Patent US1495911A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent US5238250A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5238250A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Computer game control apparatus
Assignee: BUNG ELECTRONICS Ltd
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Filing: 1990-12-18
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Granted: 1993-08-24
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Expires: 2010-12-18
Abstract
Abstract A computer game system comprises a computer game control apparatus for connection between a game computer having a microprocessor and a computer game program carrier via corresponding signal communication buses. The computer game control apparatus comprises an address decoder, a data comparator, an address-and-data mapping device, a multiplexer and a storage assembly for saving and restoring the computer game status.
Inventors
- 👤 Yiu C. Leung
- 👤 Iu S. Leung
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 12:33
CPC Classifications
A; A63; A63F; A63F13/00; A63F13/45; A63F13/49; A63F13/493; A63F13/90; A63F13/98; A63F13/20; A63F13/23; A63F13/95; A63F2300/00; A63F2300/20; A63F2300/209; A63F2300/60; A63F2300/63; A63F2300/636
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
254 words
A computer game system comprising: (a) a game computer; (b) a computer game program carrier for storing a computer game program; (c) the game computer and the computer game program carrier having signal communication buses connected therebetween, to enable the game computer to execute a computer game program stored in the computer game program carrier; (d) a computer game control apparatus connected between said signal communication buses, the apparatus comprising: (i) saving means for saving data appearing at said signal communication buses at any desired time during the execution of a computer game program in said game computer, said data representing the prevailing execution conditions of said computer game program at the desired time; (ii) restoring means for restoring the previously stored data in said game computer and/or said computer game program carrier to enable the computer game program to restart the game from the execution conditions corresponding to said data at a later desired time; (iii) memory means into which said saving means saves said data and from which said restoring means retrieves said data; (iv) a multiplexer connecting selectively from said memory means or said computer game program carrier to a microprocessor of said game computer via corresponding signal communication buses; (v) an address decoder operating upon control and address signals appearing on said signal communication buses; (vi) a data comparator operating upon control and data signals appearing on said signal communication buses; and (vii) an address-and-data mapping device operating upon control, address and data signal appearing on said signal communication buses.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
254 words
A computer game system comprising: (a) a game computer; (b) a computer game program carrier for storing a computer game program; (c) the game computer and the computer game program carrier having signal communication buses connected therebetween, to enable the game computer to execute a computer game program stored in the computer game program carrier; (d) a computer game control apparatus connected between said signal communication buses, the apparatus comprising: (i) saving means for saving data appearing at said signal communication buses at any desired time during the execution of a computer game program in said game computer, said data representing the prevailing execution conditions of said computer game program at the desired time; (ii) restoring means for restoring the previously stored data in said game computer and/or said computer game program carrier to enable the computer game program to restart the game from the execution conditions corresponding to said data at a later desired time; (iii) memory means into which said saving means saves said data and from which said restoring means retrieves said data; (iv) a multiplexer connecting selectively from said memory means or said computer game program carrier to a microprocessor of said game computer via corresponding signal communication buses; (v) an address decoder operating upon control and address signals appearing on said signal communication buses; (vi) a data comparator operating upon control and data signals appearing on said signal communication buses; and (vii) an address-and-data mapping device operating upon control, address and data signal appearing on said signal communication buses.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
59 words
A computer game system according to claim 1 wherein an output of the said address decoder is connected to corresponding inputs of the said data comparator and the said address-and-data mapping device, and corresponding outputs of the said data comparator and the said address-and-data mapping device are in turn connected to and control the operation of the said multiplexer.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
50 words
A computer game system apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said memory means comprises a ROM unit and a RAM unit which are connected to the said multiplexer via said signal communication buses, the RAM unit being also connected to the said address-and-data mapping device via said signal communication buses.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
32 words
A computer game system apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the RAM unit is connected to the said multiplexer and to the said address-and-data mapping device by means of a RAM multiplexer.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
89 words
A computer game control apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said saving means saves a plurality of sets of said data, each set of said data being corresponding to the execution conditions of a said computer game program at a different desired time, and said restoring means restores said plurality of sets of data in turn in a said game computer and/or computer game program carrier to enable a said computer game program to start execution of the said game from different execution conditions sequentially for different time intervals.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
38 words
A computer game control apparatus according to claim 5 further comprising a timer control for determining the length of the time intervals during each of which a said computer game program is executed from corresponding different execution conditions.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
48 words
A computer game control apparatus according to claim 6 further comprising time delay means for introducing time delay interval into and thereby to slow down the execution of a said computer program in a said computer, wherein said time delay means is provided by the said timer control.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
