Hand-held video game platform emulation

Abstract

A software emulator for emulating a handheld video game platform such as GAME BOY®, GAME BOY COLOR® and/or GAME BOY ADVANCE® on a low-capability target platform (e.g., a seat-back display for airline or train use, a personal digital assistant, a cell phone) uses a number of features and optimizations to provide high quality graphics and sound that nearly duplicates the game playing experience on the native platform. Some exemplary features include use of bit BLITing, graphics character reformatting, modeling of a native platform liquid crystal display controller using a sequential state machine, and selective skipping of frame display updates if the game play falls behind what would occur on the native platform.

1 . A method of emulating a handheld video game platform comprising:
 loading and executing an emulator program on a target platform different from said video game platform;   parsing and interpreting, with said emulator program, a binary image capable of being executed on said video game platform; and   generating an audio visual real time interactive presentation on said target platform in response to said interpreted binary image,   wherein said binary image defines graphic characters using a predetermined format applicable to said handheld video game platform, and said emulator program reformats said graphic characters using a precomputed translation table.   
     
     
         2 . A method of emulating a handheld video game platform comprising:
 loading and executing an emulator program on a target platform different from said video game platform;   parsing and interpreting, with said emulator program, a binary image capable of being executed on said video game platform; and   generating an audio visual real time interactive presentation on said target platform in response to said interpreted binary image,   wherein said emulator program displays images based on color palettes defined by said binary image that are changed during a display frame.   
     
     
         3 . A method of emulating a handheld video game platform comprising:
 loading and executing an emulator program on a target platform different from said video game platform;   parsing and interpreting, with said emulator program, a binary image capable of being executed on said video game platform; and   generating an audio visual real time interactive presentation on said target platform in response to said interpreted binary image,   wherein said emulator program uses a jump table to parse op codes within the binary image, and uses a page table to selectively map memory access instructions into predetermined memory locations and/or function calls.