GB1601723A

GB1601723A - Interactive video game and control therefor

Info

Publication number: GB1601723A
Application number: GB6693/78A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Glass Marvin and Associates; Sanders Associates Inc
Current assignee: Lockheed Corp; Glass Marvin and Associates
Priority date: 1977-02-22
Filing date: 1978-02-20
Publication date: 1981-11-04
Also published as: JPH0212585B2; DE2807231A1; CA1138987A; DE2807231C2; JPS53108539A

Description

(54) INTERACTIVE VIDEO GAME AND CONTROL THEREFOR (71) We, SANDERS ASSOCIATES INC., a corporation organized and existing under the Laws of the State of Delaware, of Daniel Webster Highway, South, Nashua, New Hampshire, United States of America and MARVIN GLASS AND ASSOCI ATES, a limited partnership, organised under the laws of the State of Illinois, United States of America, having a place of business at 815 North LaSalle Street, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to video game playing apparatus having means for generating and displaying a symbol on the screen of a cathode ray tube.

Electronic game playing devices which generate signals for symbols to be displayed on the screen of television type receivers are known in the prior art and well illustrated by U.S. Patent Nos. 3,728,480; 3,778,058; 3,829,095; Re 28,507 and Re 28,598. The electronic game playing devices represented by these patents are game attachments for a raster scan display such as a conventional television receiver or television monitor and having electrical circuitry or components for generating signals which when supplied to the raster scan display will cause the display to show on the screen thereof moveable game playing indicia or symbols or spots.

The game playing devices may be incorporated in the raster scan display itself.

The devices of certain ones of the aforementioned patents may be used to play several different games wherein certain ones of the symbols rebound from others when coincident therewith or disappear from the screen of the display when coincident therewith or experience other distinctive motions. Typical games employing these features would be simulated chase games, maze games, ping pong, hockey, tennis, handball and the like. In certain ones of these categories of games one or more simulated player symbols are generated along with a simulated game playing object or ball or puck symbol such that the player symbols are individually controllable in at least one direction.

Typically each participant or player is provided with one or more potentiometers for controlling at least the vertical and possibly also the horizontal location of his displayed player symbol. In a typical game, as for example, hockey, the puck symbol is caused to execute a horizontal sweep across the screen of the display until it is intercepted by a player symbol across its direction of sweep. Puck motion is typically controlled by the charging and discharging of a capacitor, however, digital circuitry such as preset counters have also been used.

If the puck is not intercepted by a player but allowed to be hit onto the goal then it may move to an off-screen position until reset by one of the players. Many other representative games are also disclosed by the aforementioned patents.

In order to extend the scope of the game playing devices, apparatus was added to the devices described in the aforementioned patents to provide externally generated signals which interact with the signals generated by the game playing devices. In this manner a participant may play games against a nonexistant participant represented by the externally generated signals.

This is illustrated in U.S. patent application Serial No. 574,113 for an interactive Television Gaming System, filed on May 2, 1975.

In this application a video recorded source of symbols is illustrated as being coupled to the game playing devices to automatically position or identify or otherwise affect certain elements or aspects of the simulated game in accordance with information recorded on a video disc or tape. In other words, prerecorded video symbology can actively initiate and become "participants" in a game or contest. Again referring to the example of a hockey game the prerecorded signal might contain a pair of simulated goalies which move randomly in front of their net.As far as the viewer/palyer is concerned, the difference between the player controlled and this "synthetic", off-thevideo tape or disc symbology is merely that he only controls the position of his generated and controlled symbols, the synthetic goalies being endowed with the same capability of catching or rebounding a puck symbol just as if they were generated and controlled by a second player.

The field of video games was further expanded by the system set forth in U.S.

Patent Application Serial No. 762,684 for an Interactive Video Playback Unit Supported Video Game System, filed January 26, 1977, where the presence of digital data recorded on a video tape or disc constitutes a data blank related to the real-time video signals representing information to be displayed into which it is nested, and allowing, for example, such previously impractical capabilities as handing-off of a simulated hockey puck from human participant/players to prerecorded "hocky players" on the screen and vice versa. As a further consequence, complex "plays" can be executed by prerecorded, moving players which can be interrupted by intervention from the player participant controlled player symbols on the screen.

