EP0402067A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Interfacing device and method for a computer games system
Assignee: Codemasters Ltd
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Filing: 1990-06-01
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2010-06-01
Abstract
Abstract An interfacing device for connecting the processing unit of a computer games system to an external data storage medium has a user-operable selection unit for generating a user-selected address and user-selected data. The user-operable selection unit may comprise user-operable switches or electronic latches that are set by a program in response to selections made by the user by means of a joystick, keypad or any other input device. An address comparison unit compares the user-selected address with the addresses from the processing unit, and a data switching device causes the user-selected data to be substituted for data in the storage medium whenever the compared addresses are the same. Instead of a user-operable selection unit, preselected addresses and preselected data may be stored in a ROM, which in one embodiment changes the way the computer interprets external memory and in another changes the computer's internal memory itself.
Inventors
- 👤 Richard Darling
- 👤 David Darling
- 👤 Edward Andrew Carron
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 19:48
CPC Classifications
A; A63; A63F; A63F13/00; A63F13/40; A63F13/42; A63F13/90; A63F13/95; A63F13/60; A63F13/63; A63F2300/00; A63F2300/20; A63F2300/206; A63F2300/60; A63F2300/6009; A63F2300/6018
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 35
Claim 1
Independent Claim
73 words
An interfacing device for connecting a processing unit of a computer games system to an external data storage medium so as to enable the processing unit to address, and receive data from, different storage locations in the external data storage medium, said interfacing device comprising means responsive to the processing unit for recognition of a selected address and means for modification of data processed by the processing unit in response to said recognition.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
73 words
An interfacing device for connecting a processing unit of a computer games system to an external data storage medium so as to enable the processing unit to address, and receive data from, different storage locations in the external data storage medium, said interfacing device comprising means responsive to the processing unit for recognition of a selected address and means for modification of data processed by the processing unit in response to said recognition.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
40 words
An interfacing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said recognition means includes means for comparing the selected address with an address from the processing unit and said modification means effects the modification if the compared addresses are the same.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
27 words
An interfacing device as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the selected address is either an address selected by the user or a preselected address.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
96 words
An interfacing device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the selected address is an address selected by the user and the modification means comprises user-operable selection means for generating a first signal and a second signal representing the selected address and user-selected data respectively, means for comparing the selected address represented by the first signal with an address from the processing unit, and means for supplying the user-selected data to the processing unit, in substitution for the data in the addressed storage location of the external data storage medium, if the compared addresses are the same.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
26 words
An interfacing device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the data supplying means is a semiconductor switching device responsive to an output from the comparing means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
39 words
An interfacing device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the user-operable selection means comprises a first plurality of user-operable switching devices for setting the selected address and a second plurality of user-operable switching devices for setting the user-selected data.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
16 words
An interfacing device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the switching devices are user-operable rotary switches.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
15 words
An interfacing device according to claim 7, wherein the rotary switches are 16-position rotary switches.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
19 words
An interfacing device according to claim 6, wherein the first plurality is four and the second plurality is two.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
115 words
An interfacing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the modification means comprises means for generating a first signal representing a selected address, a second signal representing data stored at said selected address in the external data storage medium, and a third signal representing selected data, means for comparing the selected address represented by the first signal with an address from the processing unit, means for comparing the data represented by the second signal with actual data at the selected address and means for supplying the selected data represented by the third signal to the processing unit, in substitution for the actual data, if both the compared addresses and the compared data are the same.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
45 words
An interfacing device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the modification means effects the modification in response to recognition of an address derived from a plurality of preselected addresses in dependence on identification data from the external data storage medium.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
87 words
An interfacing device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the recognition means includes a memory for storing said plurality of preselected addresses together with a corresponding plurality of preselected data, and means for comparing said derived address with an address from the processing unit, and said modification means includes means for supplying to the processing unit the preselected data, corresponding to the derived address, in substitution for the data in the address storage location of the external data storage medium, if the compared addresses are the same.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
38 words
An interfacing device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the preselected data, corresponding to one or more of said preselected addresses, has more than one user-selectable value, and including user-operable means to select one of the user-selectable values.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
