High-score display system for a video game

• US 6,224,485 B1
• Filed: 05/01/1998
• Issued: 05/01/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Warner Bros Entertainment Incorporated (Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Midway Amusement Games, LLC (Midway Games Inc.)
• Inventors: Newcomer, John R., Dickinson, Vince
• Primary Examiner(s): Sager, Mark A
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOTALING, JOHN M
• Application Number:
  US09/071,582
• Time in Patent Office: 1,096 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1-8, 463/30-34, 348/13, 700/91-93, 340/323 R
• US Class Current: 463/30
• 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 13/537 using indicators, e.g. showing the condition of a game character on screen
• 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 2300/1075 using a touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/558 by assessing the players' skills or ranking
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/61 Score computation
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8011 Ball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8017 Driving on land or water; Flying

Abstract

A high-score display system for a video game includes a memory and a display coupled to a game controller of a video game. The game controller causes the display to show active game play sequences responsive to player inputs and simulated game play during an attract mode. Information associated with prior plays of the video game, including high score player identifiers, are stored in the memory. The controller causes selected ones of the high score player identifiers to be displayed in a plurality of available display areas of the video game including static display areas, movable display areas and conditional display areas.

Claims

1. A video game high-score display system comprising:

a game controller for controlling play of a video game responsive to player inputs;

memory means coupled to the game controller, the memory means containing information associated with prior play of the video game; and

a display coupled to the game controller, the display including a game title field adapted to show one or more characters during play of the video game, the characters including an item of information obtained from said memory means, wherein the information associated with prior play of the video game in the memory means comprises one or more high score player identifiers entered by players who have achieved high scores in said prior play of the video game, the item of information included in the game title field comprising one of the high score player identifiers.

2. The high-score display system of claim 1 wherein the item of information included in the game title field comprises the high score player identifier entered by a player having achieved a highest score in said prior play of the video game.

3. The high-score display system of claim 1 wherein the information associated with prior play of the video game in the memory means comprises a heirarchy of high score player identifiers and a corresponding heirarchy of scores achieved in said prior play of the video game, the item of information included in the game title field comprising the high score player identifier associated with a highest one of said scores.

4. The high-score display system of claim 3 wherein the heirarchy of high score player identifiers comprises a top ten list of high score player identifiers.

5. The high-score display system of claim 3 wherein the display is adapted to show each of the heirarchy of high score player identifiers during play of the video game.

6. The high-score display system of claim 3 wherein the display includes a plurality of subsidiary character fields each adapted to show one or more of the high score player identifiers.

7. The high-score display system of claim 6 wherein the subsidiary character fields are hidden upon initial play of the video game and revealed upon selected outcomes of the video game.

8. A high-score display method for a video game, the method comprising the steps of:

identifying high scores achieved in a video game;

obtaining high score player identifiers associated with the high scores;

storing the high score player identifiers and associated high scores in a memory means operably coupled to a game controller;

recalling under control of a game controller a number of the high score player identifiers from the memory means;

assigning a highest ranked player identifier to a game title field; and

displaying the highest ranked player identifier in the game title field.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of displaying the highest ranked player identifier in the game title field is accomplished during active play of the video game.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of displaying the highest ranked player identifier in the game title field is accomplished during an attract mode sequence of the video game.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of assigning high score player identifiers to a number of available display areas further comprises assigning a number of other ranked player identifiers to subsidiary character fields, the step of displaying high score player identifiers comprising displaying the highest ranked player identifier in the game title field and displaying the other ranked player identifiers in the subsidiary character fields.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the subsidiary character fields associated with the other ranked identifiers are obscured upon initial play of the video game and revealed upon selected outcomes of the video game.

13. A video game high-score display system comprising:

a game controller for controlling operation of a video game;

memory means for storing high score player identifiers associated with players who have achieved high scores in prior plays of the video game; and

a display for showing game play associated with the video game, the display being operable in response to instructions from the controller to show a plurality of the high score player identifiers in a plurality of available display areas during said game play;

wherein the plurality of available display areas includes a static display area, the display being operable in response to instructions from the controller to show one of the high score player identifiers in the static display area during said game play;

wherein the static display area comprises a game title field.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the plurality of available display areas includes a movable display area, the display being operable in response to instructions from the controller to show one of the high score player identifiers in the movable display area during said game play.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the movable display area is associated with a character adapted for movement during said game play.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the movable display area comprises a portion of the character.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the movable display area comprises a portion of the display adjacent to the character.

18. The system of claim 13 wherein the plurality of available display areas includes a conditional display area, the display being operable in response to instructions from the controller to show one of the high score player identifiers in the conditional display area during said game play.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the conditional display area comprises a character field adapted for display during portions of said game play.