Electronic game apparatus

• US 6,656,049 B1
• Filed: 02/25/1999
• Issued: 12/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Sega Enterprises
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisah SEGA Enterprises
• Inventors: Masaki, Namiko, Endo, Yoshiyuki, Nobata, Fujio, Nakayama, Madoka
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrison, Jessica
• Assistant Examiner(s): RADA, ALEX P
• Application Number:
  US09/257,705
• Time in Patent Office: 1,741 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463/7, 463/33-35, 463/46, 463/47, 434/309, 434/345, 434/273, 273/440, 273/445-446, 446/242, 446/265, 446/266, 446/287, 446/297, 446/298, 446/299, 446/300-301, 446/302, 446/397, 446/406, 446/408, 446/418, 446/420, 446/175, D21/331, D21/332, D21/542, D21/353, D21/405, D21/409, D21/516
• US Class Current: 463/36
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/245 specially adapted to a particular type of game, e.g. steering wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/28 responding to control signals received from the game device for affecting ambient conditions, e.g. for vibrating players' seats, activating scent dispensers or affecting temperature or light controlling the output signals based on the game progress A63F13/50
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/58 by computing conditions of game characters, e.g. stamina, strength, motivation or energy level
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/825 Fostering virtual characters
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/833 Hand-to-hand fighting, e.g. martial arts competition A63F13/837 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1062 being specially adapted to a type of game, e.g. steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/302 specially adapted for receiving control signals not targeted to a display device or game input means, e.g. vibrating driver's seat, scent dispenser
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/65 for computing the condition of a game character
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8029 Fighting without shooting
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8058 Virtual breeding, e.g. tamagotchi
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/28 Arrangements of sound-producing means in dolls; Means in dolls for producing sounds

Abstract

An electronic game apparatus constituting a body 101, comprising legs 103, and being capable of placement on an arbitrary surface. Further, a portion of the switches 102 of an operating portion are arranged in a location that differs from the surface on which a display panel 100 is provided, making operation easy.

Claims

1. An electronic game apparatus, which is constituted to enable an operating state of an operating portion, which includes a rotating member, in accordance with a player to be reflected in a movement of a game character, the electronic game apparatus being constituted to provide an operative period, which treats an operating state of said operating portion as being operative, and an inoperative period, which treats an operating state of said operating portion as being inoperative, and to make it possible to change game processing when a player operates said operating portion during said operative period, and when a player operates said operating portion during said inoperative period, wherein said operative period and said non-operative period are determined based on rotation of said rotating member and non-rotation of said rotating member, respectively;

wherein said rotating member has a record-turntable-imitating external shape, said rotating member is capable of rotating on a rotation axis.

2. The electronic game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a predetermined icon is displayed in near synchronization with a specific rhythm pattern, the display timing of this icon is treated as said operative period, a period other than the display timing of this icon is treated as said inoperative period, and the processing of a game is changed in accordance with whether or not the operation of said operating portion by a player is done in time with said rhythm pattern.

3. The electronic game apparatus according to claim 2, further having a mode changing switch and a sound switch as said operating portion, and comprising a sound generating circuit, which is constituted to enable the generation of a predetermined sound, and a timer circuit, which outputs clock data, and being constituted so as to be able to switch to any of game processing, rhythm processing or clock processing in accordance with the operation of said mode changing switch, and when said rhythm processing is selected, a sound corresponding to the operation of said sound switch is generated by said sound generating circuit, and when said clock processing is selected, clock data is displayed on said display panel based on said timer circuit-outputting clock data.

4. An electronic game apparatus, which is constituted to enable an operating state of an operating portion, which includes a rotating member, in accordance with a player to be reflected in a movement of a game character, this electronic game apparatus comprising:

reading means for reading an operating state of said rotating member of said operating portion;

operative-inoperative deciding means for determining an operative period, which treats an operating state of said operating portion as being operative, and inoperative period, which treats an operating state of said operating portion as being inoperative;

determining means for determining whether a time when an operating state of said operating portion was read by said reading means falls under said operative period, or falls under said inoperative period; and

game processing means for changing the processing of a game in accordance with whether or not an operating state of said operating portion was read by said determining means in said operative period, or was read in said inoperative period;

wherein

said rotating member has a record-turntable-imitating external shape, said rotating member is capable of rotating on a rotation axis.

5. An electronic game apparatus, which is constituted to enable an operating state of an operating portion in accordance with a player to be reflected in a movement of a game character, this electronic game apparatus comprising:

an operating portion, which includes a rotatable member and outputs operating signals in accordance with an operation of a player; and

a control circuit, which executes a predetermined game program on the basis of said operating signals,

and said control circuit determines an operative period based on rotation of said rotatable member, which treats an operating signal, which was inputted from said operating portion during processing of said game program, as operative, and an inoperative period based on non-rotation of said rotatable member, which treats an operating signal, which was inputted from said operating portion during processing of said game program, as inoperative, and changes game processing in accordance with whether said operating signal was inputted in said operative period, or was inputted in said inoperative period;

wherein said rotatable member has a record-turntable-imitating external shape, said rotatable member is capable of rotating on a rotation axis.

6. The electronic game apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said control circuit, in feedback loop processing in according with said game processing, determines whether a loop thereof is treated as said operative period, or is treated as said inoperative period.

7. A portable game apparatus comprising:

a body having an asymmetrical shape and a size that is capable of being gripped in one hand of a user, the body including;

a display panel;

a plurality of operating switches;

a rotating dial; and

a control device that processes a game by reading an operating state of said plurality of operating switches and said rotating dial, and by executing a program;

wherein

said rotating dial has a record-turntable-imitating external shape, said rotating dial is capable of rotating on a rotation axis.

8. The portable game apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a speaker arranged to generate sound in accordance with said operating state of said rotating dial.

9. The portable game apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said rotating dial includes spring means for providing a biasing force to said rotating dial whether said rotating dial is rotated to the left or rotated to the right from an original position.

10. A portable game apparatus comprising:

a body having an asymmetrical shape and a size that is capable of being gripped in one hand of a user, the body including;

a display panel;

a plurality of operating switches;

a rotating dial; and

a control device that processes a game by reading an operating state of said plurality of operating switches and said rotating dial, and by executing a program;

wherein

said display panel is divided into a character indicator which displays a predetermined character based on bitmap data and an icon indicator that displays an icon for designating operation of said plurality of operating switches; and

said rotating dial has a record-turntable-imitating external shape, said rotating dial is capable of rotating on a rotation axis.

11. The portable game apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said icon indicator designates an operation of said rotating dial, allots a different sound to one of said operating switches in accordance with said game processing state in said control device, and transmits the sound via a speaker in said body.