Rolling ball game with integral animation display

Abstract

 A rolling ball amusement device (10) operates in conjunction with an integrated animation display (14). The display provides animation of activity on the rolling ball portion of the game responsive to ball-activated switches (10) disposed on the playfield (12). The display (14) may also be used to display images responsive to player-activated controls.

Description

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to rolling ball amusement games, and more particularly, to such a game operating in conjunction with an integral animation display.

[0002] Typically, rolling ball games employ player-operated controls, which are used to manipulate a ball on a playfield. Such games are equipped with a variety of playfield features which interact with the ball to provide amusement to the game player. Some rolling ball games are designed to simulate the action of human games, such as baseball, basketball, etc. The prior art contains numerous examples of such games, e.g., U.S. Patent No. 4,936,579 to Barlow, U.S. Patent No. 4,877,244 to Burrows and U.S. Patent No. 4,216,961 to McQuillan.

[0003] In these patents, the playfield is constructed to resemble a baseball diamond. A player-controlled bat is used to hit a ball onto the field. Various means are used to evaluate the outcome of a batted ball. The playfield of the Barlow patent is broken into separate areas via tubing disposed thereon. Each area of the playfield is associated with a different outcome for a pitched ball. The Burrows playfield has a series of partitions dividing the perimeter into several areas, each corresponding to a different play outcome. Similarly, the playfield of the McQuillan patent has compartments disposed around the outer edge of the playfield, each compartment corresponding to a different play outcome. While these games adequately simulate the real game, action is limited to movement of the ball on the playfield. A game providing additional realism and excitement is desirable.

[0004] Another class of amusement games is represented by U.S. Patent No. 4,375,286 to Seitz. This patent combines a rolling ball game with video a game. The video game is activated for play when certain conditions are achieved during play of the rolling ball game and vice versa. Thus, operation of either of the two game components excludes operation of the other. The Seitz device provides enhanced amusement value compared to simple rolling ball games, but fails to integrate the animation capability into the rolling ball game. An amusement device that integrates animation capability with a rolling ball game would provide desirable player appeal not found in the prior art.

[0005] Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a rolling ball amusement device that provides enhanced player appeal and entertainment value.

[0006] It is a further object of the invention to provide such an amusement device that integrates animation technology with the rolling ball portion of the game.

[0007] These objects, as well as others, will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the detailed description of the invention provided below.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The present invention is a rolling ball amusement device. Animation technology is used to enhance play of the rolling ball portion of the game by integrating animation technology therewith to more accurately simulate the real game. A display screen is mounted on the game cabinet. A plurality of player-activated switches are disposed at various locations around the playfield. Additional player-operated controls may be provided. The display animates results that occur on the rolling ball playfield by displaying scenes that correspond to play outcomes. The display may also be used to display images independent of activity on the playfield responsive to the player-activated controls.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a rolling ball game with integrated animation display according to the present invention.

[0010] FIG. 2 is a block diagram useful in explaining the operation of the animation display of the present invention.

[0011] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the display controller of the present invention.

[0012] FIG. 4 is a simplified memory map useful in explaining the operation of the display of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0013] FIG. 1 shows an amusement device 10 having a rolling ball playfield 12 and an integrated animation display 14, for example, a 128 column by 32 row gas discharge display unit of the type manufactured by Cherry Electrical Products Corporation of Waukegan, Illinois. The playfield 12 is configured to resemble a baseball diamond. A player-operated batting mechanism 16 allows a game player to hit a ball pitched from a player-operated pitching mechanism 18. The perimeter of the playfield 12 has a plurality of targets 20 corresponding to various play outcomes in the game of baseball. The outcome of a given play is determined when a batted ball strikes one of the targets 20.

