Video game machine for business use

A video game machine for business use for playing a long video game including a status memory for storing status data which represents the status of the game stopped, a forward conversion circuit for converting the status data to an easy-to-remember password by using a forward conversion function, a display circuit for displaying the password for the game player, a password input device into which the player inputs the password when he resumes the game, and a backward conversion circuit for converting the password inputted to the status data of the game stopped by using a backward conversion function. The initial condition of the game is set by the status data obtained by the backward conversion, and the game can be resumed from where it was stopped.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to a video game machine for business use and, 
more particularly, to the improvement of a game machine used for a 
long-time video game. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
Various kinds of video games are played by using video game machines for 
business use or home video game machines. Video games are largely 
separated into two kinds, namely, short-time games and long-time games 
depending upon the time required for playing one game. 
Short-time games the programs of which are simpler in comparison with those 
of long-time games form the majority of the present video games. Most of 
the games played with video game machines for business use are short-time 
games, because short-time games which requires a comparatively short time 
for playing one game are advantageous from the point of view of business. 
Such short-time games are, however, apt to be monotonous and involves a 
danger of boring the players. 
On the other hand, long-time games which require a long time for playing 
one game can have a story as a whole and be full of variety. 
As such long-time video games having a story, adventure games such as a 
treasure-hunting game, a go-through-labyrinth game are known. 
For example, a treasure-hunting game is composed of a short story 
consisting of 20 stages. When the hero has completed predetermined 
treasure-hunting using a shovel, a key and so forth at one stage, the 
scene is moved to the next stage, and new treasure-hunting is begun in 
accordance with the story at the stage. 
A go-through-labyrinth game is also known in which a plurality of 
checkpoints are set at each stage, one of which is set as a key for 
threading the labyrinth, and the others as treasure for making scores, and 
when the hero finds a key for threading the labyrinth at each stage the 
door for leading to the next stage is open. 
In such an adventure game, when the hero finds out a checkpoint which is a 
key to each stage, the door leading to each stage is continuously kept 
open, and when the hero proceeds to the 20th stage, it is also possible to 
return to the previous stages to find out the treasure which remains 
un-found and to increase the scores. 
Such a long-time video game generally requires several hours to end one 
game, and it is therefore necessary to make the game such that when it is 
suspended from the needs of the body or other reasons, it is possible to 
resume the game from the state in which it has been suspended. 
To this end, a home game machine is provided with a dedicated memory for 
storing the progress data representing the state of games at the time of 
the interruption of the game, for example, a main factor which represents 
the state of the stage at the time of the interruption of the game and a 
sub factor which represents the history of the hero (for example, in the 
above-described treasure-hunting game, the number of treasure found, the 
number and the performance of shovels to be used, and the kinds of keys to 
open the doors) at the t the time of the interruption of the game. 
When the game is suspended, the main factor and the sub factor which 
represent the progress of the game are temporarily stored, and when the 
game is resumed, these factors are read from the memory to set the initial 
condition of the game and the game is resumed from the state in which it 
has been suspended. 
In a game machine for business use, however, the playing time per game is 
limited to a short time for business' sake, and it is difficult to adopt 
such a long-time video game as described above as it is. 
It may be possible to provide a dedicated internal memory to a video game 
machine for business use similarly to a home video machine. 
However, most players enjoy the same game with different machines at 
different game houses at different times. Therefore, even if a dedicated 
internal memory such as described above is attached to each game machine, 
the stored data are scarcely practically used. 
Furthermore, since such a video game machine for business use is used by 
many and unspecified players, if a dedicated internal memory similar to 
that of a home game machine is attached, the necessary capacity of memory 
becomes very large. Thus, attachment of a dedicated internal memory to a 
video game machine for business use is unpractical. 
It may be possible to sell a memory card exclusively for a long-time game 
at each game house and to write and store the status data on the progress 
of the game on the individual card, thereby enabling the player to resume 
the game with the same kind of game machine from the state in which it has 
previously been suspended. 
However the method of selling a card exclusive for an external memory is 
undesirable because it compels the player to spend extra cost for buying 
the card and to control the card. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to eliminate the 
above-described problems in the prior art and to provide a video game 
machine which is capable of carrying out a long-time video game without a 
memory exclusive for an individual player. 
