JP3061679U - Data conversion device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Problem] To provide a data conversion device for converting data of a memory card so that it can be used in game machines of different designs. A serial data interface unit, a data buffer unit, a data processing unit, and a parallel data interface unit are included. It is possible to compress and convert a recording data signal stored in a memory card used by several types of game machines currently on the market, and to compress and convert a data signal. Therefore, it is possible to convert a control signal between a specific game machine and an unspecified memory card.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[0001]

[Technical field to which the invention belongs]

 The present invention relates to a data conversion device, particularly to a data conversion device between a home game machine and a memory card.

[0002]

[Prior art]

 The main products in the home TV game market in recent years are Nintendo 64 (N64), Sega Saturn (SS), and Sony PlayStation (PS). The game software is being upgraded to new versions, and we are constantly developing a variety of approaches to game types, including simulation games, strategic games, and role playing games. Many of these are designed to make it difficult to break through the first level in one setting and move on to the next. Therefore, in order for the player to resume the game from the point at which the game was completed last time, a data storage system for recording a game result is required. At present, the main game products are increasing the memory capacity of the game system by attaching an external memory card slot.

However, each of the current game machines has a unique technical design, and uses a unique memory card. The capacity differs depending on the memory card, and there is no compatibility. Table 1 shows the capacity of the memory card used by the above-mentioned consumer game machine maker in a table.

[0004]

[Table 1] Each manufacturer produces only proprietary memory cards with unique design documents and memory capacities. As a result, players will have to purchase a specific memory card for their game console to store the increasing record data of the game.

[0005] The cost of manufacturing memory chips per unit is gradually decreasing due to the dramatic improvement in production technology. In fact, the memory card capacity of the SS machine is 8 times that of the PS machine and 32 times that of the N64 machine, but its price has not increased to 8 times or 32 times. Therefore, a data conversion device (hereinafter referred to as DTD) that can be used with any company's memory card gives players the option to purchase a larger memory cartridge and eliminates the memory limitations of the game model. is there.

Further, by compressing data by an appropriate data compression method, more data can be stored in the same space, and the efficiency of the memory card is further increased.

[0007]

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

 The present invention seeks to solve the inconvenience and incompatibility caused by the fact that a memory cartridge made for a specific game machine cannot be used on another game machine. It also aims to prevent major manufacturers from monopolizing the memory card market through their own structure. In addition, it aims to allow players to purchase memory cards with the same storage space at a lower cost, without having to buy a memory card with the same storage space at a higher price.

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide a data conversion device for converting data in a memory card so that the data conversion device can be used in game machines of different designs. Another object of the present invention is to provide a data conversion device capable of compressing recording data from a game machine.

[0009]

[Means for Solving the Problems] The inconvenience and problem of memory cards designed for each game machine being incompatible with each other, and the fact that uncompressed data occupies a large memory space. In consideration of disadvantages, the DTD of the present invention compresses and converts data to be stored on a memory card from various types of game machines, and further converts data between a game machine of a specific design and a memory card of another design. Acts as a converter for compression and control signal transmission. The DTD includes at least a serial data interface unit, a data buffer unit, a data processing unit, and a serial / parallel data interface unit.

[0010]

[Embodiment of the invention]

 FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a layout in which a game machine, a memory card, a TV (monitor) and a CD-ROM drive are connected according to the prior art. The existing game machine 3 can read the program data from the program data output port of the CD-ROM drive, and after processing the data, can output the data to the video image input port of the TV (monitor) 1. Since each manufacturer has its own system design, the connection method to the memory card is different. For example, the SS game machine 3 is directly connected to the memory card 11, and the data interface is based on parallel-to-parallel communication. The PS game machine 3 is also directly connected to the memory card 11, but the game machine 3 and the memory card 11 are connected to a serial interface through a memory card controller 14, and the data interface is based on serial communication. As for the N64 game machine 3, a pad controller 13 or a joystick controller is serially connected, and a memory card 12 connected in parallel to the game machine 3 is inserted.

FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of a first form of the DTD, in which DTD 50 is a minimum data processing unit 51, a serial data interface unit 52, a serial / parallel data interface unit 53, and a data The buffer unit 54 is included. The serial data interface unit 52 controlled by the data processing unit 51 can communicate with the game machine 3 through a serial interface and transmit the data to the data processing unit 51. The data processing unit 51 calculates the input data, stores the result in the data buffer unit 54, and controls the operation of the serial / parallel data interface unit 53 to read and write data from the memory card in serial or parallel. Is possible.

The data flow of the DTD 50 of the present invention is as follows: data from the game machine 3 is read serially and transmitted to the data processing unit 51, and then by a serial or parallel interface (by a memory chip in a memory cartridge). , Stored in memory. Alternatively, the data processing unit 51 reads the data stored in the memory card in serial / parallel, and outputs the data to the game machine 3 in serial. In this process, when the DTD 50 and the memory card perform serial data communication, the control / data bus of the serial / parallel data interface unit 53 includes signals related to timing, line selection, and data. Become. On the other hand, when data communication is performed in parallel, the control data bus of the serial / parallel data interface unit 53 includes read, write, data, and address signals. The signal control portion of the control / data bus of the serial / parallel data interface unit 53 includes timing, line selection, read / write, and other applications in the memory chip on the memory card.

Further, when the DTD 50 reads data from the game machine 3, the operations performed by the data processing unit 51 include a data compression operation using a known data compression algorithm such as a human algorithm for symbolizing a continuous character. And storing the compressed data in memory through the serial / parallel data interface unit 53. When the DTD 50 retrieves data from the memory, the operation performed by the data processing unit 51 includes the operation of decompressing the data compressed by the above-described compression algorithm and the operation of transmitting the data to the game machine 3 through the serial data interface unit 52. Is included.

In addition to data compression and decompression operations, the data processing unit 51 of the DTD 50 converts data into serial / parallel mode communication according to the interface type of the external memory card. The data processing unit 51 can be a microprocessor, a single-chip controller, or a digital control line.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a connection layout of the DTD 50, the game machine, and the memory card. This application is based on the PS game machine 3. Referring to FIG. 3 and FIG. 1, according to the prior art, the memory card 11 is connected to the game machine 3 through a memory card controller 14 by a serial data interface unit. If there is a DTD 50, it is connected to the game machine 3 through the serial data interface unit 52 by inserting the DTD 50 into the memory card slot of FIG. If the DTD 50 is used, the memory card 20 having a larger capacity can be used, not only for the PS machine.

Further, the DTD can have a switch (not shown) for selecting a memory bank in a larger memory capacity when storing data. When the memory card 20 performs the parallel communication with the DTD 50, the switch is switched so that a signal using a larger bit is transmitted so as to use a large-capacity memory bank.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a DTD according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The DTD 60 includes at least a data processing unit 61, a serial data interface unit 62, a serial / parallel data interface unit 63, a data buffer unit 64, and a serial control interface unit 65. The data processing unit 61, the serial data interface unit 62, the serial / parallel data interface unit 63, and the data buffer unit 64 are the same as those of the DTD 50 of the first embodiment, and have the same connection functions (accordingly, Detailed description is omitted). The difference between the two modes is that the DTD 60 has a serial control interface unit 65, which serves as a communication conduit between the DTD 60 and the pad controller 13, and which is controlled by the data processing unit 61, so that the data from the pad controller 13 is transmitted. The point is that it is possible to read the signal and output the signal transmitted from the game machine 3 to the pad controller 13 (see FIG. 5).

The data flow of the DTD 60 is as follows. Serial data from the game machine 3 is read into the data processing unit 61, and the serial data includes stored data and control data. The data processing unit 61 performs the data compression algorithm described in the first embodiment, and can store the data in the memory through a serial / parallel interface.

A part of the control data transmitted from the game machine 3 to the pad controller 13 is intercepted by the data processing unit 61 with respect to a read / write signal to / from the memory. The remaining data is transmitted to the pad controller through the serial control interface unit 65. Therefore, the pad controller 13 does not save the data to the memory or read the data from the memory, and the DTD 60 of the present invention performs the operation instead.

When the pad controller 13 issues a command to download stored data from the memory to the game machine 3, the DTD 60 intercepts a control signal through the serial control interface unit 65 and replaces the pad controller 13. Notify the game machine 3. The data from the memory is read by the serial / parallel interface and transmitted to the data processing unit 61. The data is decompressed and transmitted to the system unit through the serial data interface unit 62.

