Game console

• US 8,337,304 B2
• Filed: 08/14/2009
• Issued: 12/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Yoshino, Hiroshi, Ohta, Keizo, Yasumoto, Yoshitaka, Nishida, Kenji, Sugino, Kenichi, Ibuki, Masato
• Primary Examiner(s): Elisca, Pierre E
• Application Number:
  US12/461,534
• Publication Number:
  US 20090305783A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,229 Days
• Field of Search: 463/32, 463/30, 463/34
• US Class Current: 463/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/214 for locating contacts on a surface, e.g. floor mats or touch pads
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/2145 the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/215 comprising means for detecting acoustic signals, e.g. using a microphone
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/235 using a wireless connection, e.g. infrared or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/26 having at least one additional display device, e.g. on the game controller or outside a game booth
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/77 involving data related to game devices or game servers, e.g. configuration data, software version or amount of memory
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/95 Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/98 Accessories, i.e. detachable arrangements optional for the use of the video game device, e.g. grip supports of game controllers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2432 actuated by a sound, e.g. using a microphone
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/247 audible, e.g. using a loudspeaker
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2491 with a detachable memory
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2494 Battery, e.g. dry cell
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1075 using a touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/203 Image generating hardware
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/301 using an additional display connected to the game console, e.g. on the controller
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/63 for controlling the execution of the game in time
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/66 for rendering three dimensional images
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6669 : using a plurality of virtual cameras concurrently or sequentially, e.g. automatically switching between fixed virtual cameras when a character change rooms
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6692 : using special effects, generally involving post-processing, e.g. blooming
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/24 : Electric games; Games using electronic circuits not otherwise provided for video games A63F13/00; computerized gaming systems G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 : with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 : the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1647 : including at least an additional display G06F1/1692 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 : Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1688 : the I/O peripheral being integrated loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 : the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 : by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 : using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04892 : Arrangements for controlling cursor position based on codes indicative of cursor displacements from one discrete location to another, e.g. using cursor control keys associated to different directions or using the tab key arrangements for controlling cursor position based on coordinate signals G06F3/038
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1431 : using a single graphics controller
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1438 : using more than one graphics controller
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 : Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/20 : Processor architectures; Processor configuration, e.g. pipelining
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/005 : General purpose rendering architectures
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0247 : Flicker reduction other than flicker reduction circuits used for single beam cathode-ray tubes
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/10 : Mixing of images, i.e. displayed pixel being the result of an operation, e.g. adding, on the corresponding input pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/003 : to produce spatial visual effects
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 : Display of multiple viewports
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/363 : Graphics controllers
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/399 : using two or more bit-mapped memories, the operations of which are switched in time, e.g. ping-pong buffers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4781 : Games
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 : Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

An example portable, handheld game console includes a main body incorporating a first display screen, and a cover body incorporating a second display screen. The main body is hingedly connected to the cover body along adjacent forward and rearward edges, respectively, such that the cover body is movable between closed and open positions. The main body is provided with a plurality of control buttons and a pair of game card slots for receiving game cards of different dimensions.

Claims

1. A portable, handheld device comprising:

a main body incorporating a first display screen on an inner face of said main body, and a second body incorporating a second display screen on an inner face of said second body, said main body being coupled to said second body;

wherein said main body is provided with a first input device located on a first side of the first display screen and a second input device located on a second side of the first display screen that is opposite the first side, wherein at least one of the first and second input devices allow a user to provide directional inputs in at least two different axes; and

image processing circuitry for simultaneously displaying different images on said first display screen and said second display screen, wherein at least one of said images is a three-dimensional image.

2. A portable hand-held device according to claim 1, wherein said image processing circuitry includes

a three-dimensional image processing unit which generates a first game image based on three-dimensional model data for each of a plurality of frames;

a capture circuit which captures the first game image generated by the three-dimensional image processing unit as two-dimensional image data;

storage locations that store the two-dimensional image data captured by the capture circuit;

a two-dimensional image processing unit which generates a second game image based on two-dimensional image data in a previous frame already stored in the storage locations; and

an output destination setting circuit which sets one of the first display and the second display as an output destination of the first game image and another one of the first display and the second display as an output destination of the second game image.

3. The portable handheld device according to claim 2, wherein the output destination setting circuit can switch the destinations for the first game image and the second game image based on user input.

4. The portable, handheld device of claim 1 wherein said main body further comprises a memory slot.

5. The portable, handheld device of claim 4 wherein said memory slot comprises a memory slot configured to receive a first type of memory card having first dimensions, and further comprising a second memory slot configured to receive a second type of memory card having second dimensions that are different from the first dimensions.

6. The portable, handheld device of claim 1 wherein said first display screen comprises a touch-sensitive display screen.

7. The portable, handheld device of claim 6 further including a stylus port.

8. The portable, handheld device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second input devices allow a user to provide directional inputs in two mutually perpendicular directions.

9. The portable, handheld device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second input devices comprises a cross-key.

10. The portable, handheld device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second input devices comprises a cross-shaped arrangement of control buttons.

11. The portable, handheld device of claim 1, wherein one of the first and second input devices comprises a cross-key, and wherein the other of the first and second input devices comprises a cross-shaped arrangement of control buttons.

12. The portable, handheld device of claim 1, wherein additional control buttons are located in a rearward portion of a peripheral edge surrounding the main body.

13. The portable, handheld device of claim 12, wherein the additional control buttons are provided on opposite sides of the peripheral edge of the main body.

14. The portable, handheld device of claim 1, further comprising a pair of speakers mounted on the second body, wherein the speakers are mounted on opposite sides of the second display screen.

15. The portable, handheld device of claim 1, wherein the second body is coupled to the main body such that the second body can be folded relative to the main body between an open position in which the first and second display screens are exposed and visible to a user, and a closed position in which the first display screen is covered by the second body.

16. The portable handheld device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second input devices comprises a sliding input device.

17. The portable handheld device according to claim 1, wherein both the first and second input devices allow a user to provide directional inputs in at least two different axes.

18. A handheld device comprising:

a first body incorporating a first display screen;

a second body that is foldably coupled to the first body and that incorporates a second display screen, the second body being movable between an open position where the first and second display screens are visible to a user and a closed position where the first and second display screens are not visible;

said main body being provided with a first input device located on a first side of the first display screen and a second input device located on a second side of the first display screen that is opposite the first side, the first and second input devices being located such that when a user supports the first and second bodies in free space using both hands, a finger or thumb of the user'"'"'s first hand can operate the first input device and a finger or thumb of the user'"'"'s second hand can operate the second input device;

first and second control buttons provided on a peripheral edge of at least one of the first and second bodies, the first and second control buttons being located such that when a user supports the first and second bodies in free space using both hands, a finger of the user'"'"'s first hand can operate the first control button and a finger of the user'"'"'s second hand can operate the second control button; and

image processing circuitry for simultaneously displaying first and second images on said first and second display screens, wherein at least one of said first and second images is a three-dimensional image.

19. The handheld device of claim 18, wherein the image processing circuitry can display the first image on either of the first and second display screens, and wherein the image processing circuitry can display either of the first and second images on the second display screen.

20. The handheld device of claim 19, wherein the image processing circuitry can switch the first image from the first display screen to the second display screen and the second image from the second display screen to the first display screen, and vice versa, based on user input.

21. The handheld device of claim 18, wherein at least one of the first and second display screens is a touch sensitive display screen structured to receive user input.

22. The handheld device of claim 18, wherein one of the first and second input devices is structured to slide in at least one axial direction, and wherein the other of the first and second input devices comprises an arrangement of at least three input buttons that are not aligned along a single axis.

23. The handheld device of claim 18, wherein one of the first and second input devices is structured to receive directional input in at least two different axes, and wherein the other of the first and second input devices comprises an arrangement of at least three input buttons that are not aligned along a single axis.

24. A handheld device comprising:

a first body incorporating a first display screen;

a second body that is foldably coupled to the first body and that incorporates a second display screen;

said main body being provided with a slidable input device located on a side of the first display screen, the slidable input device being located such that when a user supports the first and second bodies in free space using at least one hand, a finger or thumb of the user hand can operate the slidable input device;

first and second control buttons provided on opposite sides of a rearward peripheral edge of at least one of the first and second bodies; and

image processing circuitry operatively coupled to the first and second display screens that causes first and second images to be displayed on said first and second display screens, wherein at least one of said first and second images is a three-dimensional image, and wherein the image processing circuitry can display either of the first and second images on either of the first and second display screens based on user input.

