Message-creating game machine and message-creating method therefor

• US 6,702,676 B1
• Filed: 12/16/1999
• Issued: 03/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Konami Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Ota, Yoshihiko, Noguchi, Yasuhiro, Nomi, Mitsuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Sager, Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): ASHBURN, STEVEN L
• Application Number:
  US09/464,900
• Time in Patent Office: 1,545 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463/29-31, 463/35, 463/40-43, 379/67.1, 379/88.12, 379/88.13, 379/88.16, 379/88.17, 379/88.19, 379/93.13, 379/93.19, 379/93.23, 379/100.08, 379/209, 379/205, 379/913, 379/916, 379/908, 707/3-6, 707/10, 707/102, 345/473, 345/133, 345/703, 704/258, 704/260, 704/272, 341/28
• US Class Current: 463/41
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• 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 13/85 Providing additional services to players
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/00 Telephonic communication systems specially adapted for combination with other electrical systems

Abstract

A message-creating game machine includes at least one storage unit among a first storage unit for storing a plurality of images displaying character strings constituting sentences, a second storage unit for storing a plurality of images displaying character strings constituting words, and a third storage unit for storing a plurality of monosyllabic character images. The game machine also includes a display unit for displaying characters, a character-image-display control unit for displaying the character images stored in the storage unit on the display unit, a selecting unit for selecting at least one character image from among the character images displayed on the display unit, and a message-synthesizing unit for synthesizing a message from the selected character image.

Claims

1. A message-creating game machine comprising:

storage means for storing character images, said storage means including a first storage unit for storing a plurality of images displaying character strings constituting complete sentences and at least one of a second storage unit for storing a plurality of images displaying character strings constituting words and a third storage unit for storing a plurality of monosyllabic character images;

display means for displaying characters;

character-image-display control means for displaying the character images stored in said storage means on said display means;

selecting means for selecting at least one character image from among the character images displayed on said display means;

message-synthesizing means for synthesizing a message from the selected character image;

game-character display-control means for displaying a plurality of game characters on said display means;

game-character selecting means for selecting a game character from among the game characters displayed on said display means, said message-synthesizing means performing audio synthesizing to compose an audio message in the form of audio signals by means of a particular one of a plurality of parlance patterns corresponding to the selected game character;

a telephone link for transmitting said audio message to a recipient; and

a money accepting unit, said game machine being structured to be physically accessible by a user at a public location.

2. A message-creating game machine according to claim 1, further comprising a data storage unit for storing created messages so that the created messages can be read.

3. A message-creating game machine according to claim 1, further comprising:

communication control means;

said telephone link including a telephone unit, said telephone unit including at least an operation unit, said character-image-display control means displaying a telephone-number entering screen;

said communication control means sending a call to a telephone number entered from said operation unit; and

said message-synthesizing means outputting the synthesized audio message to said telephone unit.

4. A message-creating game machine according to claim 3, further comprising time-measuring means and transmission-time designating means, wherein said communication control means performs a calling process at a time designated by said transmission-time designating means.

5. A message-creating game machine according to claim 4, further comprising:

identification-information storage means for storing identification information assigned to the entirety of said message-creating game machine; and

identification-information adding means for adding the identification information to a message to be transmitted.

6. A message-creating game machine according to claim 4, further comprising communication-disabling means for disabling calling to a specified telephone number.

7. A message-creating game machine according to claim 3, further comprising:

identification-information storage means for storing identification information assigned to the entirety of said message-creating game machine; and

identification-information adding means for adding the identification information to a message to be transmitted.

8. A message-creating game machine according to claim 7, further comprising communication-disabling means for disabling calling to a specified telephone number.

9. A message-creating game machine according to claim 3, further comprising communication-disabling means for disabling calling to a specified telephone number.

10. A message-creating method, comprising the steps of:

providing a machine physically accessible by a user in a public location, said machine including a display and storage means for storing character images, said storage means including a first storage unit for storing a plurality of images displaying character strings constituting complete sentences and at least one of a second storage unit for storing a plurality of images displaying character strings constituting words and a third storage unit for storing a plurality of monosyllabic character images;

displaying the character images on said display;

selecting at least one image from among the displayed character images;

displaying game characters of different types, each of said game characters having respective associated parlance patterns;

selecting one game character from among the game characters displayed;

synthesizing an audio message in the form of audio signals using the selected image and a particular one of the parlance patterns associated with the selected game character; and

transmitting the audio message to a recipient.

11. A message-creating method according to claim 10, wherein the created messages are stored in a data storage unit so as to be read.

12. A message-creating method according to claim 10, further comprising:

sending a call to an entered telephone number; and

the synthesized audio message is transmitted via telephone to a receiver.

13. A message-creating method according to claim 12, wherein a time is measured and a calling process is performed when the measured time reaches a designated transmission time.

14. A message-creating method according to claim 13, wherein identification information is assigned to a message-creating game machine and the identification information is added to a message to be transmitted.

15. A message-creating method according to claim 13, wherein calling to a specified telephone number is disabled.

16. A message-creating method according to claim 12, wherein identification information is assigned to a message-creating game machine and the identification information is added to a message to be transmitted.

17. A message-creating method according to claim 16, wherein calling to a specified telephone number is disabled.

18. A message-creating method according to claim 12, wherein calling to a specified telephone number is disabled.

19. A message-creating game machine comprising:

a main body physically accessible by a user at a public location;

operation means for allowing a game player to operate the game machine at the public location;

storage means for storing character images, said storage means including a first storage unit for storing a plurality of images displaying character strings constituting complete sentences and at least one of a second storage unit for storing a plurality of images displaying character strings constituting words and a third storage unit for storing a plurality of monosyllabic character images;

display means for displaying characters, said display means being mounted on the main body, said operation means being placed over the display means;

character-image-display control means for displaying the character images stored in said storage means on said display means;

selecting means for selecting at least one character image from among the character images displayed on said display means upon operation of said operation means by the game player;

message-synthesizing means for synthesizing a message from the selected character image;

game-character display-control means for displaying a plurality of game characters on said display means;

game-character selecting means for selecting a game character from among the game characters displayed on said display means, said message-synthesizing means performing audio synthesizing to compose an audio message in the form of audio signals by means of a particular one of a plurality of parlance patterns corresponding to the selected game character;

a telephone link for transmitting said audio message to a recipient; and

a money accepting unit.

20. A message-creating game machine according to claim 19, wherein said operation means includes a layer of a material having at least one of transparent and translucent properties sheet such that displayed contents on said display means can be adequately viewed therethrough.

21. A message-creating game machine according to claim 20, wherein said operation means further includes a resin-molded structure including a matrix of resistance wires and an electrically conductive layer spaced apart from said matrix, said conductive layer and said matrix being urgeable into contact when finger pressure is applied.

22. A message-creating game machine comprising:

operation means for allowing a game player to operate the game machine physically accessed at a public location;

an image capture unit for capturing an image of the game player as implemented by appropriate operation of the operation means by the game player at the public location;

storage means for storing character images, said storage means including a first storage unit for storing a plurality of images displaying character strings constituting complete sentences and at least one of a second storage unit for storing a plurality of images displaying character strings constituting words and a third storage unit for storing a plurality of monosyllabic character images;

display means for displaying characters;

character-image-display control means for displaying the character images stored in said storage means on said display means;

selecting means for selecting at least one character image from among the character images displayed on said display means;

message-synthesizing means for synthesizing a message from the selected character image;

game-character display-control means for displaying a plurality of game characters on said display means;

game-character selecting means for selecting a game character from among the game characters displayed on said display means, said message-synthesizing means performing audio synthesizing to compose an audio message in the form of audio signals by means of a particular one of a plurality of parlance patterns corresponding to the selected game character;

a telephone link for transmitting said audio message to a recipient; and

a money accepting unit.