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Claims  |
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We claim:
1. A game playing system comprising a plurality of independent game
machines, and transmission lines connecting said game machines together,
each of said independent game machines comprising:
player input means through which a player inputs a game start command
signal into his own game machine;
a communication interface for permitting the reception and transmission of
data between one player's game machine and the other game machines through
said transmission lines;
group setting means for grouping the game machines, including the one
player's game machine, to participate in a game within the same game space
in accordance with the game start command signal from said player input
means and game ready signals from the other game machines through said
communication interface; and
game calculating means for performing the reception and transmission of
game data between the one player's game machine and the grouped other game
machines through said communication interface to make a predetermined
calculation with respect to said game, whereby said plurality of
independent game machines cam be played simultaneously within the same
game space;
wherein each of said independent game machines is selectively switchable
into one of a plurality of modes responsive to said group setting means,
said plurality of modes comprising:
an attractive mode in which the one player's game machine is adapted to
calculate a scene for demonstration and in which, when the game machine
receives the game start command signal from said player input means, the
former outputs a game ready signal toward the other game machines through
said communication interface;
a game start mode in which, after the one player's game machine has
received the game start command signal from said player input means, the
former is placed at its stand-by position for a given time period;
a game ready mode in which, when the one player's game machine receives a
game ready signal from any one or more of the other game machines through
said communication interface, a confirmation message of whether or not the
one player's game machine participates in the multi-player game is
calculated and outputted;
a game mode in which a calculation for the actual game is executed after
the game has been started;
wherein said group setting means of the one player's game machine sets a
group of said independent game machines to play a game responsive to said
game start command signal from the one player's game machine and said game
ready signals from at lease one other game machine and wherein said group
setting means of the one player's game machine selectively switches the
one player's game machine between said plurality of modes responsive to
said game start command signal from said player input means, said game
start command signal switching the one player's game machine from said
attractive mode or said game ready mode to said game start mode, and said
game ready signals from the the other game machines, said game ready
signals switching the one player's game machine from said attractive mode
to said game ready mode.
2. A game playing system as defined in claim 1, wherein said group setting
means comprises:
game start timer means;
a first calculation means for driving said timer means and switching its
own calculation mode from the attractive mode to the game start mode when
the game start command signal is inputted thereinto from said player input
means in the attractive mode and for transmitting the game ready signal to
the other game machines;
a second calculation means for switching its own calculation mode from the
game start mode to the game mode when said timer means is timed up in the
game start mode and for transmitting the game start signal to the other
game machines;
a third calculation means for switching its own calculation mode from the
attractive mode to the game ready mode when the game ready signal is
inputted thereinto from any one of the other game machines in the
attractive mode;
a fourth calculation means for switching its own calculation mode from the
game ready mode to the game start mode when the game start command signal
is inputted thereinto from said player input means in the game ready mode;
and
a fifth calculation means for switching its own calculation mode from the
game start mode to the game mode when the game start signal is inputted
thereinto from any one of the other game machines in the game start mode,
whereby said plurality of independent game machines interconnected
together through said transmission lines are started simultaneously in the
same game space.
3. A game playing system as defined in claim 1, wherein said group setting
means comprises:
game start timer means;
a first calculation means for driving said timer means and switching its
own calculation mode from the attractive mode to the game start mode when
the game start command signal is inputted thereinto from said player input
means in the attractive mode and for transmitting the game ready signal to
the other game machines;
a second calculation means for switching its own calculation mode from the
game start mode to the game mode when said timer means is timed up in the
game start mode;
a third calculation means for driving said timer means and at the same time
switching its own calculation mode from the attractive mode to the game
ready mode when the game ready signal is inputted thereinto from any one
of the other game machines in the attractive mode; and
a fourth calculation means for switching its own calculation mode from the
game ready mode to the game start mode when the game start command signal
is inputted thereinto from said player input means in the game ready mode,
whereby said plurality of independent game machines interconnected
together through said transmission lines are started simultaneously in the
same game space.