For example, in a hockey game, the participant might interject a hockey player under his control into the prerecorded action taking place on the screen and take the puck away from one of the prerecorded players, such tha the puck stays under the participant's control until the puck is again intercepted by a prerecorded player. The play then may revert to a totally prerecorded mode. Thus, it is possible for a single player participant to play against one or more prerecorded opponent players, who will execute "winning" moves toward scoring a goal unless intercepted by the player controlled by the human participant. Alternatively. a prerecorded player could be handed off to the human participant. The features of that invention, when added to a prerecorded-TV-game system, makes this mode of play particularly practical for use by the home viewer who has video playback apparatus.

As still another example, a game of football can be implemented with the principles of the invention of Serial No. 762,684.

In this game, the player/participants are each typically provided with a joystick and two multiposition switches. An appropriate prerecorded video disc or tape is inserted into a video playback unit. The disc or tape initiates action by programming the memory associated with the TV game circuitry; this data having been prerecorded during the vertical interval of the first few fields of the composite video and synch signal. This initial loading of the game circuit memory with simulated football player symbology and with an appropriate series of stored commands programs the appearance of the "football players" and "ball" symbols on the CRT screen; and subsequently, additional digital data extracted from the vertical blanking interval provides part-time control of the symbols on screen.Specifically, this program control may govern the appearance and reactions of the "football" symbol; and similarly, the appearance and reactions of the "football players". Such reactions include "team players" moving to catch balls in their own proximity; and "opposition" players trying to tackle ballcarriers who move into the proximity of the tacklers. Furthermore, digital data extracted from the vertical blanking intervall will instruct the video playback unit as to the manner in which these reactons or player/ participant commands or selected game play will be allowed to control the football players.

In this example, each player/participant has a six-man team and a football available for this interactive game. The participants may now use one of their three switch positions to select a particular "play". Thus, the offensive player might chose between 'pass , run or "kick", while the defensive player might call for a "3-man rush", a "4-man rush" or a "blitz". With each player having the option of selecting one of three strategies, there are nine possible resultant plays. Each play can reside on a separate section of the video disc or tape. The disc provides commands such as "line-up", "hike". "player move forward", "move right", "move fast", etc. Specifically, such commands are readily nested in an 8-bit word instruction, which allows each of the thirteen symbols on-screen to be individually addressed by 16 different, prerecorded commands. These instructions are stored in the vertical retrace interval. The remainder of the video field contains an appropriate background display for the play.

The predetermined play continues to control the team's movements until one of the player/participants moves his joystick; this movement is sensed by the game logic circuit and allows "handing off" the player symbol chosen via the 3-position player selection switch, to manual joystick control; we may now correspond the three positions of the switch to the three "backs" of a team.

The machine may obtain control if the ball moves close to a player symbol. In this case, the manual commands or predetermined play may be interrupted so that microprocessor and game circuitry logic can substitute commands (player reactions) resulting in a pass reception, interception and so forth. Finally, at the completion of a "play", the game logic causes a new play to be implemented.

This latter system is limited in that the basic plays are permanently predetermined leaving only a minor amount of basic play creativity in the hands of the participant.

Summary of the Invention Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to extend the scope of video type game playing apparatus.

It is another object of this invention to add flexibility to video game, educational and training apparatus by permitting the user to program the apparatus during use thereof with varied and distinct programs such as the next play to be run.

Briefly, in a digital processor controlled, interactive video game, such as a simulated football game, player symbols representing the "team members" are shown on the screen of a television receiver or cathode ray tube monitor and are caused to move through a series of preprogrammed moves.

Each of the individual "team-member" symbols shown on the screen first appear in a preprogrammed formation, such as a defensive or offensive grouping of the various player symbols. A keyboard entry system displaying directional arrows is then used by the human participant to program each one of say, five sequential moves of a particular player symbol, for example, the quarterback. This preprogramming may typically, be a straight movement backwards, a diagonal movement downward and rearward. followed by three forward movements. Having completed the preprogramming of the quarterback's desired movements on-screen. the human participant may next preprogram a similar sequence of keystroke entries for each of the remaining programmable player symbols. Each symbol awaiting programming may be caused to blink to indicate its readiness to accept program commands.Both teams are programmed in similar manner by the human participants.

