JPH10108978A - Hand held type electronic game machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To upgrade operability by arranging a left-hand operable operation switch for indicating the direction of moving characters, a right-hand operable switch for indicating character actions and an output adjusting volume control on either right or left side of a case below a display panel. SOLUTION: A cross key switch 1 is provided on the left side below an LCD panel 14 on the top surface of a case 12 to be used when moving game characters. The directions of vertical and horizontal actions of characters are indicated by the switch 18. Two push buttons 70a and 70b are provided on the right side below the LCD panel 14 to indicate actions of characters, for example, jumping. Moreover, a left-hand operable luminance volume control 50 is provided to allow adjustment of luminance on the LCD panel 14. A right- hand operable sound volume adjusting volume control 66 is provided. With such an arrangement, all operations are done by fingers alone.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a hand-held electronic game machine, and more particularly to a hand-held electronic game machine having, for example, a dot matrix liquid crystal display device and a game program stored in a removable memory cartridge.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. Sho 61-57989 published on Apr. 18, 1986, a dot matrix type liquid crystal display device (hereinafter, referred to as a liquid crystal display device).
2. Description of the Related Art A liquid crystal game board is known in which a game cassette containing a game program and an operation program of an operation means is removably provided in a main body having an "LCD" and operation means for driving the LCD.

[0003]

In this type of conventional liquid crystal game board, the operability is not so good because the operation means is not sufficiently considered. Therefore, a main object of the present invention is to provide a hand-held electronic game machine with excellent operability.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a hand-held electronic game in which a cassette accommodating a game program is detachably mounted and different games can be enjoyed by exchanging the cassette. Machine, a vertically long case that can be held, a cassette insertion opening formed on one side of the case and into which a cassette is mounted, and a cassette formed in the cassette insertion opening and detachably connected to the cassette. A connector, connected to the cassette through the connector, a game processing means for reading a game program from the cassette, processing and outputting a game according to the game program, a display panel arranged on the upper front of the case to display a game image, and a display on the front of the case Provided below the panel and at a position where you can operate it with your left hand across the case A first operation switch for instructing the moving direction of the game character displayed on the display panel, the first operation switch being provided at a position below the display panel on the front of the case and operable with the right hand across the case, and A hand-held electronic game machine having a second operation switch for instructing, and an output adjustment volume provided on one of the left and right side surfaces of the case to adjust the output from the game processing means.

[0005]

As a first operation switch, for example, a direction indicating switch (specifically, a cross switch) for indicating a moving direction of a game character is arranged, and as a second operation switch, for example, a direction switch for a game character is provided. An operation instruction switch (specifically, a push button switch) for instructing various operations, for example, a jump, use of a weapon, and the like is arranged. These first and second operation switches are:
It is operated, for example, with the thumb during the game. Therefore, it is always arranged at a position where it can be easily operated.

On the other hand, in order to adjust the brightness of the display panel by the brightness volume provided on the side of the vertically long case, the brightness volume is adjusted by a finger other than the thumb such as the index finger of either the left or right hand along the case. Just turn. Therefore, the brightness volume can also be operated during the game. If you have a volume control,
Similarly, the volume volume can be manipulated during the game.

[0007]

According to the present invention, not only the first and second operation switches but also the brightness volume and / or the volume volume can be operated during the game, so that the operability is greatly improved. The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of embodiments with reference to the drawings.

[0008]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a portable liquid crystal game device to which the present invention can be applied. This portable liquid crystal game machine (hereinafter simply referred to as “game machine”) 10 includes a case 12, and an upper surface of the case 12 has an L in which display segments are arranged in dots according to a dot matrix system.
A CD panel 14 is provided.