4. A game playing system as defined in claim 1, wherein said game
calculating means comprises:
a memory for storing data identification codes for all the game machines of
a group to which the one player's game machine belongs, prior to the start
of game;
data discrimination means for, at each time when data is transmitted into
said data discrimination means, comparing a data identification code
included in said transmitted data with the corresponding code stored in
said memory to discriminate whether or not said transmitted data are data
for the group to which the one player's game machine belongs; and
calculating and processing means for performing the calculating and
processing of a game in accordance with that game state data if said
transmitted data are those of the group to which the one player's game
machine belongs,
the reception and transmission of the transmitted data including game state
data representative of the progress of a game and a data identification
code representative of a game machine corresponding to each of the game
state data transmitted between the game machines through the transmission
lines enabling players to form any one group of the game machines and to
play a game simultaneously through the grouped game machines in the same
game space.
5. A game playing system as defined in claim 4, wherein said calculating
and processing means performs the calculating and processing of a game in
accordance with the game state data to form new game state data when the
transmitted data belongs to the one player's game machine, the new game
state data being then transmitted to the other game machines through the
communication lines, and wherein said calculating and processing means
also performs the game state data if required to form further new game
state data when the transmitted data belongs to the group including the
one player's game machine, but does not relate to the one player's game
machine itself, said further new game state data being then transmitted to
the other game machines through said communication lines.
6. A game playing system as defined in claim 1, wherein said group setting
means comprises:
game start timer means;
a first calculation means for driving said timer means and switching its
own calculation mode from the attractive mode to the game start mode when
the game start command signal is inputted thereinto from said player input
means in the attractive mode and for transmitting the game ready signal to
the other game machines;
a second calculation means for switching its own calculation mode from the
game start mode to the game mode when said timer means is timed up in the
game start mode and for transmitting the game start signal to the other
game machines;
a third calculation means for switching its own calculation mode from the
attractive mode to the game ready mode when the game ready signal is
inputted thereinto from any one of the other game machines in the
attractive mode;
a fourth calculation means for switching its own calculation mode from the
game ready mode to the game start mode when the game start command signal
is inputted thereinto from said player input means in the game ready mode;
and
a fifth calculation means for switching its own calculation mode from the
game start mode to the game mode when the game start signal is inputted
thereinto from any one of the other game machines in the game start mode,
and wherein said game calculating means comprises:
a memory for storing data identification codes for all the game machines of
a group to which the one player's game machine belongs, prior to the start
of game;
data discrimination means for, at each time when data is transmitted into
said data discrimination means, comparing a data identification code
included in said transmitted data with the corresponding code stored in
said memory to discriminate whether or not said transmitted data are data
for the group to which the one player's game machine belongs;
and calculating and processing means for performing the calculating and
processing of a game in accordance with that game state data if said
transmitted data are those of the group to which the one player's game
machine belongs;
the reception and transmission of the transmitted data including game state
data representative of the progress of a game and a data identification
code representative of a game machine corresponding to each of the game
state data between the game machines through the transmission lines
enabling players to play a game simultaneously through the grouped game
machines in the same game space.
7. A game playing system as defined in claim 1, wherein said group setting
means comprises:
game start timer means;
a first calculation means for driving said timer means and switching its
own calculation mode from the attractive mode to the game start mode when
the game start command signal is inputted thereinto from said player input
means in the attractive mode and for transmitting the game ready signal to
the other game machines;
a second calculation means for switching its own calculation mode from the
game start mode to the game mode when said timer means is timed up in the
game start mode;
a third calculation means for driving said timer means and at the same time
switching its own calculation mode from the attractive mode to the game
ready mode when the game ready signal is inputted thereinto from any one
of the other game machines in the attractive mode; and
a fourth calculation means for switching its own calculation mode from the
game ready mode to the game start mode when the game start command signal
is inputted thereinto from said player input means in the game ready mode,
and wherein said game calculating means comprises:
a memory for storing data identification codes for all the game machines of
a group to which the one player's game machine belongs, prior to the start
of game;
data discrimination means for, at each time when data is transmitted into
said data discrimination means, comparing a data identification code
included in said transmitted data with the corresponding code stored in
said memory to discriminate whether or not said transmitted data are data
for the group to which the one player's game machine belongs; and
calculating and processing means for performing the calculating and
processing of a game in accordance with that game state data if said
transmitted data are those of the group to which the one player's game
machine belongs;
the reception and transmission of the transmitted data including game state
data representative of the progress of a game and a data identification
code representative of a game machine corresponding to each of the game
state data between the game machines through the transmission lines
enabling players to play a game simultaneously through the grouped game
machines in the same game space.
