Electronic game apparatus

• US 4,264,072 A
• Filed: 05/26/1978
• Issued: 04/28/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: John E. Chalmers
• Original Assignee: John E. Chalmers
• Inventors: Chalmers, John E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hum, Vance Y.
• Application Number:
  US05/909,920
• Time in Patent Office: 1,068 Days
• Field of Search: 273/85 G, 273/101.2, 273/101.1, 273/237, 273/238, 340/323 R, 340/552, 340/553, 340/709, 340/712, 340/365 C, 307/116
• US Class Current: 463/39
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/212 using sensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat or leg activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/428 involving motion or position input signals, e.g. signals representing the rotation of an input controller or a player's arm motions sensed by accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1012 involving biosensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat, limb activity

Abstract

An electronic game apparatus for use with circuitry which position controls a game object on the screen of a cathode-ray tube, such as is used in standard television receivers. The apparatus translates player'"'"'s position and movement, and in particular a player'"'"'s hand, to corresponding movement of the game object on the screen. The apparatus is capable of non-tactile sensing of the player'"'"'s movement and in the preferred embodiment utilizes a field effect transistor with an antenna member coupled to the gate of the transistor, with the player'"'"'s position and movement relative to the antenna member resulting in corresponding game object movement on the tube screen.

Claims

1. Apparatus for playing games utilizing a cathode-ray tube having a display screen comprising:

first means for generating signals coupled to the tube to position-control a game object symbol on the screen;

second means coupled to said first means for non-tactile capacitance sensing of a player'"'"'s body limb position and movement and for providing a signal variable in response to said player'"'"'s body limb position and movement thereby to position-control the game object symbol on the screen corresponding to said player'"'"'s body limb position and movement;

said second means comprising circuit means for providing a video signal for displaying on said tube screen said symbol in correspondence with and in response to said variable signal;

non-tactile sensing signal means for providing signal variation in accordance with a sensed player non-tactile proximity change; and

coupling means for coupling said variable signal to said circuit means whereby said sensed proximity change will vary the signal to said circuit means and correspondingly vary said video signal;

said sensing means comprising a player'"'"'s non-tactile proximity sensing current conducting means for varying the amplitude of current conduction in accordance with said proximity change;

said coupling means providing a resistance coupling between said non-tactile sensing means and said circuit means to vary the signal voltage to said circuit means in accordance with said non-tactile proximity change,

said non-tactile sensing means comprising a field effect transistor having a gate, source, and drain;

the gate of said transistor being coupled to an antenna for non-tactile proximity coupling to said player'"'"'s body limb position and movement whereby the current conductivity between said source and drain is varied in a predetermined manner by the distance variance in non-tactile proximity coupling beteen said gate and said player'"'"'s position.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 including a voltage supply;

a potentiometer coupled between said supply and said circuit means;

said drain and source being coupled across said potentiometer.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 including a light emitting diode being coupled in series with said drain and source across said potentiometer.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 including a voltage supply coupled to said circuit means;

said drain and source being coupled in series between said supply and circuit means whereby the electrical coupling between said supply and circuit means will be open in the absence of player'"'"'s proximity to said antenna.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 including a voltage supply;

a potentiometer being connected to said supply and being connected to said coupling means;

said drain and source being coupled in series between ground and the connection of said potentiometer and coupling means.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 including a voltage supply;

a potentiometer and light emitting diode being coupled in series with said source and drain between said supply and said coupling means.

7. An electronic game apparatus utilizing a cathode-ray tube having a display screen, a system for non-tactile position-control of a game object symbol on said screen comprising:

antenna means for non-tactile sensing of the body capacitance of a player thereto, said sensed body capacitance varying in response to the degree of proximity of the player and the movement of the player with respect to said antenna means;

means coupled to said antenna means for providing a control signal having a voltage level variable in response to the degree of the sensed body capacitance; and

means coupled to said control signal means and adapted to be coupled to said tube for position-controlling a game-object symbol on said screen in response to said control signal whereby said symbol is moved in correspondence with said player'"'"'s position and movement.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said control means terminates said control signal when said player is out of the proximity of said antenna means, and said position-controlling means extinguishes the game-object symbol display on said screen in the absence of said control signal.