JPH0817852B2 - Video game console - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a structure of a portable video game machine, such as a video game machine, which looks like binoculars.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional video game machine is of a type in which a player enjoys playing while watching a screen provided on the surface of the game machine and operating an operation unit on the surface.

[0003]

In the video game machine of the above-described form, the brightness of the screen is sufficient for playing indoors, but the outside light is often brighter outside the screen. Even if the brightness of was increased, it could not be supported and it became difficult to see. Therefore, an object is to provide a structure for preventing unwanted external light from entering by providing an eyepiece in the style of binoculars and looking into the eyepiece to look at the screen in order to solve the above problems.

[0004]

An operation button and a cross-direction key are provided at appropriate positions on the plane of at least a substantially rectangular body when both hands are held by the fingers of the respective hands. A connecting portion of a connector for connecting an external storage device, which is a ROM cartridge containing software for computer games, is provided in a part of the body.

Further, eyepieces for both eyes are provided on the side surfaces of the body, eyepieces are provided inside the eyepieces inside the body, and an angle between the isosceles is approximately 45 degrees at the center of the inside of the body. The isosceles prism of the prism is provided with the base of the triangle on the eyepiece side, and the image display surface of the small image display unit is provided on the base of the triangle of the prism facing the prism.
Inside the body from the eyepiece section through the eyepiece lens, there is provided a video game machine in which mirrors are provided at an angle for reflecting the line of sight at a right angle to the isosceles surface facing the prism.

[0006]

Describing the operation of the above structure, when the player holds the video game machine in both hands by looking through the binoculars, the fingertips of both hands can operate the operation buttons and the cross direction keys, respectively. . The player connects a ROM cartridge, which is an external storage device, from the connector connecting portion of the video game machine.

The image on the image display section is viewed by looking into the video game machine from the eyepiece section. The optical path of the image that enters the operator's eyes is as follows when viewed from the image display unit.
First, the image on the image display unit enters the prism from the bottom surface of the prism and is internally reflected by the isosceles surface of the prism. Out of the internally reflected image, the isosceles surface on the opposite side goes out of the prism. Of the images that have emerged from the isosceles surface of the prism to the outside, the images that have emerged at a right angle from the isosceles surface are reflected by the mirror toward the eye and enter the eye through the eyepiece lens.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the state of use of a binocular type video game machine of the present application, in which a player 30 enjoys playing while holding the video game machine 1 in both hands 31 and looking through the binoculars.

FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the video game machine of the present application, in which a ROM cartridge 2 having a rectangular body and containing game software is notched in the center of the back side of the body to form a rectangular step portion 3. Is plugged into. Like the binoculars, there are two eyepieces 4l and 4r on the front side, a width adjustment knob 5 is provided between them, and a focus adjustment knob 6 is provided in the center near the eyepiece on the flat surface.

FIG. 3 shows a bottom view of the binoculars type video game machine. The cross key 7 is arranged near the left eyepiece 4l, and the two operation buttons 8a are arranged near the right eyepiece 4r. , 8b are arranged, and a speaker 9 is provided in the center on the back side. Cross direction key 7 and operation button 8a,
The position of 8b is arranged so that when the player 30 looks into the binoculars with the video game machine 1 in both hands 31, the fingertips of both hands naturally touch the operation parts thereof, and the operation is performed while looking into the video game machine 1. Is possible. The player puts his eyes on the eyepieces 4l and 4r to watch the video game image, hears the sound effect from the speaker 9, and presses the cross key 7
And the operation buttons 8a and 8b are operated to enjoy the game.

FIG. 4 shows a schematic perspective view of the inside of a binocular type video game machine. Inside each eyepiece, an adjusting mechanism 10 for adjusting the eye width and the focus is provided. The adjusting mechanism 10 is a mechanism for moving the eyepiece lens 11 back and forth and left and right by the eye width adjusting knob 5 and the focus adjusting knob 6.

