Simulation system

• US 6,394,904 B1
• Filed: 05/12/2000
• Issued: 05/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (The Walt Disney Company)
• Sponsoring Entity: Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Stalker, David
• Primary Examiner(s): HARRISON, JESSICA
• Time in USPTO: 746 Days
• Field of Search: 463/23,29,36,37,38,39 434/128,118
• US Class Current: 463/23
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/06 : using player-operated means for controlling the position of a specific area display
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/23 : for interfacing with the game device, e.g. specific interfaces between game controller and console
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/285 : Generating tactile feedback signals via the game input device, e.g. force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/843 : involving concurrently two or more players on the same game device, e.g. requiring the use of a plurality of controllers or of a specific view of game data for each player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/95 : Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1025 : details of the interface with the game device, e.g. USB version detection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1037 : being specially adapted for converting control signals received from the game device into a haptic signal, e.g. using force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8017 : Driving on land or waterFlying
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8076 : Shooting
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8088 : involving concurrently several players in a non-networked game, e.g. on the same game console

Abstract

An entertainment and/or training system providing a game-type system having two controllers, where the controllers have generally redundant controls. The controls can be limited on at least one of the controllers so as to provide one player with a simplified game to play. The person on the other controller then can act as a teacher, exclusively receiving some player input and exclusively providing some player output, so as to simplify the student'"'"'s playing experience.

Claims

1. An apparatus for a first player and a second player, comprising:

a processing unit programed to provide a simulation of an entity to be influenced by one or more players via the influence of a plurality of simulation parameters;

a first controller for use by the first player, the first controller having one or more parameter controls configured for creating control signals to influence one or more of the plurality of simulation parameters;

a second controller for use by the second player, the second controller having one or more parameter controls configured for creating control signals to influence the plurality of simulation parameters;

one or more training-rule controls configured for defining training rules, the training rules determining how the first controller'"'"'s control signal influences the one or more of the plurality of simulation parameters.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second game controllers are hand held game controllers.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first controller'"'"'s one or more of the plurality of simulation parameters includes all of the plurality of simulation parameters.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing unit includes a port configured to receive a cartridge that contains a game program and related game data, and wherein the game program and related game data are used to program the processing unit to provide the simulation.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing unit receives control signals from the first controller to influence the one or more of the plurality of simulation parameters, wherein the processing unit receives control signals from the second controller to influence the plurality of simulation parameters, and wherein the processing unit applies the training rules to the first and second controllers'"'"' control signals to determine which of the one or more of the plurality of simulation parameters are allowed to be influenced by the first controller'"'"'s parameter controls.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the one or more training-rule controls are on the processing unit.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the training controls and the training-rules are entirely determined by the programming of the processing unit.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the processing unit includes a port configured to receive a cartridge that contains a game program and related game data, and wherein the game program and related game data are used to program the processing unit to provide the simulation.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second controllers are configured such that their signals are combined under the training rules into a composite signal that is provided to the processing unit.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the one or more training-rule controls are on the second game controller.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more training-rule controls are dedicated to controlling the training rules.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the training rules always provide for the second controller'"'"'s control signal to influence all of the plurality of simulation parameters.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, and further comprising a first user-feedback system configured to provide simulation information feedback to the first player and a second user-feedback system configured to provide simulation information feedback to the second player, wherein the training rules control which simulation information are provided to the first player.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first and second feedback systems include video displays.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first and second feedback systems include tactile systems.

16. A method for a first player and a second player to influence a programmed processing unit'"'"'s simulation of an entity that responds to a plurality of simulation parameters, comprising:

generating a first control signal by the first player, the first control signal being configured to influence one or more of the plurality of simulation parameters;

generating a second control signal by the second player, the second control signal being configured to influence the plurality of simulation parameters; and

applying one or more training rules to the first and second control signals to determine how the first control signal influences the one or more of the plurality of simulation parameters.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the step of applying one or more training rules comprises combining the first and second control signals under the training rules into a composite signal that is used to influence the plurality of simulation parameters.

18. An apparatus for a first player and a second player to influence a programmed processing unit'"'"'s simulation of an entity that responds to a plurality of simulation parameters, comprising:

a means for generating a first control signal by the first player, the first control signal being configured to influence one or more of the plurality of simulation parameters;

a means for generating a second control signal by the second player, the second control signal being configured to influence the plurality of simulation parameters; and

a means for applying one or more training rules to the first and second control signals to determine how the first control signal influences the one or more of the plurality of simulation parameters.