Display for electronic game

MEMORY

ESP; FBR-2

The present invention relates to electronic games and, in particular, to a visual presentation device for an electronic game, in which the skill of the player can be tested and his goals can be marked during the practice of the game whose program is alraa & ana $ .o on a microprocessor. ·* \*· to ·* ·

With the appearance of the microprocessor plate * * «dor it is now possible to make extremely spliced ​​games that can be practiced in a device that is held by hand. Typically, these games test the player's ability to overcome a certain number 4.e, -problems or obstacles preprogrammed in the device, ^ í ^ Jica * · ·. · These games are described in Electronics Magazine, of the

♦. · / March 1979, page 44. Usually these games * include

· · - and in a visual presentation device consisting typically of well-known liquid crystals, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) or the like. Of course, the visual presentation devices for electronic devices are very common and, as an example of them, the omni20 present type of seven-segment visualization device "widely used to form alphanumeric characters by means of the excitation or the activation of certain parameters, can be mentioned. segments Likewise, the use of the activation is. of a series of discrete light sources in fixed positions, to simulate a movement, is an old procedure well known in the art, whose typical example is the well-known marquee theater display device or animated visual presentation devices now current in sports stadiums. In most cases, this visual presentation is usually formed by

- 3. means of a plurality of identical light emitting elements such as standard and incandescent lamps arranged in a series of lines and columns intersecting p · -a to form a plurality of squares, or grouped in the so-called hexagonal set in in which case the lamp lines are arranged to mutually intersect with about 180 pieces in a regular manner. These visual presentation devices, characterized in that they include

*. ·· a plurality of a unique form of light emitting diode have been miniaturized, and today they are used in conjunction with hand-held electronic games in which light-emitting diodes constitute the devices that require relatively the least amount of energy p'árh su · * · · · stimulation. However, these visual pre-detection devices do not allow to easily represent several different objects without unduly using a large number of light sources.

Accordingly, a main object of the present invention is to provide a new display device in which pluralities of two different display elements are used in order to substantially increase the versatility of the representations that can be obtained without unduly multiplying. the number of light viewers whose activation may be necessary.

For this purpose, the present invention provides a display device for hand held electronic games, in which a device is provided for defining a plurality of bars arranged to form a regular segmented network, and a plurality of points arranged each one inside one of the areas · * »« αί

I

I 'define put the bars. The visual presentation device also includes a means for energizing the bars and points thus defined.

These objects, as well as other objects of the present invention, are partly evident, and in part appear later. The invention therefore includes the apparatus provided with the construction, the combination of elements and the arrangement of parts which are described in the following detailed description and whose scope of application is described by way of example. it is indicated in the claims.

In order to facilitate the understanding of the nature and the objects of the present invention, reference will be made to the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and in which ",. Figure 1 represents a perspective view of the external part of a typical hand held game and including a visual display device made in accordance with the principles of the present invention;₍ Figure 2 represents a perspective view of a visual presentation module according to the present invention, partially open;

figure 3 represents a part of the module of figure 2 from which the cover diffuser has been removed;

Figure 4 represents a cross-sectional view · of a bar element of Figure 2, taken along line 4-4 in Figure 2;

Figure 5 represents a cross-sectional view of a point element of the module, taken along

- 5 of line 5-5 of figure 2;

6 represents a schematic diagram, partly in the form of blocks, of the circuit useful for selectively energizing the bar and point elements of the module of FIGS. 2 and 3 according to a predetermined program? FIG. 7 represents a simplified program diagram for selectively illuminating the elements of the module of FIGS. 2 and 3 during the execution of a set; and Figure 8 is a simplified diagram that, ΛθΡ^Γθ, the elements of the module of figures 2 and 3 were set, active * · * two sequentially by & program of figure 7.

«·»

Referring now to figure 1, s'e 'rep.

