Game program and game apparatus

• US 10,525,345 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2018
• Issued: 01/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Akahori, Eiji, Miyata, Shingo, Izuno, Toshiharu, Hotta, Takuji, Nishimura, Kentaro
• Primary Examiner(s): McCulloch, Jr., William H
• Application Number:
  US16/131,253
• Publication Number:
  US 20190099670A1
• Time in Patent Office: 480 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/40 Processing input control signals of video game devices, e.g. signals generated by the player or derived from the environment
• 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 13/422 automatically for the purpose of assisting the player, e.g. automatic braking in a driving game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/44 involving timing of operations, e.g. performing an action within a time slot
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5258 by dynamically adapting the position of the virtual camera to keep a game object or game character in its viewing frustum, e.g. for tracking a character or a ball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/55 Controlling game characters or game objects based on the game progress
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/573 using trajectories of game objects, e.g. of a golf ball according to the point of impact
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/803 Driving vehicles or craft, e.g. cars, airplanes, ships, robots or tanks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1062 being specially adapted to a type of game, e.g. steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6054 by generating automatically game commands to assist the player, e.g. automatic braking in a driving game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/638 according to the timing of operation or a time limit
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/64 for computing dynamical parameters of game objects, e.g. motion determination or computation of frictional forces for a virtual car
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/646 for calculating the trajectory of an object
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6684 by dynamically adapting its position to keep a game object in its viewing frustrum, e.g. for tracking a character or a ball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8017 Driving on land or water; Flying
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8047 Music games

Abstract

A forward direction line is set on a course, in a virtual game world, on which a player object is allowed to move. An advancing direction at a current position of the player object is determined based on the forward direction line. The advancing direction is determined as a direction in which the player object advances so as to control a movement of a player character in accordance with an acceleration instruction, and a leftward-rightward movement instruction from a player. Consequently, it is possible to assist the player in controlling a direction in which an object operated by the player moves.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a game program for moving an object on a course in a virtual game world, the game program comprising instructions that cause a computer of a game apparatus to:

set a virtual camera in the virtual game world, wherein the virtual camera is set to shoot the course based on a course direction;

generate, based on the set virtual camera, an image of the virtual game world, the generated image including the object;

display the generated image on a screen of a display device;

determine a first vector based at least on a current position of the object in the virtual game world and direction data set at a control point on the course during gameplay of the game program, wherein the first vector is along the course direction;

detect an instruction inputted by the player;

determine a second vector based at least on the instruction by the player, wherein a direction of the second vector is based on a direction of the instruction; and

move the object based at least on the first vector and the second vector while the instruction is detected.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the game program comprises further instructions that cause the computer to move the object on the course within the virtual game world without using the second vector while the instruction is not detected.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the game program comprises further instructions that cause the computer to move the object on the course within the virtual game world with the first vector to advance along the course in the virtual game world while the instruction is not detected.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the game program comprises further instructions that cause the computer to move the object on the course based on an inertial vector.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the first vector is determined based at least on the direction data set at the control point in the virtual game world determined at least by the current position of the object.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the first vector is determined based at least on two directions that are associated with two control points in the virtual game world determined at least by the current position of the object.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the first vector and the second vector are orthogonal.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the object includes a player object.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the game program comprises further instructions that cause the computer of the game apparatus to adjust a pose of the virtual camera in accordance with movement of the object.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the virtual camera is set based on a position of the object on the course.

11. A game apparatus comprising:

an input device configured to receive input from a user;

a processing system that includes at least one hardware processor, the processing system configured to;

execute a game program for moving an object on a course that is located in a virtual game world;

set a virtual camera in the virtual game world, wherein the virtual camera is orientated in a direction that is based on a course direction;

generate, based on the set virtual camera, an image of the virtual game world, the generated image including the object;

display the generated image on a screen of a display device;

determine a first vector based at least on a current position of the object in the virtual game world and direction data set at a control point on the course during gameplay of the game program, wherein the first vector is along the course direction;

detect an instruction inputted by the player;

determine a second vector based at least on the instruction by the player, wherein a direction of the second vector is based on a direction of the instruction; and

move the object based at least on the first vector and the second vector.

12. The game apparatus of claim 11, wherein the relative position of the virtual camera to the object is adjusted based on a calculated forward direction that is used to control forward movement of the object in the virtual game world.

13. A method operated on a computer system that is configured to store a video game program that includes gameplay for moving an object on a course that is located in a virtual game world, the method comprising:

setting a virtual camera in the virtual game world, wherein the virtual camera is set to shoot the course based on a course direction;

generating, based on the set virtual camera, an image of the virtual game world, the generated image including the object;

outputting the generated image to a screen of a display device for display thereon;

determining a first vector based at least on a current position of the object in the virtual game world and direction data set at a control point on the course during gameplay of the game program, wherein the first vector is along the course direction;

processing an instruction that has been provided by a user of the computer system;

determining a second vector based at least on the instruction by the player, wherein a direction of the second vector is based on a direction of the instruction; and

moving the object based at least on the first vector and the second vector while the instruction is detected.

14. A computer system comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium configured to store a video game program for moving an object on a course that is located in a virtual game world;

at least one hardware processor configured to;

set a virtual camera in the virtual game world, wherein the virtual camera is set to shoot the course based on a course direction;

generate, based on the set virtual camera, an image of the virtual game world, the generated image including the object;

display the generated image on a screen of a display device;

determine a first vector based at least on a current position of the object in the virtual game world and direction data set at a control point on the course during gameplay of the game program, wherein the first vector is along the course direction;

detect an instruction inputted by the player;

determine a second vector based at least on the instruction by the player, wherein a direction of the second vector is based on a direction of the instruction; and

move the object based at least on the first vector and the second vector while the instruction is detected.

15. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to move the object on the course within the virtual game world without using the second vector while the instruction is not detected.

16. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to move the object on the course based on an inertial vector.

17. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the first vector is determined based at least on the direction data set at the control point in the virtual game world determined at least by the current position of the object.

18. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to adjust a pose of the virtual camera in accordance with movement of the object.

19. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the virtual camera is set based on a position of the object on the course.

20. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to move the object on the course within the virtual game world with the first vector to advance along the course in the virtual game world while the instruction is not detected.