To achieve this aim, in one aspect of the present a video game machine for 
business use which is capable of carrying out a long-time video game is 
provided, the video game machine comprising: 
a status memory for storing status data which represents the progress of a 
game at the time of the interruption of the long-time video game; 
a forward conversion circuit for converting the status data to a password 
which is easy to remember to the player by using a predetermined forward 
conversion function and for outputting the password, the forward 
conversion circuit being exclusive to the particular long-term video game; 
a display circuit for displaying the output password to the player; 
a password input device into which the password is input by the player at 
the time of resuming the game; and 
a backward conversion circuit for converting the input password to the 
status data at the time of the interruption of the game by using a 
predetermined reverse conversion function and for outputting the status 
data; 
characterized in that the initial condition is set on the basis of the 
status data output from the backward conversion circuit and the game is 
resumed from the state in which the game has been suspended. 
In another aspect of the present invention a video game machine for 
business use which is capable of carrying out a long-time video game is 
provided, the video game machine comprising: 
a status memory for storing status data which represents the progress of a 
game at the time of the interruption of the long-time video game; 
an identification memory for storing player identification data; 
a forward conversion circuit for converting the combination of the status 
data and the identification data which are stored in the status memory and 
the identification memory to a password which is easy to remember to the 
player by using a predetermine forward conversion function and for 
outputting the password, the forward conversion circuit being exclusive to 
the particular long-term video game; 
a display circuit for displaying the output password to the player; 
an input device into which the password and the player identification data 
are input by the player at the time of resuming the game; 
a backward conversion circuit for converting the input password to the 
status data and the player identification data at the time of the 
interruption of the game using a predetermined reverse conversion function 
and for outputting the status data and the identification data; and 
a game starting command circuit for outputting a game resumption enabling 
signal when the player identification data output by the backward 
conversion circuit coincides with the player identification data which is 
directly input from the input device; 
characterized in that when the game resumption enabling signal is output by 
the game starting command circuit, the initial condition is set on the 
basis of the status data which is output by the backward conversion 
circuit and the game is resumed from the state in which the game has been 
suspended. 
Most status data at the time of the end of a long-time video game generally 
consist of a main factor which represents the progress of the game and a 
sub factor which represents various kinds of data annexed to the game. 
Therefore, it is preferable in the first aspect and the second aspect of 
the present invention that a main factor and a sub factor are written and 
stored as the status data. 
If a game has no sub factor, a main factor alone is stored as the status 
data. 
The operation of the present invention having the above-described structure 
will be explained in the following. 
Since a video game machine for business use sets the playing time per game 
is set at a predetermined short time, if a long-time video game is played 
with such a game machine, the game is to be suspended every time one 
playing time has passed. 
In a video game machine in accordance with the first aspect of the present 
invention, the progress of the game at the time of the interruption of the 
game is temporarily stored as status data in the status memory, and is 
converted to a password easy to remember to the player, the password being 
displayed. 
When the player resumes the interrupted long-time video game at a different 
place or at a different time, the player inputs the password which has 
been displayed when the game has been interrupted. 
The input password is then converted to the status data for the game by 
using a backward conversion function. The game machine sets the initial 
condition on the status data obtained by backward conversion and resumes 
the game from the state in which the game has been suspended at the 
previous time. 
Thus, according to the present invention, it is possible to play a 
long-time video game successively merely by inputting the password 
displayed at the time of the interruption of the game without using any 
special external memory device. 
In addition, according to the present invention, it is possible to play a 
long-time video game successively with another video game machine of the 
same kind which is installed in another game house merely by inputting the 
password, thereby enabling a long-time video game without being restricted 
by time or place. 
In the first aspect of the present invention, however, the same password is 
displayed for the same progress of the game at the time of the 
interruption of the game, thereby involving a danger of the process for 
making the password being analyzed. 
If the password is analyzed and the player can resume the game from the 
point which the player has not reached yet, it is unfavorable to a video 
game machine for business use, and an effective countermeasure is 
required. 
The video machine according to the second aspect of the present invention 
solves such a problem. It is characterized in that it is possible to make 
a password which is easy to remember to the player and difficult to 
analyze. 
According to the second aspect of the present invention, a combination of 
the status data representing the progress of the game at the time of the 
interruption of the game and the player identification data is converted 
to a password by using a predetermined forward conversion function. 
Therefore, even the progress of the game at the time of the interruption 
of the game is the same, a different password is displayed depending upon 
the different player identification data. 
In order to resume the game, the player must input the player 
identification data as well as the password displayed at the previous 
time. 
Then, the game machine converts the input password to the status data and 
the player identification data by using a predetermined backward 
conversion function. 
Judgement is made as to whether or not the player identification data which 
is obtained by backward conversion coincides with the player 
identification data which is input anew by the player at the time of the 
resuming the game, and when both agree the game is resumed from the state 
in which the game has been suspended, as is the case with the game machine 
of the first aspect of the present invention. 
Thus, according to the second aspect of the present invention, since the 
combination of the status data of the game and the player identification 
data is converted to a password by using a predetermined forward 
conversion function, it is possible to make the password easy to remember 
to the player and difficult to analyze. 
Furthermore, according to the second aspect of the present invention, in 
order to resume the game it is necessary to input the identification data 
of the player as well as the password, and the game can be resumed only 
when the identification data coincides with the identification data 
obtained by backward conversion. 
Therefore, according to the second aspect of the present invention, the 
game is not resumed when another player inputs only the password displayed 
at the time of the interruption of the game, and the game machine only 
allows each player to resume the game from the point which each player has 
really reached. 
As mentioned above, according to the present invention although the 
available playing time of a video game machine for business use is fixed 
and relatively short, a long-time video game can be played effectively 
without using particular external memories. 
Incidentally, the forward conversion circuit and backward conversion 
circuit used in the business video game machine of this invention is not a 
type which is applicable in various kinds of games. 
Video game machines in business use are different in kind of games to be 
played. As a result, the status data which indicate the progress of the 
game differ in the length and format. 
Accordingly, status data for one kind of game cannot be used as status data 
of other kind of game, and it is meaningless to design such that the 
forward conversion circuit and backward conversion circuit have a 
compatibility to be used in various kinds of games. 
Thus, in the present invention the forward and backward conversion circuits 
are those designed solely for a particular long-time video game of a game 
machine. 
However, the present invention does not exclude from the scope of the 
invention the case in which peculiar forward and backward conversion 
functions coincide with forward and backward conversions of other kind of 
game nor the case in which the particular forward and backward conversions 
can be used in a plurality of different kinds of games. 
However, in most cases the status data differ depending upon kinds of games 
in the length and format of games. Thus, when the video game has been 
changed, the functions must be reset so that the thus reset functions 
comply with the forward and backward conversion functions of the changed 
game. 
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present 
invention will become clear from the following description of the 
preferred embodiments thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying 
drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Embodiments of the present invention will be explained in the following 
with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
Long-time Video Game 
Various kinds of long-time video games are known, and each of them 
generally has a story as a whole and is full of variety. 
In this embodiment, a description will be made for a game machine which 
plays a go-through-labyrinth game for the purpose of providing an easy 
explanation. 
Rule 1 
Four check points are provided in the labyrinth at each stage. The 
labyrinth at one stage is considered to have been threaded when all the 
check points at the stage have been passed through and the goal has been 
reached. 
Rule 2 
When the hero has found his way out at one stage, he proceeds to the next 
stage at which a more difficult labyrinth is provided. 
Rule 3 
The labyrinth provided at each stage should be threaded in a predetermined 
time, and if time is over before the labyrinth is threaded, the game is 
also over. 
The go-through-labyrinth game having the above-described rules requires at 
least several hours to go from the fist stage to the 16th stage. 
In a video game machine for business use, one playing time is measured from 
the time when a coin is inserted, and the time which allows the game to be 
played is set at a predetermined short time. Therefore, regardless of the 
progress of the game, the game is interrupted whenever one playing time 
has passed. The progress of the game at the time of the interruption of 
the game is specified by status data represented by a main factor and a 
sub factor. 
The main factor represents the number of the stages which have been passed 
by the time of the interruption of the game, namely, the number of the 
stage previous to the stage displayed on the game machine at that time. 