When both participants have programmed all of their "team members", a processor is instructed to cause the desired symbol movements to be executed on the television screen.

The invention further includes the complementary use of joysticks colocated with each of the direction command entry keyboards to allow shifting the location of one's entire "team" on-screen in a vertical, up-and-down, direction or, alternatively, through joystick control have horizontal movement to speed up or slow down players. This latter feature allows the participant to superimpose manual positioning control on those resulting from the participant programmed processor machinecommands.

Another feature of the invention is the use of the same directional-command keyboards to initiate the motion of a symbol representing, say, a football being thrown by the quarterback, such that the ball's flight will be in the direction of the arrow associated with the key depressed by the human participant. Thus, the keystroke will determine both the instant of launching the ball as well as its direction of flight. The joystick control will not affect the predetermined path of the "ball" but the players will still be controllable to guide a receiver into the path of the "ball" to make a completed pass.

Brief Description of the Drawings The above-mentioned and other features and objects of this invention will become more apparent by reference to the following description given by way of example and taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a drawing in block and schematic form illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a perspective diagram of an input device employed in the embodiment of Figure 1; Figures 3 - 5 are sketches illustrating a typical operation of the embodiment of Figure 1; Figure 6 is a flow chart of a controlling program for the embodiment of Figure 1; and Figure 7 is a block diagram of one embodiment of a symbol generator employed in the embodiment of Figure 1.

Description of a Preferred Embodiment Referring now to the drawings, there is illustrated thereby one embodiment of the invention. This embodiment will be described in conjunction with a simulated football game, however, the principles of the invention may be employed for many different types of games or other activities.

In the football game described herein a program is entered into a program memory 10 through an entry device such as a magnetic or paper tape reader or the like of the program may be stored in the program memory through hard wired components.

The program memory in this embodiment is preferably a read-only memory (ROM).

For a typical football game to be played using the present invention the program memory 10 is programmed with "the rules of football". These rules, of course, are modified and simplified so that only certain of them as necessary for the playing of the particular game are stored. The program memory can be ROM located in the game unit or ROM located in a cartridge insertible into the game unit such that a variety of games may be played by merely changing the plug-in cartridge. Alternatively, the cartride may contain a magnetic tape which is inserted into a tape playback device in the game unit or external thereto, but electrically connected to the game unit. Such magnetic tape would be programmed in accordance with the "rules" of the game to be played as well as with any background graphics such as outlines of playing fields, baseball diamonds, etc.

Another item to be stored in program memory 10 is the starting position of the players. The players are generated by symbol generators 12 which provide symbology representing the players on the screen of a cathode ray tube display 13. The players are represented, for example, as squares or rectangles or other geometric figures. Alternatively. the- symbol generators can, as is well known in the art, employ read-only memories which would be programmed to display symbology on display 13 which would be configured more like real life players.

Initially, program memory 10 is read-out through a microprocessor 14 and the output thereof applied through a processor interface 16 to display the players in an initial starting position. This is illustrated in Figure 3 of the drawings wherein five players are illustrated for each team, although any number of players is possible. For example, in a football game each team may include eleven players to enhance reality. The offensive team is represented by the white players and the defensive team by the black players. The offensive players 18, 20 and 22 form the offensive line. Player 24 represents a quarterback and player 26 represents a running back. The defensive players shown in black are players 28. 30 and 32 constituting the defensive line and two defensive backs 34 and 36. These players are initially displayed in the position shown at the start of a game.

One of the primary features of this invention is to provide additional programming other than that stored in program memory 10 to allow the participants to program one or more of the players shown in Figure 3 to execute a predetermined set of moves during game play. This is illustrated in Figure 4 of the drawings wherein the quarterback 24 is programmed to execute the moves represented by arrows 38.

40, 42, 44 and 46. That is, a program is entered into a read/write memory 48 of Figure 1 from an input device 50 to have the player, in this instance quarterback 24, execute a programmed set of moves when play of the game begins. In Figure 4 the programmed moves are shown as having quarterback 24 move diagonally to the left along the path 38 then straight down along the path 40 and then to the right along paths 42, 44 and 46. In a particular game only one or two of the players on each side might be so programmed or all of the players may be individually programmed. Unprogrammed players may be programmed permanently through the memory 10, for example, to execute the same moves each play irrespective of how the other players are programmed specifically for each new play.