36 words
A computer game control apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising time delay means for introducing time delay interval into and thereby to slow down the execution of a said computer program in a said computer.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
113 words
A computer game system apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: (a) a timer control for determining the length of the time intervals during each of which a said computer game program is executed from corresponding different execution conditions; and (b) time delay means for introducing time delay intervals into and thereby to slow down the execution of a said computer game program in a side game computer, which said time delay means is provided by the timer control, and the said timer control is also provided on the means for signal communication connecting together a said microprocessor and the said multiplexer, and operate upon control signals appearing on said signal communication buses.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
223 words
A computer game control apparatus for connection between a game computer having a microprocessor and a computer game program carrier via corresponding signal communication buses, the apparatus comprising: (a) an address decoder; (b) a data comparator; (c) a ROM containing a control program; (d) a multiplexer which enables the game computer to execute, via the signal communication buses, a computer game program in the computer game program carrier, and which the multiplexer, when activated by the address decoder and the data comparator at a predetermined period of time after appearance of data or a plurality of sets of data in a predetermined time interval, enables the game computer to execute, via the signal communication buses, the control program in the ROM; and (e) software control switch storage means for storing all data which have appeared in the signal communication buses at any desired instance during execution of the computer game program and which has been written in designated write-only software control switches in the game computer and computer game program carrier, wherein such data, together with all the data in registers of the microprocessor of the game computer, and in a RAM and readable software control switches of the game computer and computer game program carrier at any instance, represent the status of the execution of the computer game program at the instance.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
223 words
A computer game control apparatus for connection between a game computer having a microprocessor and a computer game program carrier via corresponding signal communication buses, the apparatus comprising: (a) an address decoder; (b) a data comparator; (c) a ROM containing a control program; (d) a multiplexer which enables the game computer to execute, via the signal communication buses, a computer game program in the computer game program carrier, and which the multiplexer, when activated by the address decoder and the data comparator at a predetermined period of time after appearance of data or a plurality of sets of data in a predetermined time interval, enables the game computer to execute, via the signal communication buses, the control program in the ROM; and (e) software control switch storage means for storing all data which have appeared in the signal communication buses at any desired instance during execution of the computer game program and which has been written in designated write-only software control switches in the game computer and computer game program carrier, wherein such data, together with all the data in registers of the microprocessor of the game computer, and in a RAM and readable software control switches of the game computer and computer game program carrier at any instance, represent the status of the execution of the computer game program at the instance.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
154 words
A computer game control apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a memory and a software storage means and wherein the multiplexer connects selectively between the memory and the computer game program carrier, via respective signal communication buses, to the microprocessor, such that when the multiplexer is activated and the software storage means in the ROM is executed, all the data in the software control switch storage means, in the readable software control switches, in the registers of the microprocessor and in the RAM at the instance can be stored in the said memory, and further comprising a software restoration means for reading, at a later desired time, all such data stored in the memory and writing all such data respectively back to the software control switches, the registers of the microprocessor and the RAM such that the computer game program is hence executed from the status as at the first said desired instance.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
75 words
A computer game control apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the said software control switch storage means has communication buses for connecting the microprocessor and the multiplexer and includes an address decoder operating upon control and address signals appearing on the respective buses, a comparator operating upon control and data signals appearing on the respective buses, and an address and data mapping device operating upon control, address and data signals appearing on the respective buses.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
143 words
A computer game control apparatus according to claim 10, further including time delay means for introducing time delay intervals and thereby to slow down the execution of the computer game program, such that during a slowed down time intervals, the multiplexer enables the game computer to be connected via corresponding signal communication buses to the computer game program carrier and thereby to execute the computer game program therein and when a slow down time function is terminated, the multiplexer is activated and enables the game computer to execute, via the signal communication buses, the control program in the ROM, which control program executes a variable time delay program such that by changing the proportion between the delay time in the time delay means and that in the time delay program, the computer game program can be executed at different and variable slowdown speed.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1996-08-23 | 1997-02-22 | 1997-08-24 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2000-08-23 | 2001-02-22 | 2001-08-24 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2004-08-23 | 2005-02-22 | 2005-08-24 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |