DE3403812A1 - SETUP WITH ASSIGNED TAPE FOR CARRYING OUT VIDEO GAMES - Google Patents

Description

EQUIPMENT WITH ASSIGNED TAPE TO PERFORM

VIDEO GAMES

The invention relates to a device for playing video games and is particularly concerned with video games, which are performed along with data and sounds recorded on a tape.

Electronic game devices that generate signals with their Help icons displayed on the screen of a television receiver are well known and are disclosed in US patents 3 728 480, 3 778 058, 3 829 095, Re 28 507 and Re 28 598 of the applicant. In the electronic game machines disclosed in these patents are suitable for a line scan head display such as it is available on a commercially available television receiver or on a television monitor, and have it Electronic circuits or electronic components for generating signals which, when transmitted to the Grid screens provide a display of moving game symbols, dots or other clues on this screen. Most of the types of these television games on the market today use a microprocessor to which is loaded with a permanent memory to determine the type of game to be played.

Applicant's U.S. Patents 3,921,161 and 4,194,198 disclose improvements to such television games, wherein Data and / or voice signals coming from the output of a tape recorder originate, can be used in connection with the signals that are generated in the gaming device itself. US Pat. No. 3,921,161 discloses the recording of analog signals on a tape recorder, these signals being accompanied by such Signals are brought together, for example by

generated by the game control lever moved by the user and are used to control the movement of certain symbols that are generated and displayed by the game device. US Pat. No. 4,194,198 is concerned with the recording of digital signals on an audio tape, the digital signals being applied to, for example, the video game to control the movement of symbols on the screen of the display system. The devices disclosed in both patents can be used for this purpose _; carry out a variety of games, which are determined both by the output of voice and music signals and by the movement of the game symbols on the screen of the television receiver controlled by the tape. However, with these devices there is no possibility of a controlled, synchronous interaction between what is recorded on the tape and the signals which are generated by the game circuitry. In the devices of both patents, the tape recorder is generally turned on when the game begins _/ and it remains on until the tape expires or the game is over. There is no possibility that, for example, the circuits controlling the game automatically switch the tape recorder on or off at certain times during the performance of the game or that, for example, a voice signal emitted by the tape recorder is suppressed while the game is being performed . This means that all output signals of the tape recorder are given to the game control circuits and no provision is made for any information from the game control circuits to be supplied and used to control the tape recorder.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to further develop the video game system that works with a tape recorder to design, namely in such a way that synchronization between the video game and the tape recorder is brought about and a two-way connection between the tape recorder and

the video game circuitry.

According to the invention, the usual microprocessor-controlled video games are used in this way to solve this problem further developed that their use in connection with the data and / or data supplied by a tape recorder Sound signals can be used, the output signals of the microprocessor-controlled game devices being used to control the To synchronize tape recorder in such a way or to control that, for example, the video game device the tape recorder can switch on and off, i.e. the motor of the recorder always switches on or off when this is desirable during the execution of the game. According to the invention are also from the tape recorder Delivered signals controlled, such as the voice and / or data signals of the tape suppressed, regardless of the Continuation of the motor and the continuation of the tape in relation to the playback head of the recorder.

The invention extends the application possibilities of the play equipment of US Patents 3,921,161 and 4,194,198 in such a way that not only data and sound signals are given to the video game by the tape recorder, but that the video game device in turn acts on the tape recorder, namely by impressing command signals for Controlling the tape recorder. This enables many different types of game to be played with simple video game machines and with game devices supported by a tape recorder, where the game device cannot control the recorder, are not possible. A major use case of the Invention is the implementation of games for very young children.

