Patent · US Expired

Home video game system with hard disk drive and internet access capability

US6769989B2 · kind B2 · utility

115Cited by
30References
64Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 4, 2003
Grant dateAug 3, 2004
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 4, 2023

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F2221/2121
  • WIPO fieldFurniture, games
  • WIPO sectorOther fields

Abstract

An existing video game system is modified to include additional communication and storage capability via a modem and hard disk drive. The modification may involve the use of an expansion device coupled to a video game system port. A cable TV tuner is also included in the expansion device to assist in providing a unique picture-in-picture video capability. TV signals are coupled to the expansion device via the RF input from either cable TV or off-air signals. These RF signals are blended with the output signals from the video game system. A user may, for example, watch TV while viewing overlay information from the video game console. A user may receive a TV channel guide downloaded via the Internet, spot a program which the user desires to view and immediately access, via an IR input, the desired channel through the expansion device TV tuner. A user may also watch TV while simultaneously logging onto the Internet. A hard drive permits downloading from the Internet of entire games.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.