Sound generating device and video game device using the same

• US 6,464,585 B1
• Filed: 05/18/2000
• Issued: 10/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Onozuka, Eiji, Yamada, Yoichi, Inagaki, Yoji, Kondo, Koji, Miyamoto, Shigeru, Kihara, Tsuyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Neill, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): BROCKETTI, JULIE K
• Application Number:
  US09/554,728
• Time in Patent Office: 880 Days
• Field of Search: 463/35, 463/30, 463/31, 463/32, 463/36, 463/37, 463/38, 463/43, 463/44
• US Class Current: 463/35
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1018 Calibration; Key and button assignment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6063 for sound processing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/63 for controlling the execution of the game in time
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8047 Music games
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/807 Role playing or strategy games
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0008 Associated control or indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/043 Continuous modulation
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/34 Switch arrangements, e.g. keyboards or mechanical switches specially adapted for electrophonic musical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/026 for games, e.g. videogames
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/201 Vibrato, i.e. rapid, repetitive and smooth variation of amplitude, pitch or timbre within a note or chord discontinuities, note sequences or separate note onsets during the variation G10H2210/161; tremolo, i.e. stepwise pitch alternation G10H2210/191
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/246 with reduced number of keys per octave, some notes missing
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/315 for joystick-like proportional control of musical input; Videogame input devices used for musical input or control, e.g. gamepad, joysticks joysticks per se G06F3/033, G05G9/047, A63F13/20

Abstract

When any of push-button switches on a handheld controller is pressed in a sound input mode, a video game machine generates and temporarily stores frequency data of a tone corresponding to the depressed switch. When a joystick on the controller is tilted to a predetermined direction, the video game machine changes the generated frequency data according to the amount of tilt of the joystick. It is therefore possible to input various sounds in tone using a limited number of switches. The frequency data stored in the video game machine is read later to be converted into audio signals, and outputted from a speaker incorporated in a CRT display. When a melody based on the inputted sound coincides with a predetermined melody set, the video game machine makes various changes in the progress of the game. For example, a hero character can be warped to a position that is different from the present position, or provided with various items.

Claims

1. A sound generating device which generates sounds by specifying the tones with a controller having a plurality of push-button switches and an analog joystick capable of selecting among a plurality of positions, comprising:

a push-button detector that detects one of said plurality of push-button switches that is pressed;

a tone selector that selects a tone corresponding to the push-button detected by said push-button detector;

a tilt amount detector that detects an amount of tilt of said analog joystick,

a frequency generator that generates a frequency corresponding to the tone selected by said tone selector, based on the amount of tilt detected by said tilt amount detector and the push-button switch detected by said push-button detector; and

an audio signal generator that generates a signal of a sound of the tone corresponding to the frequency generated by said frequency generator

said controller having a shape which can be grasped by either one or both hands, a and at least one of said plurality of push-button switches and the analog joystick being arranged to be operable while said controller is grasped.

2. The sound generating device according to claim 1, wherein

when said tilt amount detector does not detect the amount of tilt of said analog joystick, said frequency generator generates the frequency corresponding to the tone selected by said tone selector without change, and

when said tilt amount detector detects the amount of tilt of said analog joystick, said frequency generator generates the frequency corresponding to the tone selected selected by said tone selector with change according to the detected amount of tilt.

3. The sound generating device according to claim 1, wherein

said frequency generator comprises:

a frequency data generator that generates frequency data corresponding to the push-button switch of the tone selected by said tone selector;

a frequency data storage that temporarily stores a plurality of frequency data; and

a read/write arrangement that reads the frequency data stored in said frequency data storage or writes the frequency data generated by said frequency data generator into said frequency data storage,

when said tilt amount detector does not detect the amount of tilt of said analog joystick, said read/write arrangement writes in said frequency data storage a digital value equivalent to the frequency corresponding to the tone selected by said tone selector, as the frequency data; and

when said tilt amount detector detects the amount of tilt of said analog joystick, said read/write arrangement writes in said frequency data storage a digital value equivalent to a frequency obtained by changing the frequency corresponding to the tone selected by said tone selector according to the detected amount of tilt, as the frequency data.

4. The sound generating device according to claim 1, wherein

said said frequency generator

raises the frequency of the tone within a predetermined tone range as said analog joystick is tilted to one direction;

a and

lowers the frequency of the tone within a predetermined tone range as said analog joystick is tilted to another direction.

5. The sound generating device according to claim 1, further comprising:

vibrato means for changing a depth value of vibrato according to the amount of tilt detected by said tilt amount detector,

said frequency generator generates a frequency corresponding to the tone selected by said tone selector with vibrato added thereto based on the depth value from said vibrato means.

6. A sound generating device that generates music by specifying tones in response to a controller having a plurality of push-button switches and an analog joystick capable of selecting among a plurality of positions, comprising:

a push-button detector that detects depression of said plurality of push-button switches;

a tone selector that selects tones corresponding to the push-button(s) detected by said push-button detector;

a tilt amount detector that detects an amount of tilt of said analog joystick;

a frequency data generator that generates frequency data corresponding to the tone(s) selected by said tone selector with or without change, based on the amount of tilt detected by said tilt amount detector and the pressed push-button switch detected by said push-button detector;

a frequency data storage temporarily storing a plurality of frequency data;

a data writer that periodically and sequentially writes the frequency data generated by said frequency data generator into said frequency data storage;

a data reader that for sequentially reads the frequency data stored in said frequency data storage; and

an audio signal generator that generates an audio signal having a frequency corresponding to the frequency data read by said data reader.

7. The sound generating device according to claim 6, wherein

said data reader repeatedly reads the frequency data of a predetermined time period stored in said frequency data storage to generate music composed by a player.