25. The handheld device of claim 24, wherein the first and second control buttons are located such that when a user supports the first and second bodies in free space using both hands, a finger of the user'"'"'s first hand can operate the first control button and a finger of the user'"'"'s second hand can operate the second control button.

26. The handheld device of claim 24, wherein the main body further includes an arrangement of at least three input buttons that are not aligned along a single axis.

27. The handheld device of claim 24, wherein the main body further includes an arrangement of at least four input buttons that are located on the main body such that the user can depress selected ones of the at least four input buttons to provide directional inputs in at least two different axes.

28. The handheld device of claim 27, wherein the slidable input device and the arrangement of at least four input buttons are located on the first body such that when a user supports the first and second bodies in free space using both hands, a finger or thumb of the user'"'"'s first hand can operate the slidable input device and a finger or thumb of the user'"'"'s second hand can operate any of the at least four input buttons.

29. A handheld device comprising:

a first body incorporating a first display screen;

a second body that is foldably coupled to the first body and that incorporates a second display screen, wherein at least one of the first and second display screens is a touch sensitive display screen;

said first body being provided with a first input device located on a first side of the first display screen, and a second input device located on a second side of the display screen, wherein both the first and second input devices allow a user to provide directional inputs in two different axes;

first and second control buttons provided on opposite sides of a rearward peripheral edge of at least one of the first and second bodies, the first and second control buttons being located such that when a user supports the first and second bodies in free space using both hands, a finger of the user'"'"'s first hand can operate the first control button and a finger of the user'"'"'s second hand can operate the second control button; and

image processing circuitry operatively coupled to the first and second display screens that is configured to cause first and second images to be simultaneously displayed on the first and second display screens, respectively.

30. The handheld device according to claim 29, wherein the image processing circuitry is configured to cause first and second three dimensional images to be displayed on the first and second display screens.

31. The handheld device according to claim 29, wherein the image processing circuitry is configured to cause a first three dimensional image taken from the perspective of a first virtual camera in a virtual game space to be displayed on one of the first and second display screens, and wherein the image processing circuitry is also configured to cause a second three dimensional image taken from the perspective of a second virtual camera in the virtual game space to be displayed on the other of the first and second display screens.

32. The handheld device according to claim 31, wherein the image processing circuitry can display either of the first and second images on either of the first and second display screens based on user input.

33. The handheld device according to claim 29, further comprising first and second speakers on the second body that are located on opposite sides of the second display screen.

34. A handheld device comprising:

a first body incorporating a first display screen;

a second body that is foldably coupled to the first body and that incorporates a second display screen;

said first body being provided with a first input device located on a first side of the first display screen, and a second input device located on a second side of the display screen; and

an image processing unit that is configured to cause a first three dimensional image representing a first view of a virtual game space taken from the perspective of a first virtual camera to be displayed on one of the first and second display screens, and wherein the image processing unit is also configured to cause a second three dimensional image representing a second view of the virtual game space taken from the perspective of a second virtual camera to be simultaneously displayed on the other of the first and second display screens.

35. The handheld device according to claim 34, further comprising first and second control buttons provided on opposite sides of a rearward peripheral edge of at least one of the first and second bodies.

36. The handheld device according to claim 35, wherein the first and second input devices and the first and second control buttons are located such that when a user supports the first and second bodies in free space using both hands, a finger or thumb of the user'"'"'s first hand can operate the first input device, a finger of the user'"'"'s first hand can operate the first control button, a finger or thumb of the user'"'"'s second hand can operate the second input device, and a finger of the user'"'"'s second hand can operate the second control button.

37. The handheld device according to claim 34, wherein both the first and second input devices allow a user to provide directional inputs in two different axes.

38. The handheld device according to claim 34, wherein at least one of the first and second display screens is a touch sensitive display screen.

39. The handheld device according to claim 34, wherein at least one of the first and second input devices comprises at least three input buttons that are not arranged along a single axis.