System and method for transferring user-defined instructions between a home video game and an arcade video game

• US 6,406,372 B1
• Filed: 08/18/1998
• Issued: 06/18/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Warner Bros Entertainment Incorporated (Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Midway Games Inc.
• Inventors: Root, John Kozmo, Turmell, Mark J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Martin-Wallace, Valencia
• Assistant Examiner(s): ADAMS, CHANDA L
• Application Number:
  US09/135,598
• Time in Patent Office: 1,400 Days
• Field of Search: 463/43, 463/44, 463/4, 463/1, 463/36
• US Class Current: 463/43
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/323 between game devices with different hardware characteristics, e.g. hand-held game devices connectable to game consoles or arcade machines
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/812 Ball games, e.g. soccer or baseball
• 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 2300/206 Game information storage, e.g. cartridges, CD ROM's, DVD's, smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/636 involving process of starting or resuming a game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/64 for computing dynamical parameters of game objects, e.g. motion determination or computation of frictional forces for a virtual car
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8011 Ball

Abstract

A system and method for transferring user-defined instructions between a home video game and a corresponding arcade video game comprises the home video game, the arcade video game, and a memory device. The home and arcade video games each include a control unit, a user controller, and a display. The user controller and the display are connected to the control unit. The control unit executes a game program to create a visual representation on the display. The user controller is operated by a user to cause the control unit to vary the visual representation on the display. The memory device is capable of being connected to the control unit of each of the home and arcade video games. To transfer the user-defined instructions between the home and arcade video games, the memory device is first connected to the control unit of one of the home and arcade video games. Next, the user controller of the one of the home and arcade video games is operated by the user to create the user-defined instructions and to cause the associated control unit to load the user-defined instructions into the memory device. Finally, the memory device is connected to the other of the home and arcade video games so that the user-defined instructions can be loaded therein and used during game play.

Claims

1. A system for transferring user-defined instructions between a home video game and a corresponding arcade video game, comprising:

a portable memory device for storing user-defined instructions; and

the home video game and the arcade video game each including a control unit, a user controller, a display, random access memory and a connector, the user controller and the display being connected to the control unit, the control unit executing a game program to create a visual representation on the display, the game program of one of the home and arcade video games providing a setup mode and a play mode, the video game being played during the play mode but not during the setup mode, the user controller being operated by a user to cause the control unit to vary the visual representation on the display, the connector being accessible to the user and coupled to the control unit, the connector being adapted to connect to the memory device;

wherein to transfer the user-defined instructions between the home video game and the arcade video game, the memory device is first connected to the connector of one of the home and arcade video game connectors, the user controller of the one of the home and arcade video games is operated by the user during the setup mode to create the user-defined instructions prior to playing the game and to cause the associated control unit to load the user-defined instructions into the memory device, and the memory device is connected to the connector of the other of the home and arcade video games, such that the user-defined instructions may be transferred to and stored in said random access memory of the other of the home and arcade video games.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the user controller of the other of the home and arcade video games is operated by the user to cause the associated control unit to execute the user-defined instructions during play of the other of the home and arcade video games.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the arcade video game includes a cabinet containing the associated control unit and the associated display and supporting the associated user controller, the connector of the arcade video game being mounted to a side of the cabinet.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the memory device is selected from a group consisting of a memory card, a memory cartridge, a floppy disk, and a hard disk.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein after the memory device is connected to the connector of the other of the home and arcade video games, the user controller of the other of the home and arcade video games is operated by the user to cause the associated control unit to load the user-defined instructions from the memory device into the associated control unit, thereby allowing the associated control unit to execute the user-defined instructions during game play.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the user-defined instructions direct positioning and movement of video characters appearing in the home and arcade video games.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the home and arcade video games are a sports game, the user-defined instructions including a sports play directing positioning and movement of video sports players.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the sports play is a football play and the video sports players are video football players, the user-defined football play defining a formation and starting positions of the video football players prior to a snap of a video football, the user-defined football play defining routes run by the video football players out of the formation after the video football is snapped.

