Video game device, background sound output method in video game, and readable storage medium storing background sound output program

• US 20010014621A1
• Filed: 02/08/2001
• Published: 08/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Konami Corporation
• Inventors: Araki, Shigeru, Okubo, Satoru
• Granted Patent: US 6,857,960 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/35
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/54 involving acoustic signals, e.g. for simulating revolutions per minute [RPM] dependent engine sounds in a driving game or reverberation against a virtual wall
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/816 Athletics, e.g. track-and-field sports
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6063 for sound processing
• 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 2300/8005 Athletics

Abstract

A video game device comprises: a monitor; a display unit for displaying an event place where a specific event is performed on the monitor; a sound output unit for outputting a background sound relating to the event; a memory for storing a background sound data releting to the event; an event place determining unit for determining types of event places; and a background sound controller for reading out the background sound data from the memory, outputting it as a background sound and performing an echo process on the background sound in response to the type of the event place determined by the event place determining unit.

Claims

1. A video game device comprising:

a monitor;

a display unit for displaying an event place where a specific event is performed on the monitor;

a sound output unit for outputting a background sound relating to the event;

a memory for storing a background sound data releting to the event;

an event place determining unit for determining types of event places; and

a background sound controller for reading out the background sound data from the memory, outputting it as a background sound and performing an echo process on the background sound in response to the type of the event place determined by the event place determining unit.

2. A video game device according to

claim 1

, further comprising a game selection unit for selecting one game program from a plurality of game programs stored in the memory and the specific event is carried out when one game program is selected from the plurality of programs stored in the memory.

3. A video game device according to

claim 1

, wherein the background sound is repeatedly outputted from the sound output unit after a time delay which is set in accordance with the type of the event place and the later one of background sounds is outputted in lower volume than the previous one of background sounds.

4. A video game device according to

claim 3

, wherein the same background sound data is repeatedly read after a time delay which is set in accordance with the type of the event place and the read background sound data is outputted from the sound output unit as a background sound.

5. A video game device according to

claim 4

, wherein, the later one of background sounds among the background sounds outputted from the sound output unit is outputted in the lower volume than the previous one of background sounds, and a degree of lowered volume of the later one in comparison to the previous one is set in accordance with the type of the event place.

6. A video game device according to

claim 1

, further comprising a main processor for performing a processing related to an execution of an event and a sound processor for performing a processing related to outputting a background sound, and the sound processor includes said event place determining unit and said background sound controller and wherein when an order of outputting the background sound is issued from the main processor, the sound processor determines the type of event place and performs an echo process on the background sound in accordance with the type of the determined event place.

7. A background sound outputting method for a video game comprising the steps of:

displaying on a monitor an event place;

executing a specific event in the event place;

outputting from a sound output unit a background sound relating to the event;

determining a type of the event place;

reading the background sound data stored in a memory;

outputting the background sound data as a background sound; and

performing an echo process on the background sound in response to said determined type of the event place.

8. A background sound outputting method according to

claim 7

, further comprising the step of selecting one game program from a plurality of game programs stored in the memory and the specific event is carried out when one game program is selected from the plurality of programs stored in the memory.

9. A background sound outputting method according to claim 7, wherein the background sound is repeatedly outputted from the sound output unit after a time delay which is set in accordance with the type of the event place and the later one of background sounds is outputted in lower volume than the previous one of background sounds.

10. A background sound outputting method according to

claim 9

, wherein the same background sound data is repeatedly read after a time delay which is set in accordance with the type of the event place and the read background sound data is outputted from the sound output unit as a background sound.

11. A background sound outputting method according to

claim 10

, wherein, the later one of background sounds among the background sounds outputted from the sound output unit is outputted in the lower volume than the previous one of background sounds, and a degree of lowered volume of the later one in comparison to the previous one is set in accordance with the type of the event place.

12. A background sound outputting method according to

claim 7

, further comprising the steps of a main process for performing a processing related to an execution of an event and a sound process for performing a processing related to outputting a background sound, and when an order of outputting the background sound is issued on the main process, the sound proces determines the type of event place and performs an echo process on the background sound in accordance with the type of the determined event place.

13. A computer-readable recording medium containing a background sound outputting program for a video game, the program comprising the steps of:

displaying on a monitor an event place;

executing a specific event in the event place;

outputting from a sound output unit a background sound relating to the event;

determining a type of the event place;

reading the background sound data stored in a memory;

outputting the background sound data as a background sound; and

performing an echo process on the background sound in response to said determined type of the event place.

14. A computer-readable recording medium according to

claim 13

, the program further comprising the step of selecting one game program from a plurality of game programs stored in the memory and the specific event is carried out when one game program is selected from the plurality of programs stored in the memory.

15. A computer-readable recording medium according to

claim 13

, wherein the background sound is repeatedly outputted from the sound output unit after a time delay which is set in accordance with the type of the event place and the later one of background sounds is outputted in lower volume than the previous one of background sounds.

16. A computer-readable recording medium according to

claim 15

, wherein the same background sound data is repeatedly read after a time delay which is set in accordance with the type of the event place and the read background sound data is outputted from the sound output unit as a background sound.

17. A computer-readable recording medium according to

claim 16

, wherein the later one of background sounds among the background sounds outputted from the sound output unit is outputted in the lower volume than the previous one of background sounds, and a degree of lowered volume of the later one in comparison to the previous one is set in accordance with the type of the event place.

18. A computer-readable recording medium according to

claim 13

, the program further comprising the step of determining whether the echo process needs to be applied to the background sound outputted from the sound output unit.

19. A computer-readable recording medium according to

claim 18

, wherein the background sound which the echo process applies to is an announcing sound relating to the event.

20. A computer-readable recording medium according to

claim 13

, the program further comprising the steps of:

a main process for performing a processing relating to execution of the event; and

a sound process for performing a processing relating to the output of the background sound,

wherein a type of the event place is determined and the echo process is applied on the background sound in response to the determined type of the event in the sound process step at a time when the background sound output command is issued in the main process step.