Electronic apparatus having game and telephone functions

• US 7,069,044 B2
• Filed: 11/27/2001
• Issued: 06/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Okada, Satoru, Kiyuna, Tsuyoshi, Ishizuka, Masahiro, Matsunada, Takuma
• Primary Examiner(s): Vuong, Quochien B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pham, Tuan
• Application Number:
  US09/994,914
• Publication Number:
  US 20030100347A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,673 Days
• Field of Search: 455/556.1, 455/556.2, 455/566, 455/567, 455/557, 455/575.6, 463/40, 463/41, 463/42
• US Class Current: 455/556.1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/22 Setup operations, e.g. calibration, key configuration or button assignment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/42 by mapping the input signals into game commands, e.g. mapping the displacement of a stylus on a touch screen to the steering angle of a virtual vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/493 Resuming a game, e.g. after pausing, malfunction or power failure
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/406 Transmission via wireless network, e.g. pager or GSM
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/636 involving process of starting or resuming a game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/638 according to the timing of operation or a time limit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72484 wherein functions are triggered by incoming communication events

Abstract

An electronic apparatus includes a phone CPU and a game CPU. When a * key is operated during execution of a game, the phone CPU sets a specified bit of a game key register to “1”. The phone CPU is set “1” into the specified bit when there is an incoming call of a phone during the execution of the game. The game CPU pauses the game being in execution when the specified bit is renewed to “1” and restores the specified bit from “1” to “0”. When the * key is operated in a state the game is interrupted, the phone CPU sets “1” into the specified bit. The game CPU restarts the game by canceling the pause.

Claims

1. A game and a mobile phone type electronic apparatus comprising:

a game CPU which executes a game related process;

a phone CPU which executes a phone related process;

a play key to play a game;

an interruption key to initiate an interruption of said game;

a key register to which first information is set in response to an operation of said play key and second information is set in response to an operation of said interruption key;

wherein said game related process includes a game process to play said game when said first information is set into said key register and an interruption process to interrupt said game process when said second information is set into said key register; and

said phone related process includes a setting process to set said second information into said key register when an incoming phone call is detected.

2. A game and a mobile phone type electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said game related process further includes a storing process to store current game data into a memory when said second information is set into said key register.

3. A game and a mobile phone type electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said phone related process further includes a determination process to determine whether said game process is in an activated state or not, and said setting process sets said second information into said key register in response to a detection of said incoming phone call when a determination result of said determination process is affirmative.

4. A game and a mobile phone type electronic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display which displays a game screen, wherein said phone related process further includes a modifying process to modify a tone of said game screen in response to a detection of said incoming phone call.

5. A game and a mobile phone type electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said game related process is executed according to a game program downloaded from an outside source.

6. A game and a mobile phone type electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said interruption process continues to pause said game process.

7. A game and a mobile phone type electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said interruption process interrupts said game process when said second information is set into said key register in a state of said game process being activated.

8. A game and a mobile phone type electronic apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said interruption key combines with a resume key to initiate a resumption of said game, and said game related process further includes a canceling process to cancel a setting of said second information in association with execution of said interruption process, and a resumption process to resume said game process when said second information is set into said key register in a state of said game process being interrupted.