9. A system for transferring user-defined instructions between a home video game and a corresponding arcade video game, the home video game and the arcade video game each including a control unit, a user controller, random access memory, and a display, the user controller and the display being connected to the control unit, the control unit executing a game program to create a visual representation on the display, the game program of one of the borne and arcade video games providing a setup mode and a play mode, the video game being played during the play mode but not during the setup mode, the user controller being operated by a user to cause the control unit to vary the visual representation on the display, the system comprising:

portable storage means for storing the user-defined instructions created by the user prior to playing the game during the setup mode by operating the user controller of one of the home and arcade video games, said portable storage means delivering said user-defined instructions to the random access memory of the other of the home and arcade video games;

first connector means, located at the home video game and accessible to the user, for connecting the storage means to the control unit of the home video game; and

second connector means, located at the arcade video game and accessible to the user, for connecting the storage means to the control unit of the arcade video game.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the storage means is selected from a group consisting of a memory card, a memory cartridge, a floppy disk, and a hard disk.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the storage means receives the user-defined instructions from the control unit of the home video game when the storage means is connected to the first connector means, and wherein the storage means delivers the user-defined instructions to the control unit of the arcade video game when the storage means is connected to the second connector means.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the storage means receives the user-defined instructions from the control unit of the arcade video game when the storage means is connected to the second connector means, and wherein the storage means delivers the user-defined instructions to the control unit of the home video game when the storage means is connected to the first connector means.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein when the storage means is connected to the second connector means, the user controller of the arcade video game is operated by the user to cause the control unit of the arcade video game to execute the user-defined instructions during play of the arcade video game.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the arcade video game includes a cabinet containing the associated control unit and the associated display and supporting the associated user controller, the second connector means being mounted to a side of the cabinet.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the first connector means allows the control unit of the home video game to execute the user-defined instructions when the storage means is connected to the first connector means, and wherein the second connector means allows the control unit of the arcade video game to execute the user-defined instructions when the storage means is connected to the second connector means.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the user-defined instructions direct positioning and movement of video characters appearing in the home and arcade video games.

17. The system of claim 9, wherein the home and arcade video games are a sports game, the user-defined instructions including a sports play directing positioning and movement of video sports players.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the sports play is a football play and the video sports players are video football players, the user-defined football play defining a formation and starting positions of the video football players prior to a snap of a video football, the user-defined football play defining routes run by the video football players out of the formation after the video football is snapped.

19. A system for transferring user-defined instructions between a home video game and a corresponding arcade video game, a game program of one of the home and arcade video games providing a setup mode and a play mode, the video game being played during the play mode but not during the setup mode, the system comprising:

means, included in one of the home and arcade video games, for allowing a user to create the user-defined instructions during the setup mode prior to playing the game;

portable storage means for storing the user-defined instructions;

first connector means, located at the home video game and accessible to the user, for connecting the storage means to the home video game;

second connector means, located at the arcade video game and accessible to the user, for connecting the storage means to the arcade video game;

said first and second connector means accessing said user-defined instructions for transfer to the random access memory of said home video game and said arcade video game, respectively.

20. The system of claim 19, further including means, included in the one of the home and arcade video games, for loading the user-defined instructions from the one of the home and arcade video games into the storage means.

21. The system of claim 20, further including means, included in the other of the home and arcade video games, for loading the user-defined instructions from the storage means into the other of the home and arcade video games.

22. The system of claim 21, further including means, included in the other of the home and arcade video games, for executing the user-defined instructions loaded therein.

23. A method for transferring user-defined instructions between a home video game and a corresponding arcade video game, the home video game and the arcade video game each including a control unit, a user controller, random access memory, and a display, the user controller and the display being connected to the control unit, the control unit executing a game program to create a visual representation on the display, the game program of one of the home and arcade video games providing a setup mode and a play mode, the video game being played during the play mode but not during the setup mode, the user controller being operated by a user to cause the control unit to vary the visual representation on the display, the method comprising:

connecting a portable memory device to the control unit of one of the home and arcade video games;

operating the user controller of the one of the home and arcade video games to create the user-defined instructions during the setup mode prior to playing the game and to cause the associated control unit to load the user-defined instructions into the memory device; and

connecting the memory device to the other of the home and arcade video games to allow the user-defined instructions to enter the random access memory of the other of the home and arcade video games.

