Entertainment system, recording medium and entertainment apparatus

• US 7,052,397 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2003
• Issued: 05/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Saito, Hajime, Hara, Fumiaki, Kaido, Kenji, Kikukawa, Hideaki
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KIM T
• Application Number:
  US10/465,264
• Publication Number:
  US 20030211891A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,077 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463 30- 31, 463/36, 463 37- 44, 463/47, 273/148.B, 273/148.R, 345/156, 345/157, 345/161, 345/169
• US Class Current: 463/43
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/013 Force feedback applied to a game
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user

Abstract

An effect application instructing function includes a user setting function for setting up information as to users of an entertainment apparatus to generate a user information table, an event processing function for reading input information from one or more manual controllers and processing data depending on the input information to generate an event processing table, a vibration setting function for extracting only information relative to vibrations from the event processing table and successively registering vibrations types with respect to the user to which vibrations are to be applied in a vibration output table, and a vibration outputting function for generating and outputting vibration indicating data including a vibration type with respect to the user to which vibrations are to be applied, based on the vibration output table and the user information table, and executing a physical effect to be applied to a hypothetical user as a parameter change.

Claims

1. An entertainment system comprising:

an entertainment apparatus for executing a game program; and

a manual controller including at least one manual control switch, said manual controller entering a manual control command based on operation of said manual control switch by a player into said entertainment apparatus,

said manual controller further including at least one vibration generator for generating vibrations based on a request from entertainment apparatus,

wherei said entertainment apparatus includes;

a first means for determining a target player based on said manual control command from said manual controller;

a second means for making a command for generating vibrations when said manual control command indicating said vibrations to be applied to said target player is entered, said second means makeing said command independently from motion of said target player;

a third means for sending said command of said second means to said vibration generator of another manual contrller if said target player selected by said first means is a human user; and

a fourth means for changing a numerical value of a parameter regarding a hypothetical character corresponding to said command of said second means if target player selected by said first means is a hypothetical character in said game program, said numerical value being referred to by said game program, said fourth means changing said numerical value independently from motion of said target player.

2. An entertainment system according to claim 1, wherein said fourth means changes a parameter representing a physical attribute of said hypothetical character when said target player is a hypothetical character controlleed by said game program.

3. An entertainment system according to claim 1, wherein said first means determines said target player to be a selected user before determining whether said selected user is a human user or a hypothetical character.

4. An entertainment system according to claim 1, wherein said first means selects an effect to be applied to said target player as a selected player before determining whether said selected user is a human user or a hypothetical character.

5. An entertainment system according to claim 1, wherein said third means output an instruction for applying a physical effect to said target player.

6. An entertainment system according to claim 1, wherein said third means outputs an instruction for applying an effect visible to said target player through a display connected to said entertainment apparatus.

7. A method of controlling an entertainment system, comprising:

receiving a manual control command at an entertainment apparatus from at least one manual control switch of a manual controller connected to said entertainment apparatus,

wherein said manual controller includes at least one vibration generator for generating vibrations based on a request from said entertainment apparatus;

determining a target player based on said manual control command from said manual controller;

making a command for generating vibrations when said manual control command indicating said vibrations to be applied to said target player is entered,

wherein said vibrations are generated independently from motion of said target player;

determining whether said target player is a human user or a hypothetical character in a game program executed by said entertainment apparatus;

sending said command for generating vibrations to another manual controller if said target player is a human user; and

changing a numerical value of a parameter regarding a hypothetical character corresponding to said command for generating vibrations if said target player is a hypothetical character in said game program, said numerical value being referred to by said game program, and said numerical value being changed independently from motion of said target player.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein changing said numerical value of a parameter includes changing a parameter representing a physical attribute of said hypothetical character when said target player is a hypothetical character controlled by said game program.

9. A method according to claim 7, wherein said determination whether said target player is a selected user is made before determining whether said selected user is a human user or a hypothetical character.

10. A method according to claim 7, wherein sending said command includes outputting an instruction for applying an effect visible to said target player through a display connected to said entertainment apparatus.

11. A method according to claim 7, wherein sending said command includes outputting an instruction for applying an effect visible to said target player through a display connected to said entertainment apparatus.

12. A storage medium storing a program for use by an entertainment system, wherein said program includes instructions executable by said entertainment system to perform the steps of:

receiving a manual control command at an entertainment apparatus from at least one manual control switch of a manual controller connected to said entertainment apparatus,

wherein the manual controller includes at least one vibration generator for generating vibrations based on a request from said entertainment apparatus;

determining a target player based on said manual control command from said manual controller;

making a command for generating vibrations when said manual control command indicating said vibrations to be applied to said target player is entered,

wherein said vibrations are generated independently from motion of said target player;

determining whether said target player is ahuman user or a hypothetical character in a game program executed by said entertainment apparatus;

sending said command for generating vibrations to another manual controller if said target player is a human user; and

changing a numerical value of a parameter regarding a hypothetical character corresponding to said command for generating vibrations if said target player is a hypothetical character in said game program, said numerical value being referred to by said game program, and said numerical value being changed independently from motion of said target player.

13. A storage medium according to claim 12, wherein changing said numerical value of a parameter includes changing a parameter representing a physical attribute of said hypothetical character when said target player is a hypothetical character controlled by said game program.

14. A storage medium according to claim 12, wherein said determination whether said target player is a selected user is made before determining whether said selected user is a human user or a hypothetical character.

15. A storage medium according to claim 12, wherein sending said command includes outputting an instruction for applying a physical effect to said target player.

16. A storage medium according to claim 13, wherein sending said command includes outputting an instruction for applying an effect visible to said target player through a display connected to said entertainment apparatus.

17. A program, stored in a tangible storage medium, for use by an entertainment system, said program comprising executable instructions that cause said entertainment system to perform the steps of:

receiving a manual control command at an entertainment apparatus from at least one manual control switch of a manual controller connected to said entertainment apparatus,

wherein the manual controller includes at least one vibration generator for generating vibrations based on a request from said entertainment apparatus;

determining a target player based on said manual control command from said manual controller;

making a command for generating vibrations when said manual control command indicating said vibrations to be applied to said target player is entered,

wherein said vibrations are generated independently from motion of said target player;

determining whether said target player is human user or a hypothetical character in a game program executed by said entertainment apparatus;

sending said command for generating vibrations to another manual controller if said target player is a human user; and

changing a numerical value of a parameter regarding a hypothetical character corresponding to said command for generating vibrations if said target player is a hypothetical character in said game program, said numerical value being referred to by said game program, and said numerical value being changed independently from motion of said target player.

18. A storage medium according to claim 17, wherein changing said numerical value of a parameter includes changing a parameter representing a physical attribute of said hypothetical character when said target player is a hypothetical character controlled by said game program.

19. A program according to claim 17, wherein said determination whether said target player is a selected user is made before determining whether said selected user is a human user or a hypothetical character.

20. A program according to claim 17, wherein sending said command includes outputting an instruction for applying a physical effect to said target player.

21. A program according to claim 17, wherein sending said command includes outputting an instruction for applying an effect visible to said target player through a display connected to said entertainment apparatus.