The present invention relates to an apparatus having a game function wherein a video apparatus and an electronic game device are integrally combined as a single product, each sharing a common circuit, and more particularly, to a video apparatus having a game function which allows a video apparatus such as a video cassette recorder (VCR) or television (TV) receiver and a game device to be used at the same time.
Conventionally, a video apparatus such as a VCR or TV receiver and a game device are each separately used as individual products. These individual products are independently connected to a monitor to be used as necessary.
For example, a combined structure of a video apparatus and an electronic game device will be described with reference to FIG. 1, which is constituted by a remote-controlled receiver 1 for controlling a video cassette recorder (VCR) remotely, a microcomputer 2 for receiving a signal from the remote-controlled receiver 1 and a system control signal and then performing a record and reproduction of a video signal, a playback 3 for being controlled by the microcomputer 2 and then performing a record and reproduction of a video signal, a modulator 4 for modulating and outputting the output of the playback or antennae reception signal ANT, a VCR power source 5 for supplying power to the remote-controlled receiver 1, microcomputer 2, playback 3 and modulator 4, a game unit 6 for receiving a control signal for a game device and then performing a predetermined electronic game program, a modulator 7 for modulating and outputting an output signal of the game unit 6, a game power source 8 for supplying power to the game unit 6 and modulator 7, and a switch 9 for selectively supplying to a monitor the outputs of the modulators 4 and 7.
The conventional VCR and game device having the aforementioned configurations which are independent from each other, are operated by the microcomputers 2 and 6 which are their respective processors. Their output signals are also modulated by the respective modulators 4 and 7 to then be output, and power is supplied independently from the respective power sources 5 and 8 to operate the devices. That is for a VCR, an user's key instruction received from the remote-controlled receiver 1 and a system control signal are decoded in the microcomputer 2 to control the playback 3. The playback 3 performs record and reproduction of a video signal under the control of microcomputer 2. A signal received from antennae ANT or a signal output from the playback 3 is modulated by the modulator 4 to then be supplied to one input port of the switch 9. At this time, power of the respective circuits 1, 2, 3 and 4 is supplied from a VCR dedicated power source 5.
Meanwhile, for a game device, a control signal for a game device is applied from a handset for performing a game on the game unit 6. Game unit 6 performs an electronic game program according to the input signal to then output a video signal. The output video signal is modulated by the modulator 7 to then be supplied to another input port of the switch 9. At this time, power of the respective circuits 6 and 7 is supplied from the game device dedicated power source 8.
As described above, the video signal output from the VCR or the game device is selectively supplied to a monitor by the selection depending on a user's manipulation of the switch 9, so that an image is displayed.
However, as described above, the conventional video apparatus and electronic game device are each independently produced as separate products, and the signals output from the two devices are selected by a user's switch manipulation to be supplied to a monitor. This involves problems such as heavy economic burden for buying the respective devices, inconvenience in selecting and manipulating devices, and low efficiency of utilizing circuits due to separate installments of processor, modulator or power source which can be all commonly used.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds