Abstract:
A game processing device in a displaying apparatus is capable of receiving a game data from an electronic device outside the displaying apparatus. The game processing device comprises: a transmission interface module, for receiving a game data, wherein the game data is used for rendering at least one game image; and a processing module, coupled to the transmission interface module, for rendering the game image according to the game data.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a game processing device, and particularly to a game processing device that utilizes a graphic processor and/or a processor disposed in a displaying apparatus to render game images. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Prior Art 
         [0004]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating a prior art game device  10  and a displaying apparatus  100 . The game device  10  is for playing video game and the display apparatus  100  is used for displaying the game images. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the game device  10  includes a graphic processing unit  11  for rendering each frame (game image) of the whole game process. After the graphic processing unit  11  renders a game image, the game image is temporarily stored to a storage unit  12 , and the stored game image is then output to the output interface  13  and subsequently transmitted to the displaying apparatus  100 . When the game image is complicated or has a higher resolution, such as 3° D. game image, the game device  10  needs a powerful graphic processing unit  11  and a storage unit  12  with a large storage space for respectively rendering and storing the game image. Additionally, since the game device  10  outputs a complete game image, the total data amount is large and an output interface  13  with a large bandwidth and high speed is required. 
         [0005]    As techniques improve, the displaying chip in the displaying apparatus  100  includes more and more powerful functions, and can even include the graphic processing function in some cases. The game device  10 , however, cannot utilize the device in the displaying apparatus  100  to render the game image in the prior art, and must comprise the graphic processing unit  11  and the storage unit  12 . Accordingly, the cost of the game apparatus  10  remains high. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    One objective of the present invention is therefore to provide a game processing device that utilizes a graphic processor and/or a processor of a displaying apparatus to render the game image. 
         [0007]    One embodiment of the present invention discloses a game processing device in a displaying apparatus. The game processing device is capable of receiving a game data from an electronic device outside the displaying apparatus, and comprises: a transmission interface module, for receiving a game data, wherein the game data is used for rendering at least one game image; and a processing module, coupled to the transmission interface module, for rendering the game image according to the game data, wherein the processing module at least includes a graphic processor and/or a processor of the displaying apparatus. 
         [0008]    In one embodiment of the present invention, the game data is from an electronic device that can be a mobile phone, a PDA or a computer. 
         [0009]    In one embodiment of the present invention, the game processing device further includes an interface signal transforming device. The interface signal transforming device is coupled between the electronic device and the transmission interface module, and is for transforming a first signal format, which is used by the electronic device to output the game data, into a second signal format. 
         [0010]    In one embodiment of the present invention, the game processing device comprises: an interface signal transforming device, for transforming a game data, received from an electronic device, in a first signal format into transformed game data in a second signal format, wherein the game data is used for rendering at least one game image; a transmission interface module, for receiving game data from the interface signal transforming device; and a processing module, coupled to the transmission interface module, for rendering the game image according to the transformed game data; wherein the interface signal transforming device and the electronic device are outside of a displaying apparatus, and the transmission interface module and the processing module are disposed in the displaying apparatus. 
         [0011]    These and other objectives of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment that is illustrated in the various figures and drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating a prior art game device and displaying apparatus. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram illustrating a game processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram illustrating a game processing device according to another embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0015]    As techniques improve, TV/display sizes increase, and the TV/display therefore has a higher resolution and quality. Modern TVs utilize a powerful graphic processor and a powerful processor to process image frames of high quality. Accordingly, the present invention provides a game processing device that utilizes the graphic processor and/or the processor in the TV to process a game image, such that the game can be played on an electronic device or a game device without powerful processing capability. 
         [0016]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram illustrating a game processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in  FIG. 2 , the game processing device  200  includes a transmission interface module  201  and a processing module  203 . The transmission interface module  201  is used for receiving game data GD that includes information related to rendering a game image such as: image information of the game characters, background information of the game image, and location and/or shift information of the game characters. The processing module  203  is coupled to the transmission interface module  201  for rendering the related game images according to the game data GD, wherein the processing module  203  is disposed in a display or a TV. In one embodiment, the processing module  203  can be a graphic processor and/or a processor in the TV. The game processing device  200  can further include a storage device  207  for temporarily storing game images that are already rendered or being rendered. The storage device  207  can, for example, be a DRAM. 
