Memory cartridge and information processor unit using such cartridge

• US RE34,161 E
• Filed: 09/10/1991
• Issued: 01/12/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Nakagawa, Katsuya, Yukawa, Masayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Grieb, William H.
• Application Number:
  US07/757,209
• Time in Patent Office: 490 Days
• Field of Search: 273/85 G, 273/148 B, 273/435, 273/DIG. 28
• US Class Current: 463/29
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/02 Accessories input or output arrangements for electrical digital computers G06F3/00
• 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 13/95 Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/201 Playing authorisation given at platform level
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/206 Game information storage, e.g. cartridges, CD ROM's, DVD's, smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/123 by using dedicated hardware, e.g. dongles, smart cards, cryptographic processors, global positioning systems [GPS] devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2109 Game systems
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 5/00 Details of stores covered by group G11C11/00
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0256 of interchangeable modules or receptacles therefor, e.g. cartridge mechanisms

Abstract

A cartridge for a gaming machine includes a case having tapered surface formed along a side edge of the rear face thereof which cooperates with a protrusion in the cartridge receiving tray in the gaming machine main unit to prevent an inverted insertion of the cartridge into the machine. A character ROM, a first semiconductor memory storing a program for determining authenticity of the cartridge and a first microcomputer for executing that program are mounted on a printed circuit board accommodated in the case. The gaming machine includes a picture processing unit generating an image signal based on data from the character ROM, a second semiconductor memory which stores the same program for determining authenticity of the cartridge as the program in the first semiconductor memory, and a second microcomputer identical to the first microcomputer for executing the program stored in the second semiconductor memory. The second microcomputer determines authenticity of the loaded or inserted cartridge. Finally, a protrusion attached to the cartridge loading device in the machine cooperates with a recess in the cartridge case to prevent the loading of a counterfeit cartridge.

Claims

1. An electronic gaming apparatus comprising:

a main unit;

a frame structure mounted to the main unit;

a cartridge tray having a first end pivotally mounted to said frame structure for rotation of a second end within a predetermined angular range between a cartridge loading and a cartridge operating position, said cartridge tray including a bottom plate, a side wall, and a cartridge keying structure extending between the bottom plate and the side wall;

means biasing said cartridge tray toward the loading position;

means for releasably locking the tray in the operating position;

connector means fixedly mounted in said main unit at said first end of said cartridge tray such that said cartridge tray rotates relative to said connector means; and

a memory cartridge configured to be slideably inserted into the second end of said cartridge tray in a direction parallel to the bottom plate of said tray when said tray is in said loading position and to engage said connector means at the first end of said tray, said memory cartridge including a case having top and bottom surfaces and a side surface intersecting said top surface, and said memory cartridge further having a keyed surface intersecting the side and bottom surfaces and cooperating with said keying structure to prevent an inverted insertion of the cartridge in said cartridge tray.

2. The electronic gaming apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cartridge keying structure of said cartridge tray includes a bar having a substantially planar keying surface which intersects the bottom plate at a predetermined angle.

3. The electronic gaming apparatus of claim 2 wherein the keyed surface of said memory cartridge case includes a substantially planar chamfered surface which intersects the bottom surface at said predetermined angle.

4. The electronic gaming apparatus of claim 3, wherein said keying surface of said bar is disposed along a side of said tray so as to slideably engage, along its length, the keyed surface of said memory cartridge case when said memory cartridge is slideably inserted.

5. An electronic gaming apparatus comprising:

a main unit;

a frame structure mounted on the main unit;

a cartridge tray pivotally mounted to said frame structure for rotation within a predetermined angular range between a loading and an operating position;

means biasing said cartridge tray toward the loading position;

means for releasably locking said cartridge tray in the operating position;

a memory cartridge adapted to be slideably inserted into said cartridge tray when in its loading position, said memory cartridge including a case having a bottom surface, said bottom surface having a recess therein; and

,

security means for preventing the use of an unauthorized cartridge in said main unit, said security means including a protrusion extending upward from said frame member and positioned such that as the cartridge tray is rotated toward the operating position, the protrusion enters the recess on said bottom surface of said cartridge case and allows said cartridge and cartridge tray to assume the operating position.