Many of the video games on the market today are suitable not suitable for very young children, especially children

at preschool age because these children are not yet able to read the rules of the game. If with the game device a tape recorder is combined, it can provide acoustic instructions while the game is being played so that the player is not required to be able to read. It should also be noted that if the Games are performed by very young children, it often happens that the children even use the tape recorder gives them acoustic instructions that do not carry out the instructions exactly, i.e. the game does not function properly is carried out. With a two-way connection between tape recorder and game device, the game device can do so be interpreted that if the instructions are not properly carried out, the tape recorder For example, repeat the instructions until the child then actually acts as it is to carry them out of the game is required. But it is also possible that the tape recorder does not go up to next instruction continues until the current instruction has been executed exactly. Through the mentioned Synchronization between the game device and tape recorder can result in incorrect operations by the player (such as the Forgetting to press a key, pressing a key incorrectly or pressing a key inadvertently) does not cause the process to run of the game and the sequence of the tape diverge.

Further details and advantages of the invention emerge from the following description and the drawing. On the drawing show:

Fig. 1 is a block diagram of a synchronized video

game system with magnetic tape recorder,

Fig. 2 is a schematic representation of the changes required to the synchronized Video game system with magnetic tape recorder of Fig. 1, and

3 is a flow diagram of a typical children's game using the system of FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG.

Fig. 1 shows, as said, a block diagram of a synchronized Video game system with magnetic tape recorder, the system including a video game 10 such as is on the market today exists. It is preferably a video game controlled by a microprocessor, with one being pluggable Read-only memory cassette 12 is provided for changing the type of game. In the following description, it is true the system in connection with a microprocessor controlled video game explains the same principles however, they are also applicable to video games with home computers, such as those from Apple. These games generally have an associated manual control unit 14 which can be manually operated with a control lever 1 6 or another Control element for moving symbols are provided, this control unit, which triggers certain switches, for positioning of a symbol or symbols 18 on the screen 20 of a television receiver 22 is used. The manual control unit 14 generally also includes one or more actuation switches, such as a push button switch 24. Another essential feature An element of the system is a tape recorder 26, preferably a cassette recorder, with an exchangeable tape cassette 28, a loudspeaker 30 and control elements 32, the latter being able to have switches which are used to switch on the recorder, switch to recording, rewind, etc.

Such conventional tape recorders generally have a head

<- * ö- - ■

3A03812

listener socket 34 on, usually as an output for the sounds recorded on the cassette 28, that is to say voice and / or music. According to the invention, it is of the connection socket 34 is preferably a stereo connection socket, so that two specific, on two different tracks of the Cassette 28 recorded signals can be picked up. In general, some of the signals are acoustically coded Data and the other signals sound signals, such as voice signals, music signals, etc. The output of the connection socket 34 of the tape recorder 26 is the video game 10 via a demodulator supplied, in accordance with the teaching of the aforementioned US Pat. No. 4,194,198. However, it is also possible to use the demodulator 36 to be physically assembled with tape recorder 26 if specifically made for video game use in accordance with the invention will. The mentioned data are used together with the data supplied from the read-only memory 12. According to In one embodiment, a single read-only memory has a multiple game capacity, along with certain Data of an audio tape such that several different audio tapes are used with the same single read-only memory can. The tape can only come into action for certain or desired areas of the non-volatile memory used. Will If no stereo output is used, then two different signals are recorded on a single track of the tape cassette 28, and filtering is used in demodulator 36 to separate the two signals. Until here The elements and processes described represent prior art, as detailed in the aforementioned U.S. Patents 3,921,161 and 4,194,198 are disclosed, the full description of which is consulted for further understanding can be.

According to the invention, the system described is now further developed in such a way that two additional input terminals 38 and 40 are provided on the tape recorder 26, such that not only information recorded on the cassette 28 from the game machine 1 O ₁ but also vice versa information from Game device 10 can be fed to the tape recorder 26. This will be easier

understandable on the basis of the schematic diagram of FIG. 2, which shows the changes that must be made to tape recorder 26 in order for it to operate in accordance with the invention can.

