JPH0451985A - Computer system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To assembly a series of operation inputs by integrating key inputs separated from real time by arbitrarily writing a series of operation data estimating manual operations into a memory by a keyboard. CONSTITUTION:An input means 24 transmits the operation data generated based on the manual operation to a main body 2 of a computer and time- sequentially writes the operation data into a memory 13. While responding to a command signal transmitted from a suitable source, an output means 25 reads the operation data stored in the memory 13 according to the order of writing the data by the input means 24 and transmits the data to the main body 2 of the computer. Further, while receiving the key inputs estimating the above-mentioned manual operations, a keyboard 21 writes a series of operation data into the memory 13. As the result, a series of operation inputs can be assembled by integrating the key inputs separated from the real time.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Field of Application] This invention relates to a computer system that allows a series of operation inputs stored in a memory to be reproduced at any time through key inputs.
Regarding the system.

[Prior Art] A TV game machine 1 shown in FIG. 3 includes a game machine main body 2 that operates according to game software that is converted into hardware and is commercially available, and a receiver 3 such as a television receiver for image monitoring. By connecting the input device 4 and operating the input device 4 connected to the game console main body 2 with a dedicated cable, the player can easily enjoy a game against an enemy character that moves on the screen in accordance with the operation input. There is. The input device 4 is equipped with operation input means such as a joystick and a shoot button so that the most appropriate manual operation can be selected as the game progresses, but in addition to these basic operation input means, there are also jog dials and throttle levers. Furthermore, some devices are equipped with operation input means such as handles that are turned into tools for different purposes, and by selecting the most suitable means according to the game situation from among these operation input means, players can gain the upper hand in the game. You can proceed to However, even when players try the same game software, there are individual differences in the level of proficiency among players, and the time it takes to reach a certain skill level and the time it takes to overcome a difficult situation in the middle of a game can vary widely. However, various instruction manuals have been published about the so-called virtuosic operation methods that require advanced finger movements and intuition, and are aimed at how to achieve the game goal in the shortest distance and in the shortest amount of time. This is because this is the player's biggest concern.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] In the conventional TV game machine 1 described above, if the user who purchased the game software has normal reflexes, it is not possible to reach a certain level of proficiency with a certain amount of effort. can.

However, as the game progresses beyond a certain stage, the difficulty of the game increases and a higher level of skill is required, so players may inevitably hit a wall in the game where they cannot progress any further. The only way to break through the walls of this game is to master the skills to break through the impasse, but this requires a great deal of dedication, and inevitably the number of times you have to try the game again. I will do it.

However, the conventional TV game machine 1 is configured so that when the player loses during the game and the game is over, the player can try again by starting the game from the beginning. Even if it is possible to progress through the game with some ease, by the time the player reaches the immediate goal, their patience and concentration are often running out, even if the player does not realize it, and this makes it difficult to break the deadlock. The game is over immediately without being able to grasp the clues to play, or when you try again, you are forced to perform redundant operation inputs such as playing the game from the basic level when you are already proficient, so it is difficult to improve your skills. Fatigue from repeating basic operation inputs that seem unrelated to
It is easy to lose the desire to play when combined with a sense of failure in difficult situations, and there are many cases where players who lose the desire to try again every time they hit a wall end up losing interest in the game itself, and similar The game software distribution market was also faced with problems such as a decline in the desire to purchase game software, which caused the game software distribution market to lose its vitality.

There are also computer systems in which the game console body 2 is equipped with a memory that stores the history of operation inputs; As a result, the manufacturing cost of the game console 2 is high, and even users who think they do not need such a history storage function have to be prepared to pay a correspondingly high purchase cost for a game machine with memory, despite their wishes. I was faced with the issue of

Furthermore, in the conventional TV game machine 1, the most effective way for an inexperienced player to improve in a short period of time is to have an experienced player teach him/her skills one-on-one, but if an experienced player is nearby, If not, the only option is to purchase a magazine etc. that introduces how to improve and repeat the exercises as described in the article, but even then, it is difficult to focus and thoroughly study the strategies for the parts that the player wants to know. I was faced with a difficult problem.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention solves the above problems, and transmits operation data generated based on manual operations to a computer main body, and also stores the operation data in a memory in chronological order. an input means for writing, an output means for reading out operation data stored in the memory in accordance with the writing order of the input means in response to a command signal sent from an appropriate source, and sending it to the computer main body; and the manual operation is assumed. The present invention is characterized by comprising a keyboard that receives key inputs and writes a series of operation data into the memory.

[Function] This invention enables past operation inputs to be reproduced in their entirety by writing operation data generated based on manual operations into a memory and reading out the operation data in the order in which they were written as necessary. By making it possible to write a series of operation data assuming manual operation into an arbitrary memory, a series of operation inputs can be assembled by accumulating key inputs away from real time.