24. The method of claim 23, further including the step of operating the user controller of the other of the home and arcade video games to cause the associated control unit to load the user-defined instructions from the memory device into the associated control unit, thereby allowing the associated control unit to execute the user-defined instructions during game play.

25. The method of claim 24, further including the step of operating the user controller of the other of the home and arcade video games to cause the associated control unit to execute the user-defined instructions during play of the other of the home and arcade video games.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the user-defined instructions direct positioning and movement of video characters appearing in the home and arcade video games.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein the home and arcade video games are a sports game, the user-defined instructions including a sports play directing positioning and movement of video sports players.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the sports play is a football play and the video sports players are video football players, the user-defined football play defining a formation and starting positions of the video football players prior to a snap of a video football, the user-defined football play defining routes run by the video football players out of the formation after the video football is snapped.

29. The method of claim 23, further including the step of loading the user-defined instructions from the memory device into the control unit of the other of the home and arcade video games.

30. The method of claim 29, further including the step of executing the user-defined instructions loaded into the control unit of the other of the home and arcade video games.

31. A method for transferring user-defined instructions between a home video game and a corresponding arcade video game, a game program of one of the home and arcade video games providing a setup mode and a play mode, the video game being played during the play mode but not during the setup mode, the method comprising:

creating the user-defined instructions daring the setup mode prior to playing the game on one of the home and arcade video games;

connecting a portable memory device to the one of the home and arcade video games;

storing the user-defined instructions in the memory device;

disconnecting the memory device from the one of the home and arcade video games; and

connecting the memory device to the other of the home and arcade video games to allow the user-defined instructions to enter the random access memory of the other of the home and arcade video games.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the user-defined instructions direct positioning and movement of video characters appearing in the home and arcade video games.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the home and arcade video games are a sports game, the user-defined instructions including a sports play directing positioning and movement of video sports players.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the sports play is a football play and the video sports players are video football players, the user-defined football play defining a formation and starting positions of the video football players prior to a snap of a video football, the user-defined football play defining routes run by the video football players out of the formation after the video football is snapped.

35. The method of claim 31, further including the step of loading the user-defined instructions from the memory device into the other of the home and arcade video games.

36. The method of claim 35, further including the step of executing the user-defined instructions loaded into the other of the home and arcade video games.

37. An arcade video game, comprising:

a control unit, a user controller, random access memory, and a display, the user controller and the display being connected to the control unit, the control unit executing a game program to create a visual representation on the display, the user controller being operated by a user to cause the control unit to vary the visual representation on the display; and

a reading device accessible to the user and adapted to receive a portable memory device containing user-defined instructions loaded into the memory device by the user at a home video game corresponding to the arcade video game, the user-defined instructions being created by the user during a setup mode of the home video game prior to playing the game, the setup mode occurring outside of play of the home video game, the reading device being connected to the control unit such that the control unit can access the user-defined instructions, insert the user-defined instructions into said random access memory, and execute the user-defined instructions during play of the arcade video game.

38. The arcade video game of claim 37, further including a cabinet containing the control unit and the display and supporting the user controller, the reading device being mounted to a side of the cabinet.

39. The arcade video game of claim 37, wherein the user-defined instructions direct positioning and movement of video characters appearing on the display of the arcade video game.

40. The arcade video game of claim 37, wherein the arcade video game and the corresponding home video game are a sports game, the user-defined instructions including a sports play directing positioning and movement of video sports players.

41. The arcade video game of claim 40, wherein the sports play is a football play and the video sports players are video football players, the user-defined football play defining a formation and starting positions of the video football players prior to a snap of a video football, the user-defined football play defining routes run by the video football players out of the formation after the video football is snapped.