Claims
- 1. A table tennis game apparatus comprising:a ball projecting section for projecting balls towards a playing surface; a moving mechanism for moving said ball projecting section in a lateral direction of said table tennis apparatus; a detecting unit for detecting returned balls in the lateral direction; a driving and controlling unit for driving said moving mechanism according to the lateral direction of the returned balls detected by said detecting unit; and a degree of difficulty control unit providing different degrees of difficulty for playing said table tennis game.
- 2. A table tennis game apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said degree of difficulty control unit provides a plurality of operating modes with each mode having a different degree of difficulty for playing said table tennis game.
- 3. A table tennis game apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said degree of difficulty control unit provides at least three different operating modes.
- 4. A table tennis game apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said degree of difficulty control unit includes a selection unit for selecting the degree of difficulty for playing said table tennis game.
- 5. A table tennis game apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said degree of difficulty control unit provides a plurality of game modes with each game mode having a different degree of difficulty for playing said table tennis game, said selection unit enabling selection of said game mode.
- 6. A table tennis game apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said degree of difficulty control unit controls said ball projecting section to impart different spins to different balls as the balls are projected toward said playing surface, said degree of difficulty control unit controlling the frequency of the different spins imparted to the different balls during said table tennis game in accordance with the mode selected by said selection unit.
- 7. A table tennis game apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said degree of difficulty control unit controls said ball projecting section to impart different spins to different balls as the balls are projected toward said playing surface, said degree of difficulty control unit controlling the ratio between the different spins imparted to the different balls during said table tennis game in accordance with the mode selected by said selection unit.
- 8. A table tennis game apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said ball projecting section projects a fixed number of balls in one game of table tennis, said degree of difficulty control unit changing the degree of difficulty independently degree of difficulty selected by the selection unit when the remaining balls to be projected by the projecting section said one game is less than a predetermined amount which is less than said fixed number.
- 9. A table tennis game apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said degree of difficulty control unit controls said driving and control unit in accordance with the degree of difficulty selected by said selection unit.
- 10. A table tennis game apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said driving and control unit is disabled by said degree of difficulty control unit when at least one degree of difficulty is selected by said selection unit.
- 11. A table tennis game apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said ball projecting section comprises a ball speed variation unit for projecting the ball at variable speeds, said degree of difficulty control unit controlling said ball speed variation unit to vary the speed of the projected ball in accordance with the degree of difficulty selected on said selection unit.
- 12. A table tennis game apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said ball projecting section comprises a ball angle variation unit for projecting the ball at different angles relative to the longitudinal direction, said ball degree of difficulty control unit controlling said ball angle variation unit in accordance with the degree of difficulty selected by said selection unit.
- 13. A table tennis game apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said ball projecting section comprises a ball elevation adjusting unit for projecting the ball at different angles relative to horizontal, said degree of difficulty control unit controlling said ball elevation adjusting unit in accordance with the degree of difficulty selected by said selection unit.
- 14. A table tennis game apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said ball projecting section has a path determining unit for determining the path of travel taken by the ball after the ball has been projected from said projecting section, said degree of difficulty control unit controlling said path determining unit in accordance with the degree of difficulty selected by said selection unit.
- 15. A table tennis game apparatus according to claim 14 wherein said path of travel is a parabolic path.
- 16. A table tennis game apparatus according to claim 14 wherein said path determining unit determines different parabolic paths.
- 17. A table tennis game apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said degree of difficulty control unit controls the spin of the ball projected by the ball projecting section in accordance with the degree of difficulty selected by said selection unit.
- 18. A table tennis game apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said ball projecting section comprises operating parts for imparting a spin to the ball as the ball is projected toward said playing surface, said degree of difficulty control unit controlling said operating parts to thereby control said spin.
- 19. A table tennis game apparatus according to claim 18 wherein degree of difficulty control unit controls said operating parts to impart a top spin to the ball, said degree of difficulty control unit controlling said operating parts to thereby control said top spin.
- 20. A table tennis game apparatus according to claim 18 wherein said degree of difficulty control unit controls said operating parts to impart a back spin to the ball, said degree of difficulty control unit controlling said operating parts to thereby control said back spin.
