices: games

Including means for processing electronic data

Player-actuated control structure

C463S001000, C463S030000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06248017

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention relates to a hand-held electronic game.
BACKGROUND
A variety of hand-held electronic games are known. Typically, these games have a display and buttons that allow a player to manipulate the images on the display.
SUMMARY
A hand-held electronic fighter game includes a housing shaped like a fighter ship, a display mounted on top of the housing and viewable by a player, an input device mounted on a handle of the housing, and a processor connected to the display and the input device. The player holds, with one hand, the handle that protrudes from a front of the housing and concurrently rotates, with the other hand, the display. While the player holds the housing and rotates the display, a soft end of the housing rests on the player's chest, thus stabilizing the game. The display includes a game screen that includes an icon of the fighter ship and icons of various enemy ships. During game play, the player rotates the viewer to change the fighter ship's direction, avoids incoming fire from enemy ships, and fires shots at the enemy ships by activating the input device on the handle.
The invention provides an electronic game that includes a housing, a display mounted on the housing and rotatable relative to the housing, and a processor connected to control the display. The processor is programmed to cause the display to display an element that remains stationary relative to the housing when the display is rotated relative to the housing.
Embodiments may include one or more of the following features. For example, the housing may be shaped like a vehicle. The housing may include a handle that enables the player to hold the housing using one hand and rotate the display using the other hand. The display may include a liquid crystal display (LCD).
The housing may include an end that couples to the player's chest. The coupled end of the housing may include a softer material to protect the player's chest.
The processor may cause the display to display a play zone that includes the element. The play zone may include one or more zone elements that rotate as the display is rotated relative to the housing.
The zone elements may include objects that move toward a perimeter of the play zone, and fired objects. The game may include an input device that is mounted in the housing and coupled to a player's hand. The processor may be connected to the input device.
The fired objects may emanate from the perimeter-moving objects and move toward the play zone perimeter. When a fired object strikes the stationary element, the stationary element may be destroyed.
The game may further include a speaker connected to and controlled by the processor. The processor may be programmed to play one or more sounds from the speaker when the stationary element is destroyed. The processor may be programmed to alter the play zone when the stationary element is destroyed. The processor may be programmed to display a game update that provides game information to the player. The processor may be programmed to permit the game update to display a value associated with a number of destroyed stationary elements.
The fired objects may emanate from the stationary element in response to signals from the input device. When a fired object strikes a zone element, the zone element may be destroyed.
The game may include a speaker connected to and controlled by the processor. The processor may be programmed to play one or more sounds from the speaker when a zone element is destroyed. The game may also include a speaker connected to and controlled by the processor. The processor may be programmed to play one or more sounds from the speaker when a zone element is destroyed. The processor may be programmed to display a game update that displays a score associated with a number of destroyed zone elements.
Other features and advantages will be apparent from the following description, including the drawings, and from the claims.


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