Method of and system for adding information and recording medium

• US 6,674,438 B1
• Filed: 10/06/1999
• Issued: 01/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Shinkai, Yuji, Yamamoto, Tetsuji, Sawaguchi, Kenji
• Primary Examiner(s): Tung, Kee M.
• Application Number:
  US09/413,133
• Time in Patent Office: 1,553 Days
• Field of Search: 345/501, 345/520, 345/536, 345/531, 345/537, 345/538, 463/43
• US Class Current: 345/501
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/235 using a wireless connection, e.g. infrared or piconet
• 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 13/323 between game devices with different hardware characteristics, e.g. hand-held game devices connectable to game consoles or arcade machines
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/48 Starting a game, e.g. activating a game device or waiting for other players to join a multiplayer session
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/837 Shooting of targets
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/90 Constructional details or arrangements of video game devices not provided for in groups A63F13/20 or A63F13/25, e.g. housing, wiring, connections or cabinets
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/95 Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1031 using a wireless connection, e.g. Bluetooth, infrared connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/206 Game information storage, e.g. cartridges, CD ROM's, DVD's, smart cards
• 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 2300/403 Connection between platform and handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6063 for sound processing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/636 involving process of starting or resuming a game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/66 for rendering three dimensional images
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8076 Shooting

Abstract

An entertainment apparatus has a manual controller for entering control information, a main memory for loading therein a program and information for use by the program, a CPU for performing processing according to the program based on control information entered by the manual controller, a GTE and a GPU for generating at least image information based on the processing performed by the CPU, and a display monitor for displaying image information generated by the GTE and the GPU. A method of adding information for use by a program run on the entertainment apparatus has the step of adding additional information by loading the additional information via a memory card or a portable information terminal into the main memory of the entertainment apparatus. The method allows game characters, backgrounds, etc. that can be used by a game program, for example, to be increased in number or added to permit the user to enjoy a game that is rich in variety even if the game program is of existing nature.

Claims

1. A method of adding additional information for use in a game program stored in a read only memory and executable by a video game having a rewritable nonvolatile storage and a main memory, said method comprising the steps of:

transmitting said additional information from a recording medium on which said additional information is recorded to said nonvolatile storage;

said recording medium being different than said read only memory containing said game program;

reading said game program from said read only memory and executing said game program on said main memory; and

loading said additional information from said nonvolatile storage into a certain area of said main memory during execution of said game program.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of selecting said additional information stored in said recording medium other than said read only memory according to an instruction from a game player, for transmitting said additional information from said recording medium.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of selecting said additional information stored in said nonvolatile memory according to an instruction from a game player, for loading said additional information from said nonvolatile memory.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said game program uses information stored in said read only memory when said additional information is not present in said certain area of said main memory.