6. The electronic gaming apparatus of claim 5, wherein said recess in said bottom surface of said cartridge case is arranged and sized to form a manually grippable end portion for facilitating cartridge insertion and removal.

7. An electronic gaming apparatus comprising:

a main control unit;

a frame structure mounted to the main control unit;

a cartridge tray pivotally mounted to said frame structure for rotation within a predetermined angular range between a loading and an operating position;

means biasing said cartridge tray toward the loading position;

means for releasably locking said cartridge tray in the operating position;

9. The electronic gaming apparatus of claim 7, wherein said memory cartridge comprises at least one ROM memory device mounted within said case along with said first data processing device for storing said predetermined authenticating program.

8. a memory cartridge for operation with said main control unit and being adapted to be slideably inserted into said cartridge tray when in its loading position, said memory cartridge including a case having a bottom surface, said bottom surface having a recess therein;

and

security means for preventing the use of an unauthorized cartridge in said main control unit, said security means including a protrusion extending upward from said frame member and positioned such that as said cartridge tray is rotated toward the operating position, the protrusion enters said recess on said cartridge and allows said cartridge tray to assume the operating position, said security means further including substantially identical first and second data processing devices mounted in said memory cartridge and said main control unit, respectively, for executing the same predetermined authenticating program to determine authenticity of said cartridge, and control means responsive to at least one of said first and second data processing devices for disabling operation of said main control unit in accordance with the execution of said authenticating program.

10. An electronic gaming apparatus comprising:

a main control unit;

a frame structure mounted to the main control unit;

a cartridge tray having a first end pivotally mounted to said frame structure for rotation of a second end within a predetermined angular range between a loading and an operating position, the cartridge tray having a bottom plate, a side wall, and a cartridge keying structure extending between the bottom plate and the side wall wherein the keying structure includes a substantially planar keying surface which intersects the bottom plate at a predetermined angle;

means biasing said cartridge tray toward the loading position;

means for releasably locking said cartridge tray in the operating position;

a memory cartridge for operation with said main control unit and being adapted to be slideably inserted into said cartridge tray in a direction parallel to the bottom plate at said second end when said cartridge tray is in its loading position, said memory cartridge including a case having top and bottom surfaces and a printed circuit board mounted therein having exposed edge terminals at one end of said case, said bottom surface having a recess therein at an end of said opposite the exposed edge terminals, a side surface intersecting said top surface, and said memory cartridge further having a keyed surface intersecting the side and bottom surfaces and cooperating with said keying structure to prevent an inverted insertion of the cartridge in said cartridge tray, the keying surface including a substantially planar chamfered surface which intersects the bottom surface at said predetermined angle; and

security means for preventing the use of an unauthorized cartridge in said main unit, said security means including a protrusion extending upward from said frame member and positioned such that as said cartridge tray is rotated toward the operating position, said protrusion entering said recess on said cartridge and allowing said cartridge tray to assume the operating position, said security means further including substantially identical first and second data processing devices respectively mounted in said memory cartridge and said main control unit for executing the same predetermined authenticating program to determine authenticity of said cartridge, and control means responsive to at least one of said first and second data processing devices for disabling operation of said main control unit in accordance with said authenticating program.

12. The memory cartridge of claim 10 further comprising a manually engageable recess at said grippable end of said case, said recess intersecting at least said bottom surface of said case and being adapted for cooperating with a registering protrusion on the front loading apparatus during loading of said cartridge to further determine authenticity of said cartridge.

11. A memory cartridge for an electronic programable gaming apparatus of the type having a cartridge receiving front loading apparatus, said memory cartridge comprising:

a printed circuit board;

a relatively flat cartridge case containing said printed circuit board and being adapted for slideable endwise insertion into and connection with a front loading apparatus, and having a connection end, a manually grippable end opposite said connection end, and top and bottom surfaces lying in substantially parallel planes and joining said connection end and grippable end, and further having first and second side surfaces joining said top and bottom surfaces, at least one of said side surfaces having a keyed surface adapted for cooperating with a front loading apparatus to prevent an inverted insertion of the cartridge therein, and said printed circuit board having a plurality of edge contacts that are substantially centered between said top and bottom surfaces and between said first and second side surfaces at said connection end so that but for said keyed surface, said cartridge and said printed circuit board therein, when inverted, would be connectable to a front loading apparatus;

gaming data memory means mounted on said printed circuit board for generating data that is adapted to be communicated to the electronic gaming unit via connection therewith at said plurality of edge contacts; and

data processing means mounted in said cartridge for executing a predetermined data processing program that determines authenticity of said cartridge when loaded into a front loading apparatus.

13. The memory cartridge of claim 11, wherein said recess on said bottom surface of said case is sized to form a manually grippable end portion of reduced thickness between said top and bottom surfaces.

14. The cartridge of claim 11, wherein said data processing means comprises a microprocessor and a memory storing said predetermined data processing program.

16. The cartridge of claim 14, wherein said recess on said cartridge case is located and sized so as to form a cartridge end portion of reduced thickness suitable for manually gripping during cartridge loading and unloading.

17. The cartridge of claim 14, wherein said keyed surface is a substantially planar chamfered surface which intersects the bottom surface and at a predetermined angle and extends lengthwise along said one of said surfaces from the connection end and toward the grippable end.

19. The memory cartridge of claim 17 wherein the cartridge keying structure of the gaming unit includes a bar having a substantially planar keying surface which intersects the bottom plate at a predetermined angle, and wherein said keyed surface of said cartridge case includes a substantially planar chamfered surface which intersects the bottom surface of the cartridge at the same predetermined angle.

20. The memory cartridge of claim 17 wherein said recess in the bottom surface of said cartridge case extends into an end surface opposite said insertion end and includes gripping means to facilitate removal of the cartridge from the tray.

21. The memory cartridge of claim 17 wherein said side surfaces include an offset section adjacent the insertion end which cooperate with the offset portions of the side walls of the tray to limit the insertion of the cartridge into the tray.

23. The memory cartridge of claim 21, further comprising data processing means mounted in said cartridge for executing a predetermined data processing program in synchronism with a like data processing means in the gaming unit that determines authenticity of said cartridge when loaded into the gaming unit. .Iadd.

24. Video game apparatus comprising:

a frame structure;

a cartridge tray having a first end and a second end, said first end being pivotally mounted to said frame structure for rotation of said second end of said cartridge tray between an upper cartridge loading position and a lower cartridge operating position, said cartridge tray including a bottom plate, two side walls and two wedge shaped structures extending between the bottom plate and each of said side walls;

a low insertion force connector fixedly mounted at said first end of said cartridge tray, such that said cartridge tray rotates relative to said low insertion force connector, said low insertion force connector including;

a housing having an inner wall forming an elongated opening leading to a recess within said housing, said elongated opening being sized and located to receive the edge of a printed circuit board carried by a memory cartridge when said cartridge tray is in said upper loading position, a first plurality of resilient electrodes, each disposed within said recess and having a first upper contact spaced from the inner wall of the recess and positioned to be in contact with an associated first electrode of said printed circuit board when it is in said operating position, and a second plurality of resilient electrodes each disposed within said recess, but offset from said first plurality of resilient electrodes so as to be disposed closer to the elongated opening than said first plurality of resilient electrodes; and

a memory cartridge including a printed circuit board having a ROM mounted thereon storing a game program,

said printed circuit board being housed in a memory cartridge case having an open insertion end within which an insertion end of said printed circuit board is disposed and visible;

