U.S. patent number RE36,574 [Application Number 09/021,052] was granted by the patent office on 2000-02-15 for video game.
Invention is credited to Peter Hochstein, Jeffrey Tenenbaum.
United States Patent |
RE36,574 |
Hochstein , et al. |
February 15, 2000 |
Video game
Abstract
A local video game (310) including a communicating controller
(326). The controller (326) receives local command signals created
by a set of player controls (316). The controller (326) also
receives remote command signals received through a modem (324)
which were created by a remote video game (320) through a similar
set of player controls. The controller (326) includes a
synchronizer (328) which produces synchronizing codes to be sent to
the remote video game (320) to synchronize the games. The
synchronizer (328) synchronizes the local and remote command
signals such that both are received by a game microprocessor (322)
simultaneously. Memory (336) stores the player parameters and are
retrieved whenever the synchronization codas of the local (310) and
remote (320) video games have not matched for a predetermined
number of iterations.
Inventors: |
Hochstein; Peter (Troy, MI),
Tenenbaum; Jeffrey (West Bloomfield, MI) |
Family
ID: |
46254745 |
Appl.
No.: |
09/021,052 |
Filed: |
February 9, 1998 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
|
708682 |
May 31, 1991 |
5292125 |
Mar 8, 1994 |
|
Reissue of: |
207275 |
Mar 7, 1994 |
05350176 |
Sep 27, 1994 |
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
463/42;
273/148B |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63F
13/31 (20140902); A63F 13/358 (20140902); A63F
13/843 (20140902); A63F 2300/534 (20130101); A63F
2300/535 (20130101); A63F 2300/402 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A63F
13/12 (20060101); A63F 009/22 () |
Field of
Search: |
;463/40,41,42
;273/148B |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Grieb; William H.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Howard & Howard
Parent Case Text
This patent application is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No.
708,682, filed May 31, 1991, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,292,125, issued to
Hochstein et al. on Mar. 8, 1994.
Claims
We claim:
1. A video game synchronizing assembly (310) adaptable to
communicate a local video game (311) with a remote video game
(320), the local video game (311) including a game microprocessor
(322), at least two player ports (312,314), and a set of player
controls (316) electrically connected to one (312) of said two
player ports (312,314), the set of player controls (316)
manipulatable to create local command signals to be incorporated in
the local video game (311) to define player parameters, said video
game synchronizing assembly (310) comprising:
a controller (326) for receiving the local command signals from the
set of player controls (316) and remote command signals from the
remote video game (320) and for transmitting the local and remote
command signals to the local video game (311);
a data link (324) for transmitting the local command signals to the
remote video game (320) and for receiving a remote synchronization
code and the remote command signals from the remote video game
(320), said video game synchronizing assembly (310) characterized
by
synchronizing means for synchronizing the transmission of the local
and remote video command signals by said controller to the game
microprocessor (322) of the video game (311).
2. An assembly (310) as set forth in claim 1 further characterized
by said synchronizing means (328) including synchronization code
generating means (330) for generating a synchronization code.
3. An assembly (310) as set forth in claim 2 further characterized
by comparing means (332) for comparing said local synchronization
code and the remote synchronization code.
4. An assembly (310) as set forth in claim 3 further characterized
by memory means (336) for storing the player parameters and said
local synchronization code associated therewith.
5. An assembly (310) as set forth in claim 4 further characterized
by counting means (334) for counting the number of times said
comparing means (330) compares said local synchronization code
which does not match the remote synchronization code.
6. An assembly (310) as set forth in claim 5 further characterized
by retrieving means (340) for retrieving said local command
signals, the remote command signals, and said local synchronization
code when said counting means (334) exceeds a predetermined
value.
7. An assembly (310) as set forth in claim 6 further characterized
by resetting means (38) for resetting said counting means (334)
when said retrieving means (340) retrieves said local
synchronization code.
8. A local video game assembly (310) adaptable to communicate with
a remote video game (320), said local video game assembly (310)
comprising:
a video game (310) having a game microprocessor (322), at least two
player ports (312. 314), and a set of player controls (316)
electrically connected to one (312) of said two player ports (312,
314), said set of player controls (316) manipulatable to create
local command signals to be incorporated in said video game
(310);
a data link circuit (324) for transmitting said local command
signals to the remote video game (310) and for receiving remote
synchronization code and remote command signals from the remote
video game (320);
a controller (326) for receiving said local command signals and the
remote command signals and for sending said local command signals
and the remote command signals to the game microprocessor (322) to
create player parameters, said local video game assembly (319)
characterized by
synchronizing means (328) for synchronizing the transmission of
said local command signals and the remote command signals to said
game microprocessor (322).
