Game input device, game method and game system using the same

• US 20090042650A1
• Filed: 08/06/2007
• Published: 02/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Incorporated (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Incorporated (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Chiwata, Hiroyuki
• Granted Patent: US 7,846,022 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/37
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/245 specially adapted to a particular type of game, e.g. steering wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/814 Musical performances, e.g. by evaluating the player's ability to follow a notation
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1062 being specially adapted to a type of game, e.g. steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8047 Music games
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 15/00 Teaching music metronomes G04F5/02
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/342 for guitar-like instruments with or without strings and with a neck on which switches or string-fret contacts are used to detect the notes being played electric guitars in which the tones are generated by the vibration of strings G10H3/18
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/091 for performance evaluation, i.e. judging, grading or scoring the musical qualities or faithfulness of a performance, e.g. with respect to pitch, tempo or other timings of a reference performance
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/005 Non-interactive screen display of musical or status data graphical user interfaces specifically adapted for electrophonic musical instruments G10H2220/091; fingering displays G10H2220/041
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/135 Musical aspects of games or videogames; Musical instrument-shaped game input interfaces game background music G10H2210/026; musical game scoring or performance evaluation G10H2210/091
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/151 Musical difficulty level setting or selection

Abstract

The objective of present invention is to provide a game input device which allows a player to enjoy the feeling of actually playing a musical instrument along with a rhythm of music, a game method and a game system using such a game input device. The present invention is a game input device having a moving portion and a neck portion, the moving portion has at least two or more inputs, the moving portion is provided onto the neck portion, and the position of the moving portion is movable on the neck portion. The present invention is also a game method and a game system using the game input device.

Claims

1. A game input device comprising a main body portion, a neck portion extending from said main body portion, and a moving portion movably attached to said neck portion, the moving portion including a plurality of signal input portions,

wherein a controller located in the game input device outputs a positioning signal or a moving motion signal on said moving portion and an input signal on said signal input portion.

2. The game input device according to claim 1, wherein said moving portion is slidably coupled to said neck portion.

3. The game input device according to claim 2, wherein said moving portion is slidably coupled to said neck portion while a portion of said signal input portions is depressed.

4. The game input device according to claim 1, wherein said moving portion is attached slidably in a direction perpendicular to the extension of said neck portion.

5. The game input device according to claim 1, wherein the number of said plurality of signal inputs is three.

6. The game input device according to claim 1, wherein the number of said plurality of signal inputs is four.

7. The game input device according to claim 1, wherein the number of said plurality of signal inputs is five.

8. The game input device according to claim 1, wherein said game input device comprises a guitar shape.

9. A game method using a game input device comprising a main body portion, a neck portion extending from said main body portion, and a moving portion movably attached to said neck portion and provided with a plurality of signal input portions, wherein a first positioning signal or a first moving motion signal and a first input signal on said signal input portion are output by the game input device,

a player inputs a second positioning signal or a second moving motion signal, and a second input signal to said game input device according to an instruction displayed on a display screen;

and

said game input device evaluates both the first and second positioning signals, moving motion signals, and input signals.

10. The game method according to claim 9, wherein an instruction displayed on said display screen is an object moving on an object lane.

11. The game method according to claim 10, wherein a number of said object lanes is five.

12. The game method according to claim 10, wherein a number of said object lanes is six.

13. The game method according to claim 9, wherein a number of said plurality of signal inputs ranges from three to four.

14. The game method according to claim 9, wherein a number of said plurality of signal inputs ranges from three to five.

15. The game method according to claim 9, wherein said display screen has a first input region comprising an object lane that can be selected by at least one of said plurality of signal inputs and a second input region provided adjacent to said first input region;

and

said moving portion is arranged between said first input region and said second input region to receive an input when an object lane is displayed on the display screen of said display.

16. A game system comprising a controller and a platform, wherein

said controller has an moving portion and a neck portion, the moving portion comprises an input means having at least two inputs, said moving portion is coupled to said neck portion, and a position of said moving portion is movable on said neck portion;

said platform comprises an input data evaluation portion, and a memory containing game result judgment data;

said controller and said input data evaluation portion are connected through an input/output terminal; and

said controller obtains an operation data input by a player, said operation data is transmitted to said input data evaluation portion through the input/output terminal, said input data evaluation portion receives said game result judgment data, and compares said operation data and said game result judgment data with a plurality of judgment parameters including the timing of an input operation and the sliding distance of said moving portion, thereby evaluating an input operation performed by the player.

17. The game system according to claim 16, wherein said controller and said platform are integrated.

18. The game system according to claim 16, further comprising a display communicating with said memory through the input/output terminal;

and

game execution data is transmitted from said memory to said display.

19. The game system according to claim 18, wherein a number of a plurality of object lanes is larger than a number of a plurality of inputs by one when an object lane is displayed on a display screen of said display.

20. The game system according to claim 16, wherein said plurality of judgment parameters includes a continuity of an appropriate input operation performed by the player.

21. The game system according to claim 18, wherein said plurality of judgment parameters includes a color consistency of an input for the input operation and a color of a selected object when an object lane and an object are displayed on the display screen of said display.