Video game software selection data processing system

• US 4,922,420 A
• Filed: 07/23/1987
• Issued: 05/01/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Nomura, Masaki, Nakagawa, Katsuya, Tanaka, Kunihiro, Yukawa, Masayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Jablon, Clark A.
• Application Number:
  US07/076,792
• Time in Patent Office: 1,013 Days
• Field of Search: 273/1 E, 273/85 G, 273/DIG. 28, 273/148 B, 364/410
• US Class Current: 463/29
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/219 for aiming at specific areas on the display, e.g. light-guns
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/24 Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles
• 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 13/77 involving data related to game devices or game servers, e.g. configuration data, software version or amount of memory
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/95 Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1043 being characterized by constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/206 Game information storage, e.g. cartridges, CD ROM's, DVD's, smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/552 for downloading to client devices, e.g. using OS version, hardware or software profile of the client device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/0291 with a simulated projectile, e.g. an image on a screen

Abstract

A game software service system is connected to a monitor to display an image for game. A CPU and a PPU which cooperates with the CPU are accommodated within a housing. A plurality of storage mediums which respectively store game programs are attached to the housing in an attachable/detachable manner. The respective storage mediums are commonly connected to an address bus and a data bus of the CPU and the PPU, and assigned with a common address space. A first controller is used for playing a game. Any one of the storage mediums is selected by operation of a second controller. When a menu showing a plurality of game names is displayed on the monitor, accesses from the CPU and the PPU to a selected storage medium are enabled in response to the operation of the second controller. The CPU and the PPU execute a program of the selected storage medium to display the image for game on the monitor. In that state, when the first controller is operated, displaying condition on the monitor screen is responsibly changed by the CPU and the PPU.

Claims

1. A game software service system connected to a monitor to display an image for games to be played on the monitor, comprising:

a plurality of game memory means, each memory means for storing at least one game program, said plurality of game memory mean being divided into a plurality of blocks;

a plurality of bus buffer means for buffering information for said plurality of game memory means, a respective one of said bus buffer means being connected to a corresponding one of said plurality of blocks;

first operation means by which a game can be played by a player;

processing means, coupled to said first operation means, for processing a game program in accordance with the operation of said first operation means, said processing means being connected to respective ones of said plurality of bus buffer means through a common address bus and a common data bus;

each of said bus buffer means for buffering information for said plurality of game memory means includes a bidirectional data buffer means connected to the said common data bus and an address buffer means connected to the said common address bus;

second operation means by which the player is able to select any one of said plurality of game memory means by inputting selection information;

said processing means including means responsive to said selection information for generating block selecting data, and for generating bus buffer means selecting data;

block selecting means for selecting a block from said plurality of blocks based upon said block selecting data generated by said processing means in accordance with said selection information, whereby the block is enabled to permit the execution of a game program stored in an identified game memory means; and

bus buffer selecting means for selecting a bus buffer means of said plurality of bus buffer means based upon said bus buffer means selecting data which is generated by said processing means in accordance with said selection information, whereby the game program stored in the game memory means included in the selected block can be accessed by said processing means through the common address bus and the common data bus, and the selected bus buffer means.

2. A game software service system connected to a monitor to display an image for games to be played on the monitor, comprising:

a plurality of game memory means, each memory means for storing at least one game program, said plurality of game memory means being divided into a plurality of blocks, said plurality of blocks being connected to a respective set of data lines and address lines;

a plurality of first bidirectional buffer means, respective ones of which are connected between respective ones of said data lines and a common data bus;

a plurality of second buffer means, respective ones of which are connected between respective ones of said address lines and a common address bus;

first operation means by which a game can be played by a player;

processing means coupled to said first operation means for processing a game program in accordance with the operation of said first operation means, said processing means being connected to respective ones of said pluralities of first and second buffer means through said common address bus and said common data bus;

second operation means by which the player is able to select any one of said plurality of game memory means by inputting selection information;

said processing means including means responsive to said selection information for generating block selecting data, game memory means selecting data and buffer means selecting data;

block selecting means for selecting a block from said plurality of blocks based upon said block selecting data generated by said processing means in accordance with said selection information;

game memory means selecting means for selecting a game memory means from said plurality of game memory means included in a selected block based upon said game memory means selecting data generated by said processing means in accordance with said selection information, whereby a selected game memory means is enabled to permit the execution of a game program stored therein; and

buffer selecting means for selecting a first buffer means of said plurality of first buffer means and a second buffer means of said plurality of second buffer means based upon said buffer means selecting data which is generated by said processing means in accordance with said selection information inputted by the player, whereby said processing means can read the game program stored in the game memory means included in the selected block through said common data bus and the selected first bus buffer means while the addresses of said game program are addressed by said processing means through said common address bus and the selected second bus buffer means.

