U.S. Pat. No. 6,887,155

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to the drawings, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be explained in detail.

The present invention is applied to a domestic game system100configured as shown for example in FIG.1.

This domestic game system100is made up of a video game apparatus10, a memory card10A, comprised of a non-volatile memory, detachably mounted on this video game apparatus10, a controller20connected to the video game apparatus10, an image display device30and a printer40.

Referring toFIG. 2, showing the hardware structure of the video game apparatus10, the video game apparatus10is configured for progressing a video game in accordance with a video software program read out from a video game program recording medium50, such as CD-ROM or DVD, having the video software program recorded thereon. The video game apparatus10includes a processor11, a disc drive12, a memory13, a memory supervising unit14, an I/O controller15and a network adapter16, as hardware, interconnected over an inner bus. The input/output equipment management function, image processing function, sound processing function, image display controlling function, printer controlling function and the network supervising function, for progressing the video game in accordance with the video software program and for enabling the printing of the privilege information corresponding to the game stage of the video game cleared, is implemented by software using the hardware described above.

In this video game apparatus10, a USB (universal serial bus), as physical connection means to outside, is mounted on the I/O controller15, so that, by a printer driver installed in the game application using a printer driver API, printing can be performed by a printer40connected over the USB.

The printer controlling function in this video game apparatus10is implemented by the software configuration shown in FIG.3.

In this video game apparatus10, the printer driver, installed in the game application using the printer driver API, is made up of a common engine module, performing the processing not dependent on the printer type, and a dedicated engine module, proper to the machine type, performing the processing dependent on the printer type, and performs the following processing on printing contents delivered from the game application (RGB bitmap image).

The resolution conversion (resizing) is executed, using the common module, and the dedicated module proper to the machine type is called.

Next, the processing for color conversion of printing contents, such as the processing of converting the eight bits for each of RGB per pixel into eight bits for each of the CMY per pixel, or the half-toning of converting into each two bits of CMYK per pixel, is executed, using the module proper to the machine type. The printing control command translation processing proper to the machine type then is executed to generate printing data PDL.

The common engine module then is used to transmit the printing data PDL to the USB driver of the I/O controller15.

The USB driver of the I/O controller15transmits the printer command over the USB cable to the USB port of the printer40connected over the USB.

It is noted that the video game program recording medium50, used in the video game apparatus10, has recorded therein a video software program made up of a main portion of the video software program50A, the privilege information50B corresponding to the game stage of the video game progressed in accordance with the video software program, and a printer driver50C for enabling the printing of the privilege information corresponding to a game stage when the game stage is cleared, as shown in FIG.4.

In this video game apparatus10, the video software program is read out from the video game program recording medium50, such as CD-ROM or DVD, by the disc drive12, to a memory13used as a work memory, so as to be executed by the processor in accordance with the video software program. The image and the speech are generated in accordance with the video software program as the video software program proceeds. The I/O controller15detects the state of a player acting on operating means, such as a pad, a button or a lever, not shown, to transmit the detected state to the processor11.

The processor11executes the video software program to progress the video game in accordance with the sequence shown in the flowchart of FIG.5.

On booting the video software program, the processor11sets a stage number N (step S1) to execute the game of the game stage of the stage number N (step S2).

It is then verified at step S3whether or not the game stage of the stage number N has been cleared. If the result of decision at step S3is NO, that is if the game stage has not been cleared, the processor10reverts to step S2to repeat the steps S2and S3to continue the execution of the game stage having the stage number N. If the result of decision at step S3is YES, that is if the game stage has been cleared, the privilege information corresponding to the stage number N is taken out at step S4to convert the privilege information into printing data (step S5).

The printer driver then is read out from the video game program recording medium50by the disc drive12to send the printing data to the printer40to execute the printing (step S6). It is then verified at step S7whether or not the printing has come to a close as normally. If the result of decision at this step S7is NO, that is if the printing has not come to a close as normally, the controller10reverts to step S6to re-execute the printing.

If the result of decision at step S7is YES, that is if the printing has come to a close as normally, N is set so as to be equal to N+1 (N=N+1), that is the stage number N is incremented by 1, (step S8).

It is then verified whether or not the selection for terminating the game has been made (step S9) and, if the result of decision is YES, that is if the selection for terminating the game has been made, the game is terminated. If the result of decision is NO, that is if the selection for continuing the game is made, the controller reverts to step S2to execute the game of the game stage of the next stage number N.

That is, in this domestic game system100, the game player, on clearing the game stage progressed in accordance with the video game software program read out from the video game program recording medium50acquires, as the privilege, the right to print the privilege information corresponding to the game stage of the stage number N cleared.

The printed matter, acquired as the printing result of the privilege information, is the printed matter valuable for the player in that it furnishes entertainment and profit apart from the game. For example, the printed matter may be a writing, such as 4-frame caricature, coupon ticket, certificate, collector's items, trading card, bromide, guides for commercial articles for customers, game software discount card and an ID password for accessing the service provider, passwords and addresses.

FIGS. 6Ato D show printing examples of coupon tickets, certificates, collector's items and game software discount cards.

In the sequence shown in the flowchart shown inFIG. 5, printing is executed at a time point when the game stage is cleared. However, the right for printing may be reserved or abandoned. In preparing printing data, the game player may be prompted to enter the name, address or the telephone number by way of the printing data in addition to the contents. Moreover, the printer driver may be taken out before starting the game.

In the present video game apparatus10, the printer driver is stored, along with the information as to the progress of the game, in a memory card10A, comprised of a non-volatile memory, as shown in FIG.7. Referring to the flowchart ofFIG. 8, when the printer driver is read out from the video game program recording medium50(step S11), the version of the printer driver read out is checked (step S12). If the printer driver is of the new version, the printer driver in the memory card10A is updated (step S13).

Referring to the flowchart ofFIG. 9, the processor11reads out the printer driver from the memory card10A onto the memory13(step S21) to wait for the printing executing command to be input (step S22). When the printing executing command is input, the contents to be printed is converted into printing data (step S23) and, using the printer driver on the memory13, the printing data is sent to the printer40to execute the printing (step S24) to wait for the end of the printing (step S24).

Specifically, the printer driver in the present video game apparatus10is made up of a module of the common driver portion and a module of a printer inherent portion. If the driver supports plural printers, there are plural printer inherent portions. In the respective modules, there are included the module sort information and the version information as the ancillary information.

When the video game program recording medium50is inserted into the video game apparatus10, the processing11on booting sets the module number N to 1 at step S31in the flowchart of FIG.10. The ancillary information of the module of the module number N is read out from the video game program recording medium50to confirm the sort and the version (step S32). It is then checked whether or not there is the same sort of the module on the memory card10A (step S33). If there is no module of the same sort on the memory card10A, the module is read from the video game program recording medium50to write the module so read on the memory card10A (step S34). If there is the same sort of the module on the memory card10A, it is checked whether or not it is the version of the module on the video game program recording medium50that is new (step S35). If the result of decision at step S35is YES, the module is read from the video game program recording medium50for use in substitution for the module on the memory card10A (step S36).

It is then checked whether or not there is the next module (step S37). If there is the next module, the module number is incremented. The processor then reverts to step S32to repeat the processing as from step S32to step S37. When the module to be processed is depleted, the printer driver updating processing comes to a close.

If, by such printer driver updating processing, there exists the proper portion of the printer B in the memory card10A, but not in the video game program recording medium50, as shown for example inFIG. 11, the proper portion of the printer B is left intact and the proper portion of the printer C not present in the memory card10A is written as what may be called a supplement. On the other hand, the module already existing on the memory card10A is replaced by the latest module.