Game system with enhanced low power mode-related processing

• US 20030092493A1
• Filed: 10/07/2002
• Published: 05/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Nakago, Toshihiko, Suzuki, Toshiaki, Shimizu, Takao
• Granted Patent: US 8,506,411 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/43
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/26 having at least one additional display device, e.g. on the game controller or outside a game booth
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/323 between game devices with different hardware characteristics, e.g. hand-held game devices connectable to game consoles or arcade machines
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/48 Starting a game, e.g. activating a game device or waiting for other players to join a multiplayer session
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/533 for prompting the player, e.g. by displaying a game menu
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/105 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes

Abstract

A TV game machine is connected to a portable game machine being used as a controller. If no operations have been carried out by a user to the portable game machine, the portable game machine sends a sleep request to the TV game machine, and then enters sleep mode. On receiving the sleep request, the TV game machine causes a message to be displayed on a display, and notifies a user that the portable game machine is being operated in sleep mode. This screen display continues until the portable game machine returns from the sleep mode. Thus, it is possible to prevent the user who sees the portable game machine in sleep mode from erroneously believing that the portable game machine is turned off and then operating a power button to turn it on.

Claims

1. A game system in which a first game machine is connected to at least a single second game machine for use as an operation controller for game play, comprising:

a no-operation detector for detecting that the second game machine has not been operated by a user for a predetermined period and for generating a no-operation mode signal;

a mode switching mechanism for switching, upon receipt of the no-operation mode signal from the no-operation detector, an operation mode of the second game machine from normal game processing mode to no-operation mode; and

a notifying mechanism for notifying the user via one of an image and a sound that the second game machine is being operated in the no-operation mode, wherein the notification is provided on the first game machine.

2. The game system according to claim 1, wherein

the first game machine is powered by a home power supply,

the second game machine is powered by a battery, and

the no-operation mode is a power-saving mode for reducing power consumption from the battery by limiting an operation of the second game machine.

3. The game system according to claim 2, wherein

the second game machine includes a display section for displaying a game screen, and

in the power-saving mode, the game screen display on the display section is suspended.

4. The game system according to claim 1, wherein

the second game machine includes a display section for displaying a game screen, and

the no-operation mode is a burn-resistant mode for preventing a burn on the display section by suspending a screen display on the display section.

5. The game system according to claim 1, wherein

when the notifying mechanism notifies the user that the second game machine is being operated in the no-operation mode, the notifying mechanism further notifies the user of a procedure for returning the operation mode of the second game machine from the no-operation mode to the normal game processing mode.

6. The game system according to claim 1, wherein

the notifying mechanism notifies the user that the second game machine is being operated in the no-operation mode by causing a predetermined message to be displayed.

7. The game system according to claim 1, wherein

the notifying mechanism notifies the user that the second game machine is being operated in the no-operation mode through an image having a different representation from an image displayed in the normal game processing mode.

8. The game system according to claim 1, wherein

the notifying mechanism notifies the user that the second game machine is being operated in the no-operation mode through a different sound than a sound produced in the normal game processing mode.

9. The game system according to claim 1, wherein

the second game machine has a plurality of operation buttons, and

the no-operation detector detects that the second game machine has not been operated by the user for a predetermined period when a state of the plurality of buttons has not changed for the predetermined period.

10. The game system according to claim 1, wherein

the second game machine includes an acceleration sensor, and

the no-operation detector detects that the second game machine has not been operated by the user for a predetermined period when values generated by the acceleration sensor for a predetermined period are within a predetermined range.

11. The game system according to claim 1, wherein

the first game machine is connected to a plurality of said second game machines, and

the notifying mechanism notifies the user through one of an image and sound, when all of the second game machines are being operated in the no-operation mode.

12. A game machine being removably connected to at least another game machine as an operation controller, the other game machine having an operation mode which can be switched from normal game processing mode to no-operation mode when no operations have been carried out by a user for a predetermined time period, the game machine comprising:

an operation mode detector for detecting the operation mode of the other game machine; and

a notifying mechanism for notifying the user that the other game machine is being operated in the no-operation mode through one of an image and a sound.

13. The game machine according to claim 12, wherein

based on a sleep request signal from the other game machine, the operation mode detector detects that the operation mode of the other game machine is switched from the normal game processing mode to the no-operation mode.

14. A computer-readable medium encoded with a game program to be executed on a game machine capable of being removably connected to at least another single game machine as an operation controller, the other game machine having an operation mode which can be switched from normal game processing mode to no-operation mode when no operations have been carried out for a predetermined time period, the computer-readable medium being encoded with said game program to cause the game machine to execute instructions for:

detecting the operation mode of the other game machine; and

notifying the user through one image and a sound that the other game machine is being operated.

15. A computer-readable medium encoded with a game program to be executed on a game machine being used as an operation controller removably connected to another game machine for game processing, the computer-readable medium being encoded with said game program to cause the game machine to execute instructions for:

detecting that no operations have been carried out by a user to the game machine for a predetermined time period;

switching an operation mode of the game machine from normal game processing mode to no-operation mode based on the detection result in the detecting step; and

notifying the other game machine with a sleep request signal that the operation mode of the game machine has been switched to the no-operation mode.

16. A game processing method for use in a game system in which a first game machine is connected to at least another single second game machine as an operation controller for game processing, the method comprising:

detecting that no operations have been carried out by a user of the second game machine for at least a predetermined time period;

switching an operation of the second game machine from normal game processing mode to no-operation mode based on the detection result; and

notifying the user by the first game machine through one of an image and a sound that the second game machine is being operated in the no-operation mode.

17. A game system comprising:

a first game machine for executing a video game program;

a second game machine structurally distinct from said first game machine and operatively coupled to first game machine, for permitting a user to control video game play on said first game machine, said second game machine including an acceleration sensor for generating an acceleration-related signal; and

a no operation detector, responsible to said acceleration-related signal, for causing said game system to enter a low power mode.

18. A game system comprising:

a home video game processing system for executing a first program;

a portable video game machine processing system for executing a second program; and

being coupled to said home video game console for operating as a video game controller for said home video game console, wherein said first program and said second program each include at least one instruction for performing at least one low power mode related operation.

19. A game system according to claim 18, wherein said portable video game machine processing system includes a no-operation detector.

20. A game system according to claim 18, wherein said portable video game machine processing system is enclosed in a portable video game machine having an acceleration sensor.