[Example] Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram showing an embodiment of a TV game machine to which the computer system of the present invention is applied, and FIG. 2 is an external view of the input device shown in FIG.

In FIG. 1, the TV game machine 11 is provided with a memo υ13 in the input device 12 as an operation input storage means, and this memory 13
By reading out the operation inputs stored in the memory in response to commands from the outside and sending the read operation inputs to the game console main body 2, the game progresses using the operation inputs assembled away from the real time during the game. This is what made it possible.

An input device 12 having an input means and an output means has an appearance shown in FIG. 2, and is connected to a game machine main body 2, which corresponds to a computer main body, with a dedicated cable. At the bottom center of the panel of the input device 12, a Lancel button 14, which is necessary for starting the game or selecting a screen, is arranged. Above the Lancel button 14, there is a handle 15 for selecting the direction of movement on the screen. A throttle lever 16 for changing gears is provided. Reference numeral 17 denotes a trigger button, which is used for firing a bullet or delivering a punch to defeat an opponent. In addition, there is a joystick 18 used for specifying the direction of movement such as left, right, front, back, diagonal, etc.
Alternatively, job dials 19, which are used to input operations with forward and reverse directionality, are arranged below and above the panel with the throttle lever 16 in between.

The input device 12 shown in the embodiment is also provided with a numeric keypad 21 in which 16 numeric keys 20 are arranged, in addition to the above-mentioned various operation input means with fixed uses, as will be described later. By replacing the numeric keypad 20 with function keys, a time-series operation input group that is a composite of a series of operation inputs can be substituted and input using key operations. The numeric keypad 20 has numerical input keys from "0" to "9" and four arithmetic operation keys "÷", 'X', "±"=
・"and clear/all clear key C/AC" total 16
Variety is available.

Furthermore, the input device 12 includes a display panel 22 using a light emitting diode and a display panel 23 using a liquid crystal.
are provided above the handle 15 on the left and right sides. The display panel 22 has 32 EDs arranged along a semicircle, and can display direction and memory usage. The display panel 23 includes a 7-segment liquid crystal display element that displays 8-digit numerical values, and a liquid crystal display element that displays four types of input modes: emulation, clock, calculation, and native, which will be described later. It has a liquid crystal display element that shows the selection status of five types of macro functions. The input modes include an emulation mode in which only the joystick 18 or handle 15 can be used (however, the handle 15 cannot be used when the joystick 18 is not in use), which is an operation input means typical of boat fishing, and the throttle lever 16. There are three modes: a native mode in which other operation input means such as the jog dial 19 or the handle 15 can be used in combination, and a calculation mode in which the numeric keyboard 21 is used for calculations. In addition, the macro functions include RFC to record the history of operation inputs, PLAY to play back the history of recorded operation inputs, EDIT to add functions to the numeric keypad 20, MEMORY to know the contents of the memory 13, and There is PLAY-REC, which records the subsequent operation input after reproducing the recorded operation input.

By the way, the operation input means 24 such as the joystick 18
and the numeric keyboard 21 are the control unit 25 for the bus side legs.
The memory 13 is connected to the CP02B inside the input device 12 and the external game machine main body 2 via the bus, and the memory 13 is branch-connected in the middle of the bus connecting the control section 25, which is an output means, and the CPU 26. The CPU 26 centrally controls all the circuits inside the input device 12, and writing and reading data to and from the memory 13 is also controlled by the CPO 26.

Here, after turning on the power of the input device 12 and selecting either emulation mode or native mode,
In order to provide the numeric keypad 20 with a combined operation input function,
Assume that the edit mode of the macro function is selected while pressing the numeric keypad "AC". In this case, in order to allocate the input required for the upward movement operation input using the joystick 18 to the operation input "55", which is inputting "5" twice on the numeric keypad 20 in succession, the numeric keypad 20
Use relative address, for example 0000 (initial value is 000
0) and specify the storage location in the memory 13. Next, input an upward operation using the joystick 18, then press the numeric keypad 20 and input r5517J. However, "55" followed by <r17J indicates that the upward movement operation is performed 17 times in a row. In this way, multiple operation inputs that you want to execute in a certain sequence within a certain period of time are shortened to operation inputs using "0" to "9" on the numeric keypad 20 to which a series of operation contents are assigned and registered, and stored in the memory 13. This allows the player to easily perform complex operation inputs desired at various stages of the game.

By the way, the input device 12 uses the macro function to
Arbitrary memory 1 stores arbitrary operation input progress conceived by the player.
2 can be stored. In this case, first EDIT
Select the mode and enter the operation for all operation input means using the numeric keypad 20 from ``OO'' to ``99.''
I will deal with it by then. Next, select RFC mode,
Specify an address in the operation input storage area of the memory 12 using the numeric keypad 20, and sequentially write a series of operation inputs deemed appropriate as the game progresses using the numeric keypad 20, which has already been converted into function keys. I'll go.

