Game programming flash memory cartridge system including a programmer and a reprogrammable cartridge

• US 5,828,862 A
• Filed: 05/13/1997
• Issued: 10/27/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Watzel, Donald J., Basnett, Don E. Jr., Nguyen, Kha D., Singkornrat, Paripon, Tsevdos, James T., Hamblin, Glen E., Dorak, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Gossage, Glenn
• Application Number:
  US08/855,478
• Time in Patent Office: 532 Days
• Field of Search: 395/430, 395/442, 365/52, 365/63, 364/410, 273/148 B, 463/43, 463/44, 463/45, 463/46, 463/47
• US Class Current: 711/115
• 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: G11C 16/102 External programming circuits, e.g. EPROM programmers; In-circuit programming or reprogramming; EPROM emulators

Abstract

A game programming system uses rewritable cartridges that are compatible with commercially available game systems to produce game cartridges at a point-of-sale location so that retailers only need to stock sufficient uniquely designed game blanks to meet consumer demand. A game programmer or programming device loads digital content from computer storage to a rewritable game cartridge incorporating reprogrammable flash memory. The system includes flash rewritable cartridge identification hardware that allows verification of the cartridge to identify it as proprietary to a particular manufacturer or authorized dealer. The system provides for game content to be erased from the cartridge and new game content to be programmed so that the cartridge can be reused time after time to house any number of programs. During a cartridge write operation, a game programmer interface accepts data stored in a personal computer (PC) and fills first in first out (FIFO) memory. A sequencer generates addresses, proper commands, control signals, and timing signals, and sends the game content from the FIFO memory to the game programmer which passes the information to the reprogrammable game cartridge. The sequencer enables the game programming system to write data to the reprogrammable game cartridge very rapidly. The game programmer provides an interface between the game program storage and reprogrammable game cartridge. The programmer may include multiple slots or sockets and accommodate cartridges from different manufacturers with different game formats.

Claims

1. A programmable cartridge system for recording a computer program on a reprogrammable cartridge comprising:

a reprogrammable cartridge housing a non-volatile flash memory which may be programmed, erased and reprogrammed with computer programs via a plug-in connector;

a programmer for receiving the plug-in connector and engaging the reprogrammable cartridge to enable the flash memory to be loaded with a computer program;

a personal computer, including a microprocessor and a storage device for storing computer programs for loading in the flash memory and generating microcode for controlling the reprogrammable cartridge game format;

scanner means for entering into the system customer order information identifying a specific cartridge type and a specific one of the computer programs stored in the storage device;

identification hardware means for (a) verifying that the identifying information in the cartridge corresponds to said specific cartridge type and (b) providing a cartridge verification signal to the programmer to record a computer program in the reprogrammable cartridge; and

sequencer means for (a) writing the specific computer program into the flash memory when verification of the identifying information in the cartridge has occurred, and (b) responding to the microcode supplied by the personal computer for controlling the reprogrammable cartridge game format for the programmer.

2. A programmable cartridge system for recording a computer program on a programmable cartridge comprising:

a reprogrammable cartridge having a flash memory which may be programmed, erased, and reprogrammed with computer programs in accordance with a game format;

a programmer that receives the reprogrammable cartridge to enable the flash memory of the reprogrammable cartridge to be loaded with a computer program;

a computer having a processor and a storage device for storing computer programs to be loaded into the flash memory and generating microcode for controlling the game format of the reprogrammable cartridge;

scanner means for entering into the system customer order information identifying a specific cartridge type and a specific one of the computer programs stored in the storage device;

array logic identification hardware in the cartridge responsive to a specific data stream applied thereto by the programmer for verifying the cartridge as proprietary and for enabling write logic of the flash memory upon successful verification; and

sequencer means for (a) receiving a disable signal from the reprogrammable cartridge when an incorrect data stream is received by the reprogrammable cartridge and sending a stop signal to the programmer and (b) writing the specific computer program into the flash memory when successful verification of the reprogrammable cartridge has occurred.

3. A programmable cartridge system for recording computer programs on reprogrammable cartridges comprising:

reprogrammable cartridges, each having a flash memory which may be programmed, erased, and reprogrammed with computer programs in accordance with a game format, each cartridge having stored in the flash memory thereof information identifying its cartridge type and including further means for (a) generating a disable signal when the cartridge is not acceptable for programming and (b) generating a cartridge verification signal when the cartridge is acceptable for programming;

a computer having a processor and a storage device for storing computer programs to be loaded into the flash memories of the cartridges and for storing cartridge type information;

a programmer, each of the cartridges being adapted for manual insertion into the programmer;

a scanner for entering into the system customer order information identifying a specific one of the computer programs stored in the storage device and identifying a specific cartridge type into which the specific computer program is to be recorded;

means including the computer, the programmer, and a cartridge manually inserted into the programmer for verifying that the identifying information in the manually inserted cartridge corresponds to said specific cartridge type and sending the cartridge verification signal to the programmer;

means in the programmer and the manually inserted cartridge for verifying the manually inserted cartridge as proprietary and for enabling said write logic of the flash memory when successful verification of the cartridge has occurred; and

sequencer means for (a) recording the specific computer program in the flash memory of the manually inserted cartridge (incident to) when successful verification of the identifying information and verification of the inserted cartridge has occurred and (b) responding to microcode from the computer for controlling the game format of the cartridge.

4. The programmable cartridge system of claim 3, further comprising:

program controlled means effective upon the successful verification of the manually inserted cartridge as proprietary for determining whether or not a manually inserted cartridge has a previously stored computer program stored therein; and

program controlled means for erasing said previously stored computer program prior to said recording of said specific computer program in the manually inserted cartridges.

5. The programmable cartridge system of claim 3 wherein the means for verifying the manually inserted cartridge as proprietary comprises:

software driver means including the programmer for sending a specific data stream to the manually inserted cartridge; and

array logic means in the manually inserted cartridge for verifying that the specific data stream has been received from the programmer and sending the cartridge verification signal to the programmer when verification has occurred or sending a disable signal to the sequencer means when verification does not occur.

6. The programmable cartridge system of claim 3, further including cartridge initialization apparatus wherein:

said means for verifying the blank cartridge as proprietary operable for enabling the write logic of the flash memory when successful verification of the cartridge has occurred; and

sequencer means including the programmer for enters said certain information into the flash memory, thereby initializing said blank cartridge.

7. A game programming system for storing a program in a rewritable cartridge comprising:

(a) the rewritable cartridge containing storage means and cartridge identification means generating a cartridge verification signal or a disable signal according to an input signal;

(b) a game programmer for receiving at least one rewritable cartridge having a proprietary design and generating the input signal indicative of the proprietary design for the at least one received rewritable cartridge;

the game programmer transferring the program into the received rewritable cartridge in response to the cartridge verification signal provided by the rewritable cartridge upon a correct input signal from the game programmer;

(c) a computer system for storing the program and microcode indicative of the proprietary design of each rewritable cartridge received by the game programmer; and

(d) an interface unit coupling the computer system to the game programmer, the interface unit including sequencing means responsive to the microcode supplied by the computer system for transferring the program from the computer system via the game programmer to the received rewritable cartridge identified by the microcode unless the disable signal is received from the rewritable cartridge whereupon the sequencer issues a stop transfer order to the game programmer.

8. The system of claim 7 further including means in the rewritable cartridge for retaining the memory in an inactive or passive state until the correct input signal is received by the rewritable cartridge.

9. The system of claim 7 further including a first-in-first-out storage register in sequencer for transferring program data from the computer system to the rewritable cartridge.

10. The system of claim 7 wherein the sequencer includes means for writing of the program from the storage register to the memory in the rewritable cartridge;

calculation and comparison of a program checksum to verify write operations, and reading of program data from the memory in the rewritable cartridge to the storage means.

11. The system of claim 7 further including in the sequencer a storage device for holding game tally results and logic means for selecting between the storage means and the memory in the rewritable cartridge.

12. The system of claim 7 further including means for modifying the microcode to accommodate different proprietary designs for rewritable cartridges and different types of memories in the rewritable cartridges.

13. The system of claim 7 further including means for encrypting and/or compressing the program stored in the computer system.

14. The system of claim 7 further including means for decrypting encrypted programs stored in the computer system.

15. The system of claim 7 further including means in the computer system for erasing program data stored in the memory of the rewritable cartridge.

16. The system of claim 7 wherein the memory is flash memory technology.

17. The system of claim 7 further including a device driver in the computer system for downloading the microcode to a logic means in the sequencer.