Video game device, video game method, video game program, and video game system

• US 20020151337A1
• Filed: 03/27/2002
• Published: 10/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Konami Corporation
• Inventors: Kotani, Hideki, Yamamoto, Kenichi, Yamashita, Akihisa, Nagatomi, Masato
• Granted Patent: US 7,001,272 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/8
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/08 Constructional details or arrangements, e.g. housing, wiring, connections, cabinets, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/212 using sensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat or leg activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/213 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells A63F13/219, A63F13/655 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/245 specially adapted to a particular type of game, e.g. steering wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/285 Generating tactile feedback signals via the game input device, e.g. force feedback
• 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 13/58 by computing conditions of game characters, e.g. stamina, strength, motivation or energy level
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/833 Hand-to-hand fighting, e.g. martial arts competition A63F13/837 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/90 Constructional details or arrangements of video game devices not provided for in groups A63F13/20 or A63F13/25, e.g. housing, wiring, connections or cabinets
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/95 Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1012 involving biosensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat, limb activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1037 being specially adapted for converting control signals received from the game device into a haptic signal, e.g. using force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1087 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. a camera
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/206 Game information storage, e.g. cartridges, CD ROM's, DVD's, smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/65 for computing the condition of a game character
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8029 Fighting without shooting

Abstract

A game system that allows a player to manipulate a real interface device in a real space and have a representation of the real interface device (i.e., a virtual interface device) be displayed in a virtual space is disclosed. The position of the real interface device in the real space is detected by a position detector and converted into spatial coordinates by a three-dimensional input conversion means at predetermined time intervals. When a player moves the real interface device, a virtual interface device is displayed within the virtual space and moves identically with the real interface device. The virtual interface device is determined to have struck an object in the virtual space (e.g., an enemy) when the coordinates of at least a portion of the object in the virtual space are the same as, or within a predetermined range of, the coordinates of the virtual interface device.

Claims

1. A video game device in which a real interface device that a player within a real space manipulates is represented by a virtual interface device within a virtual space, the video game device comprising:

position detecting means that detects a real position of the real interface device;

conversion means that converts the real position of the real interface device into a virtual position within the virtual space, and displays the virtual interface device within the virtual position on a display; and

operating means that displays movements of the virtual interface device on the display, the operating means causing the position detecting means to detect the real position of the real interface device and the conversion means to determine the virtual position of the virtual interface device at predetermined time intervals Δ

T₁.

2. The video game device set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the real positions are real three-dimensional coordinates;

the virtual positions are virtual three-dimensional coordinates; and

the conversion means converts the real three-dimensional coordinates into virtual three-dimensional coordinates, and determines the virtual position of the virtual interface device on the display based on the virtual three-dimensional coordinates.

3. The video game device set forth in claim 1, wherein the position detecting means detects the coordinates of at least two points on the real interface device, and the video game device further comprises:

an intersection display control means that calculates a point in which an imaginary straight line that extends between the points on the real interface device intersects with the display and displays a marker thereon; and

selection accepting means that determines whether or not the point lies on an object being displayed on the display, and allows the player to select the object if the point lies thereon.

4. The video game device set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

first trajectory storing means that stores the virtual position of the virtual interface device taken at predetermined time intervals Δ

T₂;

hit determining means that calculates a trajectory and speed of the virtual interface device based upon the virtual positions stored in the first trajectory storing means, determines whether or not the virtual interface device has struck an object within the virtual space based on the trajectory and speed, and specifies the object struck if a strike has occurred.

5. The video game device set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

second trajectory storing means that stores the virtual position of the virtual interface device taken at predetermined time intervals Δ

T₃;

command storage means that stores a plurality of commands that are associated on a one-to-one basis with a plurality of predetermined trajectory patterns of the virtual interface device; and

command execution means that calculates a trajectory of the virtual interface device based upon the virtual positions stored in the second trajectory storing means, determines whether or not the trajectory matches any of the predetermined trajectory patterns, and executes the command associated with the predetermined trajectory pattern if a match exists.

