Game apparatus

• US 10,039,986 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2017
• Issued: 08/07/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Sqaure ENIX
• Inventors: Tokita, Takashi, Soken, Masayoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hylinski, Steven J
• Application Number:
  US15/615,008
• Publication Number:
  US 20170266561A1
• Time in Patent Office: 427 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/52 involving aspects of the displayed game scene
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/53 involving additional visual information provided to the game scene, e.g. by overlay to simulate a head-up display [HUD] or displaying a laser sight in a shooting game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/77 involving data related to game devices or game servers, e.g. configuration data, software version or amount of memory
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/209 characterized by low level software layer, relating to hardware management, e.g. Operating System, Application Programming Interface
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/406 Transmission via wireless network, e.g. pager or GSM
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6009 for importing or creating game content, e.g. authoring tools during game development, adapting content to different platforms, use of a scripting language to create content
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/695 Imported photos, e.g. of the player
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera constructional features concerning the integration of cameras in portable phones H04M1/0264

Abstract

A game apparatus is provided which has a convenience where another function, such as photo taken by a camera, can be used while playing a game by causing a game program and another program to work together. The game apparatus increases interest of the game by relating a result of execution of the other program to the contents of the game. For example, when a camera icon displayed on a display is selected by an operation of a touch panel, a program for controlling a camera function launches, and an image can be captured at an arbitrary timing. The captured image is converted according to a predetermined condition. The converted image is displayed on a display screen and image data is stored in a flash memory.

Claims

1. A game apparatus, comprising:

a memory that stores a game program and an other program different from the game program;

a program launcher that launches the other program stored by the memory while the game program is being executed;

a central processor that executes the other program launched by the program launcher and generates first data, the first data comprising an image and being generated based on second data obtained from the other program;

a graphics processor that displays the image on a display screen; and

a camera function,

wherein the first data is generated according to at least one of a category of the game program and a progress of the game program, and

the other program stored by the memory is a camera program for controlling photographing using the camera function.

2. The game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first data is generated by using image data of the game program.

3. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including a game program executed by a computer apparatus in which an other program different from the game program is stored, the game program causing the computer apparatus to execute:

launching the other program while the game program is being executed;

executing, by a processor, the other program launched by the launching;

generating first data which comprises an image and is generated based on second data obtained from the other program; and

displaying, by a graphics processor, the image on a display screen,

wherein the first data is generated according to at least one of a category of the game program and a progress of the game program,

the computer apparatus includes a camera function, and

the other program stored by the memory is a camera program for controlling photographing using the camera function.