Game apparatus and a power save mode management program executed by the same

• US 20030096650A1
• Filed: 10/09/2002
• Published: 05/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Eguchi, Katsuya, Nogami, Hisashi
• Granted Patent: US 6,948,083 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/41
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/493 Resuming a game, e.g. after pausing, malfunction or power failure
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/403 Connection between platform and handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/636 involving process of starting or resuming a game
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode

Abstract

During a sleep mode, if an input made via operation switches matches a resume condition, a portable game apparatus cancels the sleep mode and generates a resume window. Next, a timer which counts down a predetermined length of time is set off, and the resume window is displayed on an LCD. Then, if an instruction from a user instructs a resume from the sleep mode, the resume window is erased, and game data and a game image which existed immediately before entering the sleep mode are restored, and the normal game processing is resumed. On the other hand, if inactivity for the predetermined length or longer with respect to the operation switches is detected, or if an option of not choosing to resume has been selected by the user, the sleep mode is again entered.

Claims

1. A power save mode management program contained in a medium which is readable to a computer embodying game apparatus having a power save mode for minimizing internal power consumption, wherein the power save mode management program controls transition to the power save mode and resume from the power save mode, the program comprising:

a first resume determination step of determining, during the power save mode, whether a first operation signal generated from an operation switch provided on the game apparatus matches a predetermined primary resume condition or not;

a power save mode cancellation step of canceling the power save mode if the first resume determination step determines that the first operation signal matches the primary resume condition;

a second resume determination step of determining, after the power save mode cancellation step cancels the power save mode, whether a second operation signal generated from the operation switch matches a predetermined secondary resume condition or not; and

a game processing mode resume step of resuming a game processing mode being processed by the game apparatus immediately before entering the power save mode if the second resume determination step determines that the second operation signal matches the secondary resume condition.

2. The power save mode management program according to claim 1, further comprising a operation procedure displaying step of displaying an operation procedure for generating the second operation signal when the power save mode is cancelled by the power save mode cancellation step.

3. The power save mode management program according to claim 2,

wherein the operation procedure displaying step comprises displaying a plurality of options, and

the secondary resume condition is an option to resume from the power save mode selected by a user from among the options displayed by the operation procedure displaying step.

4. The power save mode management program according to claim 2,

wherein the operation procedure displaying step comprises indicating a combination of a plurality of said operation switches, and

the secondary resume condition is an operation signal generated corresponding to the combination of the plurality of said operation switches indicated by the operation procedure displaying step.

5. The power save mode management program according to claim 1, further comprising a power save mode re-transition step of again establishing the power save mode if the second operation signal is not generated within a predetermined period of time after the power save mode is canceled by the power save mode cancellation step.

6. The power save mode management program according to claim 1,

wherein the primary resume condition is the first operation signal being generated during a period which is equal to or less than a predetermined period of time.

7. The power save mode management program according to claim 1,

wherein the primary resume condition is an operation signal generated from a predetermined combination of a plurality of said operation switches.

8. The power save mode management program according to claim 1, further comprising an operation procedure displaying step of displaying an operation procedure for generating the first operation signal when entering the power save mode.

9. The power save mode management program according to claim 1, further comprising:

a game data saving step of saving game data being used in the game processing mode upon determining that a third operation signal generated from the operation switch matches a predetermined primary transition condition or that no operation signal has been generated for a predetermined period of time during the game processing mode; and

a power save mode transition step of, after the game data is saved, commencing the first resume determination step, and thereafter establishing the power save mode.

10. The power save mode management program according to claim 9, further comprising a transition window displaying step of displaying a transition window for allowing a user to confirm whether or not to enter the power save mode before the first resume determination step is commenced.

11. A game apparatus having a power save mode for minimizing internal power consumption, comprising:

an operation switch provided on a surface of a housing of the game apparatus for generating an operation signal in response to a user operation;

a first resume determination section for determining whether a first operation signal generated from the operation switch during the power save mode matches a predetermined primary resume condition or not;

a power save mode cancellation section for canceling the power save mode when the first resume determination section determines that the first operation signal matches the primary resume condition;

a second resume determination section for determining whether a second operation signal generated from the operation switch after the power save mode is canceled by the power save mode cancellation section matches a predetermined secondary resume condition or not; and

a game processing mode resume section for resuming the game processing mode being processed by the game apparatus immediately before entering the power save mode if the second resume determination section determines that the second operation signal matches the secondary resume condition.

12. The game apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising an operation procedure displaying section for displaying an operation procedure for generating the second operation signal when the power save mode is cancelled by the power save mode cancellation section.

13. The game apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the operation procedure displaying section displays a plurality of options, and the secondary resume condition is an option to resume from the power save mode selected by a user from among the options displayed by the operation procedure displaying section.

14. The game apparatus according to claim 12,

wherein the operation procedure displaying section indicates a combination of a plurality of said operation switches, and

the secondary resume condition is an operation signal generated corresponding to the combination of the plurality of said operation switches indicated by the operation procedure displaying section.

15. The game apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a power save mode re-transition section for again establishing the power save mode if the second operation signal is not generated within a predetermined period of time after the power save mode is canceled by the power save mode cancellation section.

16. The game apparatus according to claim 11,

wherein the primary resume condition is the first operation signal being generated during a period which is equal to or less than a predetermined period of time.

17. The game apparatus according to claim 11,

wherein the primary resume condition is an operation signal generated from a predetermined combination of a plurality of said operation switches.

18. The game apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising an operation procedure displaying section for displaying an operation procedure for generating the first operation signal when entering the power save mode.

19. The game apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising:

a game data saving section for saving game data being used in the game processing mode upon determining that a third operation signal generated from the operation switch matches a predetermined primary transition condition or that no operation signal has been generated for a predetermined period of time during the game processing mode; and

a power save mode transition section for, after the game data is saved, commencing the first resume determination section, and thereafter establishing the power save mode.

20. The game apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising a transition window displaying section for displaying a transition window for allowing a user to confirm whether or not to enter the power save mode before commencing the first resume determination section.