Further, the DTD 60 can confirm the key press control status of the pad controller 13. The data processing unit 61 reads the data and performs a switching operation to switch the memory bank of the memory card or to execute a signal instruction. Such a definition (confirmation) signal of the key press control status is intercepted by the DTD 60 and is not transmitted to the game machine 3.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a layout of the game machine 3, the memory card 20, and the pad controller 13 of the DTD 60. In this embodiment, the N64 game machine 3 is taken as an example. Referring to FIG. 1, the memory card 12 is directly inserted into the pad controller 13 in the prior art, but the DTD 60 can be used as a communication conduit between the game machine 3 and the pad controller 13. Signals from both sides can be efficiently intercepted, stored in or read from memory, and data access can be performed in place of the pad controller 13. As a result, a larger memory capacity can be enjoyed by using a memory card 20 other than N64.

FIG. 6 shows a circuit diagram of an embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment includes at least a data processing unit whose configuration is completed by a single chip processor 70 and a data buffer unit whose configuration is completed by a memory chip 71. The single chip processor 70 incorporates a programming input / output interface including a communication serial data interface port, and serially interfaces with a game machine and a pad controller (not shown). The memory data interface port communicates with the memory card (not shown) in serial / parallel. A DTD signal for connection to a game machine is connected to an input port 72, and the signal is connected to an output port 73 for connection to a memory card and a pad controller. Further, the monitor 74 can indicate the location of the memory bank to be switched by the pad controller.

In the embodiments of the present invention DTD60 and DTD50, the unspecified memory card 20 allows a larger capacity SS memory card to be used in a PS or N64 game machine or a PS memory card to be used in an N64 game machine. Become. In addition, larger-capacity memories, such as serial flash memories used in digital cameras, and other erasable memories can all be used for the same purpose.

[0025]

[Effects of the present invention]

 The data conversion device according to the present invention can effectively solve the incompatibility existing between existing memory cards designed exclusively for the entertainment system concerned. It also provides an effective means for gaming consoles to use higher capacity memory and frees the user from the situation where only certain memory cards made for economic benefits can be used.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a layout in which a conventional game machine is connected to a memory card, a TV set (monitor), and a CD-ROM drive.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a first embodiment of a DTD according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram in which the DTD of FIG. 2 is connected to a game machine and a memory card.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a second embodiment of the DTD according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a block diagram in which the DTD of FIG. 4 is connected to a game machine, a memory card, and a pad controller.

FIG. 6 is a circuit diagram showing an embodiment of the DTD of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 TV 3 game machine 11 memory card 12 memory card 14 memory card controller 20 memory card 50 DTD 51 data processing unit 52 serial data interface unit 53 parallel data interface unit 54 data buffer unit 60 DTD 61 data processing unit 62 serial data interface unit 63 Parallel data interface unit 64 Data buffer unit 65 Serial control interface unit 70 Single chip processor 71 Memory chip 72 Input port 73 Output port 74 Monitor

Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code FI G06K 17/00 G06K 17/00 L

Claims (3)

[Utility model registration claims] 1. A data conversion device for converting data between a memory card and a game machine to provide compatibility, outputting data stored in the game machine to the memory card, or outputting the data to the memory card. A data processing unit for processing data when outputting stored data to the game machine; a data buffer unit for storing processed data of the data processing unit; and serial data for serially communicating with the game machine. A data conversion device comprising: an interface port; and a processing unit having a memory data interface port for communicating with the memory card. 2. A data conversion device for converting data between a memory card and a pad controller to provide compatibility, and outputs data stored in a game machine to the memory card or stores the data in the memory card. A data processing unit for processing data when outputting the data to the game machine; a data buffer unit for storing data processed by the data processing unit; and a serial connection between the game machine and the pad controller A data conversion device, comprising: a serial data interface port for communication, and a processing unit having a memory data interface port for communication with the memory card. 3. The data processing unit compresses data stored in the game machine and outputs the data to the memory card, and compresses data stored in the memory card and outputs the data to the game machine. 3. A data conversion device according to claim 1, further comprising means.