Then, when the writing of the operation input necessary for progressing the game is completed, the PLAY mode is selected this time. Then, the operation inputs entered up to that point are stored in memory 1 according to the history.
3 and sent to the game machine body 2 via the control unit 25 as if input using the operation input means 24, so the machine advances the game in place of the player. . Therefore, by selecting PLAY mode, it is possible to iteratively verify the quality of a series of operation inputs assembled using key inputs, and the player can objectively check for deficiencies in the operation input method without having to repeat the game each time. In addition, you can calmly consider strategies to overcome key points.

Further, the operation input stored in the memory 13 can be arbitrarily corrected using the numeric keypad 20 from the numeric keyboard 21. That is, by selecting the MEMORY mode, the operation inputs stored in the memory 13 can be called up on the display device 23 according to the history. Since the operation input is stored in the memory 13 as a pair of data including the input time and the input content according to a series of addresses, first find the point where you want to correct the operation input method, and then use the EDI
Switch to T mode. Then, by replacing the previous operation input with a different and more effective operation input, or adding a new operation input that increases the effectiveness, the player can make the desired correction at will depending on the game situation. It is possible. In addition, since this correction work can be done at will without being pressed for time, advanced skills known as virtuoso techniques that used to rely on sophisticated fingertip movements and well-honed intuition can be reduced to the smallest unit of operation input. It can be disassembled and artificially stored in the memory 13.

In this way, TV game machine mechanic 1, numeric keyboard 21
Since operation inputs can be freely written to the memory 13 using , various operations that previously had to be input in real time as the game progresses can now be freely edited while the game flow is stopped. This gives a more intellectual dimension to the enjoyment of the game and expands the base of the player population.

In the embodiment, a TV game machine machine was used as an example, but the computer system of the present invention can be applied to a TV game machine as long as it is equipped with software whose program is digested in response to a purposeful operation input. It can be applied not only to mechanics 1 but also to all other machines and devices.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, the present invention writes operation data generated based on manual operations into a memory, and reads out the operation data in the order in which they were written as necessary, thereby making it possible to read past operation inputs. In addition to making it possible to reproduce exactly as it is, it is configured so that a series of operation data assuming manual operation can be written to arbitrary memory, so a series of operation inputs can be freely assembled by accumulating key inputs away from real time. As a result, the program can be automatically digested according to a series of operation inputs stored in memory through key operations without inputting operation inputs through input means. For games where the game's progress is controlled by the main unit, if the player's skills hit a wall at a certain stage, it is necessary to accurately assemble a series of operation inputs called virtuosity while stopping the flow of the game. Alternatively, various operations that previously had to be input in real time as the game progresses can now be input as if they have been elaborated over time, and at the same time, the contents of memory can be read at any time, making it possible to It is possible to repeatedly verify the quality of a series of operation inputs assembled through input without the player having to repeat the game each time, and in the process, objectively check for deficiencies in the operation input method, and check points that serve as checkpoints. You can calmly consider the strategy for the game, and furthermore, you can correct all or part of the operation input that has been stored in the memory by keystrokes, so if the game is likely to stall, you can use this to correct the operation input up to that point. By replacing it with a different and more effective operation input, or by adding a new operation input that increases its effectiveness, it is possible to establish a more advanced strategy, which allows you to improve the altitude of your fingertips. Advanced skills called virtuosity, which used to rely on movement and well-honed intuition, can be broken down into the smallest unit of operation input and artificially learned, giving a more intellectual aspect to the enjoyment of the game. In addition, it is possible to expand the base of the player population, and furthermore, it is possible to expand the base of the player population, and furthermore, like a computer system that has a memory that stores the operation input history in the computer or game console itself,
Rather than forcing the user to bear a corresponding burden when purchasing the main unit,
By shipping a built-in memory type to the market as one type of input device among multiple input devices, we can provide a computer system with a wide range of options to choose from, targeting a wide range of users who have different purchase limits as a percentage of their purchasing motives. It has excellent effects such as:

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a circuit configuration diagram showing an embodiment of a TV game machine to which the computer system of the present invention is applied, FIG. 2 is an external view of the input device shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a conventional 1 is a circuit configuration diagram showing an example of a TV game machine. 203. Game console body, 11. ,,TV game machine, 12
．． ,,input device,13. ,,memory. 20, , source (numeric keypad), 21. ,, ten-key keyboard, 24. ,,input means (operation input means). 25. Output means (control unit).

Claims (1)

[Claims] input means for transmitting operation data generated based on manual operation to the computer main body and writing the operation data in a memory in chronological order; and an output means for reading out the operation data according to the writing order of the input means and sending it to the computer main body, and a keyboard for receiving key input assuming manual operation and writing a series of operation data in the memory. A computer system featuring: