Game device for displaying game input operations on the display

• US 6,585,593 B1
• Filed: 09/28/1999
• Issued: 07/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sega Enterprises LTD.
• Original Assignee: Sega Enterprises LTD.
• Inventors: Kagawa, Tadashi, Okano, Tetsu
• Primary Examiner(s): ONEILL, MICHAEL W
• Application Number:
  US09/406,827
• Time in Patent Office: 1,372 Days
• Field of Search: 463/8, 463/30, 463/31, 463/36, 463/37, 463/38, 463/39, 463/40, 463/43, 463/44, 273/148.B, 345/156
• US Class Current: 463/31
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/213 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells A63F13/219, A63F13/655 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/214 for locating contacts on a surface, e.g. floor mats or touch pads
• 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 13/245 specially adapted to a particular type of game, e.g. steering wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/428 involving motion or position input signals, e.g. signals representing the rotation of an input controller or a player's arm motions sensed by accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/537 using indicators, e.g. showing the condition of a game character on screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5375 for graphically or textually suggesting an action, e.g. by displaying an arrow indicating a turn in a driving game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/54 involving acoustic signals, e.g. for simulating revolutions per minute [RPM] dependent engine sounds in a driving game or reverberation against a virtual wall
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/833 Hand-to-hand fighting, e.g. martial arts competition A63F13/837 takes precedence
• 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 2300/1012 involving biosensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat, limb activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1025 details of the interface with the game device, e.g. USB version detection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1062 being specially adapted to a type of game, e.g. steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1087 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. a camera
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/303 for displaying additional data, e.g. simulating a Head Up Display
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/305 for providing a graphical or textual hint to the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6081 generating an output signal, e.g. under timing constraints, for spatialization
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8029 Fighting without shooting
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8088 involving concurrently several players in a non-networked game, e.g. on the same game console
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/0291 with a simulated projectile, e.g. an image on a screen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 : Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00

Abstract

A game device comprises operational input means 30, 40 for inputting operational signals supplied by operation of game players, game control means 10 for controlling a game, based on the operational signals of the operational input means 30, 40, and game display means 20 for displaying the game controlled by the game control means 10, the operational signals of the operational input means 40 being displayed by the game display means 20. The game player can confirm game operations they made. As a result, the game player can relatively readily see their game operations they made without stress given to them.

Claims

1. A method of displaying a game on a display screen of a monitor, the method comprising the steps of:

displaying, at a portion on the display screen, a plurality of display elements corresponding to a plurality of input elements on an input device operated by a player;

inputting signals from said input device, the input signals representing manipulations of at least one of said input elements of the input device; and

displaying emphatically a display element among said plurality of display elements in response to the signals produced by operation of one of said input elements by the player of the game.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the game is controlled in response to operational signals produced by operations of a first input device manipulated by a first player and of a second input device manipulated by a second player, the method further comprising the steps of:

displaying at a first portion of said display screen a first set of display elements and at a second portion of said display screen a second set of display elements;

displaying emphatically one of the display elements among the first set of display elements in response to an operational signal produced by operation of one of said input elements on said first input device selected by the first player; and

displaying emphatically one of the display elements among the second set of display elements in response to an operational signal produced by operation of one of said input elements on said second input device selected by the second player.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein

said display elements of a first set are arranged corresponding to a layout of operational buttons on said first input device and said display elements on a second set are arranged corresponding to a layout of operational buttons on said second input device.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of display elements are displayed at a fixed position on said display screen.

6. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

displaying a game character that moves in response to the operation of the input device being manipulated by the player; and

displaying said plurality of display elements so as to follow the movement of the character on said display screen.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein

said plurality of display elements are displayed on a barrel part of the character.

4. A method of displaying a game on a display screen of a monitor on a game apparatus which is provided with a sensor system comprising an operational mat and a plurality of sensors disposed around the operational mat, said operational mat and said plurality of sensors being arranged so as to detect motions of arms and legs of a player and supply said game apparatus with operational signals in accordance with motions of the arms and legs of the player, said method comprising the steps of:

displaying at a portion of said display screen a set of display elements arranged corresponding to an arrangement of said sensor system; and

displaying emphatically one of said display elements that corresponds to a turned-on sensor on said sensor system in response to the motions of the player.

