Video game system

• US 6,679,776 B1
• Filed: 07/09/1998
• Issued: 01/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Ohta, Keizo, Koshima, Kazuo, Nishiumi, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Arbes, Carl J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRINH, MINH N
• Application Number:
  US09/112,356
• Time in Patent Office: 2,021 Days
• Field of Search: 463/36, 463/37, 463/38, 463/39, 463/40, 463/46, 463/47, 463/48, 463/41, 463/42, 273/434, 273/437, 273/438, 273/439, 273/85.G, 273/148.B, D16/28, D16/148.R, D16/148.B
• US Class Current: 463/36
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/24 Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles
• 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 13/285 Generating tactile feedback signals via the game input device, e.g. force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/525 Changing parameters of virtual cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/57 Simulating properties, behaviour or motion of objects in the game world, e.g. computing tyre load in a car race game A63F13/56 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/577 using determination of contact between game characters or objects, e.g. to avoid collision between virtual racing cars
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1037 being specially adapted for converting control signals received from the game device into a haptic signal, e.g. using force feedback
• 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 2300/64 for computing dynamical parameters of game objects, e.g. motion determination or computation of frictional forces for a virtual car
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/643 by determining the impact between objects, e.g. collision detection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6661 for changing the position of the virtual camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/013 Force feedback applied to a game
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user

Abstract

A video game system includes a video game machine, a memory medium and a controller. A CPU included in the video game machine detects a vibration generating condition that a player object comes into collision or contact with an enemy object or a stationary object. If the vibration generating condition is detected, the CPU drives a vibration source included in the controller, thereby generating vibration on the controller.

Claims

1. A video game system for playing a video game of a type that provides physical sensations to a player, said video game system comprising:

a video game machine comprising a counter, and a processor that executes a video game program stored in a video game program storage medium to generate game images displayed on a display;

a hand-held player controller connected to said video game machine and operable by a player to generate video game control signals for the video game program; and

a vibration source arranged to vibrate a housing of said hand-held player controller,

wherein, during execution of the video game program by said processor, said counter is loaded with an initial value in accordance with vibration generating conditions detected during playing of the video game, and

wherein said vibration source is controlled based on an on/off pattern produced from the counting of said counter so that the housing of said hand-held player controller is selectively vibrated on the basis of the on/off pattern.

2. The video game system according to claim 1, wherein said vibration source is on when the count of said counter exceeds a predetermined counter value and said vibration source is off when the count of said counter is less than the predetermined counter value.

3. The video game system according to claim 1, wherein an increment value for the counting of said counter is determined in accordance with the detected vibration generating conditions.

4. The video game system according to claim 3, wherein a variation of the increment value is also determined in accordance with the detected vibration generating conditions.

5. The video game system according to claim 1, wherein collisions between game objects generated by the video game program are detected as vibration generating conditions.

6. The video game system according to claim 5, wherein collisions between game objects in three-dimensional space are detected as vibration generating conditions.

7. The video game system according to claim 1, wherein accelerations of game objects generated by the video game program are detected as vibration generating conditions.

8. The video game according to claim 1, wherein the game images vibrate at timings related to vibrations of said vibration source.

9. The video game system according to claim 8, wherein the vibrations of the game images are delayed by one or more frames relative to the vibrations of said vibration source.

10. The video game system according to claim 1, wherein said vibration source is removably attached to said hand-held player controller.

11. The video game system according to claim 1, wherein said video game system further comprises a memory space addressable by said processor and said counter is within the memory space.

12. The video game system according to claim 1, wherein said counter is an 8-bit binary counter.

13. The video game system according to claim 1, wherein the counting of said counter is based on the initial value and on an increment value for varying vibration strength which is also determined in accordance with the detected vibration generating conditions.

14. A video game system for playing a video game of a type that provides physical sensations to a player, said video game system comprising:

a video game machine comprising a processor that executes a video game program stored in a video game program storage medium to generate game images displayed on a display, a memory space addressable by said processor, and a counter within said memory space;

a hand-held player controller connected to said video game machine and operable by a player to generate video game control signals for the video game program; and

a vibration source arranged to vibrate a housing of said hand-held player controller,

wherein, during execution of the video game program by said processor, said counter is loaded with an initial value in accordance with vibration generating conditions detected during playing of the video game, and

wherein said vibration source is controlled based on an on/off pattern produced from the counting of said counter so that the housing of said hand-held player controller is selectively vibrated on the basis of the on/off pattern.

15. The video game system according to claim 14, wherein said counter is an 8-bit binary counter.

16. The video game system according to claim 14, wherein said vibration source is on when the count of said counter exceeds a predetermined counter value and said vibration source is off when the count of said counter is less than the predetermined counter value.

17. The video game system according to claim 14, wherein an increment value for the counting of said counter is determined in accordance with the detected vibration generating conditions.

18. The video game system according to claim 17, wherein a variation value of the increment value is also determined in accordance with the detected vibration generating conditions.

19. The video game system according to claim 14, wherein collisions between game objects generated by the video game program are detected as vibration generating conditions.

20. The video game system according to claim 19, wherein collisions between game objects in three-dimensional space are detected as vibration generating conditions.

21. The video game system according to claim 14, wherein accelerations of game objects generated by the video game program are detected as vibration generating conditions.

22. The video game according to claim 14, wherein the game images vibrate at timings related to vibrations of said vibration source.

23. The video game system according to claim 22, wherein the vibrations of the game images are delayed by one or more frames relative to the vibrations of said vibration source.

24. The video game system according to claim 14, wherein said vibration source is removably attached to said hand-held player controller.

25. The video game system according to claim 14, wherein the counting of said counter is based on the initial value and on an increment value for determining vibration strength which is also determined in accordance with the detected vibration generating conditions.