Game apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9440153-B2
Application number	US-201313922584-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 20, 2013
Priority date	Jul 9, 2012
Publication date	Sep 13, 2016
Grant date	Sep 13, 2016

Abstract

The present invention is to provide a game apparatus with good operability which includes a card reader and a touch panel display and enables a player to operate a card even without looking the card reader with eyes and to perform an input operation while looking the touch panel display. The present invention includes a touch panel display, and a card reader including a panel on which a card used in a game is set. The present invention further includes a display support section which supports the touch panel display, and a panel support section which supports the panel of the card reader. Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that the display support section supports the touch panel display such that at least a portion of the touch panel display is located above at least a portion of the panel in a vertical direction.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A game apparatus, comprising:
a touch panel display;
a card reader comprising a panel on which a card used in a game is set;
a display support which supports the touch panel display;
a panel support which supports the panel of the card reader; and
a sensor provided on the display support,
wherein the display support supports the touch panel display such that at least a portion of the touch panel display is always located vertically above at least a portion of the panel, with the portion of the touch panel display overlapping the portion of the panel in a vertical direction,
the portion of the panel which is overlapped by the portion of the touch panel display in the vertical direction is at most 50% of a depth of the panel in a horizontal direction, and
the sensor is provided on the display support between the portion of the touch panel display and the portion of the panel which is overlapped by the portion of the touch panel display in the vertical direction.

2. The game apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the display support supports the touch panel display such that a gap is formed between the touch panel display and the panel.

3. The game apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein, when a side close to a standing position of a player with respect to the game apparatus is defined as a front side and a side distant from the standing position of the player is defined as a back side, the display support supports the touch panel display such that a portion of the front side of the touch panel display is located above a portion of the back side of the panel in the vertical direction.

4. The game apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein a step is formed at a position contacting at least an end edge of the front side of the panel.

5. The game apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the sensor is configured to detect the card set on the panel or a human hand handling the card.

6. The game apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the card reader comprises a first area and a second area, with different information being provided to the game and the game advancing differently depending on whether a same card is positioned in the first area or the second area.

7. The game apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the portion of the panel which is overlapped by the portion of the touch panel display in the vertical direction is at least 5% of the depth of the panel in the horizontal direction.

8. The game apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein a distance of the portion of the touch panel display which overlaps the portion of the panel and is always located vertically above the portion of the panel in the vertical direction is 5 mm to 300 mm in the horizontal direction.

9. The game apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the touch panel display includes a second portion which is not located vertically above the panel in the vertical direction.

10. The game apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein an inclination angle of the touch panel display with respect to a plane of the panel is at least 30°.

11. The game apparatus according to claim 10 ,
wherein the inclination angle of the touch panel display with respect to the plane of the panel is at most 80°.

12. The game apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein a minimum distance between the portion of the touch panel display which overlaps the portion of the panel and is always located vertically above the portion of the panel in the vertical direction is at least 30 nm.

13. The game apparatus according to claim 12 ,
wherein the minimum distance between the portion of the touch panel display which overlaps the portion of the panel and is always located vertically above the portion of the panel in the vertical direction is at most 400 nm.

14. The game apparatus according to claim 6 ,
wherein the first area is an offensive area and the second area is a defensive area, and
different information is stored in an object table of the game apparatus when the card is positioned in the offensive area than when the card is positioned in the defensive area.

15. A game apparatus, comprising:
a touch panel display;
a card reader comprising a panel on which a card used in a game is set;
a display support which supports the touch panel display; and
a panel support which supports the panel of the card reader,
wherein the display support supports the touch panel display such that at least a portion of the touch panel display is always located vertically above at least a portion of the panel, with the portion of the touch panel display overlapping the portion of the panel in a vertical direction, and
the portion of the panel which is overlapped by the portion of the touch panel display in the vertical direction is always 5% to 50% of 100% of a total depth of the panel in a horizontal direction.

Assignees

• Square Enix Kk
• Kk Square Enix Co Ltd

Inventors

• Tanzawa Yuuichi
• Miyata Daisuke
• Asao Yoshimasa
• Uchida Tetsuro

Classifications

• A63F2300/20

  characterised by details of the game platform · CPC title

• A63F13/08

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• A63F13/90 Primary

  Constructional details or arrangements of video game devices not provided for in groups A63F13/20 or A63F13/25, e.g. housing, wiring, connections or cabinets · CPC title

• A63F13/2145 Primary

  the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens · CPC title

• A63F13/00

  Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions · CPC title