Touch screen inputs for a video game system

• US 10,099,119 B2
• Filed: 06/12/2017
• Issued: 10/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintenco Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintenco Company Limited
• Inventors: Cho, Wing S., Smith, Darren
• Primary Examiner(s): Renwick, Reginald
• Application Number:
  US15/620,534
• Publication Number:
  US 20170340958A1
• Time in Patent Office: 491 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/2145 the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/25 Output arrangements for video game devices
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/42 by mapping the input signals into game commands, e.g. mapping the displacement of a stylus on a touch screen to the steering angle of a virtual vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/426 involving on-screen location information, e.g. screen coordinates of an area at which the player is aiming with a light gun
• 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 13/56 Computing the motion of game characters with respect to other game characters, game objects or elements of the game scene, e.g. for simulating the behaviour of a group of virtual soldiers or for path finding
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/822 Strategy games; Role-playing games A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/828 Managing virtual sport teams
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1075 using a touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/30 characterized by output arrangements for receiving control signals generated by the game device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/303 for displaying additional data, e.g. simulating a Head Up Display
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6607 for animating game characters, e.g. skeleton kinematics
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6623 for animating a group of characters
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8052 Ball team management
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/807 Role playing or strategy games

Abstract

Example systems and methods involve detecting an input to a touchscreen display of a video game apparatus; determining a video game action based on a shape of the input; and determining a timing of the video game action based on a color associated with the input.

Claims

1. A video game apparatus comprising:

a touchscreen display;

memory storing program instructions; and

a computer processor configured to execute the program instructions stored in the memory to control the video game apparatus to at least;

detect an input to the touchscreen display;

detect occurrence of video game condition subsequent to the input; and

based on detecting the occurrence, determine a video game action and a timing thereof based on a shape of the input and on

a color associated with the input.

2. The video game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the video game action comprises movement of a video game object.

3. The video game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the video game action comprises movement of a video game character.

4. A video game apparatus comprising:

a touchscreen display;

memory storing program instructions; and

a computer processor configured to execute the program instructions stored in the memory to control the video game apparatus to at least;

display a plurality of display elements, each display element corresponding to a different member of a team;

accept movement pattern inputs to the touchscreen display for drawing movement patterns associated with the display elements corresponding to one or more members of the team;

detect occurrence of a video game event; and

based on detecting the event, determine a video game action including movement of the one or more members based on the movement patterns.

5. The video game apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the movement patterns comprise a path and a movement direction indicator.

6. The video game apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the display elements correspond to different players on a sports team.

7. The video game apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the movement pattern inputs designate movement of the one or more members relative to a field on which the sports team plays.

8. The video game apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the display elements correspond to different members of a football team, the video game event is a beginning of a play, and the movement pattern inputs are accepted prior to the beginning of the play.

9. The video game apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the display elements correspond to different members of a baseball team and the computer processor further controls the video game apparatus to accept drawing input for designating one or both of a pitch type and location.

10. The video game apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the display elements correspond to different members of a tactical team.

11. The video game apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the display elements correspond to different members of a military team.

12. The video game apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the computer processor processes the movement patterns in accordance with respective colors used to draw the movement patterns.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing program instructions which, when executed by a computer processor of a video game apparatus comprising a touchscreen display, control the video game apparatus to perform operations comprising:

displaying a plurality of display elements, each display element corresponding to a different member of a team;

accepting movement pattern inputs to the touchscreen display for drawing movement patterns associated with the display elements corresponding to one or more members of the team;

detecting occurrence of a video game event; and

based on detecting the event, determining a video game action including movement of the one or more members based on the movement patterns.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 13, wherein the movement patterns comprise a path and a movement direction indicator.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 13, wherein the display elements correspond to different players on a sports team.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 15, wherein the movement pattern inputs designate movement of the one or more members relative to a field on which the sports team plays.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 15, wherein the display elements correspond to different members of a football team, the video game event is a beginning of a play, and the movement pattern inputs are accepted prior to the beginning of the play.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 15, wherein the display elements correspond to different members of a baseball team and the computer processor further controls the video game apparatus to accept drawing input for designating one or both of a pitch type and location.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 13, wherein the display elements correspond to different members of a tactical team.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 13, wherein the display elements correspond to different members of a military team.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 13, wherein the movement patterns are processed in accordance with respective colors used to draw the movement patterns.

22. A computer device comprising a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 13.