[0014] Each target has associated therewith a playfield switch. In addition, there are player-operated switches for pitching (19 in Fig. 1), for batting (17 in Fig. 1) and for stealing bases and throwing out a runner (21 and 23 respectively). These switches, when activated, signal a system microprocessor. The microprocessor determines the outcome of a play and causes an appropriate animated image on the display 14, as will be fully described. For example, the display may show a runner reaching a base followed by an umpire signalling that the runner is safe or out; or it may show a cheering crowd for a home run etc.

[0015] FIG. 2 is a block diagram useful in explaining the interface between the rolling ball portion of the amusement game and the integrated animation display. A plurality of ball-activated and player operated switches are disposed at various locations on the playfield 12, as previously described. A given switch signals a system microprocessor 24 when activated by the rolling ball or a player during the course of play. The microprocessor 24 controls operation of the amusement device via a software program contained in a system RAM 26. Upon receipt of a signal from one of the switches, the microprocessor 24 communicates with a display controller 28, which manages the transfer of image data from a bit-mapped region in the system RAM 26 to the display 14.

[0016] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the display controller 28. The microprocessor 24 communicates with the display controller 28 via an address bus 30 and a data bus 32. The microprocessor clocks image data to and from the controller 28 via a clock bus 34. The controller 28 includes a control section 36, which manages the transfer of data from the controller 28 to the display 14.

[0017] The transfer of image data to the display 14 is accomplished by methods well known in the art. The display 14 is comprised of pixels arranged in row and column format. The controller 28 iteratively writes image data to the display 14 until it fills each pixel column location in a given row, then the next successive row of pixels is filled in the same manner. The control section 36 contains a logic sequencer 38, which operates in conjunction with a scan timer 40, a bit counter 42, a byte counter 44, a row counter 46 and a row one detect circuit 48 to orchestrate transfer of data to the display 14 in this manner. A row FIRQ detector 50 is connected to the system microprocessor 24 via the data bus 32. The row FIRQ detector 50 allows the microprocessor to begin overwriting the display when a predetermined row of pixels has been filled with image data.

[0018] More specifically, the logic sequencer 38 uses information from the scan timer, bit counter, byte counter and row counter to determine where in the scan of the display the controller is. It controls the start and stop of the clocking of data for each successive row and then strobes the data at the end of a complete row shift. For each row of data that is shifted out 16 bytes of data are taken from the ram and serially shifted to the display, 8 bits at a time. When the logic sequencer starts a scan line it loads the appropriate byte into the shift register, shifts 8 bits of data and provides 8 dot clocks for the display driver. Then it repeats this until 16 bytes have been transferred at which time it provides a strobe to the display that signals when the data transfer is complete. Next it waits for the scan timer to signal the start of the next row. After all 32 rows have been scanned, the whole process begins again.

[0019] Information is transferred from the controller 28 to the display 14 via five separate lines. The proper display row is addressed by the control section 36 via a row data signal 52. The row data signal is clocked to the display by a row clock 54, which is generated by the byte counter 44. The proper display column is addressed by a column latch signal 56, which is also generated by the byte counter 44 in conjunction with an invertor 58. The column latch signal 56 is clocked to the display by a dot clock (or column clock) 60, which is generated by the logic sequencer 38. After identification of the proper display location, actual image data is transferred by an image data line 62 under control of the logic sequencer 38. Prior to transfer, the image data, which is stored in byte format in a RAM 64 is converted from parallel format to serial format by a parallel to serial converter 66.

[0020] As previously noted, image display data is contained in the main system RAM 26 (see FIG. 2); however, to expedite data transfer to the display 14, the controller 28 has a separate RAM 64, which is capable of storing 16 pages of image data for immediate transfer. Image data is transferred to the RAM 64 via the system data bus 32 in conjunction with a bidirectional buffer 68. Additionally, the controller has three pointer latches, which point at different pages of image data within the RAM 64.

