US 4,053,740 AGranted

Video game system

OwnerLawrence David Rosenthalinventor

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A self-contained operator responsive video game system is disclosed. The system is capable of generating a virtually unlimited number of games where a player responds to and controls high resolution objects drawn on a display device such as a cathode ray tube. The system includes two interdependent sections, a computational section and a display section. The computational section includes means for entering operator commands, a program memory for storing the game rules and a digital processor for determining trajectories of moving objects and generating the line segment specification parameters required by the display section. The display section includes the same digital processor included in the computational section for transforming the line segment specification parameters into digital line drawing values and generating timed gating signals, digital-to-analog converters for converting the digital line drawing values into proportional signals and display drivers for generating the specified line segments on the screen of the cathode ray tube. Composites of the line segments repetitively drawn ultimately result in recognizable animated objects.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A method of implementing a computational system and a display system with a shared single digital processor to provide a visual simulation system calling for active participation by operators wherein realistic visual simulations of objects are drawn from a series of line segments on the display screen of a cathode ray tube in accordance wih simulation rules and operator commands, said method comprising the steps of

repeatedly calculating within said system display parameters needed to specify said series of line segments, and
repeatedly displaying said series of line segments on said display screen in accordance with said display parameters to provide said visual simulations of objects which may move and change size, shape and orientation as said simulation progresses;
for each line segment;
calculating Cartesian coordinates of a starting point of said line segment and calculating component values defining said line segment relative to its said starting point from said data and said operator commands in accordance with said simulation rules;
displaying said line segment on said screen by:
converting said Cartesian coordinates into deflection voltages directly related to the magnitudes of said Cartesian coordinates;
charging networks having the same time constant to the respective levels of said deflection voltages;
positioning a drawing beam in said cathode ray tube at a starting point of said line segment on said display screen with said deflection voltages to which said networks have charged;
converting said line component value into drawing voltages directly related to the magnitudes of said values;
turning on said beam to start drawing said line segment on said display screen and applying said drawing voltages to said charged networks to deflect said beam along the display locus of said line segment being drawn;
and
turning off said drawing beam in accordance with said drawing duration gating signal when a terminal end of said line segment has been reached by said drawing beam.

9 more elements

In a visual image operator interactive game system including an operator controlled input, a digital computer connected to said input and having a program memory storage, means for addressing said program memory storage, holding means for receiving and holding instructions and data output from said program memory storage, system sequencer means connected to said holding means for sending control signals within said computer in accordance with instructions, an arithmetic logic unit, a data selector, a working storage memory and a working storage address selector and register connected directly to said working storage memory, and wherein said system further includes an x and y planar coordinate output visual display including an x coordinate generator and a y coordinate generator therein and with which said operator may interact, the improvement comprising:

said working storage memory being connected directly to said data selector;
said data selector being connected directly to said arithmetic logic unit;
a primary accumulator and a secondary accumulator;
said arithmetic logic unit being connected directly to said primary accumulator and to said secondary accumulator;
an x coordinate register and a y coordinate register;
one of said primary accumulator and said secondary accumulator being connected to said x coordinate register and the other being connected to said y coordinate register;
said x coordinate register being connected to said x coordinate generator, and said y coordinate register being connected to said y coordinate generator;
an accumulator selector having inputs connected directly from said primary accumulator and said secondary accumulator and having outputs connected directly to said arithmetic logic unit and to said working storage memory.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 05/643,154Filed 22 Dec 1975
Granted: 11 Oct 1977
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

A63F 13/00
Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or
A63F 13/42
Processing input control signals of video game devices, e.g. signals generated by the player or derived from the environment: by mapping the input…
G09G 1/08
Using single beam tubes , e.g. three-dimensional or perspective representation, rotation or translation of display pattern, hidden lines, shadows:…
A63F
Card, board, or roulette games