The sub factor represents the history of the hero at the time of the 
interruption of the game. In the embodiments, it represents which 
checkpoints the hero has passed at the stage displayed on the game machine 
at that time. 
The feature of the present invention lies in that the status data 
representing the progress of the game at the time of the interruption of 
the game is displayed by a password obtained by converting the status data 
using a predetermined conversion function, and the recumption of the game 
is enabled form the state in which the game has been suspended by using 
the displayed password. 
First Embodiment 
FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the present invention. In a video game 
machine for business use according to the embodiment, the above-described 
go-through-labyrinth game is carried out by a game apparatus body 10. 
When one playing time is over and the game is interrupted, the game 
apparatus body 10 writes and stores in a status memory 12 status data 
representing the progress of the game at the time of the interruption of 
the game. 
In this embodiment, the status data is indicated by eight digit binary 
numbers of 00000000 to 11111111. The higher four digits of the eight digit 
binary numbers are the main factor which represents the number of [0] to 
[15] of the stages which have been passed by binary numbers of 0000 to 
1111, while the lower four digits are a sub factor which represents 
whether or not the four checkpoints at the stage displayed at the time of 
the interruption of the game have been passed respectively by binary 
numbers of [0] and [1]. 
For example, if the 11th stage has been passed and the first and fourth 
checkpoints have been passed at the 12th stage at the time of the 
interruption of the game, the main factor is indicated by the four digit 
binary numbers [1011] which represents the 11th stage and the sub factor 
is indicated by the four digit binary numbers [1001] which represents that 
the first and the fourth checkpoints have been passed. The status data is 
therefore [1011/1001]. 
The status data at the time of the interruption of the game which is 
written and stored in the status memory 12 in this way is input in a 
forward conversion circuit 14 to convert it to a password using a forward 
conversion function, and the password is output to a password display 
circuit 16. 
As a forward conversion function used in the forward conversion circuit 14, 
any desired functions can be used pursuant to the status data written in 
and stored in the status memory 12. 
It should be noted that the forward conversion functions utilized in the 
present invention is not a universal forward conversion function which can 
be used for various kinds of video games. The forward conversion function 
is one arranged in the same manner for the same type of video games. In 
this embodiment, the forward conversion function arranged solely for a 
go-through-labyrinth game played by the game machine is used. 
Furthermore, in this embodiment, the status data comprises a main factor 
and sub factor which are represented by four digit binary numbers. Thus, 
the forward conversion function of this embodiment is arranged such that 
it forward converts the four digit binary numbers represented by 0000-1111 
in accordance with Table 1. 
Therefore, if the 11th stage has been passed and the first and the fourth 
checkpoints have been passed at the 12th stage at the time of the 
interruption of the game, the status data written in the status memory 12 
consists of the main factor which represents the completion of the 11th 
stage and is indicated by the binary numbers [1011], and the sub factor 
which represents that the first and fourth checkpoints at the 12th stage 
have been passed and is indicated by the four digit binary numbers [1001], 
as described above. 
The status data [1011/1001] is converted in the forward conversion circuit 
14 to the password [0110/0101] by using the forward conversion function 
shown in Code Table 1, and this password is output to the password display 
circuit 16. 
The password display circuit 16 converts the password which is input in 
this way to alphabetical characters in accordance with Code Table 2, and 
displays two characters as the password easy to remember to the player. 
Therefore, if the 11th stage has been passed and the first and fourth 
checkpoints at the 12th stage have been passed at the time of the 
interruption of the game, as described above, the characters [GF] are 
displayed on the CRT by the password display circuit 16. 
When the game is resumed by using the password displayed in this way, the 
password which has been displayed at the time of the interruption of the 
game, for example, [GF] is input in a password input device 20. 
The password [GF] input in this way is written and stored in a password 
temporary memory 22 as eight digit binary numbers in accordance with Code 
Table 2, and is displayed in the form of the alphabetical characters on 
the CRT by the password display circuit 16. Therefore, the player can 
confirm the characters on the CRT when he inputs the password. 
When the password has been input, the backward conversion circuit 24 
converts the eight digit binary numbers written in the password temporary 
memory 22 to status data in accordance with Code Table 1, and this status 
data is stored in the status memory 12. 
After the status data has been written in the status memory 12 in this way, 
a game starting command circuit 26 outputs a game resumption enabling 
signal to the game apparatus body 10. The game apparatus body 10 thereby 
sets the initial condition on the basis of the status data written in the 
status memory 12 and allows the game to be resumed. 
The game starting command circuit 26 is so designed that when the status 
data written in the status memory 12 is not included in the predetermined 
data of the long-time video game, in other words, if the data is out of 
bounds of the predetermined status data, the game starting command 26 
outputs no game resumption enabling signal and commands the player to 
re-input the correct password or cancels the input password to start the 
game from the very beginning. 
As described above, in order to resume the game with the game machine of 
this embodiment, the password input device 20 is used to input the 
password displayed at the time of the interruption of the game, for 
example, the password of the characters [GF]. 
The input password [GF] is temporarily stored in the password temporary 
memory 22 as the eight digit binary numbers [0110/0101], and the data of 
the eight bits is converted to the status data [1011/1001] for the game in 
accordance with Table 1 by the backward conversion circuit 24 and is 
written and stored in the status memory 12. 
The data [1011/1001] written in the status memory 12 at this time 
represents the progress of the game at the time of the interruption of the 
game, namely, that the 11th stage has been passed and the first and fourth 
checkpoints at the 12th stage have been passed. It will therefore be 
understood that the game machine sets the initial condition on the basis 
of the status date written in the status memory 12 and allows the game to 
be resumed from the state in which the game has been suspended at the 
previous time. 
Thus, according to the present invention, it is possible to resume the game 
from the state in which the game has been suspended at the previous time 
without the need for any external memory by using the password displayed 
at the time of the interruption of the game. 
In addition, according to the present invention, it is possible to resume 
the game from the state in which the game has been suspended with any game 
machine of the same kind which is installed in another game house by 
inputting the password. Thus, it is possible to enjoy successively the 
long-time video game which has been suspended at a different place and at 
a different time. 
Although the status data consisting of the main factor for specifying the 
stage at the time of the interruption of the game and the sub factor for 
specifying the history of the game at the time of the interruption of the 
game is stored in the status memory in the illustrated embodiment, the 
present invention is not restricted thereto and other factors may be used 
as the status data. 
For example, some video game machines for business use are so constructed 
as to ask the player to input a predetermined sequence of characters or 
symbols for identifying the player. Other video game machines use the 
individual data of the player such as the date of birth which is to be 
input by the player at the beginning of or during the game as the 
identification data. 
In the present invention, it is possible to incorporate the player 
identification data such as a predetermined sequence of characters or 
symbols which is to be input at the beginning of or during the game into 
the status data, and to store the status data including such player 
identification data together with the main factor and the sub factor into 
the status memory. 
In this way, the forward conversion circuit converts the status data 
consisting of the data of a predetermined sequence of characters or 
symbols input by the player, as described above, the main factor and the 
sub factor to a password easy to remember to the player by using a 
predetermined forward conversion function and displays it on the display 
circuit. 
Particularly, according to the machine of this invention, the same kind of 
game machines use the same forward and backward conversion functions. As a 
result, if a password is inputted in the same way into the game machines 
arranged for other kind of video game, the game can be resumed from the 
point where the game was interrupted. Thus, a long-time video game which 
was interrupted before the end can be further played in the different time 
and different place. 
Second Embodiment 
A second embodiment of the present invention will now be explained with 
reference to FIG. 2. 
The same numerals are provided for the same elements as those in the first 
embodiment, and explanation thereof will be omitted. 
The feature of the second embodiment lies in that a combination of the 
status data which represents the progress of the game at the time of the 
interruption of the game and the identification data of the player is 
converted to a password easy to remember to the player by using a 
predetermined forward conversion function. 
To this end, a game machine of the second embodiment is provided with an 
identification memory 30 for storing the player identification data, and 
the identification memory 30 outputs the player identification data to the 
forward conversion circuit 14. 
The player can use the initial of the player, the identification number 
which has been set by the player and other identification data as the 
identification data to be written in the identification memory 30, as 
occasion demands. In this embodiment, the one alphabetical character 
indicating the initial of the player is used as the identification data. 
