Home television-game apparatus with time management unit

Abstract: A home TV-game apparatus of this invention has means for storing a game program (2), a CPU (6) for processing the game program, and time management means (10) for managing a time of the game in correspondence with an real time. In the home TV-game apparatus, therefore, a virtual reality type game using a real time, such as a roll playing game, is easy to be played. The virtual reality type game is easy to be made without consideration of the clock control of the game program. Further, the development cost of the virtual reality type game is not expensive.

Description: The invention relates to a home television(TV) game apparatus, and more particularly to, a home TV-game apparatus which has a time management unit therein or in an external storage unit (memory) for performing a game based on a real time. A conventional home TV-game apparatus comprises a CPU, one or more memories, a plurality of I/O (Input/Output) interfaces and a timer. In the conventional home TV-game apparatus, the timer checks a difference between a starting time of a game and a current time, or between any time while playing a game and a current time. In the conventional home TV-game apparatus, however, there are disadvantages in that a virtual reality type game using a real time, for example, a roll-playing game, is hard to be played, because the timer is not correspondence with the real time. In addition, the virtual reality type game is hard to be made and a development of the virtual reality type game is very expensive, because the real time must be controlled by a program of the virtual reality type game. US-A-5267734 discloses a video game method and apparatus which includes a calendar function which in part controls the play of the game. According to the present invention there is provided a home television-game apparatus, the apparatus comprising: a ROM cartridge comprising a memory and a real time clock, respectively supplied with power from a battery, and a ROM which stores a game program; and means for displaying a request message for a game player to enter a first time of the home television-game into the real time clock, thereby carrying out a time initialising process, characterised in that the apparatus further comprises: means for setting a sign code into the memory to store a state which indicates that the time initialising process has been carried out, while starting the home television-game by loading the game program into the home television-game unit; means for storing an interruption state of the home television-game into the memory, when the home television-game is interrupted; means for outputting the sign code of the state from the memory to the home television-game unit, when the home television-game is started after interruption thereof; means for displaying a request message for the game player to select or not select a restarting process where the interruption state of the home television-game is loaded from the memory to the home television-game unit; means for restarting the home television-game on the basis of a second time of the home television-game, which is calculated with respect to the first time thereof by the real time clock, when the restarting process is selected; means for clearing the interruption state from the memory, when the restarting process is not selected, thereby carrying out the time initialising process; and means for setting the sign code into the memory to store the state which indicates that the time initialising time process has been carried out, while starting the home television-game by loading the game program into the home television-game unit. According to the invention, there is also provided a method of playing a home television-game on the basis of real time, comprising the steps of: inserting a ROM cartridge into a home television game unit, the ROM cartridge comprising a memory and a real time clock, respectively supplied with power from a battery, and a ROM storing a game program; and displaying a request message for a game player to enter a first time of the home television-game into the real time clock, thereby carrying out a time initialising process, characterised in that the method further comprises the steps of: setting a sign code into the memory to store a state which indicates that the time initialising process has been carried out, while starting the home television-game by loading the game program into the home television-game unit; storing an interruption state of the home television-game into the memory, when the home television-game is interrupted; outputting the sign code of the state from the memory to the home television-unit, when the home television-game is started after interruption thereof; displaying a request message for the game player to select or not select a restarting process where the interruption state of the home television-game is loaded from the memory to the home television-game unit; restarting the home television-game on basis of a second time of the home television-game, which is calculated with respect to the first time thereof by the real time clock, when the restarting process is selected; clearing the interruption state from the memory, when the restarting process is not selected, thereby carrying out the time initialising process; and setting the sign code into the memory to store the state which indicates that the time initialising process is carried out, while starting the home television game by loading