Electronic Entertainment and communications system

• US 6,047,127 A
• Filed: 06/06/1995
• Issued: 04/04/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Nishizawa, Kenji, Smith, Darren C., Ravanpey, Ramin, McCarten, David J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hafiz, Tariq R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chaki, Kakali
• Application Number:
  US08/468,013
• Time in Patent Office: 1,764 Days
• Field of Search: 395/712, 395/200.5, 395/200.51, 395/200.52, 709/203, 709/216-223, 707/200, 707/203, 713/1, 713/2, 713/100
• US Class Current: 717/173
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• 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 2300/402 Communication between platforms, i.e. physical link to protocol
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/409 Data transfer via television network
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/50 characterized by details of game servers
• 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: H04N 21/2143 located in a single building, e.g. hotel, hospital or museum arrangements specially adapted for plural spots in a confined site in broadcast systems H04H20/63; adaptations for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution in television systems H04N7/106
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2146 located in mass transportation means, e.g. aircraft, train or bus flight-deck installations for entertainment or communications B64D11/0015; arrangements specially adapted for transportation systems in broadcast systems H04H20/62; moving wireless networks H04W84/005

Abstract

An airline-based video game system includes a multitasking master computer, which preferably stores video game and other application programs on its hard disk. The master computer is coupled to a set of airplane zone control computers which also perform conventional cabin management tasks. The zone control computers receive data from the master control computer and couple data to identified seat controlling processing units (SEBs). Each SEB receives data from, and couples data to, a set of unique seat display units which are associated with each seat in the airplane. The system downloads application software to the seat display units from the master computer. After receipt of a downloading request, the master computer responds by setting up an application program transmission for generating the display menu which appears on each SDU. The initial applications program downloading results in a menu display at every passenger seat which initiated a request. The applications program is then coupled to each SDU for display on its liquid crystal display screen. The display menu advantageously permits each passenger to select between various operating modes including: movies, games, shopping, survey forms, language selection, communication/data processing services. Communication or data processing services permit selection of in-flight phone services, word processing services, and facsimile services. If a user opts for video game play, then the available game titles and/or descriptions thereof are displayed. The SDU includes interface processors and associated hardware and software which enable high speed downloading operations to be efficiently performed. The master computer initiates a high speed video game program downloading process to enable the user to play the selected video game.

Claims

1. In a distributed processing multiprocessor system having a control computer and at least one user interactive processing device coupled to the control computer, a method of downloading information to the user interactive processing device including a memory comprising the step of:

requesting by the user interactive processing device a download operation from the control computer,

determining at the user interactive processing device, a type of information to be downloaded,

receiving at least one byte of downloaded data,

interpreting the at least one byte of data as defining predetermined configuration data that determines how the downloaded data is to be addressed in the memory by the at least one user interactive processing device, where different types of downloaded data are addressed differently depending on the content of the predetermined configuration data; and

aborting the downloading operation before the downloading operation is completed if the downloaded data does not correspond to the determined type of information.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined configuration data is the number of memory banks expected.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined configuration data is the starting address expected.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined configuration data is the number of bytes expected.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of requesting includes the step of requesting a predetermined type of download.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein types of information to be downloaded include a general applications program, a specialized application program, and non-program data.

7. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

configuring memory at the user interactive processing device based on the type of information being downloaded.

8. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

if the download operation is aborted, repeating the download operation from the control computer to the user interactive processing device.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein the interpreting step includes interpreting individual blocks of downloaded data and the aborting step includes aborting the downloading operation if any one of the individual blocks of downloaded data is not received in the manner expected.

10. In a distributed processing multiprocessor system having a control computer and at least one user interactive processing device coupled to the control computer, a method of downloading information to the user interactive processing device including a memory comprising the step of:

requesting by the user interactive processing device a download operation from the control computer,

receiving at least one byte of downloaded data,

interpreting the at least one byte of data as defining predetermined configuration data that determines how the downloaded data is to be addressed in the memory by the at least one user interactive processing device, where different types of downloaded data are addressed differently depending on the content of the predetermined configuration data; and

aborting the downloading operation before the downloading operation is completed if the predetermined configuration data is not received in the manner expected, the method further comprising;

determining whether the download operation is a forced download or a non-forced download.