The motor denoted by 42 in Fig. 2 is the drive motor located in the recorder 26 for the Tape of the cassette 28. The motor is connected to a power source 44, which is shown in the drawing as a battery. Typically, the motor is connected to one or more of the switches 32 of the recorder in such a way that it can be activated by manual depression the corresponding key switch can be switched on. According to the invention, however, the engine with one of the Input-output control terminals of the video game machine 10 are connected, through a transistor switch 46. This means that the video game machine 10 has connections at its input-output terminals otherwise used to operate the controls, such as control levers, with the video game machine connect to. When the program of the video game machine starts the motor 42 and thus a run of the tape the cassette 28 calls, then the video game machine puts a high signal on line 48, causing the transistor switch 4 6 switched on and the engine started. If a shutdown of the engine is required, then the program triggers of the video game machine on the line 48 from a low signal, which the transistor 46 and thus the motor 42 is turned off.

In addition, the video game machine 10 outputs from an input-output control terminal from a high or a low signal on line 50 so as to turn transistor 5 2 on or off. The collector of the transistor is connected to the junction of two resistors 54 and 56, the other side of the Resistor 54 is connected to the sound source of the tape recorder 26 so that when a high signal from the video game machine 10 is applied to the line 50, the transistor 52 is switched on and the junction of the resistors 54 and 56 is on the ground. The result is that the sound signals of the

Tape recorder 26 are not fed to the amplifier 58, so the loudspeaker 30 does not receive any signal output. Fig. 2 also shows the application of data via the demodulator 36 to the video game machine via line 60. If also the possibility should be created to prevent all data from getting into the video game device and thereby the Do not turn off the tape recorder, then similar circuitry can be used with a circuit similar to resistors 54 and 56 and transistor 52, so that there is the possibility of the data signals to ground place. Transistor switches 46 and 52 may be incorporated into tape recorder 26 and connected to video game machine via inputs 40 and 38, respectively 10, or the transistor switches are arranged separately therefrom or in the game device 10 built-in. Figure 3 shows a flow chart of a simple children's game which can be played in accordance with the invention. If the Games fixed memory 12 in the inclusion of the microprocessor - controlled video game device 10 is inserted, then begins the game with level 62 of the program. The program first examines in step 64 whether the player has pressed the game start button, thus has actuated the key switch 24 of the manual control unit of FIG. 1, for example. This stage of the program is scjoft repeated until the game by pressing the key switch 24 has been started, at which point in time a command to start the read-only memory program is issued. (Level 66) '. When this is done the program will cause a beep to indicate that the game is about to begin. As is known, games of this type, controlled by a microprocessor, usually have the option of emitting sounds. After this Beep is decided in step 68 whether the key 24 has been actuated again or not (step 70), with actuation the button 24 of the motor 4 2 is switched on by emitting a high signal on the line 48 (Fig. 2).

When the motor is on, it puts the tape in the Cassette 28 up and running, and it gives the player an acoustic

Instruction given in such a way / that he should now start the fish game and indicate that by pressing the key again he is ready. To ensure that the tape recorder actually stops after the acoustic signal has been given, the Tape recorder sends a single or multiple data tone from its socket 34 to the video game machine. The video game machine determines in step 72 whether a data tone or a multiple data tone has been emitted by the recorder; meets if so, then the motor is stopped in step 74 by outputting a low signal to the one with the Line 48 connected to the input-output control terminal of the video game machine 10. The program then executes in step 78 iterations through and waits for a further actuation of the button 24 of the manual control unit 14, so waits that the Indicates that the player is ready to begin the game. If this readiness display arrives in step 78, then the fish symbol appears on the screen 20 of the television receiver 22 18 displayed. When the fish symbol appears on the screen, the program in step 80 starts the tape recorder's motor 26 in progress, namely by outputting a high signal on the line 48. The tape recorder then gives an acoustic message to ask the player to move the fish symbol, which happens in level 82. The acoustic message can consist in that the player is asked to operate the game or control lever to move the fish symbol. If a lock, a river or other things are shown on the screen, the acoustic message consist in the request to operate the game lever so that the fish symbol is upstream through the lock emotional. Simultaneously in step 84 the program starts the internal timer of the video game machine. The program is designed in such a way that the player moves the fish symbol over the specified distance within a certain period of time got to. If this period of time has expired, then at step 86 the program commands the timer to be stopped. After this Stop of the timer, the program gives a new command in step 88 to the input connected to the line 48

Output connection of the tape recorder in such a way that the motor is switched off will.