8. A game playing system as defined in claim 1, wherein said game
calculating means comprises:
a memory for storing a group codes for all the game machines of a group to
which the one player's game machine belongs, prior to the start of game;
data discrimination means for, at each time when data is transmitted into
said data discrimination means, comparing a group code included in said
transmitted data with the corresponding group code stored in said memory
to discriminate whether or not said transmitted data are data for the
group to which the one player's game machine belongs;
and calculating and processing means for performing the calculating and
processing of a game in accordance with that game state data if said
transmitted data are those of the group to which the one player's game
machine belongs,
the reception and transmission of the transmitted data including game state
data representative of the progress of a game and a data identification
code representative of a game machine corresponding to each of the game
state data between the game machines through the transmission lines
enabling players to form any one group of the game machines and to play a
game simultaneously through the grouped game machines in the same game
space.
9. A game playing system as defined in claim 8, wherein said calculating
and processing means performs the calculating and processing of a game in
accordance wit the game state data to form new game state data when the
transmitted data belongs to the group to which the one player's game
machine belongs, the new game state data being then transmitted to the
other game machines through the communication lines and wherein said
calculating and processing means also performs the game state data if
required to form further new game state data when the transmitted data
belongs to the group including the one player's game machine, but does not
relate to the one player's game machine itself, said further new game
state data being then transmitted to the other game machines through said
communication lines.
10. A game playing system as defined in claim 1, wherein said group setting
means comprises:
game start timer means;
a first calculation means for driving said timer means and switching its
own calculation mode from the attractive mode to the game start mode when
the game start command signal is inputted thereinto from said player input
means in the attractive mode and for transmitting the game ready signal to
the other game machines;
a second calculation means for switching its own calculation mode from the
game start mode to the game mode when said timer means is timed up in the
game start mode and for transmitting the game start signal to the other
game machines;
a third calculation means for switching its own calculation mode from the
attractive mode to the game ready mode when the game ready signal is
inputted thereinto from any one of the other game machines in the
attractive mode;
a fourth calculation means for switching its own calculation mode from the
game ready mode to the game start mode when the game start command signal
is inputted thereinto from said player input means in the game ready mode;
and
a fifth calculation means for switching its own calculation mode from the
game start mode to the game mode when the game start signal is inputted
thereinto from any one of the other game machines in the game start mode,
and wherein said game calculating means comprises:
a memory for storing group codes for all the game machines of a group to
which the one player's game machine belongs, prior to the start of the
game;
data discrimination means for, at each time when data is transmitted into
said data discrimination means, comparing a group code included in said
transmitted data with the corresponding group code stored in said memory
to discriminate whether or not said transmitted data are data for the
group to which the one player's game machine belongs; and
calculating and processing means for performing the calculating and
processing of a game in accordance with that game state data if said
transmitted data are those of the group to which the one player's game
machine belongs,
the reception and transmission of the transmitted data including game state
data representative of the progress of a game and a data identification
code representative of a game machine corresponding to each of the game
state data between the game machines through the transmission lines
enabling players to play a game simultaneously through the grouped game
machines in the same game space.
11. A game playing system as defined in claim 1, wherein said group setting
means comprises:
game start timer means;
a first calculation means for driving said timer means and switching its
own calculation mode from the attractive mode to the game start mode when
the game start command signal is inputted thereinto from said player input
means in the attractive mode and for transmitting the game ready signal to
the other game machines;
a second calculation means for switching its own calculation mode from the
game start mode to the game mode when said timer means is timed up in the
game start mode;
a third calculation means for driving said timer means and at the same time
switching its own calculation mode from the attractive mode to the game
ready mode when the game ready signal is inputted thereinto from any one
of the other game machine in the attractive mode; and
a fourth calculation means for switching its own calculation mode from the
game ready mode to the game start mode when the game start command signal
is inputted thereinto from said player input means in the game ready mode,
and wherein said game calculating means comprises:
a memory for storing a group code for each of all the game machines of a
group to which the one player's game machine belongs, prior to the start
of the game;
data discrimination means for, at each time when data is transmitted into
said data discrimination means, comparing a group code included in said
transmitted data with the corresponding group code stored in said memory
to discriminate whether or not said transmitted data are data for the
group to which the one player's game machine belongs; and
calculating and processing means for performing the calculating and
processing of a game in accordance with that game state data if said
transmitted data are those of the group to which the one player's game
machine belongs,
the reception and transmission of the transmitted data including game state
data representative of the progress of a game and a data identification
code representative of a game machine corresponding to each of the game
state data between the game machines through the transmission lines
enabling players to play a game simultaneously through the grouped game
machines in the same game space. |
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Claims |
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Description |
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a game playing system for business use and
particularly to such a system enabling a plurality of players to play a
game simultaneously in the same game space.
2. Description of the Prior Art
With spread of video games, various types of game machines have been
developed and actually used. Almost all such game machines in the prior
art are of a single-player type wherein only one player plays a game in a
completely independent game space. Even where a plurality of identical
game machines are installed in the same place, only one player can play a
game with a computer as a companion.
To enjoy the game with further pleasure, it is desirable that a plurality
of players can simultaneously play the corresponding number of game
machines such as drive game machines together in the same game space to
emulate each other as in driving technique.
To this end, the prior art has provided various types of multi-player game
machines wherein a plurality of players can play the same game
simultaneously in the same game space to increase the enjoyment of the
game.
In the accompanying drawings, FIG. 17 exemplifies one of the prior art
multi-player game machines, which is adapted to display a plurality of
objects to be operated by the respective players in the same scene. The
players can play the same game together in the same game space by
manipulating control members 100A, 100B and 100C on a control panel,
respectively.
As such a multi-player game machine, there is known "GUNTRET" commercially
available from ARITA Company.
FIG. 18 shows another example of the prior art multi-player game machines,
which comprises a plurality of independent display sections each having a
control member 100A, 100B or 100C, each of the display section being
adapted to display a game scene representative of the common game space.
Such a game machine includes, for example, "VS TENNIS" commercially
available from NINTENDO.
In the prior art multi-player game machines, however, the number of players
playable in the same game space is limited to the number of control
members as shown by 100A, 100B and 100C since these control members are
incorporated into one and the same game machine. In the case where the
multi-player game machine has three control members as shown in FIGS. 17
and 18, therefore, only three players can play the same game
simultaneously in the same game space.
Further, since the prior art multi-player game machines are constructed
exclusively for multi-player games with a plurality of control members as
shown by 100A, 100B and 100C and a display or displays being incorporated
into only a single game machine, they are extremely expensive in
comparison with other single-player game machines, resulting in limitation
of the number of game machines which are to be installed for business use.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a game
playing system for business use in which a plurality of independent game
machines each playable in the single-player game mode can be played also
in the multi-player game mode in the same game space and particularly in
such a manner that any number of groups is formed from the game machines
with each group playable the same multi-player game.
To this end, the present invention provides a game playing system for
business use which comprises a plurality of independent game machines and
transmission lines connecting the game machines together, each of said
game machines comprising player input means through which a player can
input a game start command signal into his own game machine, a
communication interface for performing the reception and transmission of
data between one player's game machine and the other game machines through
the transmission lines, group setting means for grouping the game
machines, including the one player's game machine, to participate in a
game within the same game space in accordance with the game start command
signal from said player input means and various signals from the other
game machines through the communication interface and game calculating
means for performing the reception and transmission of game data between
the one player's game machine and the other game machines through the
communication interface to make a predetermined calculation of game,
whereby the plurality of game machines can be played simultaneously in the
same game space.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a game calculating section used in one
embodiment of a game playing system constructed according to the present
invention.
FIG. 2 exemplifies one arrangement of the present invention wherein a
plurality of game machines are connected together into a loop.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the concrete arrangement of each of the game
machines shown in FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the concrete arrangement of the group setting
section shown in FIG. 3.
FIG. 5 exemplifies a scene to be displayed in the game machines which are
controlled in the game ready mode.
FIG. 6 is a flow chart illustrating the operation of the circuit shown in
FIG. 4.
FIG. 7 exemplifies a game scene to be displayed in the respective one of
driving game machines to which the present invention is applied.
FIG. 8 illustrates a set of transmission data received and transmitted
between the game machines.
FIG. 9 illustrates transmission data relating to a car operated by a
player.
FIG. 10 illustrates transmission data relating to a car operated by a
computer.
FIGS. 11(a) and 11(b) illustrate data used to specify the position of a
running car.