Inside the main body in front of the eyepiece 11, rectangular mirrors 12, 12 are provided, respectively, and the reflection surfaces of the mirrors are such that the line of sight looking at the front is reflected by the mirrors 12, 12 toward the center of the main body. It is erected at such an angle. In the center of the main body, an isosceles prism 13 having an isosceles angle of about 45 degrees is vertically installed with the bottom of the triangle facing the face. The line of sight reflected by the mirrors 12, 12 is incident on the isosceles surface 13 of the prism at a right angle, is internally reflected by the isosceles surface on the opposite side, and is incident on the bottom surface. An LCD (liquid crystal) is provided on the bottom surface of the prism 13.
A display surface of a small-sized image display unit 14 including a display) is provided.

Above the mirrors 12, 12 and the prism 13, an electronic circuit board 15 for a video game is provided on a plane excluding the rectangular step portion 3, and the rear side of the rectangular step portion 3 is open. A connector 15a for joining a ROM cartridge (not shown) is mounted on the electronic circuit board toward the rectangular step portion side. In FIG. 4, a cutaway view of a part of the electronic circuit board 14 and the connector 14a is drawn.

FIG. 5 shows an exploded perspective view of the adjusting mechanism. The adjustment mechanism 10 is a mechanism that moves the eyepiece lens 11 left and right to adjust the eye width, and also moves back and forth to adjust the focus.

The eyepiece lens 11 is fitted in the center of a rectangular frame 16 and the upper surface of the rectangular frame 16 is provided with a convex portion 16a along the side. The rectangular body 16 is slidably slidably contacted with a guide frame 17. The guide frame 17 has a U-shaped cross section and a length longer than the width of both eyes.
The 17a groove that fits in a is provided on the lower side, and the guide frame 1
Protrusions 17b are provided in the front-rear direction at two positions on the left and right of the upper surface of 7, and the protrusions 17b are fitted and slid into concave grooves provided in the front-rear direction on the upper surface of the body (not shown). A male screw 18 is screwed in the center of the guide frame 17 in the front-rear direction. The male screw 18 has a focus adjusting knob 6 fixed on the eyepiece side, and both ends of the male screw 18 are rotatably held by the body. . On the lower side of the rectangular frame 16, two grooves 16b are provided in the front-rear direction on the left and right.

A rectangular support 1 is provided below the rectangular frame 16.
9 and 20 are located, and convex portions 19a and 20a that fit and slide in the concave groove 16a of the rectangular frame are provided on the support base in the front-rear direction. Further, concave grooves 19b, 20b are provided in the left-right direction on the lower side of the rectangular frame body 16, and the concave grooves 19b, 20b are fitted and slid on convex portions provided in the left-right direction of a body (not shown).

The support base 1 is attached to the support shaft 21 of the width adjusting knob 5.
The pinion gear 22 is fixed on the 9 and 20 planes. Racks 19c and 20c having rack belts facing each other are provided on the facing groove walls of the supporting bases 19 and 20.
The racks 19c and 20c mesh with the front and rear of the pinion gear 22, respectively.

To explain the adjusting method of the adjusting mechanism 10 described above, first, in order to adjust the eye width, the operator holds the video game machine in his hand, turns on the switch of the video game machine, and puts his eyes on the eyepieces. Then, by turning the eye width adjusting knob 5 while looking inside, the racks 19c, 20c meshing with the pinion gear 22 are fed to the left and right. As a result, the supports 19 and 20 are moved to appropriate eye-spacing positions, and the rectangular frame 16 fitted to the supports is slid on the guide frame 17 and moved left and right to align the left and right positions of the eyepiece lens 11.
The guide frame 17 moves back and forth, and the eyepiece lens 11 of the rectangular frame body 16 held by the guide frame 17 moves back and forth, whereby the eyesight of the player can be adjusted.

