Back to results
US 6,811,489 B1Granted
Controller interface for a graphics system
AssigneeNintendo Co., Ltd.
InventorsDan Shimizu, Ko Shiota, Munehito Oira, Kazuo Koshima
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A video game system includes a game program executing system executing a game program and one or more controllers supplying user inputs to the game program executing system. An interface between the controllers and the game program executing system is programmable to periodically poll the controller without involvement of the game program executing system.
Claims43
A video game system, comprising:
- a game program executing system executing a game program;
- one or more controllers supplying user inputs to the game program executing system;
- an interface between the controllers and the game program executing system, the interface being programmable to periodically poll the controllers without involvement of the game program executing system, wherein the interface comprises:
- a double buffer for storing data transferred between the game program executing system and the controllers;
- and
- a status register comprising one or more bits which are indicative of a status of a copy operation for copying data from one buffer to another of the double buffer.
3 more elements
A video game system, comprising:
- a game program executing system executing a game program;
- a controller supplying user inputs to the game program executing system;
- and
- an interface interfacing between the game program executing system and the controller, the interface including communication circuitry operable in a first mode in which data of a fixed size is communicated between the game program executing system and the controller and in a second mode in which data of variable size is communicated between the game program executing system and the controller, wherein the interface further comprises:
- a communication memory for storing the variable size data;
- a double buffer for storing the fixed size data;
- and
- a switching device for selectively connecting either the double buffer or the communication memory to the controller.
5 more elements
A video game system, comprising:
- a game program executing system having connectors connectable to one or more game controllers;
- and
- an interface between the connectors and the game program executing system, the interface comprising a double buffered input register and a double buffered output register corresponding to each connector, each double buffered output register comprising first and second output registers for storing data from the game program executing system for output to a controller connected thereto and each double buffered input register comprising first and second input registers for storing data from a controller connected thereto for input to the game program executing system.
A video game system, comprising:
- a game program executing system supplied with user inputs from one or more game controllers;
- and
- an interface between the controllers and the game program executing system, the interface comprising first and second different storage devices for storing data transferred between the game program executing system and the controllers, and selector circuitry for selectively connecting the controllers to either of the first or second storage devices.
A method of supplying data to a game program executing system of a video game system from controllers connected thereto, the method comprising:
- receiving data from the controllers;
- supplying the received data to selector circuitry;
- supplying the received data from the selector circuitry to a first storage device accessible by the game program executing system if the selector circuitry is in a first state;
- and
- supplying the received data from the selector circuitry to a different, second storage device accessible by the game program executing system if the selector circuitry is in a second state.
2 more elements
A method of supplying data from game program executing system of a video game system to controllers connected thereto, the method comprising:
- selectively storing data from the game program executing system in first and second different storage devices connected to selector circuitry;
- supplying stored data from the first storage device to the controllers if the selector circuitry is in a first state;
- and
- supplying stored data from the second storage device to the controllers if the selector circuitry is in a second state.
1 more element
A video game system, comprising:
- a game program executing system;
- a connector for connecting to a peripheral device;
- and
- an interface between the connector and the game program executing system, the interface comprising a double buffered input register and a double buffered output register, wherein
- output data from the game program executing system is copied from a first output register to a second output register of the double buffered output register after the output data is written to the first output register, and copying from the first output register to the second output register is selectively lockable, and
- input data from the peripheral device is copied from a first input register to a second input register of the double buffered input register after the input data is written to the first input register, and copying from the first input register to the second input register is selectively lockable.
3 more elements
A video game system, comprising:
- a game program executing system;
- a connector for connecting to a peripheral device;
- and
- an interface between the game program executing system and the connector, the interface comprising a first storage device for storing data of a first type which is transmitted to or received from a peripheral device connected to the connector;
- a different, second storage device for storing data of a second type which is transmitted to or received from a peripheral device connected to the connector;
- and a switching device for selectively connecting the peripheral device to either the first storage device or the second storage device.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.