Data processing method and system

• US 20040237119A1
• Filed: 06/28/2004
• Published: 11/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/1993
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Nishizawa, Kenji, Smith, Darren C., Ravanpey, Ramin, McCarten, David J., Braun, Russell G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,068,239 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/133
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/31 Communication aspects specific to video games, e.g. between several handheld game devices at close range
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/338 using television networks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/355 Performing operations on behalf of clients with restricted processing capabilities, e.g. servers transform changing game scene into an encoded video stream for transmitting to a mobile phone or a thin client
• 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 2300/209 characterized by low level software layer, relating to hardware management, e.g. Operating System, Application Programming Interface
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/402 Communication between platforms, i.e. physical link to protocol
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/409 Data transfer via television network
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/50 characterized by details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/516 connected to a local network, e.g. in a plane, hotel
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/538 for performing operations on behalf of the game client, e.g. rendering
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/552 for downloading to client devices, e.g. using OS version, hardware or software profile of the client device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/214 Specialised server platform, e.g. server located in an airplane, hotel, hospital arrangements specially adapted for local area broadcast systems H04H20/61
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2143 located in a single building, e.g. hotel, hospital or museum arrangements specially adapted for plural spots in a confined site in broadcast systems H04H20/63; adaptations for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution in television systems H04N7/106
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2146 located in mass transportation means, e.g. aircraft, train or bus flight-deck installations for entertainment or communications B64D11/0015; arrangements specially adapted for transportation systems in broadcast systems H04H20/62; moving wireless networks H04W84/005

Abstract

A data processing system and method in which, by way of example, a memory system is coupled to a video game program processing system. The video game program processing system has a predetermined address space for executing programs stored in a program memory portion of the memory system. The contents of a plurality of storage locations determine a configuration of the memory system depending on which of a plurality of different game programs is to be executed by the video game program processing system.

Claims

1. A processing method for a video game program processing system having a predetermined address space for executing a video game program stored in a program memory portion of a memory system, the method comprising:

selecting one of first and second video game programs;

setting the contents of one or more storage locations in accordance with which one of the first and second games is selected;

configuring the memory system, including the location of the program memory portion in the address space of the video game program processing system, in dependence on the contents of the storage locations; and

processing the selected video game program stored in the program memory portion.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one of the first and second video game programs is selected from a menu display in response to user inputs.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the memory system includes a scratch pad memory portion and the scratch pad memory portion is located in the address space of the video game program processing system in dependence on the contents of the storage locations.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the memory system includes a nonvolatile memory portion and the nonvolatile memory portion is located in the address space of the video game program processing system in dependence on the contents of the storage locations.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the memory system includes a boot ROM portion and the boot ROM portion is located in the address space of the video game program processing system in dependence on the contents of the storage locations.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the video game program is loaded into the program memory portion over a communication link to a computer device.

7. A data processing system comprising:

a video game program processing system; and

a memory system coupled to the video game program processing system and comprising one or more storage locations, the contents of which determine a configuration of the memory system depending on which of a plurality of different game programs is to be executed by the video game program processing system,

wherein the video game program processing system has a predetermined address space for executing programs stored in a program memory portion of the memory system, and

wherein the location of the program memory portion in the address space of the video game program processing system is based on the contents of the storage locations.

8. The data processing system according to claim 7, wherein the memory system further comprises a scratch pad memory portion and the location of the scratch pad memory portion in the address space of the video game program processing system is based on the contents of the storage locations.

9. The data processing system according to claim 7, wherein the memory system further comprises a nonvolatile memory and the location of the nonvolatile memory in the address space of the video game program processing system is based on the contents of the storage locations.

10. The data processing system according to claim 7, wherein the memory system further comprises a boot ROM and the location of the boot ROM in the address space of the video game program processing system is based on the contents of the storage locations.

11. The data processing system according to claim 7, which is operable to receive video game programs communicated thereto over a communication link to a computer device and to store the video game programs in the program memory portion of the memory system.