- 21. A table tennis game apparatus according to claim 18 wherein said degree of difficulty control unit controls said operating parts to impart a side spin to the ball, said degree of difficulty control unit controlling said operating parts to thereby control said side spin.
- 22. A table tennis game apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said ball projecting section comprises operating parts for controlling the ball as the ball is projected toward said playing surface, said degree of difficulty control unit controlling said operating parts such that said ball is projected with substantially no spin.
- 23. A table tennis game apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said playing surface includes a return area for balls returned by a player, said detecting unit including sensor sections for said return area, said degree of difficulty control unit controlling said sensor sections in accordance with the degree of difficulty selected by said selection unit.
- 24. A table tennis game apparatus according to claim 23 comprising a scoring device actuatable by said sensor sections, said sensor sections sensing a dropped ball returned by a player to effect actuation of said scoring device.
- 25. A table tennis game apparatus according to claim 24 comprising a bounced ball addition disabling unit for disabling addition to the scoring device when the ball makes a second bounce on the return area.
- 26. A table tennis game apparatus according to claim 24 wherein at least one sensor section has at least two states of operation such that when a ball returned by a player drops on said at least one sensor section when in one state, said at least one sensor section effects actuation of said scoring device a first amount, and when a ball returned by a player drops on said at least one sensor section which is in another state, said at least one sensor section effects actuation of said scoring device a second amount different from said first amount.
- 27. A table tennis game apparatus according to claim 26 wherein said degree of difficulty control unit changes the state of operation of said at least one sensor section according to the degree of difficulty selected by said selection unit.
- 28. A table tennis game apparatus according to claim 26 wherein said degree of difficulty control unit changes the degree of difficulty independently of the degree of difficulty selected by the selection unit when the score on the scoring device obtained by the player exceeds a predetermined amount.
- 29. A table tennis game apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said degree of difficulty control unit comprises a selection portion for manually selecting the degree of difficulty for playing said table tennis game.
- 30. A table tennis game apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said playing surface includes a return area for balls returned by a player, said return area including at least one indicia section, said degree of difficulty control unit controlling said at least one indicia section in accordance with the degree of difficulty selected by said selection unit.
- 31. A table tennis game apparatus according to claim 30 comprising a scoring device actuatable by said indicia section, said at least one indicia section providing a target area which a player seeks to return a ball to effect actuation of the scoring device.
- 32. A table tennis game apparatus according to claim 31 wherein said detecting unit includes a sensor part associated with said at least one indicia section such that when a ball returned by a player drops on said at least one indicia section, said sensor part associated said at least one indicia section effects actuation of said scoring device.
- 33. A table tennis game apparatus according to claim 32 wherein said at least one indicia section has at least two states of operation said that when a ball returned by a player drops on said at least one indicia section which is in one state, the sensor part associated with said at least one indicia section effects actuation of said scoring device to change the score a first amount, and when a ball returned by a player drops on said at least one indicia section when in another state, the sensor part associated with said at least one indicia section effects actuation of said scoring device to change the score a second amount different from said first amount.
- 34. A table tennis game apparatus according to claim 33 where said degree of difficulty control unit changes the state of operation of said at least one indicia section according to the degree of difficulty selected by said selection part.
- 35. A table tennis game apparatus according to claim 32 wherein said at least one indicia section has at least two states of operation said that when a ball returned by a player drops on said at least one indicia section which is in one state, the sensor part associated with said at least one indicia section effects actuation of said scoring device to change the score, and when a ball returned by a player drops on said at least one indicia section when in another state, the sensor part associated with said at least one indicia section refrains from effecting actuation of the score on the scoring device.
- 36. A table tennis game apparatus according to claim 30 wherein said return area has a plurality of indicia areas each having two states of operation in which the indicia areas are visually enhanced when in one state and non-visually enhanced when in another state.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
9-272149 |
Sep 1997 |
JP |
|
Parent Case Info
This is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/466,657 having a filing date of Sept. 9, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,200,236.
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Mar 2001 |
B1 |