3. A game software service system in accordance with claim 2 further comprising reset means for generating a reset signal, wherein said processing means includes a control program and wherein said processing means branches from any game program being executed and executes said control program each time when the reset signal is applied from said reset means.

4. A game software service system in accordance with claim 3, wherein said reset means includes first means for generating a first reset signal and second means for generating a second reset signal,

said processing means executes said control program in response to said first reset signal so that a menu by which the player can select one of said game memory means is displayed on said monitor, and executes a game program of a selected game memory means in response to the second reset signal.

5. A game software service system in accordance with claim 2, wherein each of said game memory means includes character memory means for storing character data for a game and program memory means for storing program data for controlling said game, and wherein said processing means includes a first processing means which accesses said program memory via the selected bus buffer means and a second processing means which accesses said character memory via the same selected bus buffer means.

6. A game software service system in accordance with claim 2, wherein said plurality of memory means are pluggably detachable.

7. A game software service system in accordance with claim 2, wherein said first operating means includes said second operating means.

8. A game software service system in accordance with claim 2, further comprising:

a housing,

a valuable medium insertion means for receiving a valuable medium provided in association with said housing,

detecting means for detecting if a valuable medium has been inserted in said valuable medium insertion means,

timer means for counting a time related to the value of the valuable medium detected by said detecting means, and

changing means responsive to said timer means and said processing means for changing a level of luminance of a screen of said monitor when a predetermined remaining time is identified by said timer means.

9. A game software service system in accordance with claim 8, further comprising stop means for stopping changing of the level of the luminance of said monitor by said changing means when a further valuable medium is inserted in said valuable medium insertion portion when said changing means is operating.

10. A game software service system in accordance with claim 8, wherein said changing means includes means for changing a luminance level of a game image signal in accordance with a periodic signal.

11. A game software service system in accordance with claim 8, wherein said valuable medium includes coins and said detecting means includes a coin selector.

12. A game software service system in accordance with claim 2, further including monitor memory means connected to said processing means by way of said first and second buffer means.

13. A game software service system in accordance with claim 2, wherein said processing means includes means for generating memory selecting data, and said block selecting means includes means for selectively enabling one of said plurality of game memory means based upon said memory selecting data.

14. A coin-operated game software service system connected to a monitor to display an image for games to be played on the monitor, comprising:

a plurality of game memory means, each memory means for storing at least one game program, said plurality of game memory means being divided into a plurality of blocks;

a plurality of bus buffer means for buffering information for said plurality of game memory means, a respective one of said bus buffer means being connected to a corresponding one of said plurality of blocks;

first operation means by which a game can be played by a player;

processing means, coupled to said first operation means, for processing a game program in accordance with the operation of said first operation means, said processing means being connected to respective ones of said plurality of bus buffer means through a common address bus and a common data bus;

second operation means by which the player is able to select any one of said plurality of game memory means by inputting selection information;

said processing means including means responsive to said selection information for generating block selecting data, and for generating bus buffer means selecting data;

block selecting means for selecting a block from said plurality of blocks based upon said block selecting data generated by said processing means in accordance with said selection information, whereby the block is enabled to permit the execution of a game program stored in an identified game memory means;

bus buffer selecting means for selecting a bus buffer means of said plurality of bus buffer means based upon said bus buffer means selecting data which is generated by said processing means in accordance with said selection information, whereby the gate program stored in the game memory means included in the selected block can be accessed by said processing means through the common address bus and the common data bus, and the selected bus buffer means; and

a valuable medium insertion means for receiving a valuable medium,

detecting means for detecting if a valuable medium has been inserted in said valuable medium insertion means,

displaying means for displaying an image for a game on a screen when the insertion of a valuable medium is detected by said detecting means,

timer means for counting a time related to the value of the valuable medium detected by said detecting means, and

changing means responsive to said timer means and said processing means for changing a level of luminance of a screen of said monitor when a predetermined remaining time is identified by said timer means.