Code reading apparatus, entertainment system and recording medium

• US 6,811,084 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2002
• Issued: 11/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Creatures, Inc., HAL Laboratory, Inc., Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Creatures, Inc., HAL Laboratory, Inc., Nintendo Company Limited, Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Morohashi, Daikichi, Yamada, Hiroyuki, Tatsuta, Seiji, Tanaka, Hirokazu, Tanimura, Masayoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kimberly D.
• Application Number:
  US10/086,422
• Publication Number:
  US 20020125318A1
• Time in Patent Office: 977 Days
• Field of Search: 235/454, 235/436, 235/460, 235/487, 235/494, 235/462.01, 235/462.02, 235/472.01, 434/308, 434/309-318
• US Class Current: 235/454
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/825 Fostering virtual characters
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10544 by scanning of the records by radiation in the optical part of the electromagnetic spectrum

Abstract

A code reading apparatus main body optically reads a code from a recording medium, recording it as optically readable code, and stores the outcome of the reading operation and the parameters acquired during the reading operation in the data RAM of an application program storing cartridge. When a program processing apparatus reads the outcome of the reading operation as stored in the data RAM, it provides randomness to the outcome of the reading operation according to the parameters stored in the data RAM.

Claims

1. A code reading apparatus comprising:

a reading section for optically reading an optically readable code from a recording medium on which data is recorded as the optically readable code;

an output section for performing an output based on an outcome of a code reading operation of said reading section; and

a randomness providing section for providing the outcome of the code reading operation of said reading section with randomness, so that the output of said output section, which is based on the outcome of said code reading operation, is varied by the randomness provided by said randomness providing section.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said apparatus optically reads said code while one of said apparatus and said recording medium is held by hand.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said apparatus optically reads said code while said apparatus and said recording medium are moved relative to each other.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said randomness providing section includes a parameter detecting section for providing randomness to the outcome of the code reading operation by detecting parameters relating to the code reading operation.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said parameter detecting section includes a providing section for providing randomness to the outcome of the code reading operation by detecting parameters relating to a way of reading the code.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said providing section includes a parameter detecting section for providing randomness to the outcome of the code reading operation by detecting parameters relating to positions of predetermined components of said code.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said providing section includes a parameter detecting section for providing randomness to the outcome of the code reading operation by detecting parameters relating to a number of components detected out of predetermined components of said code.

8. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said providing section includes a parameter detecting section for providing randomness to the outcome of the code reading operation by detecting parameters relating to a brightness of each of predetermined components of said code.

9. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said providing section includes a parameter detecting section for providing randomness to the outcome of the code reading operation by detecting parameters relating to a size of each of predetermined components of said code.

10. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said providing section includes a parameter detecting section for providing randomness to the outcome of the code reading operation by detecting parameters relating to a shape of each of predetermined components of said code.

11. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said providing section includes a parameter detecting section for providing randomness to the outcome of the code reading operation by detecting parameters relating to missing information on components missing from said read code.

12. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:

said apparatus optically reads said code while one of said apparatus and said recording medium is held by hand and said apparatus and said recording medium are moved relative to each other, and

said providing section includes a parameter detecting section for providing randomness to the outcome of the code reading operation by detecting parameters relating to a relative moving speed of said apparatus and said recording medium.

13. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:

said apparatus optically reads said code while one of said apparatus and said recording medium is held by hand and said apparatus and said recording medium are moved relative to each other, and

said providing section includes a parameter detecting section for providing randomness to the outcome of the code reading operation by detecting parameters relating to a meandering motion during the relative movement of said apparatus and said recording medium.

14. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:

said apparatus optically reads said code while one of said apparatus and said recording medium is held by hand and said apparatus and said recording medium are moved relative to each other, and

said providing section includes a parameter detecting section for providing randomness to the outcome of the code reading operation by detecting parameters relating to directions of relative movement of said apparatus and said recording medium.

15. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:

said apparatus optically reads said code while one of said apparatus and said recording medium is held by hand and said apparatus and said recording medium are moved relative to each other, and

said providing section includes a parameter detecting section for providing randomness to the outcome of the code reading operation by detecting parameters relating to a number of times of relative movement of said apparatus and said recording medium.

16. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said parameter detecting section includes a providing section for providing randomness to the outcome of the code reading operation by detecting parameters relating to an environment of said code reading operation.

17. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said randomness providing section includes a providing section for providing randomness to the outcome of the code reading operation by detecting parameters relating to said recording medium.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said providing section includes a parameter detecting section for providing randomness to the outcome of the code reading operation by detecting parameters relating to a positional relationship of predetermined components of said code.

19. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said providing section includes a parameter detecting section for providing randomness to the outcome of the code reading operation by detecting parameters relating to a recording density of said code.

20. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said providing section includes a parameter detecting section for providing randomness to the outcome of the code reading operation by detecting parameters relating to a size of said code.

21. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said providing section includes a parameter detecting section for providing randomness to the outcome of the code reading operation by detecting parameters relating to a shape of said code.

22. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said providing section includes a parameter detecting section for providing randomness to the outcome of the code reading operation by detecting parameters relating to missing information on components missing from said code.

23. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said randomness providing section includes a providing section for providing randomness to the outcome of the code reading operation by detecting parameters specific to the code reading apparatus itself.

24. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said providing section includes a parameter detecting section for providing randomness to the outcome of the code reading operation by detecting parameters relating to positions for detecting predetermined components of said code.

25. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said providing section includes a parameter detecting section for providing randomness to the outcome of the code reading operation by detecting parameters relating to a lightness used for said code reading operation.

26. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said providing section includes a parameter detecting section for providing randomness to the outcome of the code reading operation by detecting parameters relating to a size of said read code.

27. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said providing section includes a parameter detecting section for providing randomness to the outcome of the code reading operation by detecting parameters relating to a shape of said read code.

28. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said providing section includes a parameter detecting section for providing randomness to the outcome of the code reading operation by detecting parameters relating to missing information on components missing from said read code.

29. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said randomness providing section includes a parameter detecting section for providing randomness to the outcome of the code reading operation by detecting parameters relating to a positional relationship of predetermined components of said code.

30. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said randomness providing section includes a parameter detecting section for providing randomness to the outcome of the code reading operation by detecting parameters relating to a brightness of each of predetermined components of said code.

31. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said randomness providing section includes a parameter detecting section for providing randomness to the outcome of the code reading operation by detecting parameters relating to a size of each of predetermined components of said code.

32. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said randomness providing section includes a parameter detecting section for providing randomness to the outcome of the code reading operation by detecting parameters relating to a shape of each of predetermined components of said code.

33. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said randomness providing section includes a parameter detecting section for providing randomness to the outcome of the code reading operation by detecting parameters relating to missing information on components missing from said read code.

34. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a memory section for storing a plurality of pieces of information;

and wherein said randomness providing section includes an output control section for changing an output from said memory section by selecting any one of said plurality of pieces of information stored in said memory section.

35. The apparatus according to claim 34, wherein said information stored in said memory section includes at least one of a piece of text information, a piece of sound information, a piece of image information and a piece of program information.

36. The apparatus according to claim 34, wherein:

said information stored in said memory section includes a program for selecting a motion out of a plurality of motions; and

said randomness providing section includes a selecting section for selecting one of said motions.

37. The apparatus according to claim 34, wherein:

said information stored in said memory section includes a program for handling program parameters; and

said randomness providing section includes a control section for varying the program parameters to modify operation of said program.

38. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said data recorded on said recording medium as optically readable code includes a plurality of pieces of information; and

said randomness providing section includes an output modifying section for modifying the output of said output section by selecting any one of said plurality of pieces of information read from said recording medium.

39. The apparatus according to claim 38, wherein:

said information recorded in said recording medium includes at least one of a piece of text information, a piece of sound information, a piece of image information and a piece of program information.

40. The apparatus according to claim 38, wherein:

said information recorded in said recording medium includes a program for selecting a motion out of a plurality of motions; and

said randomness providing section includes a selecting section for selecting one of said motions.

41. The apparatus according to claim 38, wherein:

said information stored in said recording medium includes a program for handling program parameters; and

said randomness providing section includes a control section for varying the program parameters to modify operation of said program.

42. An entertainment system comprising:

an operating section for receiving an operation command from a user;

an output section for performing at least one of a display output and a sound output in accordance with the operation command received by said operating section;

a reading section for optically reading an optically readable code from a recording medium on which data is recorded as the optically readable code; and

a randomness providing section for providing an outcome of a code reading operation of said reading section with randomness at a time of an output operation of said output section based on the outcome of the code reading operation of said reading section, so that the output of said output section, which is based on the outcome of said code reading operation, is varied by the randomness provided by said randomness providing section.

43. A recording medium comprising:

a part recording data as an optically readable code; and

a part recording no code,

wherein;

said data recorded as the optically readable code includes output information to be output and a plurality of pieces of information to be used for providing the output information with randomness; and

when said data recorded as the optically readable code is read by a code reading apparatus, the output information is output in a varied manner according to one of said pieces of information for providing the randomness which is selected from said plurality of pieces of information.

44. The medium according to claim 43, wherein said information contained in said data recorded as the optically readable code includes at least one of a piece of text information, a piece of sound information, a piece of image information and a piece of program information.

45. A recording medium comprising:

a part recording data as an optically readable code; and

a part recording no code,

wherein;

said data recorded as the optically readable code includes information to be provided with randomness and a program for selecting a motion out of a plurality of motions; and

one of said motions is selected to vary an output of said information to be provided with randomness as a result of an operation of reading said code by a code reading apparatus.

46. A recording medium comprising:

a part recording data as an optically readable code; and

a part recording no code,

wherein;

said data recorded as the optically readable code includes output information to be output and a program for handling program parameters to provide the output information with randomness; and

when said data recorded as the optically readable code is read by a code reading apparatus, said program parameters are varied to vary operation of said program and to vary an output of said output information with randomness.