EP0647914A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Video game and communication system to be used in an hotel room
Assignee: Nintendo Co Ltd
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Filing: 1994-09-27
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2014-09-27
Abstract
Abstract A video game/communications system is disclosed which permits guest room guests to actively participate in video game play or to use other data processing/communication services. A multi-tasking master host computer (7) stores video games and other application programs on its hard disk (7A), downloads programs to an array (11) of SNES game playing engines (I to N) in response to guest selections. Each guest room guest room includes a terminal device (2) which is coupled to the guest's color television (1) and to a game controller (3). By pressing a game controller menu key, the guest room guest initiates the downloading of applications software by the host computer to the array of SNES engines located within the guest room. A downloaded applications program generate a display menu which appears on the guest's television (1). The display menu permits each guest room guest to select between various operating modes (identified, for example, by displayed icons), including movies, games, shopping, survey forms, language selection, communication/data processing services, etc. If a user opts for video game play, then the available game titles and/or descriptions thereof are displayed. The host computer (7) assigns a time slot to both a guest room terminal (2) and a SNES game playing engine for passing game play indicating key strokes from the room's game controller to the SNES engine. Audio and video outputs from each of the SNES engines is connected to a channel modulator that places the composite signal on an assigned frequency in the RF distribution system. The assignment is communicated to the room terminal during an initial interactive session, whereby the terminal tunes the TV to the proper channel for its assigned SNES engine.
Inventors
- 👤 Darren C. Smith
- 👤 Kenji Nishizawa
- 👤 David Mccarten
- 👤 Ramin Ravanpey
- 👤 Russell G. Braun
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 13:40
CPC Classifications
A; A63; A63F; A63F13/00; A63F13/30; A63F13/31; A63F13/12; A63F13/33; A63F13/338; A63F13/70; A63F13/77; H; H04; H04N; H04N21/00; H04N21/20; H04N21/21; H04N21/214; H04N21/2143; H04N21/2146; A63F2300/00; A63F2300/40; A63F2300/402; A63F2300/409; A63F2300/50; A63F2300/55; A63F2300/552
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 57
Claim 1
Independent Claim
84 words
A guest room based communications system for generating interactive, in-room videographic display sessions on an in-room display comprising: an array of videographic processing systems, each videographic processing system including: a videographics program executing processor; a memory system, coupled to said videographics program executing processor, for storing a videographics program, and a microcontroller, coupled to said videographics program executing processor and said memory system, for receiving information generated during an in-room interactive videographics display and for sending said information to said videographics program executing processor.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
24 words
A guest-room based communications system according to claim 1, further including an in-room controller having a plurality of control keys for generating keystroke data.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
38 words
A guest-room based communications system according to claim 2, wherein said controller includes a reset key, and wherein an assigned one of said videographics program executing processors is reset in response to the actuation of said reset key.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
21 words
A guest room-based communications system according to claim 2 wherein said in-room controller includes a plurality of video game control keys.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
26 words
A guest room-based communications system according to claim 1, wherein said microcontroller includes an input port and at least one buffer coupled to said input port.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
65 words
A guest room-based communications system according to claim 2 wherein said microcontroller includes an input port and at least one buffer coupled to said input port and further including an interface for coupling said keystroke data to said input port, said microcontroller being operable to perform repetitive tests to determine whether keystroke data received from said controller is present in said at least one buffer.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
33 words
A guest room-based communications system according to claim 6, wherein said keystroke is processed by said microcontroller if at least two bytes of data are present in said at least one input buffer.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
35 words
A guest room-based communications system according to claim 6, wherein if keystroke data is present in said input buffer, said microcontroller is operable to determine whether the first byte of data is a header byte.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
49 words
A guest room-based communications system according to claim 6, wherein if keystroke data is present in said input buffer, said microcontroller is operable to determine whether the keystroke data in the input buffer indicates that it is data assigned to said microcontroller and its associated videographics program executing processor.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
39 words
A guest room-based communications system according to claim 9, wherein a comparison is made by said microcontroller between a byte received and an assigned data stream number to determine whether the data assigned to said microcontroller has been received.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
36 words
A guest room-based communications system according to claim 6, wherein if keystroke data is present in said input buffer, said microcontroller is operable to determine whether a valid command has been received from said in-room controller.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
17 words
A guest room-based communications system according to claim 11, wherein said valid command is a reset command.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
29 words
A guest room-based communications system according to claim 1, further including a host computer system for downloading videographics program data to at least one of said videographics processing systems.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
63 words
A guest room-based communications system according to claim 13, wherein said microcontroller includes an input port and a buffer coupled to said input port and further including an interface for coupling host data to said input port, said microcontroller being operable to perform repetitive tests to determine whether host data received from said host computer is present in said at least one buffer.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