6. The video game device set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

third trajectory storing means that stores the real positions of the real interface device taken at predetermined time intervals Δ

T₄;

command storage means that stores a plurality of commands that are associated on a one-to-one basis with a plurality of predetermined trajectory patterns of the real interface device; and

command execution means that calculates a trajectory of the real interface device based upon the real positions stored in the third trajectory storing means, determines whether or not the trajectory matches any of the predetermined trajectory patterns, and executes the command associated with the predetermined trajectory pattern if a match exists.

7. The video game device set forth in claim 1, comprising:

correction means that detects any difference between the player'"'"'s height and a predetermined standard height based upon the real position of the real interface device, and corrects the virtual position of the virtual interface device if any differences exists.

8. The video game device set forth in claim 1, wherein the position detecting means further comprises:

light emitting means provided on the real interface device;

at least a pair of light detecting means that detect light from the light emitting means; and

measuring means that measures the position of the light emitting means based on the light detected therefrom, and outputs the position of the light emitting means to the conversion means.

9. A video game method employed in a video game device in which a real interface device that a player within a real space manipulates is represented by a virtual interface device within a virtual space, the game method comprising the steps of:

detecting a real position of the real interface device within the real space;

converting the real position of the real interface device into a virtual position within the virtual space, and displaying the virtual interface device on a display in the virtual position; and

displaying movement of the virtual interface device on the display by causing the real position of the real interface device to be detected and the virtual position of the virtual interface device to be determined at predetermined time intervals Δ

T₁, and storing the virtual positions in memory.

10. A video game program employed in a video game device in which a real interface device that a player within a real space manipulates is represented by a virtual interface device within a virtual space, the video game program causing a computer to execute the steps of:

detecting a real position of the real interface device within the real space;

converting the real position of the real interface device into a virtual position within the virtual space, and displaying the virtual interface device on a display in the virtual position; and

displaying movement of the virtual interface device on the display by causing the real position of the real interface device to be detected and the virtual position of the virtual interface device to be determined at predetermined time intervals Δ

T₁, and storing the virtual positions in memory.

11. A real interface device for a video game device that a player within a real space manipulates, and which is represented by a virtual interface device within a virtual space, the real interface device comprising:

a light-emitting means disposed thereon that emits light; and

wherein

a position of the real interface device within the real space is detected by a position detecting means disposed on the video game device that detects the light emitted from the light-emitting means and computes the position thereof within the real space;

the real position of the real interface device is converted into a virtual position within the virtual space by a conversion means disposed in the video game device, the conversion means displaying the virtual interface device in the virtual position on a display; and

movement of the virtual interface device is displayed on the display by an operating means disposed in the video game device, the operating means causing the position detecting means to detect the real position of the real interface device and the conversion means to determine the virtual position of the virtual interface device at predetermined time intervals Δ

T₁.

12. A light-emitting means disposed on a real interface device for a video game device, the real interface device manipulated by a player within a real space and represented by a virtual interface device within a virtual space, wherein:

light from the light-emitting means is detected by at least a pair of light detection means disposed on the video game device;

a position of the light-emitting means within the real space is measured by measurement means disposed on the video game device based upon the light detected by the light detection means;

the real position of the real interface device is converted into a virtual position within the virtual space by conversion means disposed on the video game device, the conversion means displaying the virtual interface device in the virtual position on a display; and

movement of the virtual interface device is displayed on the display by an operating means disposed in the video game device, the operating means causing a position detecting means disposed on the video game device to detect the real position of the real interface device and the conversion means to determine the virtual position of the virtual interface device at predetermined time intervals Δ

T₁.

13. A video game system that allows a player within a real space to play a video game within a virtual space, the video game system comprising:

a real interface device manipulated by the player within the real space;

display means that displays a virtual interface device within the virtual space that is a representation of the real interface device;

position detecting means that detects a real position of the real interface device within the real space;

coordinate conversion means that converts the real position of the real interface device into a virtual position in the virtual space, and determines a display position of the virtual interface device on the display means based on the virtual position; and

operating means that displays movement of the virtual interface device on the display means that corresponds to movement of the real interface device by the player, the operating means causing the position detection means to detect the real position of the real interface device and the coordinate conversion means to determine the display position of the virtual interface device at predetermined time intervals Δ

T₁.