11. In a distributed processing multiprocessor system having a control computer and at least one user interactive processing device coupled to the control computer, a method of downloading information to the user interactive processing device including a memory comprising the step of:

requesting by the user interactive processing device a download operation from the control computer,

receiving at least one byte of downloaded data,

interpreting the at least one byte of data as defining predetermined configuration data that determines how the downloaded data is to be addressed in the memory by the at least one user interactive processing device, where different types of downloaded data are addressed differently depending on the content of the predetermined configuration data; and

aborting the downloading operation before the downloading operation is completed if the predetermined configuration data is not received in the manner expected, wherein the requesting step includes requesting that an executable program be downloaded from the control computer, the method further comprising;

in response to the request, automatically determining whether the program requested to be downloaded from the control computer is already resident at the user interactive processing device, and if so, preventing the requested download operation and executing the resident program.

12. In a distributed processing multiprocessor system having a control computer and at least one user interactive processing device coupled to the control computer, a method of downloading information to the user interactive processing device including a memory comprising the step of:

requesting by the user interactive processing device a download operation from the control computer,

receiving at least one byte of downloaded data,

interpreting the at least one byte of data as defining predetermined configuration data that determines how the downloaded data is to be addressed in the memory by the at least one user interactive processing device, where different types of downloaded data are addressed differently depending on the content of the predetermined configuration data; and

aborting the downloading operation before the downloading operation is completed if the predetermined configuration data is not received in the manner expected, the method further comprising;

configuring memory at the user interactive processing device to store downloaded information from the control computer based on the defined predetermined configuration data.

13. In a distributed processing multiprocessor system having a control computer and at least one user interactive processing device coupled to the control computer, a method of downloading information to the user interactive processing device including a memory comprising the step of:

requesting by the user interactive processing device a download operation from the control computer,

receiving at least one byte of downloaded data,

interpreting the at least one byte of data as defining predetermined configuration data that determines how the downloaded data is to be addressed in the memory by the at least one user interactive processing device, where different types of downloaded data are addressed differently depending on the content of the predetermined configuration data; and

aborting the downloading operation before the downloading operation is completed if the predetermined configuration data is not received in the manner expected, wherein the predetermined configuration data defines a manner in which the downloaded information is to be stored at the user interactive processing device, and wherein different downloaded information may be stored in different manners based on the predetermined configuration data.

14. In a distributed processing multiprocessor system having a control computer and at least one user interactive processing device coupled to the control computer, a method of downloading information to the user interactive processing device including a memory comprising the step of:

requesting by the user interactive processing device a download operation from the control computer,

receiving at least one byte of downloaded data,

interpreting the at least one byte of data as defining predetermined configuration data that determines how the downloaded data is to be addressed in the memory by the at least one user interactive processing device, where different types of downloaded data are addressed differently depending on the content of the predetermined configuration data; and

aborting the downloading operation before the downloading operation is completed if the predetermined configuration data is not received in the manner expected, wherein the predetermined configuration data defines a manner in which a program included in the downloaded data is to be executed and wherein different downloaded programs may be executed at the user interactive processing device in different manners based on the predetermined configuration data.

15. In a data processing system having a control computer, a user interactive processing device coupled to the control computer, comprising:

a memory capable of storing data downloaded from the control computer; and

data processing circuitry programmed to perform the following tasks;

requesting a download operation from the control computer;

determining a type of information to be downloaded;

receiving at least one byte of downloaded data;

interpreting the at least one byte of data as defining predetermined configuration data that determines how the downloaded data is to be addressed in the memory, where different types of downloaded data are addressed differently depending on the content of the predetermined configuration data; and

aborting the downloading operation before the downloading operation is completed if the predetermined configuration data is not received in the manner expected or if the downloaded data does not correspond to the determined type of information.

16. A user interactive processing device according to claim 15, wherein the predetermined configuration data is the number of memory banks expected.

17. A user interactive processing device according to claim 15, wherein the predetermined configuration data is the starting address expected.

18. A user interactive processing device according to claim 15, wherein the predetermined configuration data is the number of bytes expected.

