Memory card device, video game apparatus, and program providing medium
AssigneeSony Computer Entertainment Inc.
InventorAkihiro Sugimura
Life of this patent
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Abstract
As disclosed herein, a video game apparatus has a base unit and an auxiliary memory unit connectable thereto. The base unit executes an application program to provide a video game and downloads a first application program and attribute data for executing the first application program to the auxiliary memory unit. The auxiliary memory unit executes the first application program downloaded from the base unit to provide a video game independently of the base unit. The auxiliary memory can also change attribute data, and the changed attribute data can then be received therefrom by the base unit and used to execute a second application program for providing a video game at the base unit.
Claims15
A video game apparatus operable to execute application programs to provide video games, comprising:
- a base unit including:
- a program providing unit operable to provide a first application program;
- and
- a central processing unit operable to execute a second application program to provide a second video game;
- and
- an auxiliary memory unit operable to communicate with said base unit, said auxiliary memory unit including a program memory operable to store the first application program, a control unit operable to execute the first application program independently of the base unit, and an operation input unit operable to receive input to change attributes for executing the second application program,
- wherein said base unit is operable to download to said auxiliary memory unit the first application program and data representing attributes for providing a first video game upon execution of the first application program, and to receive from said auxiliary memory unit data representing changes in attributes for providing the second video game, and
- wherein said central processing unit is operable to execute the second application program to provide the second video game according to the changes in attributes received by said base unit from said auxiliary memory unit.
A base unit operable to execute an application program to provide a video game, comprising:
- a program providing unit operable to provide a first application program;
- and
- a central processing unit operable to execute a second application program to provide a second video game;
- wherein said base unit is operable to download the first application program and data representing attributes for providing the first video game to an auxiliary memory unit connectable to said base unit, and to receive from the auxiliary memory unit data representing changes in attributes for executing the second application program to provide the second video game, and
- wherein said central processing unit is operable to execute the second application program to provide the second video game according to the data representing the changes in attributes received from the auxiliary memory unit.
A method of transferring information between an auxiliary memory unit and a base unit to which the auxiliary memory unit is removably connectable, the auxiliary memory unit including a processor and being operable to execute a first application program to provide a first video game, the base unit being operable to execute a second application program to provide a second video game, said method comprising:
- loading the first application program for providing the first video game from the base unit into the auxiliary memory unit;
- loading data representing attributes for executing the first application program from the base unit into the auxiliary memory unit;
- receiving at the base unit from the auxiliary memory unit data representing changes in attributes for executing the second application program to provide the second video game;
- and
- executing the second application program in the base unit to provide the second video game using the data representing changes in attributes received from the auxiliary memory unit.
A machine-readable medium recorded with machine-readable code including instructions for performing a method of transferring information between an auxiliary memory unit and a base unit to which the auxiliary memory unit is removably connectable, the auxiliary memory unit including a processor and being operable to execute a first application program to provide a first video game, the base unit being operable to execute a second application program to provide a second video game, said method comprising:
- loading the first application program for providing the first video game from the base unit into the auxiliary memory unit;
- loading data representing attributes for executing the first application program from the base unit into the auxiliary memory unit;
- receiving at the base unit from the auxiliary memory unit data representing changes in attributes for executing the second application program;
- and
- executing the second application program in the base unit to provide the second video game using the data representing changes in attributes received from the auxiliary memory unit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.