the game program into the home television game unit. The invention will be described in more detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 is a block diagram of a game unit and a ROM cartridge of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a processing flow chart of a time management unit of the present invention; and Fig. 3 is a block diagram of a time initializing process of Fig. 2. Before explaining a home TV-game apparatus in the preferred embodiment according to the invention, the above mentioned conventional home TV-game apparatus will be explained. The conventional home TV-game apparatus comprises a CPU, one or more memories, I/O (Input/Output) interfaces and a timer. In the above conventional home TV-game apparatus, the timer checks a difference between a current time and a starting time of a game or any time while playing a game. Namely, a time between a previous action and a next action in a game is set to be limited by a program of the game. While playing a game, an elapsed time from the previous action to the next action is counted by the timer. Then, a player must take the next action before the elapsed time counted by the timer is over the limited time. For example, in a chess game, a player must take a next action before an elapsed time of one action is over a predetermined time. After the action is finished, the elapsed time of the action in the timer is cleared at each time. On the other hand, when a virtual reality type game is played, a real time is a very important element, in consequence, the virtual reality type game is played according to the real time. Further, while the virtual reality type game is played or when the virtual reality type game is started again from the middle or the suspended scene of that, it is necessary to match the real time with the time in the virtual reality type game. In the conventional home TV-game apparatus, however, the timer dose not have a unit for applying a real time to a game. In the conventional home TV-game apparatus, therefore, a real time may be applied to a virtual reality type game by a program of the virtual reality type game. In this case, a variety of program logics are necessary to be supplied for all situations in the virtual reality type game, in consequence, the virtual reality type game is hard to be made and a development cost of the virtual reality type game is very expensive. Further, if a memory size of a home TV-game apparatus is smaller than a game program size, the game may not be made or not be played. Therefore, a unit for applying a real time to a game is necessary. Next, a home TV-game apparatus with a time management unit in the first preferred embodiment according to the invention will be explained in Figs. 1 to 3. Fig. 1 is a block diagram of a game unit and a ROM cartridge of the present invention. The home TV-game apparatus comprises a game unit 1 and a ROM (Read Only Memory) cartridge 2. The game unit 1 has a CPU 6, an I/O interface 3A a RAM 11 for storing data read from a ROM 7 in the ROM cartridge 2, and a ROM 12 for storing an operation program. The ROM cartridge 2 has the ROM 7, an I/O interface 3B, and a time management unit 10. The time management unit 10 has a BRAM (Backup Random Access Memory) 8, a battery 5, and a RTC (Real Time Clock) 4. The RTC 4, the BRAM 8, and the battery 5 are connected with each other. In the time management unit 10, the RTC 4 is an IC (Integrated Circuit) having a clock function and a calendar function. A time of a game is corresponded with a real time by the clock function and the calendar function in the RTC 4. Namely, the RTC 4 saves year, month, day, day of the week, hour, minute, and second of the real time therein at the time of the game by using the clock function and the calendar function. The battery 5 in the time management unit 10, which is connected with the RTC 4, supplies the RTC 4 with a power source. Therefore, if the ROM cartridge 2 is detached from the game unit 1, the RTC 4 correctly saves the time of the game therein independent of the game unit 1. Further, in the time management unit 10, the BRAM 8 stores a sign code and the middle or suspended state of the game therein. The sign code is used to determine whether the time of the game is set or not into the RTC 4. Namely, if the sign code is "0", the time of the game may be set into the RTC 4. If the sign code is "1", the time of the game may not be set into the RTC 4, because the time of the game already had been set into the RTC 4. The battery 5 in the time management unit 10, which is connected with the BRAM 8, supplies the BRAM 8 with a power source. Therefore, even if the ROM cartridge 2 is detached from the game unit 1, the BRAM 8 correctly stores the sign code and the middle or suspended state of the game therein independent of the game unit 1. In Fig. 1, the I/O interface 3B is in connection with the I/O interface 3A by inserting the ROM cartridge 2 into the game unit 1. A game program, for example, a virtual reality type game program, is stored in the ROM 7 of the ROM cartridge 2. The CPU 6 accesses the ROM 7 and the time management unit 10 including the RTC 4 and the BRAM 8. Then, the CPU 6 loads the game program from the ROM 7 with the contents in the RTC 4 and the BRAM 8. More precisely, the game program from the ROM cartridge 2 is transferred to be stored in the RAM 11. The game program, and the contents in the RTC 4 and the BRAM 8 are supplied to the game unit 1 through the connected I/O interfaces 3A and 3B. Then, the CPU 6 processes the game program according to the contents from the RTC 4 and the BRAM 8. Next, operation will be explained in Fig. 2 which is a processing flow chart of the time management unit 10 of the present invention. After the ROM cartridge 2 is inserted into the game unit 1, the game unit 1 is powered on at the step 20. At the step 21, when a time management process is started, the sign code (SW) is inputted from the BRAM 8 into the CPU 6. The sign code (SW) identifies whether the time of the game already had been set or not. Then, at the step 22, a content of the sign code (SW) is confirmed. If the sign code (SW) is "1", the time of the game had been already set into the RTC 4, and the step 28 follows. If the sign code (SW) is not "1", such as "0" or blank, the step 23 follows, because the time of the game has not been set into the RTC 4 yet. At the step 23, a time initializing process is performed to set the time of the game into the RTC 4. In the time initializing process, the request message for entering the time of the game in the RTC 4 is displayed for a game player. When the game player has completed setting the time of the game, the step 24 follows. At the step 24, the sign code (SW) is set on "0" firstly. Then, at the step 25, when it is recognized that the sign code (SW) is "0", the step 26 follows. At the step 26, the sign code (SW) is set to be "1". A prologue of the game is started. Next, at the step 27, the game is started. If the game player wants to stop the game at the middle or in the course of the game, a state of the middle of the game, or the suspended state of the game and the sign code (SW) which is "1" are saved on the BRAM 8. When the game player starts the game again, the game unit 1 is powered on at the step 20. At the step 21, when a time management process is started, the sign code (SW) is inputted from the BRAM 8 into the CPU 1. At the step 22, when it is recognized that the sign code (SW) is "1", the step 28 follows. At the step 28, the message as to whether the game player loads the saved game (the middle of the game) or not is displayed. When the game player selects "YES", namely when the player wants to start from the middle of the game, the step 29 follows. At the step 29, the sign code (SW) is set to be "1" again. Then, at the step 25, when it is recognized that the sign code (SW) is not "0" (the sign code (SW) is " 1"), the step 30 follows. At the step 30, the saved game is loaded from the BRAM 8 into the CPU 6. Next, at the step27, the play is started from the middle of the game which is saved. On the other hand, at the step 28, when the game player selects "NO", the step 31 follows. At the step 31, the message as to whether the game player wants to clear the saved game (the middle of the game) in the BRAM 8 or not is displayed. When the player selects "NO", namely, when the game player does not want to clear the saved game, the step 29 follows. When the game player selects "YES", the step 32 follows. Namely, to proceed to the step 32 is checked at both the steps 28 and 31. At the step 32, the data in the BRAM 8 is cleared. Then, the time initializing process is performed to set the time of the game into the RTC 4. In the time initializing process, the request message for entering the time of the game in the RTC 4 is displayed for the game player. When the game player has completed setting the time of the game, the step 33 follows. At the step 33, the sign code (SW) is reset on "0". At the step 25, when it is recognized that the sign code (SW) is "0", the step 26 follows. At the step 26, the sign code (SW) is reset to be " 1". A prologue of the game is started. Next, at the step 27, the game is started. Fig. 3 is a block diagram of the time initializing process of Fig. 2. In Fig. 3, the time initializing process may be divided into the three processes which are the "INPUT", the "PROCESS" and the "OUTPUT" respectively. In the "INPUT", data of year, month, day, hour, minute, second, and day of the week are inputted from an I/O unit. In the "PROCESS", if the performed process is for setting the time of the game, the inputted data is outputted into the RTC 4 in the " OUTPUT". On the other hand, in the "PROCESS", the performed process is for resetting the time of the game, the BRAM 8 is cleared. Then, in the "OUTPUT", the inputted data is outputted into the RTC 4. Before the game is started, the sign code (SW) is set to be "1". Therefore, in the home TV-game apparatus, a virtual reality type game using a real time, such as a roll playing game, is easy to be played. For example, in the virtual reality type game, at the first, the game is started and stopped in the middle of the game on December 1. Next, when the game is restarted on December 5, the time of the game is same as the real time (December 5). The virtual reality type game is easy to be made without consideration of the clock control of the game program. Further, the development cost of the virtual reality type game is not expensive. In another preferred embodiment according to the invention, in Fig. 1, the time management unit 10 may be provide in the game unit 1. Further, the BRAM 8 may be replaced with a non-volatile memory such as an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory) or a flash memory. As this invention may be embodied in several forms without departing from the essential characteristics thereof, the present embodiment is therefore illustrative and not restrictive, since the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims.

Claims: A home television-game apparatus, the apparatus comprising: a ROM cartridge (2) comprising a memory (8) and a real time clock (4), respectively supplied with power from a battery (5), and a ROM (7) which stores a game program; and means for displaying a request message for a game player to enter a first time of the home television-game into the real time clock, thereby carrying out a time initialising process, characterised in that the apparatus further comprises: means for setting a sign code (SW) into the memory to store a state which indicates that the time initialising process has been carried out, while starting the home television-game by loading the game program into the home television-game unit; means for storing an interruption state of the home television-game into the memory, when the home television-game is interrupted; means for outputting the sign code of the state from the memory to the home television-game unit, when the home television-game is started after interruption thereof; means for displaying a request message for the game player to select or not select a restarting process where the interruption state of the home television-game is loaded from the memory to the home television-game unit; means for restarting the home television-game on the basis of a second time of the home television-game, which is calculated with respect to the first time thereof by the real time clock, when the restarting process is selected; means for clearing the interruption state from the memory, when the restarting process is not selected, thereby carrying out the time initialising process; and means for setting the sign code into the memory to store the state which indicates that the time initialising time process has been carried out, while starting the home television-game by loading the game program into the home television-game unit. A method of playing a home television-game on the basis of real time, comprising the steps of: inserting a ROM cartridge (2) into a home television game unit (1), the ROM cartridge comprising a memory (8) and a real time clock (4), respectively supplied with power from a battery (5), and a ROM (7) storing a game program; and displaying a request message for a game player to enter a first time of the home television-game into the real time clock, thereby carrying out a time initialising process, characterised in that the method further comprises the steps of: setting a sign code (SW) into the memory to store a state which indicates that the time initialising process has been carried out, while starting the home television-game by loading the game program into the home television-game unit; storing an interruption state of the home television-game into the memory, when the home television-game is interrupted; outputting the sign code of the state from the memory to the home television-unit, when the home television-game is started after interruption thereof; displaying a request message for the game player to select or not select a restarting process where the interruption state of the home television-game is loaded from the memory to the home television-game unit; restarting the home television-game on basis of a second time of the home television-game, which is calculated with respect to the first time thereof by the real time clock, when the restarting process is selected; clearing the interruption state from the memory, when the restarting process is not selected, thereby carrying out the time initialising process; and setting the sign code into the memory to store the state which indicates that the time initialising process has been carried out, while starting the home television game by loading the game program into the home television game unit.

Inventors: AOYAMA KOJI, AOYAMA, KOJI, Aoyama, Koji, c/o Hudson Soft Co., Ltd.
Applicants: HUDSON SOFT CO LTD, HUDSON SOFT CO., LTD.
Application year: 1996
Main classification: A63F13
IPC codes: A63F13