GB2424595A

GB2424595A - Computer game electrical stimulation pads

Info

Publication number: GB2424595A
Application number: GB0506774A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Clive Thomas Wrightson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-04-02
Filing date: 2005-04-02
Publication date: 2006-10-04
Also published as: GB0506774D0

Abstract

A computer game accessory which connects to and receives digital instructions from a computer and as a result produces electrical pulses which are fed to pads attached to a players body for the purpose of producing electrical stimulation to the players muscles thereby adding physical effect to the game experience.

Description

IMPROVEMENTS TO COMPUTERJVIDEO GAMES

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a computer game accessory designed to enhance the enjoyment that a player gets from a computer game by creating a heightened awareness of certain events in the game thus intensifying a players sense of participation in the game as a result of which the players enjoyment of the game is increased.

Most computer games which are made available to the buying public today operate in a similar way.

A typical computer game consists of a software package which may only run on a computer specially designed or adapted for playing computer games but in many cases the said software package will be written and intended to run on any general purpose personal computer; often referred to as a "PC".

Such general purpose personal computers may sometimes be designed to receive additional control devices designed to enhance a players enjoyment of the game. Such devices may, for example, take the form of a wheel or a joystick with additional control buttons. A joystick may, for example, be moved in any planar direction in order to control the movement of images on the computer screen. Additional control buttons are often provided which can be used to initiate various actions which may take place within the game such as the firing of a gun. All of these things and various other enhancements of a similar nature are designed to increase a players participation in the game and thus improve the players enjoyment of the game.

Computer games are constantly improving, particularly in their ability to provide enhanced player feedback and participation and more recent enhancements to these games take, for example, the form of simulated 3 dimensional graphics and also various other choices which are available to the player in terms of the direction the game will continue to follow. A player may be able to decide to direct a screen character along one of various different routes in journey to any one of several possible destinations, therefore each time the game is played the course of the game may be different.

Other improvements consist of various hi fidelity sound effects designed to supplement other enhanced on screen graphics.

The purpose of all of the aforementioned improvements, are to enhance a players enjoyment when playing the computer game.

All of these features however constitute improvements in the basic audio visual feedback occurring between the game and the player they do not extend the sensual participation of the player beyond the standard audio visual effects.

It an object of the present invention to add a further dimension to the feedback available to a player of a computer game by providing physical effects which can be felt by a player. Said effects are created by pads attached to selected parts of a players body. These pads receive electrical signals the intensity of which are controlled by the computer which is running the game programme.

In other embodiments the frequency may also be controlled.

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a computer game accessory consisting of means for receiving digital instructions from a computer, means for converting said digital signals into internal control signals which are used by the computer game accessory to direct electrical pulses, generated either internally or externally, to one or more pads attached to a players body at an amplitude and for a period of time directed by said digital instructions received from the computer which is running the computer game.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a computer game accessory with manual means for initiating various control signals which are used by the computer game accessory to direct electrical pulses generated internally or externally to one or more pads attached to a players body in order to test or to set up said accessory.

According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a computer game accessory which is capable of being switched into a Toner mode whereupon it can be used to produce relaxing muscle toning impulses. This can be used pre or post computer game or independently of the computer game.

There now follows a detailed description to be read with reference to the accompanying drawings, which is given by way of example only and is one preferred embodiment of many possible embodiments of this invention.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 Is an opto-isolator together with an inverting buffer Figure 2 Is an astable circuit generating internal frequency pulses Figure 3 Is an astable circuit generating internal toner pulses Figure 4 Is a test or set up button Figure 5 Is a combiner for manual or computer generated signals Figure 6 Is the output logic for user body pads Figure 7 Is the power up delay circuit Figure 8 Is the toner mode select switch Figure 9 Is a latch and digital to analogue converter Figure 10 Is the output section Figure 11 Is the pod activation switch and indicator Figure 12 Is the Darlington driver section Figure 13 Is decoder and pad select section Figure 14 Controls the pad selection by manual or computer control Figure 15 These are monostable timers to latch the trigger signals Referring now to figure 1, This is an input circuit and buffer for signals from the computer (referred to hereafter as the CPU) consisting of opto-isolators and a 4049 CMOS chip for inverting two of the input signals. In 1 is a trigger input which is pulled high momentarily by the CPU to indicate that a pad should be triggered.

Inputs 2 to 5 select the pad number by use of a 4 bit binary code and indicate which pad should be triggered. The CPU set these at the same time as the trigger input.

Inputs 6 and 7 are the power level select and is a 2 bit binary signal making selection of 1 of a possible 4 power levels possible.

Figures 2 and 3 are astables which are based on a 555 timer chip. In figure 2 the final shock is an AC signal of around 30-150 Hz. The frequency of the signal effects the feel' of the output shock, Higher frequencies 500+ are more harsh and very low frequencies 20Hz can seem relaxing. The effects of such frequencies are well known. VR1 is provided to adjust the signal but may not always be provided. In figure 2 the circuit is basically the same as figure 1, but this produces a slow continuous pulse switched only when in "Toner" mode.