The character set as the identification data is output from the 
identification memory 30 to the forward conversion circuit 14 in the form 
of data of four bits shown in Table 2. 
The forward conversion circuit 14 makes data represented by twelve digit 
binary numbers by combining the status data indicated by the eight digit 
binary numbers output from the status memory 12 and the four digit binary 
numbers output from the identification memory 30. The twelve digit binary 
numbers are converted, four digits at one time, to a password by using the 
forward conversion function shown in Table 1, and the password is output 
to the password display circuit 16. 
In this embodiment, in the same way as in the first embodiment, the 
password display circuit 16 subsequently converts the input password of 12 
bits to alphabetical characters, 4 bits at a time, as shown in Table 2, 
and displays three characters on the CRT as the password easy to remember 
to the player. 
For example, if the player identification data is N, and the 11th stage has 
been passed and the first and fourth checkpoints at the 12th stage have 
been passed at the time of the interruption of the game, the data which is 
input to the forward conversion circuit 14 is represented by 
[1011/1001/1101/]. 
These twelve digit binary numbers are converted to the binary number data 
[0110/0101/1111] for a password by using the forward conversion function 
shown in Table 1, and the twelve digit binary data obtained by forward 
conversion is displayed as the password of three characters [GFP] in 
accordance with Table 2. 
In order to resume the interrupted game with a machine of this embodiment, 
the password which has been displayed at the time of the interruption of 
the game and the player identification data are input to the password 
input device 20. 
The thus-input password and the player identification data are temporarily 
stored as the data of four digit binary numbers shown in Table 2 in the 
password temporary memory 22 and an identification data temporary memory 
32, respectively, and are displayed as the alphabetical characters on the 
CRT by the password display circuit 16. 
After the input of the data has been completed, the input password is 
output from the password temporary memory 22 to the backward conversion 
circuit 24 as the data of twelve digit binary numbers. 
The backward conversion circuit 24 converts the thus-input data for a 
password of twelve digit binary numbers by using the backward conversion 
function shown in Table 1, and outputs it as the status data representing 
the progress of the game and the player identification data. 
The status data output from the backward conversion circuit 24 is written 
and stored in the status memory 12 in the same way as in the first 
embodiment, and the player identification data is written and stored in 
the identification memory 30. 
When the status data and the identification data output from the backward 
conversion circuit 24 have been written in the respective memories 12, 30, 
the game starting command circuit 26 judges whether or not the 
identification data which has been written in the identification memory 30 
coincides with the identification data which has been written in the 
identification data temporary memory 32, and the judgement data is output 
to the game apparatus body 10. 
When the game apparatus body 10 judges on the basis of the thus-input 
judgement signal that the identification data written in the 
identification memory 30 and the identification data written in the 
identification data temporary memory 32 coincide, the game apparatus body 
19 sets the initial condition on the basis of the status data written in 
the status memory 12 and allows the game to be resumed from the state in 
which the game has been suspended. 
On the other hand, when the game apparatus body 10 judges that the 
identification data output from the memories 30 and 32 do not coincide, a 
gate circuit 34 is opened to write and store the identification data 
written in the identification data temporary memory 32 in the 
identification memory 30 as new identification memory. 
At the same time with this, the status data written in the status memory 12 
is cleared and the game is started from the beginning regardless of the 
input password. 
As described above, according to this embodiment, in order to resume the 
game, the password input device 20 is used to input the password displayed 
at the time of the interruption of the game, for example, [GFP] and the 
identification data of the player, for example, [N]. 
Then, the three characters [GFP] input as the password are input into the 
backward conversion circuit 24 through the password temporary memory 22 as 
the twelve bit data [0110/0101/1111], and the backward conversion circuit 
24 converts the twelve digit binary data to the status data [1011/1001] 
and the identification data [1101] indicating the character [N] by using 
the backward conversion function shown in Table 1. These status data and 
identification data are written and stored in the status memory 12 and the 
identification memory 30, respectively. 
The game machine of this embodiment compares the identification data 
written in the identification data temporary memory 32 with the 
identification data written in the identification memory 30. 