FIGS. 12 through 16 illustrate various types of networks between a
plurality of game machines.
FIGS. 17 and 18 illustrate multi-player game machines in the prior art.
FIG. 19 is a block diagram of the other arrangement of a group setting
section in a game machine used in the present invention.
FIG. 20 is a flow chart illustrating the group setting section shown in
FIG. 19.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The present invention will now be described in connection with some
preferred embodiments thereof illustrated in the drawings.
First Embodiment
(a) Arrangement of the Entire System:
FIG. 2 shows the first preferred embodiment of the present invention.
In accordance with the first preferred embodiment, a game playing system
for business use comprises a plurality of independent game machines 10-a,
10-b . . . . 10-h and data transmission lines 12 connecting the game
machines together into a loop. Each of the game machines is adapted to
transmit data relating to that game machine to the other game machines
through the transmission line 12.
The transmission data includes game state data and data identification
codes and are sent through the transmission line loop 12 while passing
sequentially through the game machines in the clockwise direction.
The game state data are data representative of the progress of game in each
of the game machines while the data identification code is used to specify
a game machine 10 corresponding to the game state data.
One of the features of the present invention is that each of the game
machines 10-a, 10-b . . . 10-h either can be played independently in the
single-player game mode or can be played with the other game machines
simultaneously within the same game space in the multi-player game mode.
(b) Game Machine
FIG. 3 shows the concrete arrangement of a game machine 10 usable in the
first embodiment of the present invention.
The game machine 10 generally comprises a calculation and control section
20, a display 22, a communication interface 24, an input/output (I/O)
interface 26, a player input section 28 and a coin receiving section 30.
The communication interface 24 is adapted to perform the reception and
transmission of data between a one player's game machine and the other
game machines through the transmission lines 12.
The calculation and control section 20 is adapted to perform various types
of calculations in accordance with input signals from the player input
section 28, coin receiving section 30 and I/O interface 26 and game data
received and transmitted between the one player's game machine and the
other game machines through the communication interface 24 of the one
player's game machine, with the results being imaged on the display 22.
To make a multi-player game by the use of the independent game machines 10,
it be required that a group is formed from the game machines 10 to
participate in the multi-player game prior to the start of game.
When a group of three players starts playing a multi-player game by the use
of three game machines among the eight game machines 10-a, 10-b . . . .
10-h shown in FIG. 2 and which are not placed in any game mode and if the
remaining five game machines cannot be played, the working ratio of the
entire game playing system would be degraded to reduce the working
efficiency.
Another feature of the present invention is that a plurality of groups can
be formed by a plurality of players through the game machines, each group
being capable of playing a multi-player game.
To this end, the calculation and control section 20 may comprise a group
setting section 20-1 for grouping a plurality of players into a plurality
of groups as described above and a game calculating section 20-2 for
performing a calculation of game after a group has been set.
(c) Group Setting Section:
FIG. 4 shows a concrete arrangement of such a group setting section 20-1
which comprises a first calculation means 40, a second calculation means
42, a third calculation means 44, a fourth calculation means 46, a fifth
calculation means 48 and a timer 50.
The timer 50 includes a timer/counter which is adapted to time up after it
has counted ten counts at each given time.
The first calculation means 40 is adapted to execute a program shown by a
flow line 100-1 in FIG. 6.
More particularly, if a game start command signal is inputted into a one
player's game machine by through its player input section 28 when the game
calculating section 20-1 thereof is in the attractive mode, the timer 50
of this game machine is first started. At the same time, the first
calculation means 40 switches the calculation mode in the game calculating
section 202 from the attractive mode to the game start mode and also
transmits a game ready signal to the other game machines 10 through the
communication interface 24 and the transmission lines 12.
The second calculation means 42 is adapted to execute a program shown by a
flow line 100-2 in FIG. 6.
The second calculation means 42 switches the calculation mode in the game
calculating section 20-2 from the game start mode to the game mode if the
timer 50 is timed up when the game calculating section 20-2 is in its game
start mode. At the same time, the second calculation means 42 transmits a
game start signal to the other game machines 10 through the communication
interface 24 and the transmission lines 12.
The third calculation means 44 is adapted to execute a program shown by a
flow line 100-3 in FIG. 6.