In one embodiment of the game, microprocessor 44, through the program stored in program memory 10, causes each of the ten displayed players to be programmed before playing of the game actually begins. One way of doing this is to have, for example, one of the five offensive players blink such that the participant will know that this is the player to be programmed. For example, quarterback 24 will blink wherein the participant will program this player for, for example, five distinct moves as illustrated in Figure 4. When the five distinct moves are entered into read/write memory 48 via the processor 14, then another of the offensive players will be caused to blink and the participant can then program that player for five moves.

At the same time the participant representing the defense will also be allowed to program his players to execute predetermined moves in the same fashion as the offensive player and each of the defensive players represented by the black squares will blink in succession whereupon blinking the participant representing the defense will program one player and when the five moves are entered for this player, the black square will cease blinking and another player will start to blink and it will be programmed.

In this fashion all ten players represented in Figures 3 and 4 are programmed to execute a number of moves upon the start of a game. In addition or as an alternative thereto the input devices may be used to position displayed players prior to game play or during game play. For example.

after the players line up in a particular fashion such as shown in Figure 3, it may be desired that prior to game play this alignment be changed. For example, instead of having backs 24 to 26 line up in an "I" formation (one back behind the other) they may be aligned side-by-side or it may be desired, for example to have a team go into a huddle prior to start of a play simulating real game action. This can be done with the input device in the manner described herein. The controlling program for the game would be amended to allow such change in starting alignment, either before such preprogramming of the player moves or thereafter.

In other games it may even be more desirable to have such a feature of changing alignment. For example, in a baseball type game, in certain circumstances it would be desirable to move the defensive players about just as they are moved about in a real game of baseball. In a simulated war game it might be desirable to move an artillery piece, for example, behind a farm house. It thus should be understood that while certain types of moves and sequences of moves are described herein, these are exemplary only and many different types of simulated playing capabilities may be employed, all of which use the principles described herein.

In the embodiment illustrated the programming of the players is carried out using input devices 50 and 52 which are schematically illustrated in Figure 1 and pictorially illustrated by input device 50 of Figure 2.

When all the available player symbols have been programmed, microprocessor 14 outputs the required control data to symbol positioning inputs of the symbol generators 12, thus, causing the symbol generators to produce movements of the CRT-displayed symbols in the preprogrammed paths.

Referring to Figure 2, it is seen that input device 50 comprises a keyboard 54 having nine keys thereon. The programming of a player is accomplished by successively pushing one of the nine keys. For example, to carry out the program of quarterback 24 as illustrated in Figure 4, the participant first pushes the key 56 to program the move 38.

The participant then pushes the key 58 to program the move 40 and finally pushes the key 60 three times to program the moves 42, 44 and 46. In like fashion the other players are programmed in the same manner by depressing the keys having vectors thereon indicating the moves which the players are to execute when play begins. Note that keyboard 54 also includes a key indicated by a zero thereon rather than a vector. This key is used by the participant to program the players when it is desired that at that particular portion of the play the player will not move but hold his position for a period of time.

While the present embodiment only requires that microprocessor 14 query the status of the keys, it is well within the scope of the invention to query how long a key has been depressed. Such a feature is particularly useful in other games where it may be desired to pitch a ball fast or slow or hit a ball a long distance or a short distance.

In an alternative embodiment set plays are stored in the microprocessor memory and the human participants select a defensive and offensive play to be run rather than programming the play using the input devices 50 and 52. In such embodiment the keyboard or other switching means would be used to select the stored plays. However, joystick control as to be described hereinafter may still be used.

The input device 50 contains, in addition to the keyboard 54, a joystick 64, connected to a potentiometer 65, which in this embodiment can be moved up or down, however, alternatively, it could be made to move in any direction. Joystick 64 is used by the participant during the playing of the game, that is, while the players are executing their moves. It is employed to move the entire team, either the offense or the defense, up or down on the screen. This is also indicated in Figure 4, however, again, only for the quarterback. After the move 42 has been executed by the quarterback such that the player will be in position 65, the joystick 64 can be moved upward which will cause the quarterback to mdve along vector 66 to a new position 67.The joystick can be used only to move the quarterback or whoever has the ball in this fashion or can be so programmed such that the entire team will move in a desired distance. In like fashion, moving the joystick 64 down will cause the quarterback to execute a vector 68 to a new position 69 and will likewise cause all the rest of the players on the offensive team to move in that direction and a distance represented by vector 68 to new positions on the screen of the display 13. Two axis joystick control may also be used so as to give the human participant still more interactive capability. In this case, a small amount of horizontal movement of the associated team will be possible.