9. A method for playing a video game between a local video game
(311) and at least one remote video game (320), the method
comprising the steps of:
starting a video game;
initializing a local synchronizing code;
receiving local command signals;
receiving remote command signals and a remote synchronizing
code;
comparing the local and remote synchronizing codes;
.Iadd.asynchronously synchronizing the local and remote command
signals, using the local and remote synchronizing codes;
.Iaddend.and
sending the synchronized local and remote command signals to the
video game (311).
10. A method as set forth in claim 9 further characterized by
storing player parameters of the local and remote video games when
the local and remote synchronizing codes match.
11. A method as set forth in claim 10 further characterized by
retrieving the stored player parameters when the local and remote
synchronizing codes do not match.
12. A method as set forth in claim 11 further characterized by
counting the number of times the local and remote synchronizing
codes do not match.
13. A method as set forth in claim 12 further characterized by
resetting the counting when the stored player parameters are
retrieved. .Iadd.
14. A method of playing a video game between a local video game and
at least one remote video game, the method comprising the steps
of:
(A) starting a video game;
(B) initializing a local synchronizing code;
(C) creating local command signals;
(D) advancing the local synchronizing code;
(E) creating remote command signals and a remote synchronizing code
using the remote video game;
(F) receiving the remote command signals and the remote
synchronizing code;
(G) comparing the local and remote synchronizing codes;
(H) transmitting the local command signals and the local
synchronizing code to the remote video game, regardless of whether
the local and remote synchronizing codes match;
(I) receiving the local command signals; and
(J) sending synchronized local and remote command signals to the
local video game. .Iaddend..Iadd.15. The method of claim 14,
wherein step (G) is performed repeatedly and the method further
comprises the step of intermittently synchronizing the local and
remote command signals using the local and remote synchronizing
codes. .Iaddend..Iadd.16. The method of claim 14, further
comprising the step of asynchronously synchronizing the local and
remote command signals using the local and remote synchronizing
codes. .Iaddend..Iadd.17. The method of claim 14, further
comprising the steps of
storing the local and remote command signals associated with
matching local and remote synchronizing codes;
monitoring a parameter value associated with a quantity of
unmatched local and remote synchronization codes; and
retrieving the stored local and remote command signals when the
parameter
value exceeds a preselected value. .Iaddend..Iadd.18. The method of
claim 17, wherein step (J) is performed using the retrieved
synchronized local and remote command signals. .Iaddend..Iadd.19.
The method of claim 14, further comprising transmitting local voice
signals with the local command signals and remote voice signals
with the remote command signals.
.Iaddend..Iadd.20. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said
synchronizing means includes synchronization code generating means
for generating a local synchronization code. .Iaddend..Iadd.21. The
assembly of claim 1, wherein said synchronizing means includes
synchronization code generating means for generating a local
synchronization code responsive to a similar remote synchronization
code. .Iaddend..Iadd.22. The assembly of claim 8, wherein said
synchronizing means includes synchronization code generating means
for generating a local synchronization code. .Iaddend..Iadd.23. The
assembly of claim 8, wherein said synchronizing means includes
synchronization code generating means for generating a local
synchronization code responsive to a similar remote synchronization
code. .Iaddend..Iadd.24. A method for playing a video game between
a local video game and at least one remote video game, the method
comprising the steps of:
(A) starting a video game;
(B) initializing a local synchronizing code;
(C) receiving local command signals;
(D) receiving remote command signals and a remote synchronizing
code;
(E) comparing the local and remote synchronizing codes;
(F) asynchronously handshaking between the local video game and the
remote video game; and
(G) sending the synchronized local and remote command signals to
the local
video game. .Iaddend..Iadd.25. The method of claim 24, wherein step
(F) is performed by generating the local synchronizing code
responsive to a similar remote synchronizing code. .Iaddend.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a communication assembly for portable
video game consoles. More particularly, the subject invention
relates to communication assemblies for a plurality of video game
consoles located in remote locations.
2. Description of the Related Art:
The computer games which are commonly referred to as video games
are games run by dedicated computers, i.e., computers hardwired for
a specific purpose, using a video screen for a visual output. These
video games are prevalent in the home environment because they can
be connected to the television allowing children to play these
games in the safety of the home.
A problem with the modern video games is that virtually all video
games are designed to be played locally. In other words, the game
software, game hardware, video modulator and video screen are all
connected locally via cables. Player controls which relay player
commands to the game are normally connected by means of removable
cables. Therefore, in order for a player to compete with someone
other than the computer, that person must leave the home or have
someone come into the game-owner's home. This is a problem
particularly for children who must rely on adults for
transportation.
