Electronic apparatus

An electronic apparatus comprising:

• an electronic apparatus body;
• a processor housed within said electronic apparatus body;
• a cartridge connectable to said electronic apparatus body and adapted to exchange data with said electronic apparatus body;
• a first memory device housed within said cartridge and containing a game program to be executed by said processor;
• an electrical circuit housed within said cartridge and adapted to receive a short-circuit detection signal and determine a condition of connectability between said electronic apparatus body and said cartridge;
• a second memory device housed within said electronic apparatus body and coupled to said processor, said second memory device containing a program to be executed by said processor to perform an initialization process.

A method of determining if a detachable cartridge is lawful and properly connected to an electronic apparatus body, said cartridge having a game program and coupled to said electronic apparatus body through a detachable connector having a plurality of terminals, said method comprising the steps of:

• sending a short-circuit detection signal to said cartridge from said electronic apparatus body;
• receiving a condition status signal, from said cartridge to said electronic apparatus body, that indicates the status of said coupling based on said short-circuit detection signal;
• and
• comparing said condition status signal to a stored code to determine if a predetermined relationship exists so as to verify that no short-circuit exists and that said cartridge is lawful.

A cartridge for use with an electronic apparatus body having an apparatus electrical connector and an apparatus memory device connected to a processor, the apparatus memory device containing a program to be executed by said processor to perform an initialization process and generate a short-circuit detection signal, said cartridge comprising:

• a cartridge memory device and a game program to be executed by said processor;
• a cartridge electrical connector having a plurality of terminals;
• and
• an electrical circuit adapted to receive said short circuit detector signal from said apparatus memory device during said initialization process.

An electronic apparatus comprising an electronic apparatus body and a cartridge to be detachably mounted to the electronic apparatus body, wherein:

• (a) said cartridge is equipped with a connector having a plurality of terminals and is connected to the electronic apparatus body via the connector;
• (b) said electronic apparatus body has a first signal outputting means for outputting a first short-circuit detecting signal for conducting a short-circuit detection of a circuit portion to be connected via said plurality of terminals;
• (c) said electronic apparatus body has a second signal outputting means for outputting a second short-circuit detecting signal after outputting said first short-circuit detecting signal;
• (d) said first short-circuit detecting signal consists of a plurality of bits and each bit is transmitted via each terminal of the connector;
• (e) each bit forming said first short-circuit detecting signal is set at such a logical level that bits passing through adjacent terminals have different logical levels;
• (f) said second short-circuit detecting signal consists of a plurality of bits and each bit is transmitted via each terminal of the connector;
• (g) each bit forming said second short-circuit detecting signal is set at such a logical level that bits passing through adjacent terminals have different logical levels and is set at a logical level different from a logical level of each corresponding bit of said first short-circuit detecting signal;
• (h) said cartridge has receiving means for receiving the first short-circuit detecting signal and said second short-circuit detecting signal via said plurality of terminals;
• (i) said receiving means has determining means for determining whether or not the circuit portion is short-circuited based on said received first and second short-circuit detecting signals;
• and
• (j) said determining means determines that short-circuit detection results show no short-circuit when logical levels of adjacent bits of the first short-circuit detecting signal are different from each other, logical levels of adjacent bits of the second short-circuit detecting signal are different from each other, and each bit forming the second short-circuit detecting signal has a logical level different from a logical level of each corresponding bit of the first short-circuit detecting signal.