Method and apparatus for pre-caching data in audio memory
AssigneeNintendo Co., Ltd.
InventorsHoward H. Cheng, Dan Shimizu, Genyo Takeda
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Abstract
A video game system includes an audio digital signal processor, a main memory and an audio memory separate from the main memory and storing audio-related data for processing by the audio digital signal processor. Memory access circuitry reads non-audio-related data stored on a mass storage device and writes the non-audio-related data to the audio memory. The non-audio-related data is later read from the audio memory and written to the main memory.
Claims50
A video game system comprising:
- an audio digital signal processor;
- a main memory;
- an audio memory separate from the main memory and storing audio-related data for processing by the audio digital signal processor;
- a mass storage device;
- and
- circuitry for reading non-audio-related data stored on the mass storage device and writing the non-audio-related data to the audio memory, and later reading the non-audio-related data from the audio memory and writing the non-audio-related data to the main memory,
- wherein the circuitry comprises:
- a first memory address register storing a first memory address;
- a second memory address register storing a second memory address;
- a block length register for storing a block length;
- and
- register changing circuits for changing the data stored in the first memory address register, the second memory address register and the block length register.
A method of accessing non-audio-related data stored on a mass storage device, comprising:
- providing an audio memory separate from a main memory and storing therein audio-related data for processing by an audio digital signal processor;
- reading non-audio-related data stored on the mass storage device and writing the non-audio-related data to the audio memory;
- and
- later reading the non-audio data from the audio memory and writing the non-audio data to a main memory,
- wherein the writing to and reading from the audio memory comprises:
- specifying a first memory address;
- specifying a second memory address;
- specifying a block length;
- and
- changing the first memory address, the second memory address and the block length.
A video game machine comprising:
- a mass storage access device for accessing a mass storage device storing a video game program comprising video game data;
- a video game program executing system for executing the video game program;
- a main memory;
- an audio memory separate from the main memory;
- an audio digital signal processor for processing audio-related video game data stored in the audio memory;
- and
- memory access circuitry for writing non-audio-related video game data supplied from the mass storage device to the audio memory, and later reading out the non-audio-related video game data from the audio memory and supplying the read-out non-audio-related video game data to the main memory for processing by the video game program executing system.
A pre-caching method for a video game machine comprising a mass storage access device for accessing a mass storage device storing a video game program comprising video game data;
- a video game program executing system for executing the video game program;
- a main memory;
- an audio memory separate from the main memory;
- and an audio digital signal processor for processing audio-related video game data stored in the audio memory, the method comprising:
- writing non-audio-related video game data supplied from the mass storage device to the audio memory;
- and
- later reading the non-audio video game data from the audio memory and writing the non-audio video game data to the main memory for processing by the video game program executing system.
A video game machine comprising:
- mass storage access means for accessing a mass storage device storing a video game program comprising video game data;
- video game program executing means for executing the video game program;
- a main memory;
- an audio memory means separate from the main memory for storing audio-related video game data;
- an audio digital signal processing means for processing the audio-related video game data stored in the audio memory means;
- and
- writing/reading means for writing non-audio-related video game data supplied from the mass storage device to the audio memory means, and for later reading out the non-audio-related video game data from the audio memory means and supplying the read-out non-audio-related video game data to the main memory for processing by the video game program executing means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.