8. A method of operating a game device to play a game, the game device comprising a game controller, a display device coupled to said game controller, and first and second input devices each having a plurality of input elements and being coupled to said game controller, said method comprising the steps of:

displaying on said display device images associated with the game, said images comprising a first set of indicators corresponding to the input elements of said first input device and a second set of indicators corresponding to the input elements of said second input device;

supplying said game controller with signals from said first and second input devices, the input signals representing manipulations of the input elements of the first and second input devices; and

displaying on said display device, in response to the input signals, how the first and second input devices are being manipulated by emphatically depicting ones of said indicators in response to the manipulations of the input elements of the first and second input devices.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said images further comprise a first game character and a second game character, wherein said first game character is manipulated in accordance with the input signals representing the manipulations of the input elements of the first input device and said second game character is manipulated in accordance with the input signals representing the manipulations of the input elements of the second input device.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising the steps of:

displaying said first set of indicators in concert with the manipulation of the first game character in response to the input signals supplied from said first input device; and

displaying said second set of indicators in concert with the manipulation of the second game character in response to the input signals from said second input device.

11. The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of:

displaying the first set of indicators on a first region of a display screen of said display device and the second set of indicators on a second different region of the display screen of said display device.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein each of said first and second input devices comprise a hand held game controller.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein each of said first and second input devices comprise an operational mat.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein said plurality of input elements on said first and second input devices comprise switch elements.

15. The method of claim 8 wherein the first input device is operated by a first player and the second input device is operated by a second player.

16. A method of operating a game device to play a game, the game device comprising a game controller, a display device coupled to said game controller, and first and second input elements coupled to said game controller, said method comprising the steps of:

displaying on said display device first images associated with a game, the first images comprising at least a first set of indicators representing an indication of how the first input elements are being manipulated by a first player; and

displaying on said display device second images associated with the game, the second images comprising at least a second set of indicators representing an indication of how the second input elements are being manipulated by a second player.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of:

displaying the second images in response to the input of signals representing manipulation of the second input elements manipulated by the second player while viewing the first images.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the second images further comprise at least one game character under the control of the second player.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the game character is manipulated in accordance with the input signals representing the manipulations of the second input elements.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising the step of:

displaying said second set of indicators in concert with the manipulation of the game character in response to the input signals.

21. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of:

displaying said first set of indicators on a first region of the display screen on the display device and said second set of indicators on a second different region of the display screen on display device.

22. The method of claim 16 wherein the input elements being operated by the player are formed on a hand held game controller.

23. The method of claim 16 wherein the input elements being operated by the player are formed with an operational mat in which the player stands on.

24. A method of operating a game device, the game device comprising a game controller, a monitor having a display screen and being coupled to said game controller, and first and second input devices each having a plurality of input elements and being coupled to said game controller, said method comprising the steps of:

displaying on said display screen first and second images associated with a game;

depicting said first images so as to change in response to manipulations of the input elements on said first input device being manipulated by a first player; and

depicting said second images to include indicators corresponding to the input elements on said second input device being manipulated by a second player so that said indicators include an indication of how the input elements on said second input devices are being manipulated while the game is being played.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising the step of:

depicting said first images to include indicators corresponding to the input elements on said first input device so that said indicators include an indication of how the input elements on said first input devices are being manipulated by the first player while the game is being played.

26. A method of operating a game device, the game device comprising a game controller, a monitor having a display screen and being coupled to said game controller, and a first and a second input devices each having a plurality of input elements and being coupled to said game controller, said method comprising the steps of:

displaying on said display screen first and second images associated with a game;

depicting said first images to include a first set of indicators corresponding to the input elements on said first input device so that said first set of indicators includes an indication representing a manipulation of the input elements on the first input device; and

depicting said second images to include a second set of indicators corresponding to the input elements on said second input device so that said second set of indicators includes an indication representing a manipulation of the input elements on said second input device.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising the step of emphatically depicting one of said indicators corresponding to the manipulated input element.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising the step of changing a color of the indicator corresponding to the manipulated input element.

29. The method of claim 27, further comprising the step of flashing the indicator corresponding to the manipulated input element.

30. A method for operating a game device, the game device comprising a game controller, a monitor having a display screen and being coupled to said game controller, and first and second input devices each having a plurality of input elements and being coupled to said game controller, said method comprising the steps of:

displaying on said display screen images associated with a game, said images including a first set of indicators corresponding to said plurality of input elements on said first input device and a second set of indicators corresponding to said plurality of input elements on said second input device; and

displaying emphatically one of said indicators corresponding to turned-on input elements.

31. A method of claim 30, further comprising the step of displaying said first set of indicators at a upper left side of the display screen and said second set of indicators at a upper right side of the display screen.