While a simple joystick will suffice for an analog implementation of the symbol generators, if the symbol generators are to be implemented with digital counters then the output of the potentiometer is applied to an analog to digital converter in conventional fashion.

Alternatively, push buttons may be used instead of the joystick to cause one player or the entire team to move in a predetermined direction in the manner discussed hereinbefore.

Additional controls may be added to the input devices to allow varying the speed of a player during game play, etc.

Multiple joysticks may be provided so that multiple players on one team can be moved independently. This is particularly desirable in that it creates a game playable by more than two human participants.

Program memory 10 in addition to containing the "rules of football" by which the game is carried out is also programmed so as to provide via scoring generators 70 an output to display 13 indicating what has happened after a play has been completed, that is, whether a touchdown has been scored or what down it is, how many yards for a first down, and the like.

The input device 50 is illustrated in schematic form in Figure 1 where it is shown that each of the buttons are in fact switches.

The state of these switches is communicated to the microprocessor 14 via lines 72, 74 and 76 when the microprocessor queries the state of these switches via lines 78, 80, 82, 84, 86 and 88 through a strobing process.

For example, microprocessor 14 will cause line 78 to apply a pulse to the switches 90, 92 and 56 and the state of these switches will be indicted by signals returned to microprocessor 14 via lines 72, 74 and 76. If a signal is received on, for example, line 76 after applying a signal along line 78 then the microprocessor is apprised that in fact switch 56 has been closed.

The keyboard 54 used by the participant representing the offensive team has a function in addition to that of programming the moves of the players, as described above. It is used to allow the quarterback 24 to throw a pass to another player. This is illustrated in Figure 5 wherein the players are shown in new positions on the screen of the display after having executed some of the moves programmed previously. If the participant believes that the quarterback is in a position such that it is desirable to throw a pass to a receiver 94, he executes this through the keyboard 54 by depressing one of the vector keys. In the illustrated example. the participant, by pressing a key 96, causes a ball 98 to move in the direction of the vector on that key, namely. in the direction represented by line 100 in Figure 5.The ball, as shown, will proceed along the direction 100 until it is received by player 94. In the event one of the defensive players is positioned along line 100 between quarterback 24 and the receiver 94 then the ball will be intercepted. The input device can also be used to simulate on the screen, kickoffs, kicking of field goals, and the like.

While input device 50 has been illustrated as comprising a plurality of keys, other implementations may be employed which will provide a similar function. Exemplary, but not totally inclusive of these is a combination rotary and pushbutton switch.

Such a switch would include a knob with a directional arrow thereon. The knob would be turned so that the directional arrow is pointing in the selected direction and the information conveyed thereby inputted to the microprocessor by pushing the knob.

Referring now to Figure 6, there is illustrated thereby the flow chart of a typical controlling program for the system of Figure 1. This program is stored in the ROM of microprocessor 14, namely, program memory 10. In a typical football type game playable with the system previously described, the steps 100, 102 of the controlling program starts the game by occasioning a resetting of the program memory 10 and initializing the read-write memory 48. The controlling program also occasions microprocessor 14 to move the players to their starting position as defined by the program stored in the program memory 10 and as indicated by typical positions shown in Figure 3 of the drawings.Step 104 of the controlling program initiates the programming of the player moves such that the participant can enter such player moves in read/write memory 48 by the input devices 50 and 52 as previously described. During step 108, microprocessor 14 strobes the keyboards 54 of the input devices 50 and 52 and enters the information therefrom into the memory 48. Program step 108 occasions the microprocessor to determine if all the information has been entered by the keyboard; if not, then the controlling program reverts back to step 104 as indicated by a line 109.

