Entertainment system, recording medium and entertainment apparatus

• US 20030211891A1
• Filed: 06/18/2003
• Published: 11/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Fumiaki Hara, Hajime Saito, Hideaki Kikukawa, Kenji Kaido
• Inventors: Saito, Hajime, Kaido, Kenji, Hara, Fumiaki, Kikukawa, Hideaki
• Granted Patent: US 7,052,397 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/43
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/013 Force feedback applied to a game
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user

Abstract

An effect application instructing function includes a user setting function for setting up information as to users of an entertainment apparatus to generate a user information table, an event processing function for reading input information from one or more manual controllers and processing data depending on the input information to generate an event processing table, a vibration setting function for extracting only information relative to vibrations from the event processing table and successively registering vibrations types with respect to the user to which vibrations are to be applied in a vibration output table, and a vibration outputting function for generating and outputting vibration Indicating data including a vibration type with respect to the user to which vibrations are to be applied, based on the vibration output table and the user information table, and executing a physical effect to be applied to a hypothetical user as a parameter change.

Claims

1. An entertainment system comprising:

an entertainment apparatus for executing various programs;

a manual controller connected to said entertainment apparatus for entering manual control requests from the user into said entertainment apparatus; and

effect applying means disposed in said manual controller for applying physical effects to the user in response to external requests;

said entertainment apparatus having effect application instructing means for outputting an instruction to apply a physical effect to the manual controller operated by a selected one of a plurality of users based on a request from another user.

2. An entertainment system according to claim 1, wherein said effect applying means comprises a vibration generator for applying vibrations to said user.

3. An entertainment system according to claim 1, wherein said effect application instructing means comprises means for selecting a hypothetical user, and means for affecting a physical parameter of said hypothetical user if said means for selecting a hypothetical user selects said hypothetical user.

4. An entertainment system according to claim 1, wherein said effect application instructing means has setting means for detecting the number of manual controllers connected to said entertainment apparatus and identification data of said manual controllers, and setting up data depending on the detected number of manual controllers.

5. An entertainment system according to claim 1, wherein said effect application instructing means comprises means for establishing a type of the physical effect to be applied to at least said selected user depending on details of said request if the request from the user is an instruction to apply the physical effect to the selected user.

6. A recording medium storing a program for use by an entertainment system having:

an entertainment apparatus for executing various programs;

a manual controller connected to said entertainment apparatus for entering manual control requests from the user into said entertainment apparatus; and

effect applying means disposed in said manual controller for applying physical effects to the user in response to external requests;

said program having the step of;

outputting an instruction to apply a physical effect to the manual controller operated by a selected one of a plurality of users based on a request from another user.

7. A recording medium according to claim 6, wherein said effect applying means comprises a vibration generator for applying vibrations to said user.

8. A recording medium according to claim 6, wherein said step comprises the step of selecting a hypothetical user, and the step of affecting a physical parameter of said hypothetical user if the step of selecting a hypothetical user selects said hypothetical user.

9. A recording medium according to claim 6, wherein said step comprises the steps of:

detecting the number of manual controllers connected to said entertainment apparatus and identification data of said manual controllers; and

setting up data depending on the detected number of manual controllers.

10. A recording medium according to claim 6, wherein said step comprises the step of establishing a type of the physical effect to be applied to at least said selected user depending on details of said request if the request from the user is an instruction to apply the physical effect to the selected user.

11. An entertainment apparatus allowing a manual controller to be connected, the manual controller having an effect applying means disposed in the manual controller for applying physical effects to the user in response to external requests, comprising:

An effect application instructing means for outputting an instruction to apply a physical effect to the manual controller operated by a selected one of a plurality of users based on a request from another user.