An example of such a system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,921,161
to Baer, issued on Nov. 18, 1975. This invention details a game
system connected to a television having two player ports and
alternative input devices. The players, however, are limited in
distance from the game due to the length of the cables connecting
the controls to the game and the players' visibility of the
television.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,126,351 to Okor, issued Nov. 21, 1978, shows an
improvement to the video game wherein the type of game and the
level at which it is to be played is programmable. Again, the video
game limits the locality of the players to the immediate proximity
of the television.
Although not a video game, a method and apparatus of transmitting
and recording computer-generated displays is disclosed in U.S. Pat.
No. 4,797,750 to Karweit, issued Jan. 10, 1989. The
computer-generated image and audio signals are sent to a computer
display. The same line of transmission is split wherein the same
transmission is sent to an RS 232 communications tine The RS 232
communications line readies the transmission to be sent to a modem
which, in turn, converts the transmission into audio tones to be
transported over such medium as telephone lines to be received by
such devices as other computers or a video camera recorder
(VCR).
This system, however, lacks the ability to coordinate the
transmission of an image along with a command signal input by a
player. In other words, the subject invention of this patent can
only convert and transmit data and is incapable of transmitting
command signals in a manner which will make sense to another player
receiving the transmission when these signals are incorporated into
the signals generated by the receiver.
Again, not being a video game but a representation of the
transmission of pictorial data, U.S. Pat. No. 4,939,767 to Saito et
al., issued on Jul. 3, 1990, discloses an improved method and
apparatus, typically referred to as a FAX machine, for sending
images over telephone lines. This system forms non-signal states
wherein data signals follow immediately thereafter. This system
does not disclose any ability to coordinate different types of
data, i.e., command, visual and audio signals. It merely converts
images into a data signal and sends the data signal over the
telephone line to be received by a visual telephone or FAX
machine.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION AND ADVANTAGES
A video game synchronizing assembly is adaptable to communicate a
local video game with a remote video game. The local video game
includes a game microprocessor, at least two player ports, and a
set of player controls electrically connectable to one of the two
player ports; the set of player controls being manipulatable to
create local command signals to be incorporated in the local video
game to define player parameters. The video .[.gone.]. .Iadd.game
.Iaddend.synchronizing assembly comprises a controller for
receiving the local command signals from the set of player controls
and remote command signals from the remote video game. The
controller transmits the local and remote command signals to the
local video game. A data link transmits the local command signals
to the remote video game. The data link also receives a remote
synchronization code and the remote command signals from the remote
video game. The video game synchronizing assembly is characterized
by synchronizing means for synchronizing the transmission of the
local and remote command signals by the controller to the video
game.
The advantage associated with the subject invention includes the
ability to have a plurality of game operators playing the same game
against each other or the computer wherein the game operators are
located in remote locations with respect to each other.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Other advantages of the present invention will be readily
appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to
the following detailed description when considered in connection
with the accompanying drawings wherein:
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the prior art video game
configuration;
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the subject
invention;
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the circuitry of the embodiment of
FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the preferred embodiment of the
subject invention;
FIG. 5 is a flow chart representing the sequential steps of the
synchronizer; and
FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an alternative embodiment of the
subject invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFACED EMBODIMENT
Turning to FIG. 1, a block diagram of the current configuration of
video games is generally shown at 10. The video game 10 includes a
video game computer 12, a video game cartridge port (not shown) for
receiving a video game cartridge 14, at least two player ports
16,18, at least one set (two shown) of player input controls 20,22,
and cables 24,26. Although the number of player input controls and
player ports are limited only by the design of the video game
system and computer 12, only two of the player input controls and
ports are shown for simplicity.
The video game cartridge 14 contains read only memory (ROM) for a
particular game. Each game is provided in cartridge form so the
consumer may purchase a single set of hardware once and then may
purchase any number of games as desired. When a particular game is
needed, the video game cartridge 14 is inserted into the video game
port and the game is initialized and commenced.
The cables 24,26 are connected between the video game computer 12
and a video display 28, typically a television. The cables 24,26
are the medium through which video and audio signals pass,
respectively.
The player input controls 20,22 contain various devices to input
commands into the video game computer 12. Such devices include
joysticks 30, knobs 32, and switches 34. Each player input control
20,22 is connected to the video game computer 12 via low data rate
linkages 16,18. Typically, two player ports A,B are available so
two players may compete against each other. Herein lies the
disadvantage of requiring both players to be present to compete
which renders one of the games dormant during the competition.
As may be best seen in FIG. 2, the subject invention is generally
shown at 100 in block form. The video display 28 is still audibly
and visually connected to the video game computer 12 via the
wideband data linkages 24,26, respectively. The video game
cartridges 14 may still be varied depending on the player's
desire.
The player input controls 20,22 are not, however, directly
connected to the video game computer 12. One of the player input
controls 20 is connected to the video game communication assembly
100 and the second player input control 22 is not used because the
competitor will not be playing locally but in the comfort of his or
her own home. The video game communication assembly 100 includes a
plurality of connections 102,104, two shown in FIG. 2 to continue
with the example, each being connected to the video game ports A,B.
Clock data is sent over one of the plurality of connections 102,104
to coordinate the commands of the video game computer 12 with the
receipt and transmission of command signals.
The video game computer 12 will hereinafter be referred to as the
local video game 12 because the subject invention 100 is physically
connected thereto, whereas the other video game computers used by
players not located near the local video game computer will be
referred to as the remote video game 30.
The video game communication assembly 100 includes control means
106 for controlling command signals received from second port means
107, which is electrically connected to one player input control
20, and for creating communication signals therefrom. When control
means 106 receives the command signals from the player input
controls 20 through the second port 107, the second port 107 sends
the command signals to either the first 108 or second 124 shift
registers and to converting means 116 which converts the command
signals into communication signals. The second port 107 sends the
preserved command signals directly to the local video game 12 in
the same format in which it is received so the local video game 12
will not have to be altered electronically. In fact, the local
video game 12 will not be able to detect a difference in inputs
rendering the video game communications assembly 100 invisible to
it.
The converting means 116 converts the command signals to
communication signals to be sent over the communications medium to
be eventually received by another video game communications
assembly 100' used by the competitor. The transformation of the
command signals before they are transmitted enhances the
performance of the subject invention 100 because the command
signals are transformed into communication signals which the
intended transmitting medium is designed to carry. In the preferred
embodiment, the transmitting medium is the telephone system 110,
represented in the Figures as a telephone line 110. It should be
obvious to those skilled in the art that any medium of
transmission, i.e., radio waves, would be suitable for the subject
invention 100 but there is a reduction in cost due to the
elimination of a set of transmitters and receivers by using the
telephone system 110. Telephone line couplings and protection
networks 111 are used to connect the subject invention 100 to the
telephone lines 110 and protect the subject invention 100 from any
power surges that may occur over the telephone lines 110.
It should be noted that the actual coding of the command signals
into communication signals is not part of the subject invention
100. The coding and decoding of the signals will be dependent upon
the type of local video game 12 to which the subject invention 100
is connected. In the same vein, the actual connections of the
subject invention 100 to the player input controls 20 and the input
ports A,B will vary depending on the type of game used.
The video game communication assembly 100 further includes modem
means 114 for bilaterally transmitting the communication signals
between the control means 106 and at least one remote video game
30. In the preferred embodiment, the modem means 114 is a modem
well known in the art of data transmission over telephone lines.
The modem means 114 may, however, be any modulator/demodulator
designed for any transmission system used.
The modem means 114 receives signals from the converting means 116
through first port means 112. The first port means 112 bilaterally
transmits the communication signals between the control means 106
and the modem means 114. The first port means 112 also bilaterally
transmits communication signals between the modem means 114 and
second shift register 124, discussed subsequently.
The converting means 116 is used for converting the command signals
received by the second port 107 into communication signals in
serial data form and for converting the communication signals
received by the modem means 114 into parallel data form to be used
by the local video game 12. The converting means 116 is a full
duplex universal asynchronous receiver-transmitter (UART). The UART
116 converts the parallel data received through lines 118 from the
second port means 107 and transforms the data into serial form and
transmitted through lines 120 to the modem 114. The UART 116 also
receives the communication signals from the modem 114 in serial
form through line 122 wherein this data is transformed into
parallel form and is sent to second shift register means 124. As
will be seen when viewing FIG. 3, the converting means 116 is a
part of a microprocessor 140.
The second shift register 124 receives the communication signals
transmitted by the converting means 116 and transforms the
communication signals into command signals. These command signals
are subsequently transmitted over connections 104 into port B of
the local video game 12. The communication signals which arc
received by the modem means 114 are from the subject invention 100'
of the competitor. In other words, port B of the local video game
12 will receive signals in the same format as the if the second
player input control 22 was sending the command signals when, in
fact, the command signals are being sent to port B through two
video game communication assemblies 100,100', one video game
communications assembly 100' located at the remote video game 30
transmitting communication signals and the other too physically
connected to the local video tame 12 receiving the communication
signals and transforming those communication signals into command
signals.