The current implementation has the ability to be used as a muscle toner producing a similar output to other devices on the market today. Once switched on, a slow astable; adjustable from 10Hz to 0.25Hz; will drive the pads rather than a drive signal from the CPU.

Figure 4 shows a test button. For every pad on the device there is a test button. When pressed, a pad will fire as if the CPU had set the power level "0" i.e., it will fire on minimum. Holding this test button will simulate the CPU choosing the highest setting. Therefore, by using this button in combination with other test buttons and the manual adjustment, a player is able to experience the full range of outputs the CPU is going to cause before a player begins a game.

In figure 5 computer generated and manual signals are combined. This circuit can use the CPU power settings or the "high" switch override. Capacitors are used to slow the signal so that it can be latched correctly. In 1 and 2 are inputs 6 and 7 from figure 1 having passed through the input buffer Figure 6 is the output logic with it's signals derived from the figure 13 decoder this circuit is based on 4071 lcl6a to lCl7a and 4081 chips IC 14a to IC2Ob, it accepts decoded input signals from the 4028 decoder show in figure 13 after they have been enabled by the "sig" input via the combiners based on 4011 chips lClOa to lCl2b.

Figure 7 illustrates the power up delay circuit. This is designed to eliminate false triggering due to the capacitance in the circuit and the timer parts of the circuit having the wrong states as they power up.

Figure 8 switches on the toner function which may or may not be independent of the computer game, in this example the toner signals are derived from an internal astable shown in figure 3 but in certain other embodiments toner signals may be part of the computer game.

Figure 9 is a two bit latch and digital to analogue converter. When a pad is triggered the input information contains a two bit power level. So that this pad can continue to be active at the correct power level even after the input signal has ceased to be sent from the CPU, the two bit power level is stored on a 74LS75 4 bit latch. One of these is required for each two pads. The data is stored momentarily when the pad is first triggered (when the enable input is set to high) Thereafter the enable input is set low. Capacitors C7 and 8 in figure 5 are used to hold the power level signals for a short time to prevent data errors.

Figure 10 shows the output circuit which deals with CPU controlled voltage levels and also incorporates manual adjustment. This allows for independent manual adjustment of each pad, thus enabling each pad to be working at a different range of output levels. This is important as every muscle, every attachment and every player can be different. It is important to have this separate adjustment for the output range that each pad works within and it should be noted that this adjustment could, in a different embodiment of this invention, be placed in the software, providing that the hardware accommodated this.

Figure 11 is a simple switching circuit for isolating the pads, one is required per pad and figure 12 is the Darlington drivers allowing current through the output section of each pad.

Figure 14 provides "select pad by manual" or CPU option and figure 15 are monostable timers where one is required for each pad to prevent short triggering. The CPU is able to continually re-trigger a pad whenever it wishes but it is necessary to have a minimum trigger length because the CPU may have other tasks to perform and will miss a particular pad for a number of clock cycles. The monostable time is set to about one third of a second.

There are many different possible embodiments for this invention and each embodiment disclosed in this specification including the drawings is given by way of example only and may be replaced by alternative embodiments serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise each embodiment disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar embodiments which can incorporate the invention.

Claims

A computer game accessory intended for connection to a computer which computer in use is running a computer game the said accessory consisting of means for receiving digital instructions from said computer means for converting the said digital instructions into internal control signals and means for enabling the said internal control signals to direct electrical pulses to one or more pads intended for attachment to a players body.
2 A computer game accessory as claimed in claim 1 where the said electrical pulses which are directed to one or more pads intended for attachment to a player body are derived from an external source.
3 A computer game accessory as claimed in claim I or 2 where the said electrical pulses which are directed to one or more pads intended for attachment to a player body are derived from an internal source.
4 A computer game accessory as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 which includes means for varying the amplitude of the electrical pulses sent to one or more pads intended for attachment to a players body in response to information contained in the digital signals received from said computer.
A computer game accessory as claimed in any previous claim which includes means for varying the amplitude of the electrical pulses sent to one or more pads intended for attachment to a players body in response to manual control means which is part of said accessory.
6 A computer game accessory as claimed in any previous claim which includes means for varying the voltage of the electrical pulses sent to one or more pads intended for attachment to a players body in response to information contained in the digital signals received from said computer.
7 A computer game accessory as claimed in any previous claim which includes means for varying the voltage of the electrical pulses sent to one or more pads intended for attachment to a players body in response to manual control means which is part of said accessory.
8 A computer game accessory as claimed in any previous claim which includes means for manually causing electrical pulses to be directed to one or more pads intended for attachment to a players body.
9 A computer game accessory as claimed in any previous claim which includes means for internally generating digital instructions independently of any computer to which it may be connected for the purpose of causing the accessory to produce impulses directed to one or more pads intended for attachment to a players body which pulses are intended to have a relaxing muscle toning effect.