Once the microprocessor has determined that all the players have been programmed via the input devices 50, 52. the microprocessor instructs play to begin as shown in step 110. That is, the microprocessor looks to see if all fifty commands have been keyed in by the input devices 50 and 52. When they have, as indicated by step 110 of the controlling program, play begins and the players begin to execute the moves in the manner programmed by the input devices 50 and 52. Alternatively, the input devices can include a switch for the offensive team to "hike" ball causing play to begin.

Step 112 is executed by having the microprocessor again strobe the keyboard 54 to determine if a pass instruction has been entered as previously described. If no pass instruction has been entered via input device 50 then, as indicated by step 114 of the controlling program, the players will continue to move in the manner programmed until the play ends as indicated by step 118 of the controlling program. If the play has ended, the, step 120 of the program is executed to cause a calculation to be made as to whether a score has occurred, or whether a number of yards has been gained, what down it is, and so forth. This information is displayed on display 13 via scoring generators 70.

As indicated by line 121 the play of the game then reverts to step 104 whereby the players are moved to their starting position and memory 48 is readied to be programmed by input devices 50, 52 for the next play.

If game play has not ended at step 118, the controlling program via a line 119 will again cause the microprocessor to "read" the keyboard and see if a pass instruction has been entered. If a pass was entered and the pass made as shown in step 114 of the controlling program the ball will be moved as shown by step 122 in the fashion illustrated in Figure 5 of the drawings. After the ball has been moved the players will continue to move in the manner programmed by the input device until the ball is either caught or not caught, as indicated by step 126 of the controlling program. If the ball is not caught, it must be determined whether the ball is still in play. If it is not in play any longer then via line 129 a determination is made that an end of play has occurred and scoring is calculated as per instruction 120.

If the ball is still in play, then it is continued to be moved. If the ball is caught when the instruction 126 is executed then the ball and players move until play ceases, whereupon step 120 is executed.

The processor interface 16 is conventional circuitry employed to interface microprocessor 14 with the symbol generators 12, scoring generator 70 and input devices 50 and 52. The interface with the scoring generators 70 is simply output logic while the interface to the input devices 50 and 52 comprises input and output sensors as is conventional in the art. For interfacing with the symbol generators to provide control signals thereto, tri-state buffers are preferably employed as described hereinafter.

Referring now to Figure 7 of the drawings, there is illustrated thereby a typical symbol generator and means for providing control signals thereto to cause movement of the symbols, such control being provided from microprocessor 14 and potentiometer 65. The player symbol is generated by a symbol generator shown within the dotted lines 130. Symbol generators 12 comprise a number of these. Symbol generator 130 is so configured as to allow for simultaneous control from multiple sources of movement commands, as, for example, microprocessor 14 and potentiometer 65.

In this embodiment symbol generator 130 comprises four voltage comparators 132, 134, 136 and 138 tied to a voltage source 140 via a resistor 142. Each of these comparators has a plus and minus input and is configured such that when the plus input is greater than the minus input the comparator output will be in a high state and when the minus input is greater than the plus input the comparator will be in a low state. The output of the comparator functionally looks like a switch such that when the comparator is high the switch is effectively open, and when the comparator is low the switch is effectively shorted to ground. Thus, if all four of the comparators 132, 134, 136 and 138 are in the high state a game symbol is derived at an output 198, however, when any one of the comparators is in the low state there is no output at 198.

Comparators 132 and 134 provide the horizontal portion of the game symbol and comparators 136 and 138 provide the vertical portion thereof.

The plus input to comparator 132 is the signal at a node 146. Node 146 has two inputs; one input is received from microprocessor 14 via a tri-state buffer 148, constituting a portion of processor interface 16, and a resistor 150. The second input is asawtooth waveform 152, having a period equal to 63.5 microseconds, the horizontal sweep rate for United States television systems, which is applied to node 146 via a capacitor 154. Sawtooth signal 152 is generated in phase with the horizontal sweep circuits of the raster scan display 13. The minus input for comparator 132 is a d.c.

reference voltage taken from a voltage divider comprising resistors 158, 160 and 162.

Tri-state buffer 148 is conventionl and configured to output either a high voltage state, a low voltage state or an open circuit state.

Comparator 132 compares the voltage at the plus input thereto, which is the.output from sawtooth source 164 offset by the d.c.

voltage from tri-state buffer 148, with the voltage at the minus input, the reference voltage from a line 166 connected to the voltage divider comprising resistors 158, 160 and 162.