said printed circuit board insertion end having conductive patterns disposed thereon for insertion into said low insertion force connector when said cartridge tray is in said upper loading position, said memory cartridge being configured to be slideably inserted from the upwardly located second end of said cartridge tray towards the first end of the tray adjacent said low insertion force connector, said memory cartridge case being configured to cooperate with said wedge shaped structure such that it can not be inserted in an inverted fashion into said lower insertion force connector. .Iaddend. .Iadd.24. Apparatus according to claim 23, further comprising a double edge connector, wherein said low insertion force connector is disposed at one end of said double edge connector, said double edge connector having a generally U-shaped cross-section and including a further edge connector array of electrical contacts. .Iaddend. .Iadd.25. Apparatus according to claim 24, further comprising an additional printed circuit board having a microprocessor mounted thereon for executing said video game program and having conductive patterns disposed thereon coupled to connecting electrodes formed on an edge portion of the additional printed circuit board, said additional printed circuit board being coupled to said further edge connector array of electrical contacts. .Iaddend. .Iadd.26. Apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said memory cartridge includes a case having a slit formed to surround said printed circuit board insertion end. .Iaddend. .Iadd.27. Apparatus according to claim 26, wherein said slit is sized to receive said low insertion force connector, whereby in use the slit surrounds the low insertion force connector such that the edge of said memory cartridge printed circuit board is coupled to said first plurality of resilient electrodes and said second plurality of resilient electrodes. .Iaddend. .Iadd.28. Video game apparatus comprising;

a removable video game memory cartridge having a video game computer program stored in a ROM included on a memory cartridge printed circuit board and connected with conductive patterns to connecting electrodes disposed transversely to an exposed edge of the printed circuit board at one end of the cartridge,

a video game base unit including;

a printed circuit control board carrying a microcomputer for executing said video game computer program and connected with conductive patterns to connecting electrodes disposed transversely to an edge thereof;

a double edge connector having a generally U-shaped cross-section with one end thereof including a first edge connector array of contacts disposed in electrical contact and frictional engagement with the connecting electrodes of the printed circuit control board and with the other end thereof including a low-insertion force second edge connector array of upper and lower cantilevered contacts offset from one another and capable of accepting the exposed edge of the printed circuit program board at lower insertion force when tilted upwardly while also being capable of effecting firm electrical connection thereto when the circuit program board is rotated downwardly to a horizontal position;

a first frame fixed with respect to said double edge connector,

a second frame rotatably disposed with respect to said first frame and having an opened sized to accept, in a upwardly rotated loading positioned, an inserted end of said game cartridge in one orientation and configured to prevent an inverted insertion of said game cartridge and having its exposed edge printed circuit board inserted into and between the cantilevered conductors of the second edge connector array, whereupon by rotation of the second frame downwardly within the first frame, the printed circuit board in the cartridge becomes firmly electrically connected to said base unit control board via said double edge connector. .Iaddend. .Iadd.29. Apparatus as in claim 28 wherein an upper end of said double edge connector includes a housing having an opening an outer surface which is angled obliquely upwardly and sized to fit within the open end of a video game cartridge while an exposed end of the cartridge printed circuit board simultaneously slides within the opening of the edge

15. A memory cartridge receivable in a front loading apparatus of an electronic programable gaming system, said memory cartridge comprising:

a printed circuit board;

a relatively flat cartridge case containing said printed circuit board and being adapted for slideable endwise insertion into and connection with a front loading apparatus, and having a connection end, a manually grippable end opposite said connection end, and top and bottom surfaces lying in substantially parallel planes and joining said connection end and grippable end, and further having first and second side surfaces joining said top and bottom surfaces, at least one of said side surfaces having a keyed surface adapted for cooperating with a front loading apparatus to prevent an inverted insertion of the cartridge therein, and said printed circuit board having a plurality of edge contacts that are substantially centered between said top and bottom surfaces and between said first and second side surfaces at said connection end so that but for said keyed surface, said cartridge and said printed circuit board therein when inverted, would be connectable to a front loading apparatus;

game data memory means mounted on said printed circuit board for generating data that is adapted to be communicated to the electronic gaming unit via connection therewith at said plurality of edge contacts; and

said cartridge case having a recess at the manually grippable end adapted for cooperating with a protrusion on a front loading apparatus that determines authenticity of said cartridge when loading.

18. A memory cartridge for an electronic gaming unit having a cartridge tray pivotally mounted therein for rotation within a predetermined angular range between a cartridge loading position and a cartridge operating position, the tray including a bottom plate, said walls having offset portions, a cartridge keying structure extending between the bottom plate and one of the side walls, a low insertion force edge connector mounted near an end of the tray and a security means disposed within the gaming unit adjacent the tray to prevent the use of an unauthorized cartridge in the gaming unit, the security means including an upwardly extending protrusion, the cartridge comprising:

a case adapted to be slideably inserted into the tray and having top and bottom surfaces and side surfaces intersecting the top surface, an insertion end having an elongated opening therein and adapted to cooperate with the edge connector, a keyed surface intersecting one side surface and the bottom surface and adapted to cooperate with the keying structure in the tray to prevent an inverted insertion of the cartridge in the tray, the bottom surface of the case including a recess disposed adjacent an end of the cartridge case opposite the insertion end and having a sufficient depth to accommodate the protrusion on the gaming unit when the tray is rotated into the operating position;

a printed circuit board mounted within the case and having an insertion edge positioned within said opening at the insertion end of the case midway between the top and bottom surfaces and centered between the side surfaces, a plurality of electrical contacts disposed along the insertion edge and adapted for electrical interconnection with the edge connector; and

game data memory means mounted in said cartridge for generating data to be communicated to the gaming unit through the electrical contacts and the edge connector.

22. A memory cartridge for an electronic gaming unit of the type having a cartridge tray pivotally mounted therein for rotation within a predetermined angular range between a cartridge loading position and a cartridge operating position, the tray including a bottom plate, a side wall having an offset portion, a cartridge keying structure extending between the bottom plate and the side wall, the keying structure including a bar having a substantially planar keying surface which intersects the bottom plate at a predetermined angle, a low insertion force edge connector mounted near an end of the tray and security means disposed within the gaming unit adjacent the tray to prevent the use of an unauthorized cartridge in the main unit, the security means including an upwardly extending cylindrical protrusion, the cartridge comprising:

a case adapted to be slideably inserted into the tray and having top, bottom and side surfaces, one side surface intersecting the top surface and including an offset section which cooperates with the offset portion of the side wall of the tray to limit the insertion of the cartridge into the tray, an insertion end of said case having an elongated opening therein and adapted to engagably receive the edge connector, said case having a keyed surface intersecting the side and bottom surfaces and cooperating with the keying structure in the tray to prevent an inverted insertion of the cartridge in the tray wherein the case keyed surface includes a substantially planar chamfer which intersects the bottom surface at said predetermined angle, the bottom surface including a recess disposed adjacent and extending into an end of the cartridge case opposite said insertion end, said recess including gripping means to facilitate removal of the cartridge from the tray and having a sufficient depth to accommodate the security means protrusion when the tray is rotated into the operating position;

a printed circuit board mounted within the cartridge case and having an insertion edge positioned within said opening at the insertion end of the case midway between the top and bottom surfaces, a plurality of electrical contacts disposed along the insertion edge and adapted for electrical interconnection with the edge connector; and

game data memory means mounted on the circuit board for generating data to be communicated to the game machine through the electrical contacts and the edge connector.

25. connector housing. .Iaddend. .Iadd.30. Apparatus as in claim 28 further comprising a stop member on the edge connector housing to limit the intersection of the edge connector and video game cartridge to a predetermined position where at edge connecting electrodes on the cartridge printed circuit board are positioned for locking engagement with the cantilevered edge connector contacts when the cartridge is thereafter rotated to its lowermost position within the base unit. .Iaddend. .Iadd.31. Apparatus according to claim 28, wherein said memory cartridge includes a case having a slit formed to surround said exposed edge of said memory cartridge printed circuit board. .Iaddend. .Iadd.32. Apparatus according to claim 31, wherein said slit is sized to receive said low insertion force connector, whereby in use the slit surrounds the lower insertion force connector array such that the connecting electrodes of said memory cartridge printed circuit board is coupled to said upper and lower cantilevered contacts. .Iaddend.