Amusement devices: games – Including means for processing electronic data – Access or authorization
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-12
2002-05-28
Paradiso, John (Department: 3721)
Amusement devices: games
Including means for processing electronic data
Access or authorization
C463S036000, C463S043000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06394905
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a high performance low cost video game system. More particularly, the invention relates to a video game system having a multifunctional player controller processing subsystem with security features, and a flexibly expandable video game external memory with a low pin out.
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Microprocessor-based home video game systems such as the Nintendo Entertainment System and the Super Nintendo Entertainment System have been highly successful in part because they can interactively produce exciting video graphics involving numerous animated moving objects.
The video game system described herein and in further detail in a concurrently filed patent application, which has been incorporated herein by reference and names Van Hook et al as inventors, permits game play involving three-dimensional images having a depth and realism far exceeding these and other heretofore known video game systems. In the past, computer systems required to produce such images interactively costs tens of thousands of dollars.
In order to provide such a high performance video game system at a cost affordable to the average consumer, many features in the video game system were uniquely optimized. In so doing, many unique features were incorporated into the system described herein using novel, multifunctional components having a low pinout, but which provide for highly flexible future expansion.
The processor and/or picture processing unit of video game systems such as the Nintendo Entertainment System and the Super Nintendo Entertainment System exercise direct control over processing of signals from player input/game control devices, i.e., player controllers. These prior art systems do not include a player controller processing subsystem which coacts with the game microprocessor and picture processing unit to process commands for handling player controller related input/output.
The present invention is directed in part to a multifunctional peripheral processing subsystem external to the game microprocessor and disclosed coprocessor which executes commands for handling player controller input/output to thereby lessen the processing burden on the graphics processing subsystem. the peripheral processing subsystem is used for both controlling player controller input/output processing and for performing game authenticating security checks continuously during game play. The peripheral processing subsystem is also used during the game cartridge/video game system console initial communication protocol using instructions stored in its boot ROM to enable initial game play.
The peripheral interface is coupled to the coprocessor by a three bit wide serial bus over which commands are received over one line, clock signals over another line and responses are transmitted to the coprocessor over a third serial line. The peripheral interface includes a microprocessor for controlling various peripheral interface functions, a read/write random access memory, a boot ROM, a coprocessor command channel interface, a player controller channel interface, etc., which components interact to efficiently process player controller commands while also performing other important functions without requiring significant main processor processing time.
The coprocessor command channel interface responds to coprocessor clock and command control signals to permit access to the random access memory and to the boot ROM and generates control signals to interrupt the peripheral interface microprocessor. A peripheral interface macro may be executed to start a read or write transaction with each peripheral device and thereafter transfer the transaction results stored in the random access memory to the game microprocessor main memory.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a portable storage device is used in the form of a game cartridge in the exemplary embodiment having a low pinout due in part to the use of a multiplexed address/data bus. Memory access related timing signals are transmitted to the cartridge which may be programmably varied depending upon detected address domain which is used to establish the type of storage device being used by the video game system.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3755641 (1973-08-01), Rackman
patent: 3772662 (1973-11-01), Blair
patent: 3818190 (1974-06-01), Silverman et al.
patent: 3839736 (1974-10-01), Hoshall
patent: 3859634 (1975-01-01), Perron et al.
patent: 3934122 (1976-01-01), Riccitelli
patent: 4095791 (1978-06-01), Smith et al.
patent: 4117605 (1978-10-01), Kurland et al.
patent: 4118789 (1978-10-01), Casto
patent: 4120030 (1978-10-01), Johnstone
patent: 4149027 (1979-04-01), Asher et al.
patent: 4193131 (1980-03-01), Lennon et al.
patent: 4218582 (1980-08-01), Hellman et al.
patent: 4218738 (1980-08-01), Matyas et al.
patent: 4268715 (1981-05-01), Atalla
patent: 4281215 (1981-07-01), Atalla
patent: 4281833 (1981-08-01), Sandler et al.
patent: 4295039 (1981-10-01), Stuckert
patent: 4310720 (1982-01-01), Check, Jr.
patent: 4352492 (1982-10-01), Smith
patent: 4359222 (1982-11-01), Smith, III et al.
patent: RE31200 (1983-04-01), Sukonick et al.
patent: 4384326 (1983-05-01), Devchoudhury
patent: 4386773 (1983-06-01), Bronstein
patent: 4430728 (1984-02-01), Beitel et al.
