Video game system

• US 20010016517A1
• Filed: 03/23/2001
• Published: 08/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kazuo Koshima, Keizo Ohta, Satoshi Nishiumi
• Original Assignee: Kazuo Koshima, Keizo Ohta, Satoshi Nishiumi
• Inventors: Ohta, Keizo, Koshima, Kazuo, Nishiumi, Satoshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,070,507 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/36
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/24 Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/28 responding to control signals received from the game device for affecting ambient conditions, e.g. for vibrating players' seats, activating scent dispensers or affecting temperature or light controlling the output signals based on the game progress A63F13/50
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/285 Generating tactile feedback signals via the game input device, e.g. force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/525 Changing parameters of virtual cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/57 Simulating properties, behaviour or motion of objects in the game world, e.g. computing tyre load in a car race game A63F13/56 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/577 using determination of contact between game characters or objects, e.g. to avoid collision between virtual racing cars
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1037 being specially adapted for converting control signals received from the game device into a haptic signal, e.g. using force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/302 specially adapted for receiving control signals not targeted to a display device or game input means, e.g. vibrating driver's seat, scent dispenser
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/64 for computing dynamical parameters of game objects, e.g. motion determination or computation of frictional forces for a virtual car
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/643 by determining the impact between objects, e.g. collision detection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6661 for changing the position of the virtual camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/013 Force feedback applied to a game
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user

Abstract

A video game system includes a video game machine, a memory medium and a controller. A CPU included in the video game machine detects a vibration generating condition that a player object comes into collision or contact with an enemy object or a stationary object. If the vibration generating condition is detected, the CPU drives a vibration source included in the controller, thereby generating vibration on the controller.

Claims

1. A computer readable medium for use with a video game system comprising a video game machine, a hand-held controller connected to said video game machine and operable by a player to generate video game inputs, and a vibration source arranged to vibrate a housing of said hand-held controller, said computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions adapted to be executed by said video game machine, the instructions which, when executed, define a series of steps comprising:

detecting vibration generating conditions;

controlling a counter in accordance with the detected vibration generating conditions; and

generating vibration control data for controlling said vibration source based on a count of said counter.

2. The computer readable medium according to

claim 1

, wherein collisions between game objects are detected as vibration generating conditions.

3. The computer readable medium according to

claim 1

, wherein collisions between game objects in three-dimensional space are detected as vibration generating conditions.

4. The computer readable medium according to

claim 1

, wherein accelerations of game objects are detected as vibration generating conditions.

5. The computer readable medium according to

claim 1

, wherein vibration control data for driving said vibration source is generated when the count of said counter exceeds a predetermined count value.

6. The computer readable medium according to

claim 1

, wherein a count loaded into said counter and an increment value for the count of said counter are determined in accordance with the detected vibration generating conditions.

7. The computer readable medium according to

claim 6

, wherein a variation value of the increment value is also determined in accordance with the detected vibration generating conditions.

8. The computer readable medium according to

claim 1

, comprising an optical disc.

9. The computer readable medium according to

claim 1

, comprising a magnetic disc.

10. The computer readable medium according to

claim 1

, comprising a ROM cartridge.

11. A computer readable medium for use with a video game system comprising a video game machine, a hand-held controller connected to said video game machine and operable by a player to generate video game inputs, and a vibration source arranged to vibrate a housing of said hand-held controller, said computer readable medium having stored thereon:

vibration patterns each of which determines the on/off state of said vibration source for each frame of a sequence of frames; and

instructions adapted to be executed by said video game machine, the instructions which, when executed, define a series of steps comprising;

detecting vibration generating conditions; and

selecting the vibration patterns to control said vibration source in accordance with the detected vibration generating conditions.

12. The computer readable medium according to

claim 11

, wherein collisions between game objects are detected as vibration generating conditions.

13. The computer readable medium according to

claim 12

, wherein collisions between game objects in three-dimensional space are detected as vibration generating conditions.

14. The computer readable medium according to

claim 11

, wherein accelerations of game objects are detected as vibration generating conditions.

15. The computer readable medium according to

claim 11

, comprising an optical disc.

16. The computer readable medium according to

claim 11

, comprising a magnetic disc.

17. The computer readable medium according to

claim 11

, comprising a ROM cartridge.

18. The computer readable medium according to

claim 11

, wherein the vibration patterns include weak, medium and intense vibration patterns.