Game system

• US 6,843,726 B1
• Filed: 09/05/2000
• Issued: 01/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Konami Corporation (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Ueno, Satoshi, Noguchi, Yasuhiro, Nomi, Mitsuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Wellington, A. L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, BINH AN DUC
• Application Number:
  US09/655,656
• Time in Patent Office: 1,596 Days
• Field of Search: 463/43, 463/1, 463/2, 463/6, 463/7, 463/23, 463/30, 463/31, 463 35- 38, 463/44, 463/46, 463/47, 463/59, 463/60, 434/307.A, 434/308, 434/318, 434/320, 700 90- 92, 273/148.R, 273/309
• US Class Current: 463/43
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/212 using sensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat or leg activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/215 comprising means for detecting acoustic signals, e.g. using a microphone
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/428 involving motion or position input signals, e.g. signals representing the rotation of an input controller or a player's arm motions sensed by accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/44 involving timing of operations, e.g. performing an action within a time slot
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/533 for prompting the player, e.g. by displaying a game menu
• 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 13/814 Musical performances, e.g. by evaluating the player's ability to follow a notation
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1012 involving biosensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat, limb activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/105 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1081 Input via voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/305 for providing a graphical or textual hint to the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/308 Details of the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6063 for sound processing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8047 Music games

Abstract

A game system is provided with a converting means including a voice input member, such as a microphone, for allowing the game player or his/her friend to input voices and for converting the inputted voices into electrical signal data, a sound data storage for storing the electrical signal data obtained by the conversion together with predetermined sound-relating data corresponding to contents of instructions, a sound generator for generating voices from the corresponding electrical signal data when a game player makes a motion in response to the content of instruction, and a device for evaluating a game result based on the content of instruction. Accordingly, a sound output type game system which can provide more interesting and enjoyable games can be realized.

Claims

1. A game system in which a game player makes motions in response to contents of instructions displayed on a display screen, the game system generating predetermined sounds corresponding to the contents of instructions, the game system comprising:

voice converting means having a voice input member for inputting voices of the game player in association with a game and for converting the voices input through the voice input member into electrical signal data;

storage means for storing the electrical signal data obtained by the voice converting means together with predetermined sound-relating data corresponding to the contents of instructions;

motion detecting means for detecting at least one of a hitting motion and a swinging motion of the game player; and

sound generating means for generating reproduced voices from the corresponding electrical signal data corresponding to the voices of the game player previously inputted by the game player based on either of the hitting and swinging motions of the game player corresponding to the contents of instructions when the game player makes the motions in response to the contents of instructions.

2. A game system according to claim 1, wherein the sound generating means includes a data processing means for processing the electrical signal data of the voices and generates voices corresponding to the electrical signal data processed by the data processing means.

3. A game system according to claim 2, wherein the data processing means includes at least one of a frequency modulating function, an amplitude modulating function, a function of changing the sound level of voices lying within at least part of frequency ranges divided at specified intervals, a function of thinning out sounds lying within part of the frequency ranges, and a function of expanding and compressing at least part of sound waves with respect to a time axis.

4. A game system according to claim 1, further comprising signal generating means for generating a signal based on the motions made by the game player, the sound generating means outputting a sound when the signal generating means generates a signal within a predetermined period with respect to a timing instruction.

5. A game system according to claim 1, further comprising a second storage means in addition to the storage means, a second electrical signal data stored in the second storage means being stored in the storage means, and the sound generating means generating a sound corresponding to the second electrical signal data.

6. A game system according to claim 2, further comprising a second storage means in addition to the storage means, a second electrical signal data stored in the second storage means being stored in the storage means, and the sound generating means generating a sound corresponding to the second electrical signal data.

7. A game system according to claim 6, wherein the data processing means processes the second electrical signal data, and the sound generating means generates a sound based on the processed second electrical signal data.

8. A game system according to claim 6, further comprising changing means for changing a degree of data processing by the data processing means wherein the changing means changing the degree of data processing applied to at least one of the electrical signal data and the second electrical signal data to achieve a change in sound of the voices which are generated.

9. A game system according to claim 5, wherein the second storage means receives, as stored data, sounds relating to the second electrical signal data and background sounds, and the sound generating means outputs the background sounds without modification.

10. A game system according to claim 1, further comprising means for issuing an instruction regarding a timing to input a voice to the voice input member of the voice converting means, said instruction being displayed on the display screen at a specified moving speed.

11. A game system according to claim 1, wherein the sound generating means generates a predetermined sound corresponding to the electrical signal data instead of generating a voice if no voice is input to the voice input member of the voice converting means.

12. A game system according to claim 4, wherein said timing instruction is given by a first mark, displayed on the display screen, which is stationary and a second mark, displayed on the display screen, which is movable with respect to the first mark and the timing instruction is when the first mark and the second mark coincide to each other.

13. A game system according to claim 1, further comprising:

evaluation means for evaluating the performance of said hitting and swinging motions of the game player based upon said instruction contents.

14. A game system in which a game player makes motions in response to contents of instructions displayed on a display screen, the game system generating predetermined sounds corresponding to the contents of instructions, the game system comprising:

voice converting means having a voice input member for inputting voices and for converting the voices input through the voice input member into electrical signal data;

storage means for storing the electrical signal data obtained by the voice converting means together with predetermined sound-relating data corresponding to the contents of instructions,

motion detecting means for detecting the motions of the game player;

sound generating means for generating voices from the corresponding electrical signal data based on the motions of the game player corresponding to the contents of instructions when the game player makes the motions in response to the contents of instructions; and

signal generating means for generating a signal based on the motions made by the game player, the sound generating means outputting a sound when the signal generating means generates a signal within a predetermined period with respect to a timing instruction, said timing instruction being given by a first mark, displayed on the display screen, which is stationary and a second mark, displayed on the display screen, which is movable with respect to the first mark, the timing instruction being when the first mark and the second mark coincide to each other, said signal generating means including an impact sensor and an acceleration sensor to output corresponding detection signals.

15. A game system according to claim 14, further comprising a signal input timing judging section for judging which predetermined time periods with respect to the timing instruction the signal generated by the signal generating means falls into.

16. A game system according to claim 15,

wherein said predetermined time periods include a first time period and a second time period, the first time period being longer than the second time period.

17. A game system according to claim 16, wherein the sound generating means generates the voices from the corresponding electrical signal data only when the signal generating means generates the signal within the second time period with respect to the timing instruction.

18. A game system in which a game player makes motions in response to contents of instructions displayed on a display screen, the game system generating predetermined sounds corresponding to the contents of instructions, the game system comprising:

voice converting means having a voice input member for inputting voices and for converting the voices input through the voice input member into electrical signal data;

storage means for storing the electrical signal data obtained by the voice converting means together with predetermined sound-relating data corresponding to the contents of instructions;

motion detecting means for detecting the motions of the game player; and

sound generating means for generating voices from the corresponding electrical signal data based on the motions of the game player corresponding to the contents of instructions when the game player makes the motions in response to the contents of instructions; and

signal generating means for generating a signal based on the motions made by the game player, the sound generating means outputting a sound when the signal generating means generates a signal within a predetermined period with respect to a timing instruction, said signal generating means including an acceleration sensor to output one of said detection signals.