patent: 4432067 (1984-02-01), Nielsen
patent: 4442486 (1984-04-01), Mayer
patent: 4446519 (1984-05-01), Thomas
patent: 4454594 (1984-06-01), Heffron et al.
patent: 4458315 (1984-07-01), Uchenick
patent: 4459655 (1984-07-01), Willemin
patent: 4462076 (1984-07-01), Smith, III
patent: 4469330 (1984-09-01), Asher
patent: 4471163 (1984-09-01), Donald et al.
patent: 4471216 (1984-09-01), Herve
patent: 4492582 (1985-01-01), Chang et al.
patent: 4497038 (1985-01-01), Diepold-Scharnitzky
patent: 4500879 (1985-02-01), Smith, III et al.
patent: 4523297 (1985-06-01), Ugon et al.
patent: 4552360 (1985-11-01), Bromley et al.
patent: 4562306 (1985-12-01), Chou et al.
patent: 4575622 (1986-03-01), Pellegrini
patent: 4587510 (1986-05-01), Kim
patent: 4602351 (1986-07-01), Shimamura et al.
patent: 4652990 (1987-03-01), Pailen et al.
patent: 4659313 (1987-04-01), Kuster et al.
patent: 4670857 (1987-06-01), Rackman
patent: 4680731 (1987-07-01), Izumi et al.
patent: 4683553 (1987-07-01), Mollier
patent: 4723121 (1988-02-01), van den Boom et al.
patent: 4736419 (1988-04-01), Roe
patent: 4748441 (1988-05-01), Brzezinski
patent: 4755799 (1988-07-01), Romano
patent: 4757468 (1988-07-01), Domenik et al.
patent: 4789927 (1988-12-01), Hannah
patent: 4799635 (1989-01-01), Nakagawa
patent: 4801787 (1989-01-01), Suzuki
patent: 4817149 (1989-03-01), Myers
patent: 4824106 (1989-04-01), Ueda
patent: 4849746 (1989-07-01), Dubner
patent: 4862156 (1989-08-01), Westberg et al.
patent: 4865321 (1989-09-01), Nakagawa et al.
patent: 4868780 (1989-09-01), Stern
patent: 4870389 (1989-09-01), Ishiwata et al.
patent: 4879645 (1989-11-01), Tamado et al.
patent: 4887966 (1989-12-01), Gellerman
patent: 4891504 (1990-01-01), Gupta
patent: 4904851 (1990-02-01), Yukino
patent: 4924216 (1990-05-01), Leung
patent: 4933670 (1990-06-01), Wislocki
patent: 4951232 (1990-08-01), Hannah
patent: 4974192 (1990-11-01), Face et al.
patent: 4976429 (1990-12-01), Nagel
patent: 4990903 (1991-02-01), Cheng et al.
patent: 5001632 (1991-03-01), Hall-Tipping
patent: 5012230 (1991-04-01), Yasuda
patent: D316879 (1991-05-01), Shulman et al.
patent: D317946 (1991-07-01), Tse
patent: 5038297 (1991-08-01), Hannah
patent: 5046739 (1991-09-01), Reichow
patent: 5051737 (1991-09-01), Akeley et al.
patent: 5052685 (1991-10-01), Lowe et al.
patent: 5070479 (1991-12-01), Nakagawa
patent: 5095798 (1992-03-01), Okada et al.
patent: 5113490 (1992-05-01), Winget
patent: 5134391 (1992-07-01), Okada
patent: 5193145 (1993-03-01), Akeley
patent: 5203563 (1993-04-01), Loper, III
patent: 5207426 (1993-05-01), Incue et al.
patent: 5213327 (1993-05-01), Kitaue
patent: 5230039 (1993-07-01), Grossman et al.
patent: 5245320 (1993-09-01), Bouton
patent: 5259626 (1993-11-01), Ho
patent: 5265199 (1993-11-01), Catlin
patent: 5265888 (1993-11-01), Yamam
Kato Shuhei
Nishiumi Satoshi
Takeda Genyo
Nintendo Co. Ltd.
Nixon & Vanderhye P.C.
Paradiso John
LandOfFree
Systems and methods for providing security in a video game... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Systems and methods for providing security in a video game..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Systems and methods for providing security in a video game... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2847521