Handheld electronic game device having the shape of a gun

• US 20030186742A1
• Filed: 04/01/2002
• Published: 10/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xiao Lin
• Original Assignee: Xiao Lin
• Inventors: Lin, Xiao
• Granted Patent: US 6,902,483 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/37
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/219 for aiming at specific areas on the display, e.g. light-guns
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/245 specially adapted to a particular type of game, e.g. steering wheels
• 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 13/285 Generating tactile feedback signals via the game input device, e.g. force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/426 involving on-screen location information, e.g. screen coordinates of an area at which the player is aiming with a light gun
• 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 13/5378 for displaying an additional top view, e.g. radar screens or maps using two or more virtual cameras concurrently A63F13/5252
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/837 Shooting of targets
• 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 2300/1062 being specially adapted to a type of game, e.g. steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/301 using an additional display connected to the game console, e.g. on the controller
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/307 for displaying an additional window with a view from the top of the game field, e.g. radar screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/53 details of basic data processing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8076 Shooting

Abstract

A handheld electronic game device shaped as a toy gun with two handles and two triggers, and one or more built-in display screens. The device may be played as a stand-alone device, or played with an external game unit having a display screen. When played with an external unit, the handheld device and the external unit may be provided with an aiming relationship detection system to detect an aiming of the handheld device with respect the display screen of the external unit. In one example, the screen of the external unit displays a terrain or a scene seen by the player, and the built-in display of the handheld device simulates a view seen through a scope used on traditional guns. An additional display screen may be provided on the handheld device to simulate a radar scan or satellite image.

Claims

1. An electronic game device shaped as a toy gun, comprising:

a main body;

two handles connected to the main body on an underside, each handle being adapted to be held by a hand of a player;

two trigger devices each provided for a handle and adapted to be activated by a finger of the player while holding the handles; and

a control section carried within the maim body and/or the handles,

wherein the two trigger devices are electrically connected to the control section to provide input signals thereto.

2. The electronic game device of claim 1, further comprising a display screen disposed on a topside of the main body and electrically connected to the control section for display of game images.

3. The electronic game device of claim 2, wherein the display screen is a liquid crystal display device.

4. The electronic game device of claim 2, wherein the display screen is non-fixedly mounted on the main body.

5. The electronic game device of claim 2, wherein the display screen is retractable into a slot provided on the main body.

6. The electronic game device of claim 1, further comprising a speaker and a vibrating device provided within the main body and/or the handles for simulating the sound and motion of a gun being fired.

7. The electronic game device of claim 1, further comprising one or more memory card slots provided on the main body and/or handles for receiving one or more memory cards.

8. The electronic game device of claim 7, comprising two memory card slots.

9. The electronic game device of claim 1, further comprising control buttons provided on the main body and/or handle and electrically connected to the control section to provide additional input signals thereto.

10. The electronic game device of claim 1, further comprising a head-mount display unit in wired or wireless communication with the control section.

11. The electronic game device of claim 1, further comprising an interface unit for communicating with an external game device.

12. The electronic game device of claim 11, further comprising an aiming relationship detection system adapted to cooperate with an external game unit to detect an aimed-at position with respect to the external game unit.

13. An electronic game system comprising:

an external game unit having a display screen for displaying game images;

a handheld unit shaped as a toy gun, the handheld unit comprising;

a main body;

two handles connected to the body on an underside, each handle being adapted to be held by a hand of a player; and

two trigger devices each provided for a handle and adapted to be activated by a finger of the player while holding the handles; and

one or more control sections coupled to the display screen of the external game unit and the two trigger devices of the handheld unit, the control section controlling the images displayed on the display screen of the external game unit in response to input signals received from the two trigger devices.

14. The electronic game system of claim 13, further comprising an aiming relationship detection system provided in the external game unit and the handheld unit to detect an aimed-at position with respect to areas on the display screen of the external game unit, the aiming relationship detection system being coupled to the one or more control sections, the control section controlling the images displayed on the display screen of the external game unit in response to input signals received from the aiming relationship detection system.

15. An electronic game system comprising:

an external game unit having a display screen for displaying game images;

a handheld unit shaped as a toy gun, the handheld device having a trigger device for generating input signals and a display screen for displaying game images;

one or more control sections coupled to the display screen of the external game unit, the display screen of the handheld unit, and the trigger device of the handheld unit,

wherein the control section controls the images displayed on the display screen of the external game unit and the display screen of the handheld unit in response to input signals received from the trigger device, and wherein the control section is capable of displaying correlated images on the display screen of the external game unit and the display screen of the handheld unit.

16. The electronic game system of claim 15, further comprising an aiming relationship detection system provided in the external game unit and the handheld unit to detect an aimed-at position with respect to areas on the display screen of the external game unit, the aiming relationship detection system being coupled to the one or more control sections, the control section controlling the images displayed on the display screen of the external game unit in response to input signals received from the aiming relationship detection system.