·· · ~ sents therein a perspective view of a game 2p .that is held by hand and which includes a display module 22 covered by a screen or diffuser filter, typically a filter that allows transmission through he of a light of a single color. The kit may also include a speaker 24 through which can be transmitted sound effects related to the game results in the display module. Is preferably provided a number of buttons manipulated by hand, tals as button start and stop 26, the active drive and disables the game by connecting with a power source, preferably a battery contained within the device . A second button 28, when activated it causes the electronic equipment of the apparatus to sequentially explore a series of different games. Another extremely important feature is that, to manipulate them!

representations that appear in the form of elements illustrated in the visual presentation module 22, four buttons 30, 32, 24 and 26 are provided, which, when activated, each cause the disappearance of the illumination of a given element of the display device, and the elimination of an adjacent element * adjacent to a corresponding perpendicular direction

- »Nothing, simulating this way or giving the impression of movement of

·

light in the perpendicular direction represented by the particular button that is manipulated. It is clear that a single control element can be used in place of the four bo / fcpnes. For example, it is possible to use a single element that. It should be noted that the apparent movement of light in the module of the visual control is shifted in a direction corresponding to any one of the various directions in which this element can only be pushed. substantially parallel to the surface of the game board.

As indicated above, the main novelty of the present invention consists in the formation of the modulus 22 which is shown in detail in Figures 2 and 3 · As can be seen in Figure 2, the module 22 typically includes a block 38 of material opaque to light which is also preferably an electrical insulator. For this purpose, a preferred material for block 3θ is ABS plastic with titanium dioxide loading in such a way that it also provides an extremely high light reflectance. Mounted on the upper surface of block 3θ is a screen element or diffuser 42, preferably made of 0.254 mm (10 mil) thick Mylar, capable of transmitting ruby ​​red light being transparent or

I translucent.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the block 38 incorporates a series of display elements in the form of perforations extending through the block from the upper surface 40 to the lower surface. Screen 42, as can be seen in, 1 # figure 2, is superimposed on all perforations.^r'*^and

The shape of the perforations formed in eí'blo that 38, on the surface 40, are of two types. A tip $> - is the bar 44, that is, an element of elongated shape provided with a longitudinal dimension substantially greater than its width. In the preferred embodiment, the element 44 is represented with a double symmetry about a longitudinal axis. The other type of perforation is the point e-bracket 46, that is to say a compact element having a substantially radial symmetry, for example a circle, an equilateral or similar polygon, which differs from the bar 44. All bars 44 are preferably of the same size, and all points 46 are preferably of the same size, presenting the points and bars approximately a size of the same order of magnitude with respect to the diameter of the point and the average width of the bar. The bars 44 are arranged to form a number of intersecting segmented lines and columns, each line and each column being formed by a series of separate bars disposed along a common, collinear line with their longitudinal axes. The lines and columns of bars 44, as illustrated, intersect preferably in the spaces between the bars, thus forming a segmented regular quadrilateral network 48. Those skilled in the art or each line and each column being formed by a series of separate bars arranged along a common, collinear line with their longitudinal axes. The lines and columns of bars 44, as illustrated, intersect preferably in the spaces between the bars, thus forming a segmented regular quadrilateral network 48. Those skilled in the art or each line and each column being formed by a series of separate bars arranged along a common, collinear line with their longitudinal axes. The lines and columns of bars 44, as illustrated, intersect preferably in the spaces between the bars, thus forming a segmented regular quadrilateral network 48. Those skilled in the art or

It will be appreciated that the network 48 therefore incorporates a number of seven-segment type display devices, well known. The display device of figure 3 also includes a plurality of points 46, each of which is preferably arranged in a manra,⁸,.

substantially central in a quadrilateral area sendijla '-I #' * Γ corresponding to network 48 formed by the intersection of lines and columns of bars 44. In the example * * * * '* illustrates, the network formed by the bars 44 is a set of

5x3 simple quadrilateral zones that have 15 points in them, and therefore the total number of presentation elements is 53 · It will be noted that the particular form * of the network and the number of elements it contains, as illustrated · -, · In figure 3, they constitute a simple example and that pü'éde

Un a number of bars 44 and points 46 are used to form larger or smaller networks that form quadrilaterals whose edges may or may not be closed by bars, in whole or in part. In addition, other point configurations can be used. For example, a smaller number of points can be used in such a way that all quadrilateral lines are not provided with a point.

