JPH09108443A - Video game device provided with humidity sensor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable a game having more reality by incorporating a humidity sensor into hardware configuration of main body of a video game device, sensing the surrounding humidity of a game player with the humidity sensor and describing the game corresponding to the humidity. SOLUTION: The humidity sensor is externally fitted to the game device by connecting it through the input port of the game device, or the humidity sensor is incorporated by directly connecting it to the system bus of the game device. Then, event or characters are prepared to appear only when the humidity sensor senses humidity higher than 80%. Concretely, the event is generated such as a weapon gets rusty and can not be used, fogs are generated or it gets rainy and corresponding to that event, characters such as molds, slugs or monsters appear. Thus, the game can be reflected with the atmosphere having more reality.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a home-use game and an arcade-use video game having a display device such as a television or a personal computer display.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 1 shows the basic hardware configuration of a general home video game console. The program or data read from the external storage device is once expanded in the RAM, and the program is executed by the analysis of the CPU. Image data read from an external storage device or image data created by a program is sent to a VDC (video display controller) and processed (defined) into image data that can be displayed on a display. The data processed by VDC is temporarily stored in VRAM. VDC
The data stored in the VRAM, which is defined by, is divided into a background (background image) and a sprite (main character of the game, etc.), and information such as a display pattern, a display position on the display, and a display color is added.

A VCE (video color encoder) converts a digital color image signal sent from VDC through a video output port into a CRT analog RGB signal and a video color signal based on color palette information stored in the VCE, and externally outputs the signal. Output to the video device. On the other hand, CPU
The sound information such as music and onomatopoeia analyzed by is a PSG (program sound generator), stereo circuit configuration,
It is output to the speaker as a sound effect integrated with the image by the functions of the noise generation circuit and the low frequency generation circuit. Since a television is generally used as an output device in a home video game machine, the image display device and the speaker are the same device.

[0004]

At present, a household video game machine having a dedicated function for three-dimensional expression has been developed. As a method of three-dimensional expression,
A method of moving a three-dimensional object by creating a three-dimensional figure by joining two-dimensional planes (polygons) called polygons and moving the coordinates of its vertices in a three-dimensional space is used.

Polygons can be colored with only one color or at most a gradation (how to apply a color that smoothly changes colors). Therefore, by using a method in which a separately prepared picture (texture) is attached to the three-dimensional shape made up of these polygons, three-dimensional shapes of various colors and designs are made. This method is called texture mapping. To get a more realistic representation, you have to increase the number of polygons and textures. For that purpose, a high-speed CPU and a large-capacity memory are required. For this reason, even a home video game console has a 32-bit CPU and a CD.
-ROM is essential.

[0006] In virtual reality, the three-dimensional representation using polygons as described above is widely used, and besides, new technologies in the field of computer graphics are being developed one after another. However, these functions are related to the expression on the screen, and the construction of a more realistic game system is being pursued. It is an object of the present invention to obtain a device capable of playing a more realistic game.

[0007]

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention incorporates a humidity sensor as a part of an external input device into the hardware structure of the main body of the video game device. Further, in the game program, the humidity sensor detects the ambient humidity of the game player, and the game is described in accordance with the humidity.

[0008]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION A hardware configuration and an application example will be described as an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a system block diagram when the humidity sensor is connected via the input port of the game device. That is, this is an example in the case of being externally attached to the game device.

FIG. 3 is a system block diagram when the humidity sensor is connected without using the input port of the game device. That is, this is an example of the case where the humidity sensor is incorporated in a form directly connected to the system bus of the game device. The basic hardware configuration of the game device is the same as the system configuration diagram of FIG. 1, except that a humidity sensor is attached.

The humidity sensor is basically the same at any position, but it is preferable that the humidity sensor is exposed from the main body so that it is not affected by the change in humidity due to heat generation of the main body of the game apparatus. When attaching a humidity sensor as an additional function to the current game device, the external type shown in FIG. 2 is suitable, but the built-in type shown in FIG. 3 is suitable in terms of eliminating the obstacles such as cords.

Since the humidity sensor is not used in all games, the input from the humidity sensor is not always necessary. For example, when using conventional game software, the input of the humidity sensor is ignored. In other words, the game devices shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 have a hardware configuration in which conventional software can be used as it is.

An example of a game depending on humidity will be described as an example of game software utilizing a humidity sensor. FIG.
Is a flow chart when the humidity in the game in this example is reflected in the content of the game. Only when the humidity sensor detects humidity of 80% or more, prepare an event or character that appears. Specifically, events such as iron weapons becoming rusty and unusable, fog occurring, and raining occur, and characters such as mold, slugs, or monsters appear accordingly. This makes it possible to reflect a more realistic atmosphere in the game.

[0013]

Although the conventional game machines have the input devices such as the mouse, the control pad, and the keyboard, none of them have the humidity sensor. for that reason,
We couldn't make game software suitable for the game environment. However, if the current humidity is input with a keyboard or the like to create a game that depends on the humidity, it is possible to create a game, but this is a tedious task for game players and is not very realistic. First of all, such a method cannot respond to a change in state in real time.

On the other hand, in the present invention, since the humidity sensor is interlocked with the main body of the game machine, it is possible to reflect the actual situation in the game contents by inferring the environment of the game player. This makes it possible to realize more virtual reality sensations. Furthermore, by constantly using the humidity sensed by the humidity sensor as a control numerical value for the progress of the game, the game can be changed. Many of the games so far have been in a uniform format, but they have the potential to create new forms of games.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a basic hardware configuration of a home video game machine.

FIG. 2 is a system block diagram of a video game device with an external humidity sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a system block diagram of a video game device with a built-in humidity sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart when the humidity sensed by the humidity sensor in the embodiment of the present invention is reflected in the content of the game.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A video game device comprising a humidity sensor. 2. A video game device with a humidity sensor, comprising means for changing game settings in accordance with humidity information from the humidity sensor.