19. A user interactive processing device according to claim 15, wherein types of information to be downloaded include a general applications program, a specialized application program, and non-program data.

20. A user interactive processing device according to claim 15, wherein the memory is configured based on the type of information being downloaded.

21. A user interactive processing device according to claim 15, wherein if the download operation is aborted, the download operation from the control computer to the user interactive processing device is repeated.

22. A user interactive processing device according to claim 15, wherein the interpreting includes interpreting individual blocks of downloaded data and the aborting includes aborting the downloading operation if any one of the individual blocks of downloaded data is not received in the manner expected.

23. In a data processing system having a control computer, a user interactive processing device coupled to the control computer, comprising:

a memory capable of storing data downloaded from the control computer; and

data processing circuitry programmed to perform the following tasks;

requesting a download operation from the control computer;

receiving at least one byte of downloaded data;

interpreting the at least one byte of data as defining predetermined configuration data that determines how the downloaded data is to be addressed in the memory, where different types of downloaded data are addressed differently depending on the content of the predetermined configuration data; and

aborting the downloading operation before the downloading operation is completed if the predetermined configuration data is not received in the manner expected, wherein the data processing circuitry is programmed to determine whether the download operation is a forced download or a non-forced download.

24. In a data processing system having a control computer, a user interactive processing device coupled to the control computer, comprising:

a memory capable of storing data downloaded from the control computer; and

data processing circuitry programmed to perform the following tasks;

requesting a download operation from the control computer;

receiving at least one byte of downloaded data;

interpreting the at least one byte of data as defining predetermined configuration data that determines how the downloaded data is to be addressed in the memory, where different types of downloaded data are addressed differently depending on the content of the predetermined configuration data; and

aborting the downloading operation before the downloading operation is completed if the predetermined configuration data is not received in the manner expected, wherein the requesting task includes requesting that an executable program be downloaded from the control computer, and in response to the request, the data processing circuitry is programmed to automatically determine whether the program requested to be downloaded from the control computer is already resident at the user interactive processing device, and if so, prevent the requested download operation and executing the resident program.

25. In a data processing system having a control computer, a user interactive processing device coupled to the control computer, comprising:

a memory capable of storing data downloaded from the control computer; and

data processing circuitry programmed to perform the following tasks;

requesting a download operation from the control computer;

receiving at least one byte of downloaded data;

interpreting the at least one byte of data as defining predetermined configuration data that determines how the downloaded data is to be addressed in the memory, where different types of downloaded data are addressed differently depending on the content of the predetermined configuration data; and

aborting the downloading operation before the downloading operation is completed if the predetermined configuration data is not received in the manner expected, wherein the memory is configured to store downloaded information from the control computer based on the defined predetermined configuration data.

26. In a data processing system having a control computer, a user interactive processing device coupled to the control computer, comprising:

a memory capable of storing data downloaded from the control computer; and

data processing circuitry programmed to perform the following tasks;

requesting a download operation from the control computer;

receiving at least one byte of downloaded data;

interpreting the at least one byte of data as defining predetermined configuration data that determines how the downloaded data is to be addressed in the memory, where different types of downloaded data are addressed differently depending on the content of the predetermined configuration data; and

aborting the downloading operation before the downloading operation is completed if the predetermined configuration data is not received in the manner expected, wherein the predetermined configuration data defines a manner in which the downloaded information is to be stored at the user interactive processing device, and wherein different downloaded information may be stored in different manners based on the predetermined configuration data.

27. In a data processing system having a control computer, a user interactive processing device coupled to the control computer, comprising:

a memory capable of storing data downloaded from the control computer; and

data processing circuitry programmed to perform the following tasks;

requesting a download operation from the control computer;

receiving at least one byte of downloaded data;

interpreting the at least one byte of data as defining predetermined configuration data that determines how the downloaded data is to be addressed in the memory, where different types of downloaded data are addressed differently depending on the content of the predetermined configuration data; and

aborting the downloading operation before the downloading operation is completed if the predetermined configuration data is not received in the manner expected, wherein the predetermined configuration data defines a manner in which a program included in the downloaded data is to be executed and wherein different downloaded programs may be executed at the user interactive processing device in different manners based on the predetermined configuration data.