Comparator 134 is configured similar to comparator 132, however, its minus input is instead coupled to node 146, and comprises the sawtooth from sources 164 offset by the output of tri-state buffer 148. The plus input to comparator 124 is a reference voltage from the voltage divider comprising resistors 158, 160 and 162 and is applied via a line 168. The d.c. reference input to the plus input of comparator 134 is a higher voltage than the d.c. reference input to the minus input of comparator 132.

When the voltage at node 146, comprising the sawtooth 152 offset by the d.c. output from tri-state buffer 148, exceeds the reference voltage applied at the minus input via line 166, comparator 132 will be in its high state and therefore in an open condition.

Also, when voltage at node 146 exceeds the reference voltage applied to the plus input of comparator 134 via line 168 that comparator will go from a high to a low state.

Thus, the horizontal portion of the game symbol is generated at a position on the screen corresponding to the time that comparator 132 goes high and the width of the symbol is proportional to the time lapse between comparator 132 going high and comparator 134 going low. The crossover point when the sawtooth ramp voltage equals the reference voltage on line 166 is adjusted by varying the d.c. offset at node 146. Microprocessor 14 can adjust the horizontal position of the game symbol in this manner.

In other words the function of comparator 132 is to sense and designate the point when to start writing the game symbol on the display. Comparator 134 establishes a fixed delay beyond such point to designate the end of a game symbol. Thus, some other circuit may be used instead of comparator 134, as for example, a monostable multivibrator.

Thus, the microprocessor 14 positions symbols on the screen of the display by adjusting the d.c. bias (or d.c. offset) voltage at the inputs to the comparators.

The output of tri-state buffer 148 acts to either: (1) remove some charge from capacitor 154, or (2) apply additional charge to capacitor 154, or (3) leave conditions as they exist. The effect of this is to cause the game symbol to move with three different velocities due to the charge on capacitor 150.

Comparator 136 of the vertical portion of symbol generator 130 receives an input at its plus input from a node 170 comprising a signal 172 from a sawtooth source 174 which signal has a period equal to 16.7 milliseconds, the vertical sweep rate for U.S.

television systems. This signal is applied to node 170 via a capacitor 176. Signal from source 174 is offset by a d.c. level from a tri-state buffer 178 configured like tri-state buffer 148. The output of tri-state buffer 178 is applied to node 170 via a resistor 180. The minus input to comparator 136 is a reference voltage applied via a line 182.

Comparator 138, the other comparator constituting the vertical portion of symbol generator 130, receives as its minus input the voltage at node 170, namely, the sawtooth 172 offset by the output from tri-state buffer 178, while the plus input receives a reference voltage via a line 184.

The reference voltages for comparators 136 and 138 differ from the reference voltages for comparators 132 and 134 in that they are not fixed voltages but rather variable voltages. These voltages at lines 182, and 184 are taken from opposite terminals of a resistor 186 in the collector circuit of a transistor 188 with the collector voltage supply for transistor 188 being applied via potentiometer 65 operates by joystick 64 of Figure 2. The voltage on line 182, of course, is always less than the voltage on line 184. The reference voltages for comparators 136 and 138 are thus made to track potentiometers 65. The current through resistor 186 is set constant by the current source comprising transistor 188 and a resistor 190.

Tri-state buffers 148 and 178 are typically integrated circuits, type no. CD4051BE made by RCA while the comparators 132, 134, 136 and 138 are typically integrated circuits, type no. MC 3302P made by Motorola.

Comparator 138 which establishes the end of character can be replaced by some delay circuit such as a monostable multivibrator as in the case of comparator 134, discussed above.

It is thus seen that this configuration of a symbol generator for generating a game symbol allows for simultaneous control from two sources of movement commands. In the present embodiment the vertical movement commands are derived from two sources: keyboards 50 via microprocessor 14 and joystick 64. The horizontal movement commands are derived only from keyboards 50 via microprocessor 14.

In addition to the feature of allowing simultaneous control from two sources of movement commands, another feature of the symbol generators is that the system generates correction signals to a game symbol to cause it to appear at a predetermined position. This feature employs a latch circuit 192 having an input thereto from a horizontal counter 194 and a vertical counter 196.