The third calculation means 44 switches the calculation mode in the game
calculating section 20-2 from the attractive mode to the game ready mode
if the one player's game machine receives a game ready signal from any one
of the other game machines 10 when the game calculating section 20-2 is
set at its attractive mode.
The fourth calculation means 44 is adapted to execute a program shown by a
flow line 100-4 in FIG. 6.
The fourth calculation means 46 switches the calculation mode in the game
calculating section 20-2 from the game ready mode to the game start mode
if the one player's game machine receives a game start signal from the
player input section 28 when the game calculating section 20-2 is in the
game ready mode.
The fifth calculation means 48 is adapted to execute a program shown by a
flow line 100-5 in FIG. 6:
The fifth calculation means 48 switches the calculation mode in the game
calculating section 20-2 from the game start mode to the game mode if the
one player's game machine receives a game start signal from any one of the
other game machines 10 when the game calculating section 20-2 is set at
its game start mode.
(d) Game Calculating Section
FIG. 1 also shows a concrete arrangement of circuit which may be used in
the aforementioned game calculating section 20-2.
The game calculating section 20-2 comprises a memory 60, a data
discriminating section 62 and a calculating and processing section 64.
The memory 60 is adapted to store data identification codes for all the
game machines in the group to which the one player's game machine belongs,
transmitted from the game machines through the transmission lines 12,
prior to the start of game. Such data identification codes may be in the
form of any suitable codes such as base numbers which have already been
provided to each of game machines on shipping or random numbers which are
generated by random-number generators contained in game machines.
At each reception of transmission data after the start of game, the data
discriminating section 62 is adapted to compare a data identification code
included in the transmission data with the data identification codes
stored in the memory 60 to discriminate whether or not this transmission
data is data relating to the group to which the one player's game machine
belongs, with the discriminated result being then supplied to the
calculating and processing section 64.
If the transmission data relates to the above group, the calculating and
processing section 64 executes a calculating and processing operation of
game in accordance with the game state data and transmits the same
transmission data to the other game machines through the communication
interface 24 and the transmission lines 12.
At this time, if the transmission data relates to the one player's game
machine itself, the calculating and processing section 64 processes the
game state data in accordance with the result from the above calculation
to form new game state data which in turn is supplied to the other game
machines.
If the transmission data relates to the group to which the one player's
game machine belongs, but not to the one player's game machine, the
calculating and processing section 64 processes the game state data
depending on the contents of game or transmits the transmission data to
the other game machines without execution of the aforementioned
calculating and processing operation.
In such a manner, each of the game machines used in the first preferred
embodiment of the present invention can perform the reception and
transmission of the transmission data including the game state data
representative of the progress of game in each game machine and the data
identification code representative of each game machine corresponding to
the respective game state data between such a game machine and the other
game machines. Thus, all the game machines belonging to the same group can
be played in the multi-player game mode under the same condition.
In accordance with the first embodiment, particularly, even though a
plurality of groups are formed, for example, by the use of eight game
machines 10-a, 10-b . . . . 10-h as shown in FIG. 2, each group can play a
multi-player game in the common game space. This can highly increase the
efficiency of utilization in the entire system.
Concrete Example
There will now be described a concrete example in which the game playing
system of the present invention is applied to a driving game.
The game playing system is adapted to play a car race by a maximum number
of eight players and comprises eight game machines 10 each of which has a
display 22 imaging one player's car as well as the other seven cars, as
shown in FIG. 7.
The player input section 28 of each of the game machines 10 includes a
start button, a steering wheel, a shift lever, an accelerating pedal, a
braking pedal and so on.
In addition to the eight racing cars to be controlled by the players
through the respective game machines 10, the game space for the game
machines includes sixteen (16) cars to be controlled by a computer.
The driving game is set to extend a play time in each of the game machines
belonging to the same group as a car controlled by a player through a game
machine in the same-group reaches the goal within its own play time.
After repetition of such an extension of play time, the driving game is
terminated as all of the remaining cars reaches the goal after they have
rounded on the racing course by given times or if none of the cars can
round on the racing course by given times within the initially set play
time.
In the game playing system shown in FIG. 2, it is assumed that a set of
transmission data shown in FIG. 8 are transmitted clockwise passing
through the game machines along the transmission lines 12.
Since a scene in the normal video game is updated at each 1/60 seconds, the
transmission speed is preferably set at a level corresponding to one round
of the transmission data through the transmission line loop 12 in
synchronism with the above updating time period.
The set of transmission data shown in FIG. 8 includes transmission data
relating to the eight cars which are to be controlled by the players and
to the sixteen cars which are to be controlled by the computer.
FIG. 9 shows the details of the transmission data relating to the cars
controlled by the players, which data includes base number, game status,
game group number, command, car status, counter and check-sum.
Each of the base numbers is representative of a game machine 10 and
provided by an output signal from a random-number generating section after
power-on. Data relating to a game machine 10 having a base number can be
distinguished from those of the other game machines. When the data is
being transmitted along the transmission line loop, each of the game
machines 10 may rewrite the contents of the transmission data if that game
machine receives the transmission data corresponding to its own base
number to take them as data relating to the game machine. It is naturally
that this base number is stored in the game machine 10.
Where the base numbers are provided from the random numbers, one and the
same base number may be created simultaneously for at least two game
machines although the probability is extremely low. It is, therefore,
preferred that any suitable means for inhibiting the same base number from
creating relating to the two game machines or that ID codes are
pre-programed to provide different base numbers to all the game machines.
The game status is representative of which state a game machine 10 is
presently in and includes, for example, data relating to the attractive
mode, game ready mode, game mode, game over mode and so on.
The game group number is representative of the base numbers of all the game
machines belonging to a group which has initiated to play a game
simultaneously. The game group number data are provided on setting of the
group.
The command data are in the form of various command data used to play one
of the game machines in synchronism with the remaining game machines in
the same group. The command data include, for example, a command for
causing all the racing cars to start simultaneously or another command for
causing the play time of the racing cars as a car in the same group is
extended in play time.
The car status is representative of data relating to the state of each of
the cars, for example, such as the position of that running car. As shown
in FIG. 11(a), for example, the position of the running car along the
racing course is represented on Z-axis while the position of the running
car in a direction perpendicular to the racing course is shown by X-axis.
As shown in FIG. 11(b), further, the orientation of the car relative to
the racing course is represented by a angle of rotation.
The counter is data which are counted up at each time when the transmission
data passes through each of the game machines and cleared when the
transmission data passes through each of the game machines.
In the system of FIG. 2, therefore, the count becomes a maximum value of
eight which will not be exceeded under the normal operation of all the
game machines 10.
If there is created any fault, for example, in a game machine 10-a during
play of a game, the count may exceed eight since the count value included
in the transmission data relating to that game machine 10-a will not be
reset. It is, therefore, possible to detect any abnormal game machine by
checking the aforementioned count value.
The check-sum is representative of the sum of data from the base numbers of
the respective transmission data to the counter and can be used to check
whether or not there is created any error in the respective one of the
transmission data due to affection of noise and the like on communication.
FIG. 10 shows a set of transmission data relating to a car controlled by
the computer, including its base number, car status, counter and
check-sum.
The data relating to the sixteen cars controlled by the computer, among the
set of transmission data shown in FIG. 8, are calculated based on a top
car among the cars controlled by the players.
If this top car is replaced by another car, the game machine 10 used to
calculate the data relating to the sixteen cars controlled by the computer
will also be changed by another game machine.
To this end, the transmission data relating to the cars controlled by the
computer also include the base number and the counter as in those relating
to the cars controlled by the players, as shown in FIG. 10.
Function
As all the game machines 10-a, 10-b . . . 10-h shown in FIG. 2 are turned
on, each game machine begins to execute its own test program and then
informs the other game machines whether or not it is operable through the
transmission lines 12. If any game machine 10 is not turned on or has a
fault, its input and output are automatically by-passed with each other by
means of a switch (not shown). Thus, the entire system will be operable
even if there is any inoperative game machine. Such a checking will be
periodically performed after turned on.
It is assumed herein that all the game machines 10-a, 10-b, 10-c . . . .
10-h are operative.
It is also assumed that after all the game machines have been energized,
three game machines 10-a, 10-b and 10-c are to be played by three players.
At this time, each of the game machines 10-a, 10-b and 10-c is in the
attractive mode with its display 22 imaging a game scene calculated by the
computer as an attractive scene.
As the game machine 10-a receives a coin from a player to receive a game
start command signal through the player input section 28, this game
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