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EP0268419A2 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Memory cartridge and data processing apparatus

Assignee: Nintendo Co Ltd
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Filing: 1987-11-11
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2007-11-11
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Abstract

Abstract A memory cartridge comprises a case, and a printed circuit board housed in the case is connected to a data processing unit including a microprocessor when the memory cartridge is loaded therein. A memory cooperating with the data processing unit is installed on the printed circuit board, and a memory area of the memory is divided into a plurality of banks. A multi-memory controller installed on the printed circuit board includes a plurality of registers into which data representing bank change-over conditions given from the microprocessor are loaded. An address for changing-over the memory bank is outputted in response to the content of at least one of a plurality of registers. Thus, by changing the above-described data, the microprocessor can specify an arbitrary bank at an arbitrary timing and utilize that bank.

Inventors

  • 👤 Yoshiaki Nakanishi
  • 👤 Katsuya Nagagawa

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-29 00:56
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F12/00; G06F12/02; G06F12/06; G06F12/0615; G06F12/0623; A; A63; A63F; A63F13/00; A63F13/90; A63F13/95; G11; G11C; G11C5/00; G11C5/02; G11C5/025; G11C7/00; G11C7/10; G11C7/1078; G11C7/1087; G11C7/1093; G11C8/00; G11C8/12; H; H05; H05K; H05K5/00; H05K5/02; H05K5/0256; H05K5/026; A63F2300/00; A63F2300/20; A63F2300/206

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim 135 words
A memory cartridge which is attachable to and detachable from a data processing unit including a micro­processor and is loaded in said data processing unit when used, comprising: a printed circuit board which is connected to said data processing unit when loaded therein, a memory which is installed on said printed circuit board and whose memory area is divided into a plurality of banks, and memory controlling means which is installed on said printed circuit board, receives data representing bank change-over conditions given from said microprocessor, and gives an address for specifying a bank to said memory, said memory controlling means including a plurality of registers into which said data given from said microprocessor are loaded and address generating means for generating said address based on any one of data of said plurality of registers.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 135 words
A memory cartridge which is attachable to and detachable from a data processing unit including a micro­processor and is loaded in said data processing unit when used, comprising: a printed circuit board which is connected to said data processing unit when loaded therein, a memory which is installed on said printed circuit board and whose memory area is divided into a plurality of banks, and memory controlling means which is installed on said printed circuit board, receives data representing bank change-over conditions given from said microprocessor, and gives an address for specifying a bank to said memory, said memory controlling means including a plurality of registers into which said data given from said microprocessor are loaded and address generating means for generating said address based on any one of data of said plurality of registers.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 53 words
A memory cartridge in accordance with claim 1, wherein said memory controlling means includes a further register into which said data from said microprocessor can be loaded temporarily and data loading means for selectively loading data in any one of said plurality of registers in response to the content of said further register.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 59 words
A memory cartridge in accordance with claim 2, wherein said memory includes a plurality of memory areas, and said address generating means includes a plurality of address generating means which respectively output an address for bank change-over for one of said plurality of memory areas in response to the content of at least one of said plurality of registers.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 20 words
A memory cartridge in accordance with claim 3, wherein said plurality of memory areas are formed in different memories, respectively.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 23 words
A memory cartridge in accordance with claim 3, wherein said plurality of memory areas are formed in different areas of the same memory.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 82 words
A memory cartridge in accordance with claim 1, wherein said data processing unit includes a picture processing unit for picture processing, a video memory which is accessed by said picture processing unit and a video monitor for displaying an image on a screen thereof based on data from said picture processing unit, and said memory controlling means includes area specifying means for specifying a memory area of said video memory accessible by said picture processing unit based on data from said microprocessor.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 97 words
A memory cartridge in accordance with claim 6, wherein an address space for said video memory is equal to a first plurality of screens of said video monitor, and a real address of said video is equal to a second plurality of screens less than said first plurality of screens, said area specifying means includes signal outputting means for outputting a signal representing that said memory area of said video memory should be assigned in what place of said address space, whereby a vertical scrolling or a horizontal scrolling occurs on the screen of said video monitor.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 89 words
A memory cartridge in accordance with claim 6, wherein said memory includes a program memory for storing a program of a picture processing and a character memory for storing character data used for said picture processing, and said memory controlling means includes a program bank controlling means for generating an address for bank change-­over of said program memory based on said data from said microprocessor and a character bank controlling means for generating an address for bank change-over of said character memory based on said data from said microprocessor.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 104 words
A data processing apparatus, comprising: a microprocessor, a memory which is installed in association with said microprocessor and whose memory area is divided into a plurality of banks, and memory controlling means which receives data represent­ ing bank change-over conditions given from said micro­processor and gives an address for specifying a bank to said memory said memory controlling means including a plurality of registers into which said data given from said microprocessor are loaded and address generating means for generating said address based on data of any one of said plurality of registers, whereby said microprocessor can utilize an arbitrary bank of said memory.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 104 words
A data processing apparatus, comprising: a microprocessor, a memory which is installed in association with said microprocessor and whose memory area is divided into a plurality of banks, and memory controlling means which receives data represent­ ing bank change-over conditions given from said micro­processor and gives an address for specifying a bank to said memory said memory controlling means including a plurality of registers into which said data given from said microprocessor are loaded and address generating means for generating said address based on data of any one of said plurality of registers, whereby said microprocessor can utilize an arbitrary bank of said memory.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 53 words
A data processing apparatus in accordance with claim 9, wherein said memory controlling means includes a further register wherein said data from said microcomputer can be loaded temporarily and data loading means for selectively loading data in any one of said plurality of registers in response to the content of said further register.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 60 words
A data processing apparatus in accordance with claim 10, wherein said memory includes a plurality of memory areas, and said address generating means includes a plurality of address generating means which respectively output an address for bank change-over for one of said plurality of memory areas in response to the content of at least one of said plurality of registers.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 21 words
A data processing apparatus in accordance with claim 11, wherein said plurality of memory areas are formed in different memories, respectively.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 24 words
A data processing apparatus in accordance with claim 11, wherein said plurality of memory areas are formed in different areas of the same memory.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 79 words
A data processing apparatus in accordance with claim 9, further comprising a picture processing unit for picture processing, a video memory which is accessed by said picture processing unit and a video monitor for displaying an image on a screen thereof based on data from said picture processing unit, wherein said memory controlling means includes area specifying means for specifying a memory area of said video memory accessible by said picture processing unit based on data from said microprocessor.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 97 words
A memory cartridge in accordance with claim 14, wherein an address space for said video memory is equal to a first plurality of screens of said video monitor, and a real address of said video memory is equal to a second plurality of screens less than said first plurality of screens, said area specifying means includes signal outputting means for outputting a signal representing that said memory area of said video memory should be assigned in what place of said address space, whereby a vertical scrolling or horizontal scrolling occurs on the screen of said video monitor.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 88 words
A data processing apparatus in accordance with claim 14, wherein said memory includes a program memory for storing a program of a picture processing and a character memory for storing character data used for said image processing, and said memory controlling means includes program bank controlling means for generating an address for bank change-­over of said program memory based on said data from said microcomputer and character bank controlling means for generating an address for bank change-over of said character memory based on said data from said microcomputer.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 183 words
A gaming apparatus, comprising: a gaming machine including a microprocessor, a picture processing unit for image processing, a video memory accessed by said picture processing unit and a video monitor for displaying an image on a screen thereof based on data from said picture processing unit, a memory cartridge which is attachable to and detachable from said gaming machine and is loaded in said gaming machine when used, wherein said game cartridge includes a program memory for storing a program for gaming and a character memory for storing character data for said game, and at least a memory area of said program memory is divided into a plurality of banks, and memory controlling means which is installed in said memory cartridge, receives data representing bank change-over conditions given from said microprocessor, and gives an address for specifying a bank to said program memory, wherein said microprocessor specifies an arbitrary bank of said program memory, and displays a game image on said screen of said video monitor based on program data stored in the specified bank and character data stored in said character memory.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 183 words
A gaming apparatus, comprising: a gaming machine including a microprocessor, a picture processing unit for image processing, a video memory accessed by said picture processing unit and a video monitor for displaying an image on a screen thereof based on data from said picture processing unit, a memory cartridge which is attachable to and detachable from said gaming machine and is loaded in said gaming machine when used, wherein said game cartridge includes a program memory for storing a program for gaming and a character memory for storing character data for said game, and at least a memory area of said program memory is divided into a plurality of banks, and memory controlling means which is installed in said memory cartridge, receives data representing bank change-over conditions given from said microprocessor, and gives an address for specifying a bank to said program memory, wherein said microprocessor specifies an arbitrary bank of said program memory, and displays a game image on said screen of said video monitor based on program data stored in the specified bank and character data stored in said character memory.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 46 words
A memory cartridge in accordance with claim 17, wherein said character memory is divided into a plurality of banks, and said memory controlling means includes character bank controlling means for generating an address for bank change-over of said character memory based on data from said microprocessor.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 98 words
A memory cartridge in accordance with claim 18, wherein an address space for said video memory is equal to a first plurality of screens of said video monitor, and a real address of said video memory is equal to a second plurality of screens less than said first plurality of screens, said area specifying means includes signal outputting means for outputting a signal representing that said memory area of said video memory should be assigned in what place of said address space, whereby a vertical scrolling or a horizontal scrolling occurs on the screen of said video monitor.

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