As shown in FIG. 4, each bore defining a bar 44 of FIGS. 2 and 3 is constituted by a tapered bore 49 whose main dimension is located on the upper surface 40 of the block 38 adjacent to the screen 42. , the perforation being located on top of a typical printed circuit board. ca supporting the necessary terminals and the light source 52 such as an LED or similar element, such that the latter is located at the narrow end of the bore.

The knitted element 46 illustrated in Fig. 5 indicates that the perforation representing the element is formed in the block 38 in the form of a substantially cylindrical perforation 56, whose transverse dimension

it does not vary substantially. As in the case of the element * of '•• Y' bar of figure 4 »a tip of the perforation» 5¿

it is blocked by the screen 42, and disposed on the *; * another extremity of the perforation is the plate cá.cir • · · "

1O printed paper 50 with a light emitting element 54 which penetrates the perforation. It will be noted that when the block • • • is made of plastic material with a titanium dioxide charge, the internal surfaces of the perforations *., 49 and 56 shown in figures 4 and 5 have They are white and extremely reflective, and therefore: ·. • The perforations serve essentially as light tubes for transmitting light through the block 38 in order to illuminate the screen 42 and form the bar-like configurations 44 or 46 as the case may be.

As shown in FIG. 6, means for energizing or illuminating lectively bar and point areas or elements 44 and 45 of the network 48 of FIGS. 2 and 3 are preferably provided for this purpose, as can be seen in figure 6, a plurality of light sources 60 is provided whose number corresponds to the plurality of bar and point elements of the network 48 of the display module 22. Accordingly, 53 light emitting diodes (LEO) arranged in a well-known array 62 are represented, so that each of them can be selectively stimulated to emit light by the activation of a selected pair of electrical lines leading to the matrix. A group of seven lines, six of which are each connected to the input cathodes of the light-emitting diodes,

of light, are excited by means of the asynchronous excitation circuit 62, such as the transistorized unit Dar •• * lington, type ULN2OO4A. The latter is a microchip mó * ·. ··· Ñolytic, high voltage and high intensity, trade «ali ~«

It is disclosed by Texas Instruments, Incorporated, Dallas, TeXfefs · or by Sprague Electric Co., and is described in an application published by Sprague Electric Company, under the title "Series ULN-200A Darlington Transistor Arrays-" lfe serijo tion and Application ". Eight transverse lines lead to the matrix 62 to be respectively connected cok. · 1 <ί3 in two of the LEDs, four of these lines being the outputs of a first four-segment LED excitation MOS 64 chip, such as the SN75491 circuit sold by Motorola Company, Texas Instruments, incorporated, and National Semiconductor , and which is described on pages 43-47 of the "Display Driver Lata Book for Design Engineers", 1977, Texas Instruments. The other four lines come from an identical circuit chip 66 type SN75491.

As a microprocessor 68 embodied in a single chip, the circuit of FIG. 7 includes a TMS I4OO NLL unit which is a microprocessor containing an instruction ROM of 4096 words, a RAM of 12 words and a logical arithmetic unit of four. batios, all in a single semiconductor chip. These microprocessor chips, type TMS 1400 can be obtained from the Texas Instruments, incorporated and described. In a bulletin of Texas Instruments, Incorporated, published on September 19, 1979, the output channels R, Rq to R? inclusive, of the raicroplate 68, are respectively connected with the corresponding inputs of the raicroplaquetas 64 and 66 that serve to control the excitation of the anodes of the LEDs of the matrix 62. The cajiaíés

...

from output 0, Οθ to Og inclusive of the chips 6.¾. they are connected as inputs to the plate 62 in order to control the excitation of the LED cathodes of the matrix 62.

To control the operation of the plate 68, a switching matrix qQQ ** including • · has been provided. · And all six illustrated control buttons plus ^ jarticu · · · "larly in Fig. 1. For this purpose, the output terminal R ^ of the chip 68 is connected to * a.''all of the switch buttons 30 , 36 and 34 and the terminal of Balida R ^ is connected in the same way to one side of the buttons 28, 26 and 32. The input terminal of the raicroplate 68 is connected to the other side of the buttons 32 and 34 · The input terminal of the chip 68 is also connected to the other side of the switching buttons 26 and 36. Finally, the input terminal of the chip 68 is connected to the other side of the buttons switching 28 and 30. A battery 70,

12 I connected respectively to the opposite terminals of the battery 70, the other sides of the resistors 72 and 74 being connected to one another and in common with the input terminals 0SC1 and 0SC2 of the chip 68.

