Relay, entertainment apparatus, communication system, communication method, and program

A communication system in a gaming system, comprising an entertainment apparatus having at least a first mode and a second mode as operation modes, and a relay unit connecting one or a plurality of manipulation terminals or external storage units to a single port of the entertainment apparatus;

• wherein
• the entertainment apparatus reads information from a recording medium, determines an operation mode based on the read information, operates in the determined operation mode, generates an operation mode selection signal in accordance with the determined operation mode, and outputs the generated operation mode selection signal to the relay unit;
• the relay unit is located outside the entertainment apparatus and includes:
• a main body connector for detachably connecting the relay unit to the entertainment apparatus;
• at least one or a plurality of controller connectors for detachably connecting the one or the plurality of manipulation terminals;
• a first relay processing unit;
• a second relay processing unit;
• and
• a control signal generator;
• the first relay processing unit carries out relay processing for the first mode between the entertainment apparatus and the one or the plurality of manipulation terminals or the external storage units;
• the second relay processing unit carries out relay processing for the second mode between the entertainment apparatus and the one or the plurality of manipulation terminals or the external storage units;
• the relay unit receives the selection signal from the entertainment apparatus via the main body connector;
• the control signal generator operates the first relay unit to carry out the relay processing for the first mode when the relay unit receives the received selection signal in accordance with the second node;
• the first and second modes are different gaming protocols;
• wherein the first relay processing unit is a first multitap IC and second relay processing unit is a second multitap IC;
• and
• wherein the first multitap IC and the second multitap IC each have at least one bus switch electrically coupled thereto for communicating signals between the one or plurality of controllers and the first multitap IC and/or the second multitap IC.

A communication method for connecting one or a plurality of manipulation terminals or external storage units to a single port of an entertainment apparatus in a gaming system having at least a first mode and a second mode as operation modes via a relay unit, wherein the relay unit is located outside the entertainment apparatus and includes a main body connector for detachably connecting the relay unit to the entertainment apparatus, at least one or a plurality of controller connectors for detachably connecting the one or the plurality of manipulation terminals, first and second relay processing units, and a control signal generator, said communication method comprising:

• a step of reading information from a recording medium;
• a step of determining an operation mode of the entertainment apparatus based on the read information;
• a step of generating a selection signal in accordance with that determination result;
• a step of transmitting the selection signal to the relay unit, which are carried by the entertainment apparatus;
• a step of receiving the selection signal from the entertainment apparatus by the relay unit;
• a step of relaying for the first mode when the received selection signal corresponds to a signal for the first mode by the first relay processing unit;
• and
• a step of relaying for the second mode when the received selection signal corresponds to a signal for the second mode by the second relay processing unit,
• a step of operating the first relay unit to carry out the relaying when the relay unit receives the selection signal in accordance with the first mode;
• a step of operating the second relay unit to carry out the relay processing for the second mode when the relay unit receives the selection signal in accordance with the second mode;
• wherein the first and second modes are different gaming protocols;
• wherein the first and second relay processing units are first and second multitap ICs;
• and
• wherein the first and second multitap ICs each have at least one bus switch electrically coupled thereto for communicating signals between the one or plurality of controllers and first and/or second multitap ICs.