         [0017]    In this embodiment, the game data GD comes from an electronic device  20  that can be a personal computer, a PDA (personal digital assistant), a mobile phone or a game device. Such electronic devices usually have an operation system such as Linux, thus the game processing device  200  can further has a driving program (not illustrated) corresponding to the operation for controlling the electronic device  20  to transmit the game data GD to the transmission interface module  201 . The driving program can be a pre-designed program corresponding to a particular operation system. The driving program can also correspond to a plurality of operation systems, and the type of operation system in the electronic device  20  is detected when the electronic device  20  is connected to the game processing device  200 . Thereafter, a suitable command is provided to control the electronic device  20  to transmit the game data GD to the transmission interface module  201 . Additionally, a suitable driving program can be pre-installed in the electronic device  20 , and then the game processing device  200  can control or communicate with the electronic device  20  when the electronic device  20  is connected to the game processing device  200 . 
         [0018]    In one embodiment, the data and instructions from the electronic device  20  are first received by the game processing device  200 , and it is then determined to which operation system the data and instruction belong to, so that the resource of software or hardware can be assigned. Such an operation can be executed via the processing module  203 , in one example. The mechanism of determining the operation system is well known by persons skilled in the art and is therefore omitted here for brevity. It should be noted that the transmission interface module  201  can be integrated with the processing module  203 , but can also be independent from the processing module  203 . 
         [0019]    Rendering a game image can be executed by the game processing device  200  when the electronic device  20  executes the game program. The electronic device  20  transmits the game data GD, such as image information of the game characters, background information of the game image, and location and/or shift information of the game characters, to the game processing device  200 . After that, the processing module  203  utilizes the game data GD to render game images. In other words, the electronic device  20  is only for the controlling of the game, and the game processing device  200  in the TV is for processing the game data GD and then rendering the game images. In one embodiment, the game data GD further includes audio data, and the processing module  203  can construct the sound and music of the game according to the audio data. 
         [0020]    According to the above-mentioned description, since the electronic device  20  first transmits the game data to the processing module and then renders the game image, rather than the prior art method that transmits the game image after it is rendered, the data transmission amount can be largely reduced. In this way, the transmission interface between the electronic device  20  and the game processing device  200  can be a transmission interface, for example, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) interface, a Bluetooth interface, or a Wi-Fi interface. Of course, the transmission interface between the electronic device  20  and the game processing device  200  can also be a high-speed transmission interface such as an HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) or a DVI (Digital Visual Interface). Therefore, the various transmission interfaces as mentioned above can be applied to the transmission interface module  201  to receive game data GD from the electronic device  20 . 
         [0021]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram illustrating a game processing device  300  according to another embodiment of the present invention. As shown in  FIG. 3 , the game processing device  300  includes a transmission interface module  301 , a processing module  303 , an interface signal transforming device  305  and a storage device  307 . The operation and the function of the transmission interface module  301 , the processing module  303  and the storage device  307  are the same as in the above-mentioned embodiments, and thus details are omitted here for brevity. The interface signal transforming device  305  is coupled between the electronic device  20  and the transmission interface module  301 , and is for transforming a first signal format, which is used by the electronic device  20  to output the game data, into a second signal format. In one embodiment, the interface signal transforming device  305  is for transforming game data GD that is transmitted by the electronic device  20  in USB format into game data GD in transport stream format. Also, in another embodiment, the interface signal transforming apparatus  305  is for transforming game data GD that is transmitted by the electronic device  20  in USB format into game data GD′ in I 2 C (Inter-integrated Circuit) signal format. Practically, the interface signal transforming device  305  can be built in the TV/display, but also can be outside of the TV/display. Additionally, the interface signal transforming device  305  outside of the TV/display can be coupled between the electronic device  20  and the game processing device  300  within the TV/display. 
         [0022]    Since a conventional TV/display does not include a USB interface and most mobile electronic devices only have USB interfaces, the interface signal format output from the electronic device  20  can be transformed to the interface signal format supported by the transmission interface module  303  via the transforming operation performed by the interface signal transforming device  305  shown in  FIG. 3 . The connection between the game processing device  300  and the electronic device  20  is therefore made possible, and the electronic device  20  can be connected to the game processing device  300  of the TV/display without extra or expensive connection interfaces. 
         [0023]    According to the above-mentioned embodiment, the game processing device according to the present invention utilizes a graphic engine or a processor (i.e. a processing module) that is originally disposed in the TV/display to render game images. In this way, the graphic processing unit and a large storage unit are not essential components of the game device, such that the cost for a game device can be significantly decreased. 
         [0024]    Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the apparatus and method may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention.