Amusement devices: games – Including means for processing electronic data – Perceptible output or display
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-18
2002-10-15
O'Neill, Michael (Department: 3713)
Amusement devices: games
Including means for processing electronic data
Perceptible output or display
C463S030000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06464585
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to sound generation and video games using the same and, more specifically, to a sound generating device which plays music based on tone data inputted with a video game machine controller and a video game providing music play based on inputs from a player in relation to the progress of a game.
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Video games have long been able to produce sounds and music in response to player inputs. As a conventional example of video games that generate sound (or music), game software “Mario Paint” has been marketed by NINTENDO. In “Mario Paint”, a musical staff is displayed on a screen. Symbols for specifying notes, tone qualities, or the like are written in the musical staff by operating a controller, and thereby inputting sounds to be generated. Other example video games also generate sounds. For example, in many games, when a switch is pressed for specifying an operation or motion such as a missile firing, a jump of a character, or punching of a character, a sound effect corresponding to that operation or motion (missile firing sound, sound effects representing jump, punch, or the like) is generated based on a program. In still another example, background music is generated in accordance with changes in game screens. Further, conventional examples of electronic toys that deal with sound include an electronic musical instrument (keyboard instrument) with a keyboard having key switches corresponding to tones.
As described above at least some, sound generation for use in conventional video games (including video games for a game-dedicated machine and for a personal computer) display a musical staff. This requirement generally makes the program complicated. Also, the operation of inputting sounds or notes is generally not easy, and these devices are not generally of the type that generate the sound of the tone according to key input by a player. Further, the electronic instruments with a keyboard generally can generate only the sound that corresponds to the switch being pressed. Therefore, such instruments require as many key switches as the tones in a required range. It is typically difficult to input sounds with a smaller number of switches. For complicated sound variation, these electric instruments generally become complicated in construction and thus expensive. Furthermore, in the conventional video games with a sound generating function, sound or music generated through the operation by the player generally does not change or have an effect on the progress of the game.
Therefore, a preferred example embodiment of the present invention provides a sound generating device enabling generation of sounds of tones or music that generally cannot be expressed with a limited small number of switches.
Further, a preferred example embodiment provides a sound generating device enabling generation of sounds of a complicated scale or music using a simple construction.
Still another aspect of a preferred example embodiment is to provide a video game device enabling a player to input sounds and play music at will with a game machine controller having a small number of switches, and to use the music in relation to the progress of a game.
Further, it is possible to realize a video game device enabling a player to input sounds and play music at will with a game machine controller and also to relate the sounds or music to the progress of the game. That is, it is possible not only to generate a sound by pressing a button but also to finely adjust a tone through the operation of a joystick, thereby allowing generation of various sounds or music at will.
One aspect of a preferred exemplary embodiment of the present invention is directed to a sound generating device to which sounds of different tones are inputted and which generates the inputted sounds by specifying the tones with a controller having a plurality of push-button switches and an analog joystick capable of selecting among a plurality of positions. A push-button detection part detects one of the plurality of push-button switches that is pressed. A tone selection part selects a tone corresponding to the push-button detected by the push-button detection part. A tilt amount detection part detects an amount of tilt of the analog joystick. A frequency generation part generates a frequency corresponding to the tone selected by the tone selection part with or without change, based on the amount of tilt detected by the tilt amount detection part and the push-button switch detected by the push-button detection part. An audio signal generation part generates a signal of a sound of the tone corresponding to the frequency generated by the frequency generation part.
As described above, in accordance with this aspect, the audio signal having the frequency corresponding to the pressed push-button is generated with or without change. Therefore, it is possible to generate sounds (or music) of different tones using a limited number of push-button switches.
According to a further aspect, When the tilt amount detection part does not detect the amount of tilt of the analog joystick, the frequency generation part generates the frequency corresponding to the tone selected by the tone selection part without change. When the tilt amount detection part detects the amount of tilt of the analog joystick, the frequency generation part generates the frequency corresponding to the tone selected by the tone selection part with change according to the detected amount of tilt.
As described above, the frequency of the audio signal corresponding to the pressed push-button is changed according to the amount of tilt of the analog joystick. Therefore, adjusting the amount of change is easy.
According to a further aspect, the frequency generation part comprises:
a frequency data generation part generating frequency data corresponding to the push-button switch of the tone selected by the tone selection part;
a frequency data storage part temporarily storing a plurality of frequency data; and
a read/write part reading the frequency data stored in the frequency data storage part or writing the frequency data generated by the frequency data generation part in the frequency data storage part.
When the tilt amount detection part does not detect the amount of tilt of the analog joystick, the read/write part writes in the frequency data storage part a digital value equivalent to the frequency corresponding to the tone selected by the tone selection part, as the frequency data. when the tilt amount detection part detects the amount of tilt of the analog joystick, the read/write part writes in the frequency data storage part a digital value equivalent to a frequency obtained by changing the frequency corresponding to the tone selected by the tone selection part according to the detected amount of tilt, as the frequency data.
As described above, in accordance with this aspect, the frequency data corresponding to the pressed push-button switch with or without change is temporarily stored in the frequency data storage part, and later read out for use. Therefore, it is not required to operate an operation part in real time according to music play, thereby allowing easy operation to specify tones.
According to a further aspect, the frequency generation part raises the frequency of the tone within a predetermined tone range as the analog joystick is tilted to one direction; and lowers the frequency of the tone within a predetermined tone range as the analog joystick is tilted to another direction.
As described above, in accordance with this aspect, the frequency of the tone is raised or lowered according to the tilting direction of the analog joystick. This enables the operator to intuitively relate the changing directions of the analog joystick and the frequency of the tone to each other and therefore to easily perform operation for changing the frequency.
According to a further aspect, the sound generating device further comprises a vibrato part for changing a depth value of vibrato according to the amount of til
Inagaki Yoji
Kihara Tsuyoshi
Kondo Koji
Miyamoto Shigeru
Onozuka Eiji
Brocketti Julie
Nintendo Co. Ltd.
Nixon & Vanderhye P.C.
O'Neill Michael
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