System for vending program cartridges which have circuitry for inhibiting program usage after preset time interval expires

• US 4,593,376 A
• Filed: 04/21/1983
• Issued: 06/03/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Larry N. Volk
• Original Assignee: Larry N. Volk
• Inventors: Volk, Larry N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Springborn, Harvey E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Williams, A.
• Application Number:
  US06/487,018
• Time in Patent Office: 1,139 Days
• Field of Search: 364/200 MS File, 364/900 MS File, 364/478, 364/479, 365/52, 365/63, 358/114-117, 273/DIG. 28, 273/85 G, 273/148 B, 194/1 R, 194/DIG. 11, 360/15
• US Class Current: 705/16
• 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 13/95 Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/201 Playing authorisation given at platform level
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/206 Game information storage, e.g. cartridges, CD ROM's, DVD's, smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/123 by using dedicated hardware, e.g. dongles, smart cards, cryptographic processors, global positioning systems [GPS] devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2211/007 Encryption, En-/decode, En-/decipher, En-/decypher, Scramble, (De-)compress
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2109 Game systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2137 Time limited access, e.g. to a computer or data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/445 Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1091 Recording time for administrative or management purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0014 for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/16 for devices exhibiting advertisements, announcements, pictures or the like
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 194/906 Video cassette vendor

Abstract

A vending machine stores a plurality of video game programs which may be selected for purchase. The game program is transferred to a programmable cartridge which the user inserts into the machine. The programmable cartridge is then removed for use on a separate video game unit. The programmable cartridge includes a use interval circuit which is preset by the vending machine to expire after a time interval. When expired, the transferred program is rendered inoperable.

Claims

1. A program vending system for dispensing a program which may be used in a separate programmable machine that executes the program, which comprises:

memory means for storing a plurality of programs which are each suitable for use in the separate programmable machine;

transfer means coupled to the memory means for transferring a selected program to a memory device contained in a program cartridge which is removable from the program vending system;

a use interval circuit contained in the removable program cartridge and coupled to its memory device; and

use programming means coupled to the transfer means for generating a signal to the use interval circuit in the removable program cartridge which establishes a preset use interval for the transferred program;

wherein the transferred program stored in the removable program cartridge may be executed in the separate programmable machine until the preset use interval expires and the use interval circuit prevents further execution.

2. The program vending system as recited in claim 1 in which the use interval circuit includes means for measuring time, and it is preset to a time interval by the signal from the use programming means.

3. The program vending system as recited in claim 2 in which the use interval circuit includes a timing capacitor which is charged by the signal from the use programming means and an electronic switch which is coupled to the timing capacitor and to the memory device in the removable program cartridge and is operated thereby when the timing capacitor discharges to an expired state over the time interval to disable said memory device.

4. The program vending system as recited in claim 1 which includes test means coupled to the transfer means for testing the operation of the use interval circuit in the removable cartridge.

5. The program vending system as recited in claim 1 which includes test means for testing the operation of the memory device contained in the removable cartridge to insure that the selected program is accurately transferred.

6. A removable program cartridge for use in a programmable machine which executes a program stored in the removable program cartridge, the combination comprising:

memory means for storing a set of program instructions which comprise the executable program instructions;

a connector for making electrical connection to the programmable machine when the removable program cartridge is used by the programmable machine;

a data bus connected to the memory means and the connector for coupling program instructions read from the memory means to the progrmmable machine when the removable program cartridge is in use;

a use interval circuit coupled to the memory means, the use interval circuit being operable to disable the coupling of the program instructions to the programmable machine after a preset use interval and to thereby prevent the programmable machine from executing said program after the programmable machine has executed the program a preset amount.

7. The removable program cartridge as recited in claim 6 in which the use interval circuit inhibits the reading of program instructions from the memory means after the preset use interval.

8. The removable program cartridge as recited in claim 6 in which the use interval circuit disables the coupling of the program instructions by disabling a control line which connects to the memory means.

9. The removable program cartridge as recited in claim 6 in which the memory means is an electrically alterable read-only memory device which may be reprogrammed to store a different set of program instructions.

10. The removable program cartridge as recited in claim 6 in which the memory means is a non-volatile reprogrammable device.

11. The removable program cartridge as recited in claim 6 in which the use interval circuit includes timer means which is preset to establish a time interval during which the stored program instructions may be read from the memory means to operate the programmable machine.

12. The removable program cartridge as recited in claim 11 in which the timer means includes a capacitor which is preset with a charge that establishes a voltage level and which includes an electronic switch which is coupled to the capacitor and the memory means and is operated by the voltage level to enable program instructions to be read from the memory means;

wherein the charge on the capacitor changes over the established time interval to produce a voltage level which operates the electronic switch to terminate the use interval.

13. A machine for vending programs to the memory device in a removable program cartridge which may be disconnected from the vending machine and used in a separate programmable machine that executes a vended program stored therein, the combination comprising:

a connector for receiving the removable program cartridge and enabling data to be transferred to the memory device therein;

program storage means for storing a plurality of programs, each suitable for transfer to the removable program cartridge;

selection means coupled to the program storage means for enabling one of the stored programs to be manually selected by a user of the vending machine;

transfer means coupled to the program storage means and the connector for transferring the selected stored program from the program storage means to the memory device in a removable program cartridge which is received in the connector; and

use programming means coupled to the connector for conveying use interval information thereto which establishes an interval during which the program transferred to the removable program cartridge may be executed by the separate programmable machine.

14. The vending machine as recited in claim 13 in which the use programming means includes time interval means which is operable to select a time interval during which the transferred program may be used on a separate programmable machine.

15. The vending machine as recited in claim 13 which includes test means coupled to the connector for transferring information from the removable program cartridge received therein, which information indicates if the removable program cartridge is operating properly;

and

inhibit means coupled to the test means and the transfer means for inhibiting the transfer of a useful program to the removable program cartridge if the removable program cartridge is not operating properly.

16. The vending machine as recited in claim 13 which includes storage means coupled to the transfer means for storing data which indicates the extent to which each program stored in the program storage means is selected and transferred to a removable program cartridge.

17. The vending machine as recited in claim 13 which includes program directions storage means coupled to the selection means, and display means coupled to the program directions storage means for providing visual information to the user of the vending machine;

wherein data which provides the user with direction information associated with a selected program is transferred to the display means.

18. The vending machine as recited in claim 13 in which the programs stored in the program storage means each include a set of instructions which may be executed to preview the operation of each program and in which the vending machine includes:

programmable processor means coupled to the program storage means and to the selection means for executing the preview instruction set in a selected program; and

display means coupled to the programmable processor means for displaying information to the user when a selected preview instruction set is executed.