As shown in FIG. 2, an insertion slot 68 is provided in the upper portion of the rear surface of the LCD panel 14 of the case 12, and an external ROM cassette 16 is provided in the insertion slot 68.
Are detachably mounted. That is, for example, a 32-pin connector 20 is provided in the insertion port 68, and a connector (not shown) provided in the external ROM cassette 16 by inserting the external ROM cassette 16 into the insertion port 68.
Are fitted and connected to the connector 20. In this manner, the external ROM cassette 16 is detachably mounted on the game machine 10. The external ROM cassette 16 contains an external ROM 16a (FIG. 4).
16a stores game program data. Therefore, when the external ROM cassette 16 is mounted on the game machine 10, the game program is executed, an image for the game is displayed on the LCD panel 14, and
Music for the game is generated.

On the upper surface of the case 12, below the LCD panel 14 and on the left side,
A cross key switch 18 used when moving the game character displayed on the panel 14 is provided. The cross key switch 18 has four direction indicators, and any one of them can be pressed to move the game character up, down, left, or right. Further, two push button switches 70a and 70b are provided on the upper surface of the case 12 below and on the right side of the LCD panel 14. These push button switches 70a and 7
0b is operated to perform some operation on the game character displayed on the LCD panel 14. For example, when the push button switch 70a is pressed, the character jumps, and when the push button switch 70b is pressed, the character throws "pushing".

On the upper surface of the case 12 of the game machine 10, a start switch 72 and a select switch 74 are further provided.
Is provided. As can be clearly understood from FIG. 3, the start switch 72 and the select switch 74 are located below the cross key switch 18 and the push button switches 70a and 70b, and can be assumed to be the rotation trajectories for the thumbs of both hands sandwiching the game machine 10. It is arranged in a region 78 where 76L and 76R intersect. The select switch 74 is operated to select the type of game displayed on the menu screen, and the start switch 72 is operated when starting the selected game. Therefore, it is not necessary to operate the start switch 72 and the select switch 74 during the game.

However, since a "pause" function is added to the start switch 72, the start switch 72 may be pressed when it is desired to temporarily stop the game in the middle. To restart the game after the pause, the start switch 72 may be operated again. The select switch 74 may also have a function of selecting a “weapon” of the character. Further, the start switch 72 and the select switch 74 can have another function.

Referring to FIG. 4, the external ROM cassette 16 is connected to a case 12 by a 32-pin connector 20.
Connected to the CPU 22 built therein. CPU 22
Includes a CPU core 24, which is connected to the 32-pin connector 20 by respective buses 26a, 26b and 26c. Therefore, external ROM
When the cassette 16 is mounted, the CPU core 24 and the external ROM cassette 16 are connected.

The CPU core 24 further includes a port 27
A key matrix such as the cross key switch 18 shown in FIG. An internal RAM 28 and an internal ROM 30 are provided in association with the CPU core 24.
CPU core 2 only when the memory space of
4 is accessed.

The CPU core 24 includes the DMA controller 3
4 through the line buffer 36 under the control of
The display data is output to the controller 38. And L
The CD controller 38 is connected to the display RAM 42 via the LCD display RAM interface 40. Although not shown, the display RAM 42 includes a character RAM and a VRAM. Therefore, the LCD controller 38
Displays the display data output from the CPU core 24 as R
It is converted into an LCD drive signal from AM42. That is, the display data from the CPU core 24 is the character RA
M and VRAM addresses are specified, and characters RA
From the M and VRAM, a character signal and an object (background) signal are output.
The signal is synthesized by the D controller 38 to become an LCD drive signal.

The LCD drive signal is LC
The signal is supplied to an LCD common driver 46 and an LCD segment driver 48 via a D drive signal buffer 44. Therefore, the CPU core 2 is controlled by the LCD common driver 46 and the LCD segment driver 48.
An image according to the display data from the LCD panel 4 is displayed on the LCD panel 14.

A brightness volume 50 is provided. The brightness volume 50 is connected to the LCD buffer amplifier 52. Therefore, the brightness on the LCD panel 14 can be adjusted by operating the brightness volume 50. In this embodiment, the brightness volume 50 is
As shown in the figure, the case is provided on the left side surface of the case or the main body 12 so as to be operated by the left hand. Preferably, the brightness volume 50 is located at the top of the case 12, for example to the left of the LCD panel 14, so that it can be operated with a finger other than the left thumb. That way, even during the game,
The brightness (contrast) of the display on the LCD panel 14 can be adjusted.