The video game communication assembly 100 is characterized by the
control means 106 including transit time means 126 for determining
the amount of time required for the communication signals to travel
between the first port means 109 and the remote video game 30. The
transit time means 126 establishes the delay time introduced by
adding the additional circuitry, including the telephone system, to
the local video game 12. In a substantial number of video games,
the timing of the players' inputs is imperative to the proper
functioning of the game.
The transit time means 126 sends out a simple identifying signal to
the communicating means 112. This identifying signal is sent all
the way to the control means 106 of the remote video game 30. The
identifying signal is then sent back to the control means 106
connected to the local video game 12. The control means 106 then
divides the elapsed time in half to determine how much time it
takes for the communication signals to travel between the two video
game The identifying signal can be of any set frequency and pulse
width so long as it does not interfere, i.e., have the same
frequency, with the communication signal or voice signals (the
voice signals will be discussed subsequently).
In order to enhance the competitive atmosphere of the event, the
video game communication assembly 100 includes microphone means 128
for transforming acoustical vibrations created by the player using
the local video game 12 into voice signals. In addition, the
subject invention 100 further includes speaker means 128 for
transforming voice signals received from player playing the remote
video game 30 via the modem means 114 into acoustical vibrations.
Although not necessary, the subject invention 100 has incorporated
the microphone means and the speaker means into one, hereinafter
referred to as the speaker/microphone means 128. The
speaker/microphone means 128 allow the players to communicate
between each other to aid in creating a more competitive
atmosphere. The second filter means 132 is directly connected to
the telephone lines 110 and filters out all communications signals
and allows only voice signals to pass therethrough. As may be seen
in FIG. 2, the speaker/microphone circuit 128,130,132 is bilateral
or bidirectional in nature. The single circuit 128,130,132 handles
vocal communications in both directions.
The subject invention 100 further includes voice over data means
134 for simultaneously receiving voice signals and the
communication signals from the telephone line 110 and for
transmitting the communication signals to the modem means 114.
Since the communication signals fall within the voice bandwidth of
signals carried over telephone lines, the continuous carrier tone
imposed on the telephone line by the modem 114 is more than a
moderate annoyance to the listener and player speech could easily
scramble the communication signals. The voice over data means 134
permits simultaneous use of one voice grade telephone line for both
the voice signals and the communication signals (data signals) by
using first filter means 136, in conjunction with the second filter
means 132 discussed above to filter out the communication signals.
The first filtering means 136 include narrow band notch filters to
filter the communication signals from the voice signals. The narrow
band notch filters 136 correspond to the frequency standards of the
Bell 103 system. In the Bell 103 system, four frequencies are used,
two for sending information and two for receiving information. The
two frequencies used for sending or originating information are 980
Hz, representing a mark or "1", and 1180 Hz representing a space or
"0". The two frequencies used for receiving or answering
information are 1650 Hz, representing a mark or "1", and 1850 Hz,
representing a space or "0". The originating frequencies differ
from the answering frequencies so communications can be transmitted
in both directions at the same time. In other words, the voice over
data means 134 is full duplex.
The end result of the first filter means 136 in conjunction with
the second filter means 132 is that the voice signals do not have
any communication signals interfering therewith and communication
signals that have not been scrambled by the voice signals.
The control means 106 further includes pause means 138 for
automatically pausing the transmission of both the command signals
and the communication signals upon receipt of a pause signal. The
pause means 138 allows the game currently being played to be
interrupted so the telephone lines 110 may be used for
communication purposes other than the ongoing video game
communication. The pause means 138 can be used only where "Call
Waiting" has been subscribed. The pause means 138 detects the
incoming signal representing another call is being attempted. This
"Call Waiting" signal is a standard tone burst signal superimposed
over other transmissions, usually voice signals, and once it is
recognized, the pause means 138 sends a pause signal to the control
means 106 and the control means 106 immediately sends a pause
signal to the local video game 12 and pauses or freezes all
command, communication, and voice signals. The control means 106
also sends a pause signal to the remote video game 30
communications assembly so it too will pause until the termination
of the call.
Continuing with the concept of pausing the game prior to
completion, it should be noted that an additional problem exists
due to the fact that at least one of the players is no longer in
the proximity of the other: namely, only port A has the controls to
pause, stop or select a game. The player using the remotely located
video game has no control over these operation functions.
Therefore, the first control means 106 includes operating means 142
for transmitting any operation signals received from the remote
video game 30 to the first shift register means 106 so the
operation signals may be received by the port A and the same can
proceed as directed by either player independent of the player's
location.
Turning our attention to FIG. 3, the video game communications
assembly 100 is shown in circuit form. By way of example, the
control means 106 includes a MC68HC85C3 microprocessor 140
manufactured by Motorola Corporation. Two eight bit shift registers
108,124, part number CD4021, are connected to the microprocessor
140 and each are connected to each of ports A and B, respectively.
The five colored prongs 146,148 are inserted into the two ports A
and B. The circuit 100 is powered on 5 Volt and 12 Volt levels. A
diode D1 and a resistor R1 are connected in parallel between 5
Volts and the reset pin of the microprocessor 140. A capacitor C1
is connected between ground and both the diode D1 and the resistor
R1. An oscillator Y1 is connected in parallel between two pins of
the microprocessor 140 and a resistor R2 Two capacitors C2,C3 are
each connected between one side of the resistor R2 and ground. This
subcircuit establishes a oscillation frequency of approximately 3.6
MHz.
A resistor R4 is connected between 5 Volts, a switch 150 and a line
152 to a microprocessor chip 154, which is a dedicated modem 154,
in the modem 114. The switch 150 is also connected to ground. The
switch 150 determines whether the player using this video game
communication assembly 100 is going to be player #1 or player #2.
If the switch 150 is open, as if shown in FIG. 3, the player is
player #1; and if the switch 150 is closed, the player is player
#2. The player numbers are used to correlate how the video game
communication assembly 100 will send the signals to their
respective video games. For instance, if the player using the local
video game 12 is player #1. his input will be sent to port A of the
local video game computer 12. If, however, it is determined that
the player using the local video game 12 is to be player #2, his
command signals will be sent to the port B of the local video game
12.
The switch 150 is also connected, via line 152, to the modem 112,
as is indicated by the letter A. The switch 150 must also signal
the modem 112 as to what player number has been assigned to the
player using the local video game 12. Therefore, a modem 112 is
also able to send the command signals to the remote video game 30
using the format corresponding to the correct player number.
A resistor R5 is connected in series between 5 volts a diode D2.
The diode D2 is also connected to the microprocessor 140. In the
same manner, a sixth resistor R6 is connected in series between 5
Volts and a third diode D3, which is also connected to the
microprocessor 140. A transistor Q1 is powered by the 5 Volts,
through a resistor R7, and the gate of the transistor Q1 is
connected to a resistor R8. The gate of the transistor Q1 is
connected to the orange terminal 146 of port A The line 156
receives information from the player controls 20. A resistor R3 is
connected between the line 156 and 5 Volts. Lines 158,160 are also
connected to the player controls 20, wherein the line 160 is
connected to a clock or timing circuit in the player input controls
20.
The modem 112 has an oscillator Y2 connected in series between two
pins of the modem 154. The oscillator Y2 oscillates at
approximately 3.6 Mhz. Line 162 is connected to the modem 154 and
is used to receive information from the microprocessor 140. A
second line 164 is also connected to the microprocessor 140 and it
transmits information from the modem 15 to the microprocessor 140.
A diode D4 is connected between the modem 154 and a resistor R9.
The resistor R9 is also connected to 5 Volts. The modem 154 is
connected to a 12 Volt source. A resistor R10 is connected to an
outgoing line 166 and to a capacitor C4. The opposite end of
capacitor C4 is connected to ground. Resistors R11 and R12 are
connected to a capacitor C5 which is also connected to ground.
Another line 168 extends from the modem 154 to the voice over data
circuit 134. Capacitor C6 and C7 are serially connected over lines
168 and 166, respectively, to couple the voice over data circuit
134 to the modem circuit 112.
The voice over data circuit 134 may be a full duplex voice over
integrated circuit as is well known in the art. Alternatively, in
FIG. 3, the voice over data circuit 134 includes a microprocessor
170. Two capacitors C8,C9 are connected between ground and a third
oscillator Y3. The resulting oscillator Y3,C8,C9 oscillates at
approximately 3.6 MHz. A capacitor C16 is connected between the
ground and the voice over data microprocessor 170. Another
capacitor C17 is also connected between ground and the voice over
data microprocessor 170.