Next, in order to adjust the focus, the operator turns the focus adjusting knob 6 to move the guide frame 17 screwed into the male screw 18 back and forth, and the guide frame 17 is moved to the rectangular frame 1.
By moving 6 on the convex portions 19a and 20a of the support bases 19 and 20 back and forth, the eyepiece lens fitted in the rectangular frame is moved back and forth to adjust the focus.

FIG. 6 shows an internal plan view of a binocular type video game machine. Due to the configuration of the optical system of the eyepiece lens 11, the mirrors 12, 12, the prism 13, and the image display unit 14, the player 30 looks at the inside of the video game machine with his eyes 32 at the eyepiece units 4l, 4r. Each of the mirrors 12 and 12 in front of the eyes is seen through the lenses 11 and 11, and the line of sight is made to enter the isosceles surface of the prism 13 at a right angle at the mirrors 12 and 12, and the mirror 13 at the opposite side. The line of sight is internally reflected by the isosceles surface and is incident on the bottom surface of the prism, and the image display unit 1 is provided on the bottom surface of the prism.
You will see the image of 4 with both eyes. Since the line of sight enters the prism at a right angle, there is no spectral separation at the entrance surface.

In other words, the image displayed on the image display unit 13 is internally reflected by the isosceles surface of the prism. The screen internally reflected by the right side surface is reflected on the mirror 12 in front of the left eye, and the screen internally reflected by the left side surface is reflected on the mirror 12 in front of the right eye. By viewing the images reflected on the respective mirrors through the eyepiece lenses 11 and 11, the images can be seen as one.

To explain the playing method, the operator inserts a ROM cartridge prepared in advance into the connector 15a, turns on the switch to activate the electronic circuit, and while observing the image display section, the operation button and cross on the back of the main body. The game progresses while operating the direction keys.

Although not shown, a power source, a switch, a brightness adjusting knob, and a sound adjusting knob are attached. Further, the eyepiece lens 12 may be a Fresnel lens.

[0024]

As described above, the video game machine of the present invention is provided with an eyepiece in the style of binoculars, and it is possible to prevent unwanted diplomatic incidence by looking into the eyepiece and looking at the screen. Also, the image does not become difficult to see even in bright places outdoors, and since the eyepiece adjustment mechanism is provided, it is possible to see the image in a natural way without bothering the eyes and tired eyes. Less is. In addition, it provides a compact and lightweight structure with a reduced number of optical system components.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a usage state of a binocular video game machine according to the present application.

FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the video game machine of the present application.

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of the inside of a binocular type video game machine.

FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of the inside of a binocular type video game machine.

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of an adjusting mechanism.

FIG. 6 is an internal plan view of a binocular type video game machine.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 ... Video game machine 2 ... ROM cartridge 3 ... Rectangular step 4l, 4r ... Eyepiece 5 ... Eye width adjustment knob 6 ... Focus adjustment knob 7 ... Cross direction key 8a, 8b ... Operation button 9 ... Speaker 10 ... Adjustment mechanism 11 ... Eyepiece lens 12 ... Mirror 13 ... Prism 14 ... Image display section 15 ... Electronic circuit board 16 ... Rectangular frame 17 ... Guide 18 ... Male screw 19, 20 ... Support stand 21 ... Spindle 22 ... Pinion gear 30 ... Player

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An operation button and a cross key are provided at appropriate positions on a plane of at least a substantially rectangular body, and a connecting portion for connecting an external storage device is provided at a part of the body. Eyepieces for both eyes are provided on the side surfaces, eyepieces are provided inside the eyepieces inside the body, and an isosceles prism having an isosceles angle of about 45 degrees is provided at the center of the inside of the body. The triangle base is provided on the eyepiece side, and the triangle base of the prism is provided with the image display surface of the small-sized image display unit facing the prism, and from the eyepiece to the inside of the body through the eyepiece. Is a video game machine characterized in that a mirror is provided at an angle that reflects the line of sight at a right angle to the isosceles surface facing the prism.