[0021] FIG. 4, a simplified memory map of the RAM 64, is useful in explaining this aspect of the present invention. The RAM 64 is organized into two rows of 8 pages of image data each. Each page of image data represents one frame of displayable data. The effect of animation is achieved by rapidly rewriting the display 14 with successive images to give the effect of animated movement. The low page row identifies display images 1-8 while the high page row identifies display images 9-16. A high page latch 70 (FIG. 3) may be programmed by the microprocessor 24 via data bus 32 to point at the address of any image stored in the high page row. Similarly, a low page latch 72 may be programmed to point at the address of any of the low page images. A display page latch 74 points at the address of the display image currently being transferred to the display 14. The page latches point at the appropriate memory locations via an address multiplexer 76. The image selected for data transfer may be changed by merely moving the address being pointed at by either the high page latch 70 or low page latch 72 into the display page latch 74. Thus, the controller 28 provides great flexibility in allowing transfer of image data to the display 14.

[0022] It should be noted that the present invention has been described for purposes of example as simulating the game of baseball; however, the play of any rolling ball game, including other sporting games or games not subject to any predetermined body of rules, may be enhanced using the teachings of the present invention.

[0023] In operation of the disclosed embodiment, a game player initiates game play by activation of the player-operated pitching switches 19 (FIG. 1). The same or another player operates the batting switch 17. If the ball is hit it travels on the playfield 12, until it encounters one of the playfield target switches 20 thereby to operate a switch 22 (FIG. 2). The system microprocessor 24 initiates the transfer of image data to the display 14 depending on the switch or switches activated. For example, if the switch indicates a two-base hit, the images generated may depict a base runner running from home, rounding first and sliding into second base followed by the image of an umpire signalling that the runner is safe. If a home run is indicated, the image generated may depict a cheering crowd or the runner being joyously received by his teammates after traversing the bases. If the player misses the pitched ball entirely, the switch behind the bat will cause the image generated to depict an umpire calling a strike. Thus, play of the game is enhanced by the integration of image data with the rolling ball aspect of the amusement device.

[0024] The display may be used to enhance play by allowing the game player to control additional aspects of game play not related to directing the ball on the playfield. For example, in the simulation of the game of baseball previously described, a player-activated switch 21 may direct a simulated base runner to attempt to steal the next base. Upon activation of this switch, the other player must operate switch 23 the "throw to base" switch. The microprocessor 24 receives both signals and decides if the "runner" is safe or out. The display is used to animate the outcome of the attempted steal. In this way, play of the game is further enhanced.

[0025] The present invention has been described with respect to certain embodiments and conditions, which are not meant to limit the invention. Those skilled in the art will understand that variations from the embodiments and conditions described herein may be made without departing from the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A rolling ball game comprising:

a) a rolling ball game having a playfield and means for propelling a ball on the playfield;

b) a plurality of ball-activated switches disposed on the playfield, each switch producing a signal corresponding to an object of the game if contacted by the ball;

c) a display screen for displaying computer generated animations, and;

d) computer means for receiving the signals generated by the switches and for causing said images to be displayed on the display means, said images corresponding to the objects of the game indicated by the signals received from the ball-activated switches.

2. The ball game of claim 1, further comprising at least one player control for producing a signal when activated by a game player, said computer means receiving the signals generated by said player controls and for causing animations on the display means corresponding to the activity represented by said player controls.

3. The amusement device of claim 1, wherein the computer means includes a microprocessor having a RAM memory operatively associated therewith, said RAM containing a plurality of bit-mapped images for display on the display means.

4. The amusement device of claim 3, further comprising control circuit means for receiving said bit-mapped images from said RAM and for formatting said images for display to produce the effect of animation on the display means.

5. In a rolling ball type amusement game including a playfield, at least one ball displaceable on said playfield, a plurality of switches, including ball operated and player operated switches, and a game microprocessor for detecting switch closures and controlling the progress of said game responsive thereto the improvement comprising:

a. said microprocessor including means for storing a plurality of images related to game objectives to be achieved by a game player;

b. means for displaying said images to said game player;

c. means for selecting images from said storing means and for transmitting them in a selected sequence to said displaying means to create animations representative of said game player achieving or failing to achieve game objectives.

Drawing