Amusement devices: games – Including means for processing electronic data – Player-actuated control structure
Reexamination Certificate
2001-02-09
2004-01-13
Sager, Mark (Department: 3714)
Amusement devices: games
Including means for processing electronic data
Player-actuated control structure
C273S14800B, C345S157000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06676520
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a video game system and, more particularly, a video game system providing physical sensation.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
In the field of video game machines for business use, so-called bodily sensation game machines have been put into practical use, in which feelings of games are further increased by generating a vibration on a seat on which a player sits down or by inclining the seat.
Furthermore, computer games have been known, in which a vibration generating source is provided in a joy-stick, and a vibration is generated at the time of an attack to a player's own fighter from an enemy fighter in a shooting game, for example.
However, in the above described computer games, the vibration is generated on the joy-stick only, and therefore, a power is insufficient. Especially, in video game machines for home use such as “Super Family Computer” (“Super NES”), “NINTENDO 64” and the like, since a player plays games by grasping a controller using his or her hands, if the vibration is generated on the joy-stick only, it is difficult to transmit the vibration to the hands of the player grasping the controller.
Therefore, it is possible to consider that a vibration generating source be incorporated in a housing of the controller; however, in such a case, it is necessary to change the controller as a whole, and therefore, a person who intends to play games in which the vibration is generated must obtain a specific controller, and accordingly, it is not economical.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, a principal object of the present invention is to provide a novel controller pack capable of applying a bodily sensation to a player in a video game machine for home use.
The present invention is a controller pack detachably attached to a controller which is connected to a video game machine, comprising a case; a vibration source which is attached to the case and generates a vibration using electric power; and a driver circuit which applies the electric power to the vibration source in response to a command signal from the game machine.
The video game machine includes a game processor having a predetermined address space. If the game processor outputs the command signal to a specific address within the predetermined address space, a predetermined terminal provided on the controller pack receives the command signal. In response thereto, the driver circuit applies the electric power to the vibration source from a battery accommodated in the controller pack, for example. Therefore, the vibration source which is a motor, for example, generates the vibration. Since the vibration source is attached to the case of the controller pack, the vibration generated by the vibration source is conveyed to the controller to which the controller pack is attached. The controller is grasped by the hands of the player, and therefore, the vibration of the vibration source is conveyed to the hands.
In accordance with the present invention, it is possible to generate the vibration on the controller pack, i.e. the controller by the command signal from the game machine, and accordingly, in the video game machine for home use, it is possible to enjoy a so-called bodily sensation.
Furthermore, according to the present invention, if the vibration is to be generated in a specific game, it is possible to generate the vibration on the controller, simply by attaching the controller pack in which the vibration source is incorporated to the controller. Accordingly, it is not necessary to change the controller as a whole.
Furthermore, since the vibration generated on the controller pack is directly conveyed from the controller pack to the controller, it is possible to apply a relatively strong vibration to the hands of the player grasping the controller.
Also described herein is a video game system including hand-held player controllers operable by players to generate video game control signals, each hand-held player controller having a selectively driven vibration source arranged to generate vibrations for vibrating a housing thereof. A video game program executing system executes a video game program. The video game program executing system includes controller connectors which, in use, connect to the hand-held player controllers and a controller control circuit including a transmission circuit which transmits data to hand-held player controllers connected to the controller connectors. The video game program executed by the video game program executing system includes video game instructions, the video game instructions including at least one instruction for causing the video game program executing system to transmit command data via the transmission circuit to drive the vibration source of one or more of the hand-held player controllers so as to generate vibrations for vibrating the housings thereof.
The above described objects and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
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Koshima Kazuo
Nishiumi Satoshi
Nonaka Nobuyuki
Nintendo Co. Ltd.
Nixon & Vanderhye PC
Sager Mark
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