Game input device, game method and game system using the same

• US 7,846,022 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2007
• Issued: 12/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Incorporated (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Incorporated (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Chiwata, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Bumgarner; Melba
• Assistant Examiner(s): RADA, ALEX P
• Application Number:
  US11/890,378
• Publication Number:
  US 20090042650A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,219 Days
• Field of Search: 463/7, 463 30- 31, 463 35- 38, 846/09, 846/10
• US Class Current: 463/35
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/245 specially adapted to a particular type of game, e.g. steering wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/814 Musical performances, e.g. by evaluating the player's ability to follow a notation
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1062 being specially adapted to a type of game, e.g. steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8047 Music games
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 15/00 Teaching music metronomes G04F5/02
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/342 for guitar-like instruments with or without strings and with a neck on which switches or string-fret contacts are used to detect the notes being played electric guitars in which the tones are generated by the vibration of strings G10H3/18
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/091 for performance evaluation, i.e. judging, grading or scoring the musical qualities or faithfulness of a performance, e.g. with respect to pitch, tempo or other timings of a reference performance
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/005 Non-interactive screen display of musical or status data
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/135 Musical aspects of games or videogames; Musical instrument-shaped game input interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/151 Musical difficulty level setting or selection

Abstract

The objective of present invention is to provide a game input device which allows a player to enjoy the feeling of actually playing a musical instrument along with a rhythm of music, a game method and a game system using such a game input device. The present invention is a game input device having a moving portion and a neck portion, the moving portion has at least two or more inputs, the moving portion is provided onto the neck portion, and the position of the moving portion is movable on the neck portion. The present invention is also a game method and a game system using the game input device.

Claims

1. A game input device comprising a main body portion, a neck portion extending from said main body portion, and a moving portion movably attached to said neck portion, the moving portion including a plurality of signal input portions,

where a position of one of the plurality of the signal input portions at a first slide level is configured to overlap with a position of another of the plurality of the signal input portions at a second slide level;

and

wherein a controller located in the game input device outputs a positioning signal or a moving motion signal on said moving portion and an input signal on at least one of said plurality of signal input portions.

2. The game input device according to claim 1, wherein said moving portion is slidably coupled to said neck portion.

3. The game input device according to claim 2, wherein said moving portion is slidably coupled to said neck portion while a portion of said signal input portions is depressed.

4. The game input device according to claim 1, wherein said moving portion is attached slidably in a direction perpendicular to the extension of said neck portion.

5. The game input device according to claim 1, wherein the number of said plurality of signal inputs is three.

6. The game input device according to claim 1, wherein the number of said plurality of signal inputs is four.

7. The game input device according to claim 1, wherein the number of said plurality of signal inputs is five.

8. The game input device according to claim 1, wherein said game input device comprises a guitar shape.

9. A game system comprising a controller and a platform, wherein

said controller has an moving portion and a neck portion, the moving portion comprises an input means having at least two inputs, said moving portion is coupled to said neck portion, and a position of said moving portion is movable on said neck portion;

said platform comprises an input data evaluation portion, and a memory containing game result judgment data;

said controller and said input data evaluation portion are connected through an input/output terminal; and

said controller obtains an operation data input by a player, said operation data is transmitted to said input data evaluation portion through the input/output terminal, said input data evaluation portion receives said game result judgment data, and compares said operation data and said game result judgment data with a plurality of judgment parameters including the timing of an input operation and a sliding distance of said moving portion, thereby evaluating an input operation performed by the player.

10. The game system according to claim 9, wherein said controller and said platform are integrated.

11. The game system according to claim 9, further comprising a display communicating with said memory through the input/output terminal;

and

game execution data is transmitted from said memory to said display.

12. The game system according to claim 11, wherein a number of a plurality of object lanes is larger than a number of a plurality of inputs by one when an object lane is displayed on a display screen of said display.

13. The game system according to claim 11, wherein said plurality of judgment parameters includes a color consistency of an input for the input operation and a color of a selected object when an object lane and an object are displayed on the display screen of said display.

14. The game system according to claim 9, wherein said plurality of judgment parameters includes a continuity of an appropriate input operation performed by the player.