Video game system

• US 7,070,507 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2001
• Issued: 07/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Ohta, Keizo, Koshima, Kazuo, Nishiumi, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Thai, Xuan M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mosser, Robert
• Application Number:
  US09/814,953
• Publication Number:
  US 20010016517A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,929 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463/30, 463 36- 38, 463/44, 463/45, 463/47, D21324-326, D21/332, D21/333, D21/394, 345/161, 345/163, 700/83, 700/85
• US Class Current: 463/30
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/24 Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/28 responding to control signals received from the game device for affecting ambient conditions, e.g. for vibrating players' seats, activating scent dispensers or affecting temperature or light controlling the output signals based on the game progress A63F13/50
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/285 Generating tactile feedback signals via the game input device, e.g. force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/525 Changing parameters of virtual cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/57 Simulating properties, behaviour or motion of objects in the game world, e.g. computing tyre load in a car race game A63F13/56 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/577 using determination of contact between game characters or objects, e.g. to avoid collision between virtual racing cars
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1037 being specially adapted for converting control signals received from the game device into a haptic signal, e.g. using force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/302 specially adapted for receiving control signals not targeted to a display device or game input means, e.g. vibrating driver's seat, scent dispenser
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/64 for computing dynamical parameters of game objects, e.g. motion determination or computation of frictional forces for a virtual car
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/643 by determining the impact between objects, e.g. collision detection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6661 for changing the position of the virtual camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/013 Force feedback applied to a game
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user

Abstract

A video game system includes a video game machine, a memory medium and a controller. A CPU included in the video game machine detects a vibration generating condition that a player object comes into collision or contact with an enemy object or a stationary object. If the vibration generating condition is detected, the CPU drives a vibration source included in the controller, thereby generating vibration on the controller.

Claims

1. A computer readable medium for use with a video game system comprising a video game machine, a hand-held controller connected to said video game machine and operable by a player to generate video game inputs, and a vibration source arranged to vibrate a housing of said hand-held controller, said computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions adapted to be executed by said video game machine, the instructions which, when executed, define a series at steps comprising:

(a) detecting vibration generating conditions;

(b) loading a counter with a count determined in accordance with the detected vibration generating conditions;

(c) generating vibration control data for controlling said vibration source based on the count of said counter; and

(d) performing the following steps one or more times;

(d1) changing the count of said counter in accordance with a counter change value; and

(d2) generating vibration control data for controlling said vibration source based on the changed count of said counter,

wherein the counter change value is initially determined in accordance with the detected vibration generating conditions and changes at least once from the initially determined value.

2. The computer readable medium according to claim 1, wherein collisions between game objects are detected as vibration generating conditions.

3. The computer readable medium according to claim 1, wherein collisions between game objects in three-dimensional space are detected as vibration generating conditions.

4. The computer readable medium according to claim 1, wherein accelerations of game objects are detected as vibration generating conditions.

5. The computer readable medium according to claim 1, wherein vibration control data for controlling said vibration source is generated when the count of said counter exceeds a predetermined count value.

6. The computer readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the counter change value is an increment value for incrementing the count of said counter.

7. The computer readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the counter change value changes in accordance with a variation value which is also determined in accordance with the detected vibration generating conditions.

8. The computer readable medium according to claim 1, comprising an optical disc.

9. The computer readable medium according to claim 1, comprising a magnetic disc.

10. The computer readable medium according to claim 1, comprising a ROM cartridge.

11. A storage medium for use with a video game system comprising a video game machine, a hand-held controller connected to said video game machine and operable by a player to generate video game inputs, and a vibration source arranged to vibrate a housing of said hand-held controller, said storage medium having stored thereon instructions adapted to be executed by said video game machine, the instructions which, when executed, define steps comprising:

(a) detecting vibration generating condition;

(b) loading a counter with a count determined in accordance with the detected vibration generating conditions; and

(c) generating vibration control data for controlling said vibration source based on the count of said counter; and

(d) performing the following steps one or more times;

(d1) changing the count of said counter in accordance with a counter change value; and

(d2) generating vibration control data for controlling said vibration source based on the changed count of said counter,

wherein the counter chance value changes at least once from an initial value thereof.

12. A storage medium for use with a video game system comprising a video game machine, a hand-held controller connected to said video game machine and operable by a player to generate video game inputs, and a vibration source arranged to vibrate a housing of said hand-held controller, said storage medium having stored thereon instructions adapted to be executed by said video game machine, the instructions which, when executed, define steps comprising:

(a) detecting vibration generating conditions;

(b) loading a counter with a count determined in accordance with the detected vibration generating conditions;

(c) generating vibration control data for controlling said vibration source during a first video game frame based on the count of said counter; and

(d) performing the following steps for at least one subsequent video game frame;

(d1) changing the count of said counter in accordance with a counter change value; and

(d2) generating vibration control data for controlling said vibration source based on the changed count of said counter,

wherein the counter change value is initially determined in accordance with the detected vibration generating conditions and changes at least once from the initially determined value.

13. A storage medium for use with a video game system comprising a video game machine, a hand-held controller connected to the video game machine and operable by a player to generate video game inputs, and a vibration source arranged to vibrate a housing of the hand-held controller, the storage medium having stored thereon instructions adapted to be executed by the video game machine, the instructions which, when executed, define steps comprising:

(a) detecting a vibration generating condition;

(b) loading a counter with an initial value in accordance with the detected vibration generating condition; and

(c) generating control signals for controlling the vibration source during a first video game frame based on the count of said counter; and

(d) performing the following steps for at least one subsequent video game frame;

(d1) changing the count of the counter in accordance with a counter change value; and

(d2) generating control signals for controlling the vibration source based on the changed count of the counter,

wherein the counter change value changes at least once from an initial value thereof.

14. The storage medium according to claim 13, wherein the control signals comprise control signals for switching the vibration source on and off.

15. The storage medium according to claim 13, wherein the control signals are switch control signals that are supplied to a switch connected between the vibration source and a power supply.

16. The storage medium according to claim 13, wherein the control signals comprise first control signals for switching the vibration source ON and second control signals for switching the vibration source OFF.

17. The storage medium according to claim 13, wherein the generating comprises:

comparing the counter values to a predetermined counter value;

generating first control signals for switching the vibration source ON when given counter values have a first relationship with the predetermined counter value; and

generating second control signals for switching the vibration source OFF when given counter values have a second relationship with the predetermined counter value.

18. The storage medium according to claim 13, wherein a relatively large counter change value provides intense vibration and a relatively small counter change value provides weak vibration.

19. The storage medium according to claim 13, wherein the counter change value changes in accordance with the type of vibration generating condition detected.

20. The storage medium according to claim 13, wherein the counter values change every video frame in accordance with the counter change value.

21. The storage medium according to claim 13, further comprising:

setting a flag if a vibration generating condition is detected.

22. The storage medium according to claim 13, wherein a collision between game objects is detected as a vibration generating condition.

23. The storage medium according to claim 13, wherein a collision between game objects in three-dimensional space is detected as a vibration generating condition.

24. The storage medium according to claim 13, wherein an acceleration of a game object is detected as a vibration generating condition.

26. The storage medium according to claim 24, wherein the vibration control data comprises control signals for switching the vibration source on and off.

27. The storage medium according to claim 24, wherein the vibration control data comprises switch control signals that an supplied to a switch connected between the vibration source and a power supply.

25. A computer readable medium for use with a video game system comprising a video game processing system, controls operable by a player to generate video game inputs, and a vibration source, the computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions adapted to be executed by the video game machine, the instructions which, when executed, define a series of steps comprising:

(a) detecting a vibration generating condition;

(b) loading a counter with a count based on a counter change value that is determined in accordance with the detected vibration generating condition;

(c) changing the counter change value;

(c) generating vibration control data for controlling the vibration source based on the count of the counter;

(d) performing the following steps one or more times;

(d1) changing the count of the counter in accordance with the counter change value;

(d2) changing the counter change value; and

(d3) generating vibration control data for controlling the vibration source based on the count of the counter.

28. The storage medium according to claim 25, wherein the vibration control data comprises first control signals for switching the vibration source ON and second control signals for switching the vibration source OFF.

29. The storage medium according to claim 25, wherein the generating of vibration control data comprises:

comparing the count of the counter to a specified count value;

generating first control signals for switching the vibration source ON when given counts of the counter have a first relationship with the specified counter value; and

generating second control signals for switching the vibration source OFF when given counts of the counter have a second relationship with the specified counter value.

30. The storage medium according to claim 25, wherein a relatively large counter change value provides intense vibration and a relatively small counter change value provides weak vibration.

31. The storage medium according to claim 25, wherein the count of the counter changes every video frame.

32. The storage medium according to claim 25, further comprising:

setting a flag if a vibration generating condition is detected.

33. The storage medium according to claim 25, wherein a collision between game objects is detected as a vibration generating condition.

34. The storage medium according to claim 25, wherein a collision between game objects in three-dimensional space is detected as a vibration generating conditions.

35. The storage medium according to claim 25, wherein an acceleration of a game object is detected as a vibration generating condition.