If the identification data written in the memory 32 is [N] representing the 
player at the time of the interruption of the game, since the 
identification data stored in the identification memory 30 coincides with 
the identification data stored in the temporary memory 32, the game 
starting command circuit 26 outputs a coincidence signal, whereby the game 
apparatus body 10 allows the game to be resumed from the state in which 
the game has been suspended, as described above. 
On the other hand, if the identification data written in the memory 32, for 
example, the input identification data [M], is different from the 
character which represents the player at the time of the interruption of 
the game, the identification data in the memories 30 and 32 do not 
coincide, and the game is to be started from the beginning regardless of 
the input password. 
At this time the identification data [M] input in the memory 32 is written 
and stored in the identification memory 30. 
Although in the identification data illustrated in the first and second 
embodiments, the serial data are converted simply by backward conversion 
in order to simplify the explanation, it is possible to merge these data 
in a desired arrangement and to replace forward conversion with backward 
conversion. Furthermore, it is also possible to combine a plurality of 
conversion functions and make and convert a password. 
Although the password and the player identification data are input in one 
password input device in the illustrated embodiments, it is also possible 
to provide a password input device and an identification input device 
separately from each other. 
In addition, although only the "status data" and the "identification data" 
are converted and reconverted in the illustrated embodiments, it is also 
possible to add other necessary data at the time of the interruption of 
the game to these "status data" and the "identification data", and to 
convert them into a password using the forward conversion function and 
reconvert the password to the original data using the backward conversion 
function. 
It goes without saying that although the simple go-through-labyrinth game 
is illustrated in these embodiments, the machine of the present invention 
is adaptable to other kinds of long-time games, as occasion demands. 
Although the password is displayed on the CRT by the display circuit 16 in 
the embodiments, it is also possible to so design the game machine as to 
print the password output from the forward conversion circuit using a 
printer or the like and hand it in to the player. 
Furthermore, although alphabetical characters are adopted as the password 
in the embodiments, various kinds of characters, symbols or patterns may 
be used, if necessary, in the present invention. 
It goes without saying that the present invention is effective to a video 
game machine for business use which sets one playing time at a short time 
in a different way from that in the first embodiment, in which one playing 
time is set at a predetermined constant time. 
For example, as known in a conventional short-time video game, it is 
possible to set one playing time by the number of fails of a hero or 
downfalls of an object. In this case, if the hero fails three times, for 
example, the game is suspended, and the password is displayed. The player 
inputs the password to resume the game from the state in which the game 
has been suspended and he can enjoy the game until the hero fails another 
three times. 
Thus, the present invention is adaptable to various kinds of video game 
machines for business use in which one playing time is restricted to a 
predetermined short time in various ways and enables them to carry out 
long-time games. 
As described above, the present invention enables a video game machine for 
business use in which one playing time is restricted to a predetermined 
short time to carry out a long-time video game without using any special 
external memory. 
TABLE 1 
______________________________________ 
Forward Conversion Function f(x) .fwdarw. 
Backward Conversion Function f.sup.-1 (x) .rarw. 
______________________________________ 
0000 (0) 0000 (0) 
0001 (1) 0001 (1) 
0010 (2) 0111 (7) 
0011 (3) 0010 (2) 
0100 (4) 1000 (8) 
0101 (5) 0011 (3) 
0110 (6) 1001 (9) 
0111 (7) 0100 (4) 
1000 (8) 1010 (10) 
1001 (9) 0101 (5) 
1010 (10) 1011 (11) 
1011 (11) 0110 (6) 
1100 (12) 1100 (12) 
1101 (13) 1111 (15) 
1110 (14) 1101 (13) 
1111 (15) 1110 (14) 
______________________________________ 
TABLE 2 
______________________________________ 
0000 A 0001 B 0010 C 0011 D 
(0) (1) (2) (3) 
0100 E 0101 F 0110 G 0111 H 
(4) (5) (6) (7) 
1000 I 1001 J 1010 K 1011 L 
(8) (9) (10) (11) 
1100 M 1101 N 1110 O 1111 P 
(12) (13) (14) (15) 
______________________________________ 
While there has been described what are at present considered to be 
preferred embodiments of the invention, it will be understood that various 
modifications may be made thereto, and it is intended that the appended 
claims cover all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and 
scope of the invention.