8. A video game device displaying an image on a display device and producing sound from a speaker by executing a game program, comprising:

a user-manipulable control interface having a plurality of push-button switches for instructing motion of a player-object on a screen of said display device, and an analog joystick capable of selecting among a plurality of positions and for instructing a moving direction of the player-object;

a player-object image data generator that generates data for displaying an image of said player-object;

a non-player-object image data generator that generates data for display an image of objects other than said player-object;

a push-button detector that detects when one of said plurality of push-button switches is pressed;

a tone selector that selects a tone corresponding to the push-button detected by said push-button detector;

a tilt amount detector that detects an amount of tilt of said analog joystick;

a frequency data generator that generates frequency data corresponding to the tone selected by said tone selector with or without change, based on the amount of tilt detected by said tilt amount detector and the push-button switch detected by said push-button detector;

a frequency data storage temporarily storing a plurality of frequency data;

a data writer that periodically and sequentially writes the frequency data generated by said frequency data generator in said frequency data storage;

a data reader that sequentially reads the frequency data stored in said frequency data storage;

an audio signal generator that generates an audio signal having a frequency corresponding to the frequency data read by said data reader; and

display image changer that changes at least one of the image data for the player-object generated by said player-object image data generator and the image data for the non-player-object generated by said non-player-object image data generator based on the audio signal generated by said audio signal generator to change at least one of display states of the player-object and the non-player-object.

9. The video game device according to claim 8, wherein

said display image changer changes the display state of said non-player-object.

10. The video game device according to claim 9, wherein

said display image changer changes the display state of said non-player-object by moving said player-object to a coordinate position which differs from a present coordinate position to change a background screen of said player-object.

11. The video game device according to claim 8, wherein

said display image changer changes the display state of said player-object.

12. The video game device according to claim 8, further comprising:

predetermined melody determinator that determines whether a melody based on the frequency data sequentially read from said data reader is a predetermined melody, and

said display image changer that changes at least one of the display states of the player-object and the non-player-object in response to determination by said predetermined melody determinator that the melody is the predetermined melody.

13. The video game device according to claim 12, wherein said predetermined melody determinator temporarily stores melody data inputted through operation of said control interface;

when new melody data is inputted through an operation of said control interface a predetermined time beforehand, compares the new melody data with the melody data previously inputted; and

when the comparison reveals a predetermined relation, determines that the melody based on the frequency data sequentially read by said data reader is the predetermined melody.

14. The video game device according to claim 8, wherein

said game program can execute a first mode and a second mode,

in the first mode, at least one of said plurality of push-button switches changes the display state of the player-object, and

in the second mode, at least one of said plurality of push-button switches selects a tone for the player-object.

15. A video game device displaying an image on a display device and producing sound from a speaker by executing a game program, comprising:

a control interface operated by a player and having a plurality of push-button switches for instructing motion of a player-object on a screen of said display device;

a player-object image data generator that generates data for displaying an image of said player-object;

a non-player-object image data generator that generates data for displaying an image of at least one object other than said player-object;

a push-button detector that detects whether any of said plurality of push-button switches is pressed;

a tone selector that selects a tone corresponding to the push-button detected by said push-button detector;

a frequency data generator that generates frequency data corresponding to the tone selected by said tone selector;

a frequency data storage that temporarily stores a plurality of frequency data;

a data writer for periodically and sequentially writing the frequency data generated by said frequency data generator in said frequency data storage;

a data reader for sequentially reading the frequency data stored in said frequency data storage;

a sound sequence generator that generates a sound sequence corresponding to the frequency data read by said data reader; and

a display image changer, based on comparison between the sound sequence generated by said sound sequence generator and a predetermined pattern, that changes at least one of the display states of the player-object and the non-player-object by changing at least one of the image data for the player-object generated by said player-object image data generator and the image data for said non-player-object generated by said non-player-object image data generator.

16. The video game device according to claim 15, wherein

said display image changer changes the display state of said non-player-object by changing a background screen of said player-object so that said player-object moves to a different stage.

17. A recording medium in which a video game program to be executed by an information processing device for displaying an image for a game on a display device and producing sound for the game from a speaker is stored,

said information processing device comprising a control interface operated by a player and having a plurality of push-button switches for instructing motion of a player-object on a screen of said display device,

said program comprising the steps of:

generating data for displaying an image of the player-object in response to an operation of said control interface;

generating data for displaying an image of at least one further, non-player-object in response to an operation of said control interface;

detecting depression of said plurality of push-button switches and selecting a tone(s) corresponding to the depressed push-button(s);

generating frequency data corresponding to the selected tone;

generating a sound sequence corresponding to said frequency data;

comparing said sound sequence with a predetermined pattern; and

based on the comparison, changing at least one of display states of the player-objects and the non-player-object by changing at least one of the image data for said player-object and the image data for said non-player-object.

18. A method of operating a video game playing apparatus having a plurality of controls including an analog joystick, comprising:

(a) selecting a sound in response to user operation of said controls;

(b) changing the frequency of said selected sound in response to operation of said analog joystick and in accordance with an amount of tilt of said analog joystick;

(c) repeating steps (a) and (b) to build a sequence of user-selected sounds; and

(d) playing said sound sequence in conjunction with video game graphics.

19. A method of operating a video game playing apparatus having a plurality of controls including a joystick, comprising:

(a) selecting a sound in response to user operation of said controls;

(b) changing the frequency of said selected sound in response to operation of said joystick;

(c) repeating steps (a) and (b) to build a sequence of user-selected sounds;

(d) playing said sound sequence in conjunction with video game graphics;

(e) comparing said sequence of user-selected sounds to a predetermined pattern; and

(f) changing the video game graphics based on said comparison.