From the consideration of the flow diagram it follows that at all times there is a synchronization between the tape recorder, the Solid-state storage program and the human player. For example, in step 68 of the program, the Tape recorder at rest until the player is ready by pressing the manual control switch 24 indicates. Similarly, in step 74, the program stops the tape recorder depending on the required Key switch response. Until that answer comes in, nothing happens. This does not result in the player having to to react immediately and quickly or at all. The program remains in its repetition loop in step 76 until the player presses the key switch has indicated his readiness, as he was previously prompted by the acoustic notification. Depression of the key triggers step 78 which causes the fish symbol to be displayed, whereupon Immediately there is an acoustic indication that the player should move the fish symbol. Nothing the player does, for example that he presses the key switch on the manual control unit can cause a malfunction of the program because this only monitors the timing of the game (moving the fish symbol along the specified distance). Then a Another acoustic signal appear, which informs the player that the game is over, whereupon finally the The engine is switched off automatically.

At no point can any mistake by the player disrupt the timing between the spoken word or the start and end of the associated video game. Incorrect actuation of the keys can therefore not cancel the synchronization, not even deliberation errors or other incorrect answers from the player. As mentioned, this is due to the new feature that the video game machine has the start-stop function of the tape recorder as well as from the fact

that recorded audio data signals are used to to continue your own program through the various program steps.

The program of Fig. 3 is intended for a very simple game. However, the basics can also be applied to much more complicated games, using Usage the acoustic signals and the data signals supplied by a tape recorder, which is understandable to those skilled in the art is. Compared to the described and illustrated embodiment, numerous modifications are possible without the To leave the scope of the invention.

- blank page -

Claims (9)

PATENT CLAIMS Q \ J} Device with a processor-controlled game device having input-output control connections and a sound reproducing device which supplies the game device with data and / or sound signals, characterized by a device for establishing synchronization between the. Sound playback device (26) and the game device (10), which have elements (48, 50) for supplying an output from the game device (10) controlling the sound playback device (26) to the input-output control connections (38, 40) . 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the sound playback device with a tape player a, the tape drive motor (42), wherein the output supplying elements a signal for input and Switching off the motor (42) of the tape player (26) deliver .. 3. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that the elements generating the signal are a two-level signal supply, whereby one signal state starts the engine, the other signal state switches the engine off. 4. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that the tape player has a Pern control connection having, wherein the end of the motor on and off Signal is applied to this remote control connection. 5. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that the synchronization causing device with an electronic switch is provided which is coupled to the motor (42) so that the supplied signal operated the switch to turn the Motoi £ on and off. 6. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the elements supplying the output, the sound of the tape player switch off. 7. Device according to claim 1 for playing games on the screen of a television receiver by a programmable video game device with usable read-only memory, the input-output control connections for generating a display on the screen (20) of the television receiver (22) by an audio frequency magnetic tape-on Drawing and playback device with a sound-magnetic tape, on which sound signals and binary-coded digital data signals are recorded, wherein the digital data signals contain commands for the video game, which in the inserted read-only memory Trigger contained program steps in sequence, and controlled by elements ^ of the recording / playback device by switching the device on and off under the supervision of the read-only memory program, whereby the control elements deliver output signals to the input-output control connections of the video game device. 8. Device according to claim 7, characterized in that the magnetic tape recorder is a standard cassette recorder. 9. Device according to claim 1 for maintaining a Synchronization between a variety of on a video game device given input signals, characterized by a programmable video game device (10) with an insertable Read-only memory, the device being input-output control connections for achieving a display on the screen of a Has television receiver, by an audio frequency magnetic tape-on Drawing and playback device with a magnetic tape, on which voice signals and binary-coded digital data are recorded, the digital data containing command signals for the video game machine and those in the inserted Program steps contained in permanent memory in the series after triggering, by elements for controlling the recording-reproducing device by connecting and disconnecting the device from the input-output control terminals issued commands, and by a program contained in read-only memory that the Output of acoustic signals and game signals for the player controls.