Electronic game device

• US 6,149,519 A
• Filed: 05/17/1999
• Issued: 11/21/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Sega Enterprises
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Sega Enterprises
• Inventors: Manabe, Ringo, Fujimura, Takashi, Osaki, Makoto, Koiwa, Koki, Tsuji, Yukio, Nishimura, Naotake
• Primary Examiner(s): SAGER, MARK ALAN
• Application Number:
  US09/312,602
• Time in Patent Office: 554 Days
• Field of Search: 463/6, 463/7, 463/29, 463/23, 463/24, 273/459-461, 273/DIG. 26, 700/91, 700/92, 340/323 R, 235/78 G, 235/88 G, 235/1 R, 235/1 B, 116/200, 116/222
• US Class Current: 463/1
• 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 13/798 for assessing skills or for ranking players, e.g. for generating a hall of fame computing the game score A63F13/46
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/803 Driving vehicles or craft, e.g. cars, airplanes, ships, robots or tanks
• 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 2300/61 Score computation
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8017 Driving on land or water; Flying

Abstract

An electronic game device comprises a game implementing module (30) for implementing a game; a storing module (36) for storing game results for each player; a calculating module (34) for (i) reading out a game result of the player stored in the storing module, (ii) adding the game result achieved in the game to the game result read out from the storing module, and (iii) newly storing this sum value in the storing module; and a display module for displaying the newly stored game result (13). The game device may also comprise a characteristics value storing module for storing characteristics values relating to the output device for each of the identification symbols; a reading module for reading out characteristics values corresponding to an identification symbol input by a player from the characteristics value storing module; and setting module for setting the characteristics of the output device on the basis of the characteristics values thus read out.

Claims

1. An electronic game device comprising:

clock function means for realizing a clock function;

time period specifying means for specifying a time period consisting of a plurality of predetermined unit time periods by means of said clock function means;

game result storing means for storing game results achieved in each unit time period;

identifying means for identifying game player; and

means for displaying game results achieved in each unit time period of the specified time period for the identified game player who achieves a specified game result on a screen.

2. The electronic game device according to claim 1,

wherein said game results storing means is a memory storing the greatest game results in said specified time period.

3. The electronic game device according to claim 1,

wherein said game results storing means is a memory storing cumulative game results in said specified time periods.

4. The electronic game device according to claim 1,

wherein said identifying means comprises means for inputting an identification symbol selected by the game player.

5. The electronic game device according to claim 4,

wherein said identification symbol contains a password.

6. The electronic game device according to claim 4,

wherein said identifying means is means for inputting data relating to the birthday of the game player as said identification symbol.

7. The electronic game device according to claim 4, comprising:

storing means for storing said identification symbols;

judging means for judging agreement with an input identification symbol; and

means for (i) reading out a game result stored in said storing means, (ii) adding the game result read out from the storing means, and (iii) storing this sum value in said game result storing means when this judgement produces a positive result.

8. The electronic game device according to claim 1,

wherein said game result is stored in cases where the game playing environment, such as the times at which the game has been played and the number of times that the game has been played, satisfies or exceeds prescribed values.

9. The electronic game device according to claim 1,

wherein data exchange with another game device is conducted by means of communications circuits,

and wherein the full record for the plurality of game machines are displayed.

10. A machine-readable recording medium to which program data are written for executing:

time period specifying process for specifying a time period consisting of a plurality of predetermined unit time periods by means of clock function means;

game result storing process for storing game results achieved in each unit time period;

identifying process for identifying game player; and

process for displaying game results achieved in each unit time period of the specified time period for the identified game player who achieves a specified game result on a screen.