Video game system, video game apparatus, and method of controlling the video game apparatus

• US 6,780,113 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2001
• Issued: 08/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ishigami, Koichiro, Udagawa, Hiroshi, Nojiri, Kohei, Asano, Haruo
• Primary Examiner(s): Walberg, Teresa
• Assistant Examiner(s): MENDOZA, ROBERT J
• Application Number:
  US09/948,394
• Publication Number:
  US 20020068636A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,082 Days
• Field of Search: 463/47, 463/40-43, 463/30-32, 463/19, 273/269-270, 345/339, 345/349
• US Class Current: 463/47
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/77 involving data related to game devices or game servers, e.g. configuration data, software version or amount of memory
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/636 involving process of starting or resuming a game

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to make it possible to execute a video-game software program read from a video-game program recording medium, to convert contents data to print data, and to enable a printer of an unknown type to print the print data. To achieve the object, a data-reading module determines whether the printer connected to a video game apparatus is of an unknown type (Step S11). If the printer is of an unknown type, or a type not designated by the printer driver, printing parameter is read from the printer, the parameter of a device engine module is changed in accordance with the printing parameter (Step S12). And the print data is printed (Steps S13 to S17).

Claims

1. A video game system designed to execute a video-game software program read from a video-game program recording medium, to convert contents data to print data, and to print the print data, said system comprising:

a video game apparatus comprising;

(a) video-game software program reading means for reading the video-game software program from the video-game program recording medium, said video-game software program comprising a video-game program, contents data indicating at least one privilege item, and a printer driver for printing the contents data;

(b) a nonvolatile memory, separate from the video-game program recording medium, for storing the printer driver, wherein the printer driver comprises a common engine module for processing data about the progress of the game, irrespective of the type of the printer used, a device engine module for processing the data in a particular manner specific to the type of the printer used, and a data-reading module for reading the data about a printer of an unknown type;

(c) parameter-changing means for acquiring one or more printing parameters specific to the printer of an unknown type when the printer of the unknown type is connected to the video game apparatus, and for changing one or more parameters of the device engine module, which are stored in the nonvolatile memory, in accordance with the one or more printing parameters acquired; and

(d) printing control means for reading the printer driver from the nonvolatile memory, for acquiring one or more printing parameters from the printer by the use of the data-reading module when the printer of the unknown type is connected to the video game apparatus, for changing one or more parameters of the device engine module in accordance with the one or more printing parameters acquired, for converting the contents data read from the video-game program recording medium by the video-game software program reading means to print data by the use of the printer driver, and for outputting the print data through a printer-connecting terminal; and

a printer for printing the print data supplied from the video game apparatus,

wherein the contents data for each privilege item is printed when execution of the video-game program indicates that a corresponding stage of the game has been reached.

4. The video game system of claim 1, wherein the video-game program recording medium is removable from the video-game software program reading means.

5. The video game system of claim 1, wherein:

the video-game program is stored in a first contiguous section of the video-game program recording means,

the contents data is stored in a second section of the video-game program recording means,

the printer driver is stored in a third contiguous section of the video-game program recording means, and

the first section, the second section, and the third section do not overlap.

6. The video game system of claim 1, wherein at least one privilege item is a coupon.

2. A video game apparatus designed to execute a video-game software program read from a video-game program recording medium, to convert contents data to print data, and to print the print data, said apparatus comprising:

video-game software program reading means for reading the video-game software program from the video-game program recording medium, said video-game software program comprising a video-game program, contents data indicating at least one privilege item, and a printer driver for printing the contents data;

a nonvolatile memory, separate from the video-game program recording medium, for storing the printer driver, wherein the printer driver comprises a common engine module for processing data about the progress of the game, irrespective of the type of the printer used, a device engine module for processing the data in a particular manner specific to the type of the printer used, and a data-reading module for reading the data about a printer of an unknown type;

parameter-changing means for acquiring one or more printing parameters specific to the printer of an unknown type when the printer of the unknown type is connected to the video game apparatus, and for changing one or more parameters of the device engine module, which are stored in the nonvolatile memory, in accordance with the one or more printing parameters acquired; and

printing control means for reading the printer driver from the nonvolatile memory, for acquiring one or more printing parameter from the printer by the use of the data-reading module when the printer of the unknown-type is connected to the video game apparatus, for changing one or more parameters of the device engine module in accordance with the one or more printing parameter acquired, for converting the contents data read from the video-game program recording medium by the video-game software program reading means to print data by the use of the printer driver, and for outputting the print data through a printer-connecting terminal,

wherein the contents data for each privilege item is printed when execution of the video-game program indicates that a corresponding stage of the game has been reached.

7. The video game apparatus of claim 2, wherein the video-game program recording medium is removable from the video-game software program reading means.

8. The video game apparatus of claim 2, wherein:

the video-game program is stored in a first contiguous section of the video-game program recording means,

the contents data is stored in a second section of the video-game program recording means,

the printer driver is stored in a third contiguous section of the video-game program recording means, and

the first section, the second section, and the third section do not overlap.

9. The video game apparatus of claim 2, wherein at least one privilege item is a coupon.

3. A method of controlling a video game apparatus comprising:

reading a video-game software program from a video-game program recording medium, said video-game software program comprising a video-game program, contents data indicating at least one privilege item, and a printer driver for printing the contents data;

storing the printer driver into a nonvolatile memory, separate from the video-game program recording medium, said printer driver comprising a common engine module for processing data about the progress of the game, irrespective of the type of the printer used, a device engine module for processing the data in a particular manner specific to the type of the printer used, and a data-reading module for reading the data about a printer of an unknown type;

acquiring one or more printing parameters specific to a printer of an unknown type, when the printer of the unknown-type is connected to the video game apparatus, and changing one or more parameters of the device engine module in accordance with the one or more printing parameters acquired; and

converting the contents data read from the video-game program recording medium to print data by the use of the printer driver, and printing the print data;

wherein the contents data for each privilege item is printed when execution of the video-game program indicates that a corresponding stage of the game has been reached.

10. The method of claim 3, wherein the video-game program recording medium is removable from the video-game software program reading means.

11. The method of claim 3, wherein:

the video-game program is stored in a first contiguous section of the video-game program recording means,

the contents data is stored in a second section of the video-game program recording means,

the printer driver is stored in a third contiguous section of the video-game program recording means, and

the first section, the second section, and the third section do not overlap.

12. The method of claim 3, wherein at least one privilege item is a coupon.