This synchronization circuit constituted by resistor 72 and capacitor 74 provides control £ ¢.

Z · · RC filter that excites the internal oscillator of the raicroplate queta 68 as described in the literature.

As shown in Figure 7, Let.kilo microprocessor chip 68 can be easily programmed to perform a game that is typical of the complex ··· juegos games that can be practiced in the visual presentation module of the invention with a number 'moldéis to display elements. It will be assumed that the

28 has been activated a certain number of times to perform a sequence in the game program according to the ordinogram of figure 7. The latter represents, in a simplified form, a visible maze game in which the object it consists of moving a ball through a series of obstacles in the shortest possible time. The direction buttons are used to move a single ball represented by a luminous point through a labyrinth represented by a chosen number of illuminated bars until it reaches a goal or a reciter. The latter is represented by three illuminated bars forming three sides of a quadrilateral, the central side constituted by a marginal bar disposed either on the upper extremity or on the lower extremity of the visual presentation module,

As can be seen in figure 7, as soon as •

·· · · the game has been chosen, the position of the goal 76 is ex ected by the microprocessor chip 68 starting from »

its random access memory that has stored the possible positions of metaphysics. Next, the position of the ball in RAM array is chosen from the different possible positions of the ball located at the opposite end of the LEE display module, starting from the position target. Finally, the labyrinth bars are selected randomly, for example, from the ten different labyrinth structures stored in the abscess memory:. · Random of chip type 68. Next, the program, after the order to select the maze game and select the components, emits the lighting command that is represented in figure 8, of goal 76, of the ball 46A and the labyrinth defined by the bars marked 44D to J inclusive. These selections made by the chip 68, naturally activate the exciter chips 64, 66 and 62 to excite the selected LEU 60 type light sources. The direction of movement of the ball 46A through the labyrinth depends solely on the actuation of the directional keys on the front panel of the game shown in FIG. 1. Actuation of the button 36 would result in the extinction of the illumination of the ball 46A and the illumination of the next ball more adjacent upwards, if the logic of the program - 14 -

I allow it. In the same way, the manipulation of the button 32 moves the ball down one step in the visual display module, while the manipulation of the buttons 30 and 34, respectively, moves the ball one step to the left or one step to the right. By • · ·*.

therefore, only one point 46 is illuminated on the screen ... at • · · any given moment. This apparent movement of Tós * points, which represent the ball 46A, according to the logic of the ordinogram of Figure 7, is hindered not only by the physical margins of the visual presentation module 22, but also by each one of the horizontal bars 44D to J inclusive which have been chosen to constitute the labyrinth. When, by appropriate manipulation · · · · ♦ of the buttons 30, 32, 34 and 36, the ball is finally located at the target 76, it is preferably generated at the bottom of the screen indicating the success, and that is emitted by the speaker 24. Then, for a predetermined time, the maze is erased from the display device and instead appears on the screen to indicate the many,

Naturally, a substantial number of more complex discrete games can be practiced in the unit represented in Figure 1, since the versatility of this game board that is held in the hand depends to a large extent on the special form of the module of visual presentation 22.

Since certain changes can be made in an apparatus described above, without departing from it * •

Scope of the invention, it is understood that all the matter contained in the foregoing description or that is included in the attached drawings, should be interpreted as illustrative and without limiting character.

· · · · · ·

TRANSLATION OF IAS INSCRIPTIONS OF FIGURE 7 - -------- ···:? ·.

1, - Keyboard ··. · • * · · ·

2. - Pressed key?

3 · - Is it proposed to move outside the network? * ·. ·

. ·. ·

4. - Are the proposed blocks of bars really moving?

5. - Move ball one step for each key

6. - Is the ball in the goal?

7. - Presentation of the total time

8. - interrupt lighting

9. - Start game

10. - Select target positions

11. - Select position of the ball

12. - Select labyrinth bars 13 · "No

14.- Yes

In summary, the present utility model that is requested should fall into the following:

- 16 -