The CPU core 24 includes an oscillation circuit 24
is connected, and the sound circuits 541, 542, 543, and 544 generate different types of sound source signals in response to the output of the oscillation circuit 24a. As such sound circuits 541 to 544, for example, a voice synthesizing circuit disclosed in JP-A-62-32497 or U.S. Pat. No. 4,783,812 can be used. Therefore, a detailed description of the sound circuits 541 to 544 will be omitted here.

In connection with the sound circuits 541-544,
A waveform RAM 56 is provided. The waveform RAM 56 is for determining the timbre of the sound source signal output from the sound circuits 541 to 544, and is, for example, 4 bits × 32
A waveform pattern of the step is stored, and the waveform pattern is given as a tone signal of the sound circuits 541 to 544.

Each sound source signal output from the sound circuits 541 to 544 is supplied to the sound control circuit 5.
8 are output as two audio signals that are pseudo stereo sounds. The two audio signals output from the sound control circuit 58 are amplified by a sound amplifier 60 and then supplied to a speaker 62 or a headphone 64. In addition, in connection with the sound amplifier 60, the volume control volume 66
Is provided. In this embodiment, the volume control volume 6
As shown in FIG. 3, reference numeral 6 is provided on the right side surface of the case or the main body 12 so as to be operated by the right hand. Preferably, volume control volume 66 is located at the top of case 12, for example, to the right of LCD panel 14, so that it can be operated with a finger other than the right thumb. Then, the volume of the LCD panel 14 can be adjusted even during the game.

Since the detailed operation of the circuit diagram shown in FIG. 4 is not important for the present invention, further detailed description is omitted here.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a game device to which the present invention can be applied.

FIG. 2 is an illustrative view showing a cross section taken along line II-II of FIG. 3;

FIG. 3 is an illustrative view showing an arrangement of switches or keys such as a start switch and a select switch in the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an overall configuration of the embodiment in FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Game apparatus 12 ... Case 14 ... LCD panel 16 ... External ROM cassette 18 ... Cross key switch 20 ... Connector 50 ... Brightness volume 66 ... Volume volume 70a, 70b ... Push button switch

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A hand-held electronic game machine in which a cassette accommodating a game program is removably mounted and in which different games can be enjoyed by exchanging the cassette, wherein the electronic game machine is held between both hands and played. A vertically long case having a size, a cassette insertion opening formed on a side surface of the case and into which the cassette is mounted, a connector formed in the cassette insertion opening and detachably connected to the cassette, A game processing unit coupled to the cassette through a connector, for reading the game program from the cassette, processing and outputting a game according to the game program, a display panel disposed on a front upper portion of the case to display a game image, Under the display panel on the front and sandwiching the case A first operation switch provided at a position operable by a left hand and instructing a moving direction of a game character displayed on the display panel; operated by a right hand under the display panel on the front of the case and sandwiching the case; A second operation switch provided at a position where the game character can be operated and instructing the operation of the game character; and an output adjustment volume provided at one of the left and right side surfaces of the case to adjust an output from the game processing means. Type electronic game machine. 2. The game processing means generates a brightness output for setting the brightness of the display panel, and the output adjustment volume adjusts the brightness output.
The hand-held electronic game machine according to claim 1. 3. The game processing means generates an audio output, and the output adjustment volume adjusts the audio output.
The hand-held electronic game machine according to claim 1. 4. The game processing means generates a luminance output for setting the luminance of the display panel and an audio output. A pair of output adjustment volumes are provided on both right and left side surfaces of the case, and one output adjustment volume is provided. 2. The hand-held electronic game machine according to claim 1, wherein a volume adjusts the brightness output, and another output adjustment volume adjusts the audio output.