An amplifying circuit consisting of four operation amplifiers
172,174,176,178, hereinafter op amps, are used to amplify the
signal received from the telephone line 110. A capacitor C10 is
connected between the voice over data microprocessor 170 and the
output of the first op amp 172. A resistor R13 is connected between
the output of the first op amp 172 and the inverting input of the
first op amp 172. A resistor R14 is connected between the resistor
R13 and the noninverting input of the first op amp 172 and the
output of the op amp 174. A resistor R15 is connected between the
non-inverting input of the first op amp 172 and the output of the
second op amp 174. The output of the second op amp 174 is connected
to the inverting input of the second op amp 174. The noninverting
input of the second op amp 174 is connected directly to the voice
over data microprocessor 170. A capacitor C13 is connected over the
voice over data microprocessor 170 in the output of the third op
amp 176. A resistor 116 is connected between the output of the
third op amp 176 and the inverting input of the third op amp 176. A
resistor R17 is connected between the inverting input of the third
op amp 176 and the output of the fourth op amp 178. A resistor R18
is connected between the noninverting input of the third op amp 176
and the output of the fourth op amp 178. The output of the fourth
op amp 178 is also connected to the inverting input of the fourth
op amp 178. The noninverting input of the fourth op amp 178 is
connected to the voice over data microprocessor 170. Capacitor C11
and C12 are connected to a first inductor L1 for coupling the line
to the telephone 180 to the amplifying circuit. Capacitors C14 and
C15 are connected to a second inductor L2 which couples the
amplifying circuit to the phone line 110.
In operation, the method for communicating command signals of
.[.the.]. a video game between a local video game 12 and a remotely
located video game over a defined medium of communication
.[.include.]. .Iadd.includes .Iaddend.the steps of: receiving
command signals from the player input controls 20; transferring the
command signals to the local video game 12; converting the command
signals to communication signals; and transmitting the
communication signals to a remotely located video game. The method
is characterized by delaying the transmission of the command
signals to the local video game until the communication signals
reach the remotely located video game. This insures the two video
games .[.12.]., are coordinated because many games rely on the
timing of the players when making their moves.
The method includes receiving communication signals representing
command signals from the remotely located video game. These
communication signals are converted back to communication signals
and sent to the port designated for the remotely located player.
The local video game 12 receives command signals into both ports
and operates as if both players were playing locally.
The method further includes converting the command signals received
by the player controls 20 into communication signals suitable for
transmission in the communication medium. These communication
signals are sent to the remote video game 30 where they are
received, converted back into command signals, and transmitted to
the same port that received the command signals in the local video
game 12. In other words, the two remotely located players are
playing two independent games wherein the command signals received
and transmitted between the two remotely located games are mirror
images of each other.
The method includes the steps filtering out the communication
signals received from the communication medium from other signals.
The other signals can be noise or voice signals. The voice signals
are sent to the speaker 128 so the players can hear what the other
player is saying, thus enhancing the competitive environment.
The method further includes the ability to pause the game being
played upon the receipt of a pause signal representing another
incoming call. The pause feature corresponds to the "Call Waiting"
feature to which many phone users subscribes.
PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Turning to FIG. 4, the preferred embodiment of the invention is
generally indicated at 310. The invention 310 is a video game
assembly. The video game console 310 includes a first port 312 and
second port 314. At least one set of player controls 316 is
attached to the first port 312. The second port 314 is adaptable to
receive either a second set of player controls 22 (see FIG. 1) or a
communications line 318 connecting the video game console 310 to a
remote video game console 320.
The local video game assembly 310 includes a game microprocessor
322 which, along with a game cartridge (standard in the art and
shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) produces the interactive video game to be
played by the remotely located operators of the game and viewed by
the local operator via a monitor 323. The game microprocessor 322
is a standard microprocessor currently found in the art.
The set of player controls 316 is manipulatable by the local
operator to create local command signals to be incorporated in the
interactive video game. The set of local player controls 316 may be
any style or embodiment of a set of controls. i.e., a keyboard,
mouse joy stick and the like, which is utilized by that particular
game.
A data link circuit 324 transmits the local command signals to the
remote game 320. The data link circuit 324 also receives a remote
synchronization code and remote command signals from the remote
video game. (Synchronization codes will be discussed
subsequently.)
A controller 326 receives the local command signals and the remote
command signals and sends the local command signals and the remote
command signals to the game microprocessor 322. In the case of
analog phone lines 318, the controller 326 includes a data link
circuit 324 similar to the modem 114, voice over data circuitry 134
and microphone 128 disclosed above. The voice over data circuitry,
can be used in conjunction with a Code-Excited Linear Prediction
(CELP) speech compression algorithm or any other compression
algorithm.