31 words
An interfacing device according to claim 1, wherein the modification means effects a modification in response to recognition of any one of two or more selected addresses from the processing unit.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
54 words
An interfacing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the modification means comprises a read-only memory, the processing unit includes an internal memory, and the modification means interrupts the processing unit in response to said recognition and banks data from said read-only memory into said processing unit in order to modify said internal memory.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
21 words
An interfacing device as claimed in claim 15, wherein said address is either user-selected or is preset in said recognition means.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
72 words
An interfacing device as claimed in claim 15 or claim 16, wherein said recognition means comprises bus means connected to said processing unit, register means, and comparator means connected to said bus means and said register means, said register means being adapted to store a value corresponding to said selected address and said comparator means producing an output indicative of correspondence between an address on said bus means and said stored value.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
36 words
An interfacing device as claimed in claim 15, wherein said modification means comprises switch means responsive to said output from said comparator means for enabling access by said processing unit to data in said read-only memory.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
16 words
An interfacing device as claimed in claim 18, wherein said switch means comprises a semiconductor device.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
32 words
An interfacing device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 19, further comprising case means containing said recognition means and said modification means, said case means including a handle portion.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
106 words
An interfacing device as claimed in claim 20, said external data storage medium being connectable thereto in such a manner as to be positioned underneath said handle portion, and said handle portion being formed with a thumb rest protruding from an upper portion thereof said thumb rest being formed with a concave portion for accommodating the thumb of a user, whereby an assembly of said interfacing device and said external data storage medium can conveniently be grasped with a thumb engaging said thumb rest and fingers engaging said external data storage medium for connection of said assembly to said processing unit of said computer games system.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
26 words
An interfacing device as claimed in claim 21, wherein the protruding thumb rest prevents connection of said assembly to said processing unit in an upside-down relation.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
50 words
An interfacing device as claimed in claim 21, wherein the recognition means and the modification means are incorporated in a printed circuit board that has sufficient thickness that said connection of said assembly to said processing unit of said computer games system can be effected with movement that is rectilinear.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
56 words
An interfacing device according to claim 1 that operates in a latch-setting mode wherein a user can predetermine said selected address and a characteristic of said modification of data and in an active mode wherein said recognition means recognize said selected address and said modification means effects said modification of data in response to said recognition.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
31 words
An interfacing device according to claim 24, further comprising a display screen comprising a plurality of character cells each measuring a plurality of pixels in each of two mutually orthogonal directions.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
26 words
An interfacing device according to claim 25, wherein at least in the latch-setting mode, a plurality of pixels in each cell are controlled as a unit.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
32 words
An interfacing device according to claim 26, wherein at least, in said latch-setting mode, said display screen presents a graphic display and further comprising graphic generating means for generating said graphic display.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
55 words
An interfacing device according to claim 27, wherein said graphic generating means comprises a plurality of gate means responsive to graphic address signals and a graphic output buffer responsive to said gate means and producing graphic data outputs that control said pixels, whereby said graphics display is generated without the provision of a read-only memory.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
38 words
A computer games system comprising a processing unit, an external data storage medium, and an interfacing device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 28 for interconnecting the processing unit and the external data storage medium.
Claim 31
Independent Claim
52 words
A method of playing a computer game using a computer games system having a processing unit and an external data storage medium, comprising the steps of comparing an address from the processing unit with a selected address and modifying data processed by the processing unit whenever the compared addresses are the same.
Claim 32
Independent Claim
52 words
A method of playing a computer game using a computer games system having a processing unit and an external data storage medium, comprising the steps of comparing an address from the processing unit with a selected address and modifying data processed by the processing unit whenever the compared addresses are the same.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method as claimed in claim 30, wherein said address is either selected by a player of the game or is presettable.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
37 words
A method as claimed in claim 30 or claim 31, wherein the modification of data processed by the processing unit comprises the step of modifying data supplied to the processing unit from the external data storage medium.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
60 words
A method as claimed in claim 30 or claim 31, wherein the processing unit includes an internal memory and the modification of data processed by the processing unit comprises the step of supplying to said processing unit data from a source external to both the external data storage medium and the processing unit in order to modify said internal memory.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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