Debug apparatus and method for debugging game program in ROM cartridge

• US 5,935,006 A
• Filed: 12/19/1996
• Issued: 08/10/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 12/25/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hudson Soft Co., Ltd. (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Hudson Soft Co., Ltd. (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Nakajima, Tomohiko
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Neill, Michael
• Application Number:
  US08/770,570
• Time in Patent Office: 964 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463/31, 463/43, 463/44, 395/183.14, 395/704
• US Class Current: 463/44
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3648 using additional hardware
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3664 Environments for testing or debugging software

Abstract

In a developing environment, a game program exists in a product ROM and a debug program exists in another ROM which is a test ROM. The debug program includes a time adjusting program and other debug routine programs. The game program includes some statements for the debug program. When a ROM cartridge is produced as a product ROM cartridge, the test ROM is detached from the ROM cartridge and the statements for the debug program are deleted from the game program in the product ROM. The deleted area in the product ROM is left as an unusable area. However, the deleted area is very few, because the size of the statements for debug program is much fewer than the size of the debug program. Therefore, the game program is able to use almost all product ROM area.

Claims

1. An external storage in a game apparatus comprising:

a first storing means for storing a game program to be played by said game apparatus;

means for controlling a time in a game; and

a second storing means for storing a debug program for debugging said game program, said debug program including a time adjusting program.

2. A method for debugging a game program by a debug program in a game apparatus with an external storage comprising the steps of:

storing said game program into first storage of said external storage;

controlling a time in a game;

storing said debug program into second storage of said external storage, said debug program including a time adjusting program; and

debugging said game program by using said controlled time and said debug program including said time adjusting program.