The horizontal and vertical counters are initiated by the horizontal and synchronization signals of the video system not shown herein for purposes of simplification and clarity. When a symbol is generated at output 198, that is, when comparators 132, 134, 136 and 138 are all in the high or open states, a signal is applied via a line 201 to the latch circuit 192 which stores the cartesian coordinates of the symbol, namely, the horizontal and vertical counts from horizontal and vertical counters 194 and 196. These cartesian coordinates are applied via aline 200 to the input to microprocessor 14 which then "knows" where the symbols is on the display screen. The microprocessor then can be programmed to generate correction signals to move from the game symbol from the known position to a new position.

While the invention has been described in conjunction with a particular video football game, it is not limited thereto and many different games such as baseball, hockey, soccer, polo, etc., may be employed using the principles of the invention. Thus, it is to be understood that the embodiments shown are illustrative only, and that many variations and modifications may be made without departing from the principles of the invention herein disclosed and defined by the appended claims.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. In a processor controlled interactive video game having means for generating and displaying a symbol on the screen of a cathode ray tube display, apparatus for determining the motion of the symbol on the screen, comprising: a processor; an input device coupled to said processor; said input device including a physically actuable element for determining prior to game play a plurality of individual moves of a symbol, different motion-direction commands for the symbol being determined in accordance with the actuation of said element such that successive motion-direction steps for the symbol can be generated prior to game play.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, including a plurality of said physically actuable elements, each element determining a different motion-direction command for the symbol, whereby successive motiondirection steps for the symbol can be generated prior to and during game play.

3. Apparatus as claimed in either claim 1 or claim 2 wherein a physically actuable element is a switch.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein said switch is a rotary push button switch.

5. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1-3, including a key for actuating a switch.

6. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1-4, wherein said element has thereon an indicia indicating a motion command.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein a key has thereon a vector indicating a motion-direction command.

8. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims including means for generating a further motion-direction command for the symbol during game play.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 8 including means for superimposing the further motion-direction command for the symbol on the programmed motiondirection commands during game play.

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein the superimposing means includes at least one potentiometer coupled to a symbol generator.

11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein the superimposing means includes a two-axis joystick coupled to a symbol generator.

12. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein a physically actuable element can be enabled to cause a further symbol to move in a predetermined direction during game play.

13. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims including a second input device including a plurality of physically actuable elements for programming, prior to game play, a plurality of individual successive moves of at least one further symbol representing the second of the two game opponents, each element determining a different motion-direction command for the further symbol such that successive motion-direction steps for the further symbol can be generated prior to game play.

14. Apparatus as claimed in claim 13 wherein said first mentioned input device is employed by a first participant and said second input device is employed by a second participant.

15. Apparatus as clamed in claim 13 or claim 14 including means for generating motion-direction commands for the further symbol during game play.

16. Apparatus as claimed in claim 15 wherein said second input device includes means for superimposing motion-direction commands for the further symbol on the programmed motion-direction commands during game play.

17. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims including a read/write memory coupled to the processor for storing programmed moves from an input device.

18. Apparatus as claimed in claim 17 including means for applying the programmed moves stored in the read/write memory to means for generating signals representing a symbol.

19. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1-16, including a read-only memory coupled to the processor for storing data relating to a particular game.

20. Apparatus as claimed in claim 19 wherein the read-only memory is adapted to easy insertion and removal from the apparatus.

21. Apparatus as claimed in claim 20 wherein the read-only memory includes a plug-in cartridge.

22. Apparatus as claimed in claim 21 wherein the plug-in cartridge includes a magnetic tape.

23. Apparatus as claimed in claim 22 further including a tape play-back device for use in conjunction with said magnetic tape.

24. Apparatus for use in playing a video game substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. the appended claims. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. In a processor controlled interactive video game having means for generating and displaying a symbol on the screen of a cathode ray tube display, apparatus for determining the motion of the symbol on the screen, comprising: a processor; an input device coupled to said processor; said input device including a physically actuable element for determining prior to game play a plurality of individual moves of a symbol, different motion-direction commands for the symbol being determined in accordance with the actuation of said element such that successive motion-direction steps for the symbol can be generated prior to game play.