Alternatively in the case of digital phone lines 318, the data link
circuit 324 may include a multiplexing circuit The voice-over-data
circuitry, which is a frequency domain manipulator, would be
replaced by the multiplexing circuit because digital signals can be
manipulated directly and do not require separation into frequency
domains.
The local video game assembly 310 is characterized by synchronizing
means 328 for synchronizing the transmission of the local command
signals and the remote command signals to the video came 311 and,
more specifically, the game microprocessor 322. The game
microprocessor 322 must receive the local and remote command
signals approximately at the same time. Because the human operator
cannot detect small differences in the receipt of the local and
remote command signals; a difference of up to one second or, in
alternative terms, approximately thirty frames of video game
advancement by today's technology standards, between receipt of the
local and remote command signals is acceptable.
The synchronizing means 328 includes a synchronization code
generating means .[.330.]. for generating a local synchronization
code. The synchronization code is sent to the remote video game 320
via the data link 324. The controller 326 creates a signal over
which the synchronization code and the current local command
signals are sent to the remote video game 320. The controller 326
receives the remote synchronization code as well as the remote
command signals in the same manner.
Therefore, the communications system between the local video game
310 and the remote video game 320 is asynchronous. More
specifically, the local command signals and the local
synchronization code are sent to the remote video game 320
regardless of what is received thereby. The command signals
received from the player controls of the local video game 310 is
matched with a synchronization code and sent over the
communications line 318 to the remote video game 320 regardless of
the information received from the remote video game 320.
In an alternative embodiment, the synchronization codes may be
generated via a handshaking technology wherein the synchronization
codes of the local video game 310 would not be generated until a
similar synchronization code from the remote video game 320 has
been received.
The assembly 310 further includes comparing means 332 for comparing
the local synchronization code and the remote synchronization code.
If the synchronization codes are not equal, counting means 334 will
begin counting the number of times the synchronization codes are
not equal. Unequal synchronization codes represents the non-receipt
of command signals from the remote video game 320 which could
result from a glitch in the communication lines 318 or any other
communication-type breakdown which may occur with the hardware
itself. If the local synchronization code and the remote
synchronization are equal or match, the player parameters
associated with each of the players is then input into memory means
336 which stores these parameters including the local and remote
command signals and the local synchronization code therein.
Once all of the information is stored with regard to the locations
aid parameters of the playing elements, along with the local
synchronization code, the interactive video game 310 continues by
advancing the local synchronization code and receiving input from
local player controls 316.
If, on the other hand, the synchronization codes do not match, the
counting means 334 will count the number of times the local
synchronization code does not match the remote synchronization
code. If the counter 334 exceeds a predetermined value XY typically
equivalent up to a one second differential, reset means 338 will
reset the counter 334.
Once the reset means 338 has reset the counter 334, retrieving
means 340 will retrieve the player parameters and the
synchronization code from memory 336 allowing the game to continue
back when the local 310 and remote 320 video games were in
synchronization. The counting of the non-matching synchronization
codes will happen rapidly,. the resulting player parameter change
is not being apparent to the video game operator.
Turning attention to FIG. 6, wherein like primed numerals represent
similar parts, an alternative embodiment of the invention is
generally indicated with reference numeral 310'. The alternative
embodiment is a video game synchronizer 310' adapted to be used
with video games 311' which do not have the remote competition
capabilities. The video game synchronizer 310' is adapted to
receive the local command signals from the set of player controls
316' and transmit them to the first port 312'. The synchronizer,
generically represented at 328' in FIG. 6, receives a code from the
game microprocessor 322' to synchronize the local and remote
command signals as discussed above.
The code received by the synchronizer 328' may take one of two
forms. The first form is the frame advancing code currently in the
hardware/software. The synchronizer 328' could count the frames and
produce the synchronizing code based thereon. The second form could
be generated by the game software. The game software developed to
be operated by the preferred embodiment would develop a
synchronization code. This synchronization code could be retrieved
as it is transmitted to the monitor 323' and used directly by the
controller 326'.
The controller 326' will send the synchronization code, as well as
the local command signals, to the remote video game 320'. Once the
data link circuit 324' receives the remote command signals, and the
remote synchronization code which matches the local synchronization
code, the local and remote command signals are sent to appropriate
ports 312", 314'.
The invention has been described in an illustrative manner, and it
is to be understood that the terminology which has been used is
intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of
limitation.
Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present
invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is,
therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended
claims wherein reference numerals are merely for convenience and
are not to be in any way limiting, the invention may be practiced
otherwise than as specifically described.
* * * * *