Dance game apparatus and step-on base for dance game

• US 20010004861A1
• Filed: 02/01/2001
• Published: 06/28/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Konami Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Takahashi, Kazuya, Suzuki, Toshifumi, Takeda, Toru, Okita, Katsunori
• Granted Patent: US 6,410,835 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 84/609
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/212 using sensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat or leg activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/214 for locating contacts on a surface, e.g. floor mats or touch pads
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/218 using pressure sensors, e.g. generating a signal proportional to the pressure applied by the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/44 involving timing of operations, e.g. performing an action within a time slot
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/46 Computing the game score
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/53 involving additional visual information provided to the game scene, e.g. by overlay to simulate a head-up display [HUD] or displaying a laser sight in a shooting game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5375 for graphically or textually suggesting an action, e.g. by displaying an arrow indicating a turn in a driving game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/54 involving acoustic signals, e.g. for simulating revolutions per minute [RPM] dependent engine sounds in a driving game or reverberation against a virtual wall
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/814 Musical performances, e.g. by evaluating the player's ability to follow a notation
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/816 Athletics, e.g. track-and-field sports
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/843 involving concurrently two or more players on the same game device, e.g. requiring the use of a plurality of controllers or of a specific view of game data for each player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1012 involving biosensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat, limb activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1056 involving pressure sensitive buttons
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1068 being specially adapted to detect the point of contact of the player on a surface, e.g. floor mat, touch pad
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/303 for displaying additional data, e.g. simulating a Head Up Display
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/305 for providing a graphical or textual hint to the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6081 generating an output signal, e.g. under timing constraints, for spatialization
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/61 Score computation
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/63 for controlling the execution of the game in time
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/638 : according to the timing of operation or a time limit
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8005 : Athletics
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8047 : Music games
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8088 : involving concurrently several players in a non-networked game, e.g. on the same game console

Abstract

Rhythm sensations can be represented in time to music by using the entire body and to create powerfulness and rhythm sensations. Stepping position indication data which is set by a rhythm setting section is read from a stepping position indication data memory, and the stepping position instruction contents are scrolled and displayed on a monitor by a scroll display control section, thereby performing instructions of the stepping position and the stepping operation timing. When the fact that a player steps on a step-on base section in accordance with the display contents of the monitor is detected by a cable switch and this is input from a stepping operation monitor section, a score proportional to the timing deviation is calculated by an amount-of-deviation detection/totaling section, and next, an evaluation is performed by the rhythm setting section. Then, the next stepping position indication data is set according to the evaluation result.

Claims

1. A dance game apparatus comprising:

music output means for outputting one piece of music from at least one stored piece of music;

a floor panel having a step-on base section; and

guidance means for performing a stepping operation instruction to said step-on base section in time with said music.

2. A dance game apparatus according to

claim 1

, wherein said step-on base section comprises a panel disposed on the top thereof and first illumination means provided in the inside space thereof, and said guidance means performs a stepping operation instruction in response to the flashing operation of said first illumination means.

3. A dance game apparatus according to

claim 1

, wherein said guidance means comprises first display means disposed in front of said floor panel and performs a stepping operation instruction by a display on said first display means.

4. A dance game apparatus according to

claim 1

, wherein the stepping operation instruction by said guidance means further instructs a stepping timing.

5. A dance game apparatus according to

claim 1

, wherein said floor panel comprises a plurality of said step-on base sections which are arrayed, and each step-on base section can instruct a stepping operation by said guidance means.

6. A dance game apparatus according to

claim 5

, wherein the stepping operation instruction by said guidance means instructs both a stepping timing and a step-on base section to be stepped on.

7. A dance game apparatus according to

claim 1

, comprising:

detection means for detecting a stepping operation on said step-on base section;

measurement means for measuring a time deviation between the timing of a stepping operation instruction and the time at which the fact that said step-on base section is stepped on is detected by said detection means; and

evaluation means for providing a higher score the smaller the measurement result.

8. A dance game apparatus according to

claim 7

, wherein said step-on base section comprises a top panel and a support member which supports the panel, and said detection means comprises stepping sensors interposed between said panel and said support member at mutually opposing positions of said panel.

9. A dance game apparatus according to

claim 8

, wherein said stepping sensor comprises a switch having an elastically deformable construction, and the switch comprises first and second conductive members disposed in parallel in such a manner as to be spaced by a predetermined distance;

a relay conductive member for providing a variation of electrical open-circuit and short-circuit between the first and second conductive members by moving toward or away from the first and second conductive members; and

an elastic support member which supports said relay conductive member and which supports said first and second conductive members at a position at which the elastic support member can contact said relay conductive member when a load is received and at a position which is spaced by a very small distance from the relay conductive member.

10. A dance game apparatus according to

claim 8

, wherein said guidance means comprises stepping operation instruction content storage means for storing a plurality of types of stepping operation instruction contents having different levels of difficulty and selectively outputs, from said stepping operation instruction content storage means, a stepping operation instruction having a level of difficulty corresponding to the evaluation result from said evaluation means.

11. A dance game apparatus according to

claim 7

, wherein said guidance means comprises moving-picture storage means for storing a plurality of types of dance moving-pictures having different qualities corresponding to the level of difficulty of a stepping operation instruction which can be selectively output by said guidance means;

second display means for displaying a moving picture; and

moving-picture display control means for outputting a dance moving-picture corresponding to the level of difficulty of the selected stepping operation instruction from said moving-picture storage means and for guiding the dance moving-picture onto said second display means.

12. A dance game apparatus according to

claim 1

, wherein said music output means comprises a speaker for low frequencies which outputs rhythm sounds;

and second illumination means, provided around the low-frequency speaker, which performs flashing of light in time to the rhythm of said music.

13. A step-on base for a dance game, said step-on base comprising:

a top panel;

a support member for supporting the panel; and

detection means for detecting the action of a load on the panel, wherein said detection means comprises stepping sensors interposed between said panel and said support member at mutually opposing positions of said panel.

14. A step-on base for a dance game according to

claim 13

, wherein said stepping-on sensor comprises a switch having an elastically deformable construction, and the switch comprises first and second conductive members disposed in parallel in such a manner as to be spaced by a predetermined distance;

a relay conductive member for providing a variation of electrical open-circuit and short-circuit between the first and second conductive members by moving toward or away from the first and second conductive members; and

an elastic support member which supports said relay conductive member and which supports said first and second conductive members at a position at which the elastic support member can contact said relay conductive member when a load is received and at a position which is spaced by a very small distance from the relay conductive member.

15. A step-on base for a dance game according to

claim 14

, wherein said switches are disposed in opposing edges of said panel.

16. A step-on base for a dance game according to

claim 15

, wherein a load receiving member is interposed between said panel and said switch with respect to a part in the edge direction.