38 words
A guest room-based communications system according to claim 14, wherein if host data is present in said input buffer, said microcontroller is operable to check to determine if a valid command has been received from said host computer.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
22 words
A guest room-based communications system according to claim 1, wherein said microcontroller includes means for executing at least one memory test command.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
23 words
A guest room-based communications system according to claim 16, wherein said memory test command is sent to said microcontroller from said host computer.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
36 words
A guest room-based communications system according to claim 1, wherein said microcontroller includes a plurality of input ports and means for executing a command for modifying the baud rate associated with one of said input ports.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
20 words
A guest room-based communications system according to claim 1, wherein said microcontroller includes means for executing a status checking command.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
23 words
A guest room-based communication system according to claim 1, wherein said microcontroller includes a buffer for receiving information from said program executing processor.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
32 words
A guest room-based communications system according to claim 20, wherein said microcontroller is operable to repetitively test to determine whether information received from said program executing processor is present in said buffer.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
37 words
A guest room-based communications system according to claim 21, wherein if information is present in said buffer, said microcontroller analyzes the received information and modifies the program executing processor status information in accordance with said received information.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
33 words
A guest room-based communication system according to claim 21 wherein if information is present in said buffer, said microcontroller analyzes the received information and transmits any required information to said program executing processor.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
34 words
A guest room-based communication system according to claim 21 wherein if information is present in said buffer, said microcontroller analyzes the received information and controls a program download operation to said program executing processor.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
127 words
A guest room-based communications system for generating in-room video displays comprising: a host computer including a storage device for storing a plurality of computer programs; a memory system for receiving at least one of said plurality of programs; a first data processor, coupled to said memory system, for executing at least one of said plurality of programs stored in said memory system for generating a video display on a guest room display device; and a second processor, coupled to said first data processor, for performing interface tasks for said first processor and for receiving said at least one of said plurality of programs to be executed by said first data processor, whereby said at least one of said plurality of programs is loaded into said memory system.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
25 words
A guest room-based communications system in accordance with claim 25, wherein said at least one of said plurality of programs is a video game program.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
35 words
A guest room-based communications system in accordance with claim 25 further including a guest room television monitor for displaying videographics data resulting from the execution of said at least one of said plurality of programs.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
34 words
A guest room-based communications system in accordance with claim 25, further including a display processing unit coupled to said first data processor for generating a video signal for displaying on said in-room display screen.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
86 words
A guest room-based entertainment system for generating a videographics display on a plurality of in-room displays comprising: a host computer having a memory for storing a plurality of programs, an array of videographics processing systems, each video game processor being coupled to an associated memory system for receiving one of said plurality of computer programs, each of said videographics processors being operable to execute a program stored in its associated memory system, and to generate a videographics display on one of said plurality of in-room displays.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
25 words
A guest room-based entertainment system in accordance with claim 29, wherein said at least one of said plurality of programs is a video game program.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
49 words
A guest room-based entertainment system in accordance with claim 29 wherein each of said videographics processing systems includes a central processing unit for executing programs and a display processing unit coupled to said central processing unit for generating a video signal for display on one of said in-room displays.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
44 words
A guest room-based entertainment system in accordance with claim 29, wherein each of said videographics system includes a central processing unit and a boot read-only memory for storing a program to be executed by said central processing unit upon the power being turned on.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
39 words
A guest room-based entertainment system according to claim 29, wherein each of said videographics processing systems including a central processing unit and an interface control processor for receiving information to be coupled to said central processing unit for processing.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
117 words
In a guest-room based entertainment system having a host computer, an array of videographics processing systems, and a plurality of in-room display devices, a method of operating said guest-room based entertainment system comprising the steps of: displaying a display menu at at least one of said in-room display devices to permit the selection of one of a plurality of videographics programs options; assigning said at least one of said in-room display to one of said videographics processing systems in said array; downloading a videographics program from said host computer to the assigned one of said videographics processing systems; and executing the videographics program in response to a guest selection by said one of said videographics processing system.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method according to claim 34, wherein said downloading step includes the step of monitoring information that is downloaded and aborting the downloading operation if the information being monitored is not in a predetermined format.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method according to claim 35, wherein said monitoring step includes the step of checking to determine whether the number of expected memory banks has been transmitted.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method according to claim 35, wherein said monitoring step includes the step of checking to determine whether the expected starting address has been transmitted.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
89 words
In a guest room-based entertainment system having a host computer, a plurality of in-room display systems, and an array of videographics processing systems, a method of operating said guest room-based entertainment system comprising the steps of: displaying at each of a plurality of in-room display systems, a display menu identifying a plurality of videographics programs; assigning one of said videographics processing systems to each said active in-room display systems; executing by the assigned videographics processing system the videographics program selected by a user of an active in-room display system.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method according to claim 38 wherein said displaying step includes the step of displaying indicia indicative of different video games which may be selected for play.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method according to claim 39 further including the step of downloading a selected video game to the videographics processing system assigned to the in-room display system at which said selected video game was selected.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method according to claim 38 further including the step of providing a shopping option which may be selected at said in-room display.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method according to claim 38 further including the step of providing a communications option which may be selected via said in-room display system.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method according to claim 42 including the step of providing a facsimile option which may be selected.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method according to claim 38 further including the step of providing a data processing option which may be selected.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method according to claim 38 further including the step of providing a language option for selection.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
109 words
A data processing system comprising: a videographics processing system having a program executing processor and a picture processing unit, a memory system coupled to said videographics processing system, and including at least one program memory, said program executing processor having a predetermined address space for executing programs stored in said at least one program memory, said memory system including: a main program memory, a plurality of address mapping registers, a memory control circuit coupled to said plurality of address mapping registers for controlling the location of said main program memory in the address space of said processing unit dependent upon the contents of said plurality of address mapping registers.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
63 words
A data processing system according to claim 46, further including a scratch pad memory and a scratch pad memory control circuit coupled to at least one of said plurality of address mapping registers for controlling the location of said scratch pad memory in the address space of said processing unit dependent upon the contents of at least one of said plurality of registers.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
60 words
A data processing system according to claim 46, further including a nonvolatile memory and a nonvolatile memory control circuit coupled to at least one of said plurality of address mapping registers for controlling the location of said nonvolatile memory in the address space of said processing unit dependent upon the contents of at least one of said plurality of registers.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
63 words
A data processing system according to claim 46, further including a additional program memory and a additional program memory control circuit coupled to at least one of said plurality of address mapping registers for controlling the location of said additional program memory in the address space of said processing unit dependent upon the contents of at least one of said plurality of registers.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
18 words
A data processing system according to claim 49, wherein said additional program memory is a boot read-only memory.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
41 words
A data processing system according to claim 46, further including decoding logic coupled to each of said plurality of address mapping registers for receiving digital signals and for changing the contents of at least one said plurality of address mapping registers.
Claim 52
Dependent Claim
29 words
A data processing system according to claim 51, wherein said processing unit includes an address bus and wherein said decoding logic receives said digital signals on said address bus.
Claim 53
Dependent Claim
42 words
A data processing system according to claim 46, further including an interface processing device for coupling information to said program executing processor, and for receiving program information to be loaded into said main program memory for execution by said program executing processor.
Claim 54
Dependent Claim
40 words
A memory system according to claim 53, further including at least one data bus coupled to said program executing processor, at least one buffer memory coupled to said interface processing device and coupled to said at least one data bus.
Claim 55
Dependent Claim
53 words
A memory system according to claim 53, further including an address bus coupled to said program executing processor and control logic coupled to said address bus and said interface processing device said control logic controlling in part input/output operations of said interface processing device in response to signals received on said address bus.
Claim 56
Dependent Claim
46 words
A data processing system according to claim 55, wherein said program executing processor includes at least one data bus and control logic includes a plurality latches coupled to said interface processing device for receiving information for or coupling information to said at least one data bus.
Claim 57
Dependent Claim
46 words
A data processing system according to claim 53, further including halt signal generating logic coupled to said interface processing device and said program executing processor for coupling a halt control signal to said program executing processor in response to a signal from said interface processing device.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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