Game device, image processing device and image processing method

• US 20040063501A1
• Filed: 05/20/2003
• Published: 04/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Sega
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Sega
• Inventors: Shibasaki, Junji, Tsuji, Yukio, Sanbongi, Kazutomo, Shimokawa, Hitoshi, Sata, Takenao
• Application Number:
  US10/441,031
• Publication Number:
  US 20040063501A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/49
• 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 13/577 using determination of contact between game characters or objects, e.g. to avoid collision between virtual racing cars
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/837 Shooting of targets
• 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 2300/643 by determining the impact between objects, e.g. collision detection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6661 for changing the position of the virtual camera
• 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 2300/8076 Shooting

Abstract

The present invention is an image processing method for moving a virtual camera located in a three-dimensional virtual space at a predetermined speed, and changing a distance between the virtual camera and a character defined in the virtual space, wherein a moving speed of the virtual camera changes based on the distance between the virtual camera and the character.

Claims

1. A game device for simulating a player'"'"'s shooting of a character defined in a three-dimensional virtual space while moving a virtual camera located in the three-dimensional virtual space, comprising:

computing means for computing a damage point of the character caused by the player'"'"'s shooting of it, based on a distance between the virtual camera and the character and the distance between the character and the center of an effective shooting radius that changes in accordance with the distance between the virtual camera and the character.

2. The game device according to claim 1,

wherein the damage point computing means computes a damage point of the character caused by the player'"'"'s shooting of it, by multiplying a damage value, which is determined based on the distance between the virtual camera and the character, by a damage rate that is determined based on the distance between the character and the center of the effective shooting radius that changes in accordance with the distance between the virtual camera and the character.

3. The game device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein

the damage value is determined such that the further the distance between the virtual camera and the character is, the smaller the damage value is,

the effective shooting radius is determined such that the further the distance between the virtual camera and th character is, the larger the effective shooting radius is, and

the damage rate is determined such that the further the distance between the character and the center of the effective shooting radius is, the smaller the proportion is.

4. A game device for simulating a player'"'"'s shooting of a character defined in a three-dimensional virtual space while moving a virtual camera located in the three-dimensional virtual space, comprising:

computing means for computing a damage point of the character caused by the shooting in accordance with a proportion of an overlapping area to the shooting radius, and in the overlapping area an effective shooting radius and a collision sphere of the enemy overlap.

5. A game device for simulating a player'"'"'s shooting of a character defined in a three-dimensional virtual space while moving a virtual camera located in the three-dimensional virtual space, comprising:

computing means for computing a damage point of the character caused by the shooting in accordance with a proportion of an overlapping area to the collision sphere of the enemy, and in the overlapping area an effective shooting radius and a collision sphere of the enemy overlap.

6. A controlling method of a game device for simulating a player'"'"'s shooting of a character defined in a three-dimensional virtual space while moving a virtual camera located in the three-dimensional virtual space, wherein

a damage point of the character caused by the player'"'"'s shooting of it is computed based on a distance between the virtual camera and the character and the distance between the character and the center of an ffective shooting radius that changes in accordance with the distance between the virtual camera and the character.

7. A controlling method of a game device for simulating a player'"'"'s shooting of a character defined in a three-dimensional virtual space while moving a virtual camera located in the three-dimensional virtual space, wherein

a damage point of the character caused by the shooting is computed in accordance with a proportion of an overlapping area to the shooting radius, and in the overlapping area an effective shooting radius and a collision sphere of the enemy overlap.

8. A controlling method of a game device for simulating a player'"'"'s shooting of a character defined in a three-dimensional virtual space while moving a virtual camera located in the three-dimensional virtual space, wherein

a damage point of the character caused by the shooting is computed in accordance with a proportion of an overlapping area to the collision sphere, and in the overlapping area an effective shooting radius and a collision sphere of the enemy overlap.

9. A game controlling method whereby a game device is controlled such that it determines whether a hit decision area generated in a virtual space in accordance with a players manipulation overlaps with an object located in the virtual space, and the character is damaged when it is determined that the hit decision area overlaps with the object, the method comprising:

a step of obtaining first positional information indicating a position of a character being manipulated by the player in the virtual space;

a step of obtaining second positional information indicating a position of the object in the virtual space;

a step of computing a distance between the character and the object based on the obtained first and second positional information;

a step of changing the size of the hit decision area based on the obtained distance; and

a step of computing, when it is determined that the hit decision area and the object overlap with each other, a damage amount for the object based on the obtained distance, and realizing damage to the object based on the obtained damage amount.

10. The game controlling method according to claim 9, wherein when the obtained distance is shorter than a predetermined distance, the hit decision area is set to small and the damage amount is set to large.

11. The game controlling method according to claim 9 or 10, wherein when the computed distance is further than a predetermined distance, the hit decision area is set to large and the damage amount is set to small.

23. An information processing program for making a computer execute the game device controlling method according to any one of claims 6 to 16.

24. A computer-readable recording medium having an information processing program stored therein that makes a computer execute the game device controlling method according to any one of claims 6 to 16.

12. A game controlling method whereby a game device is controlled such that it determines whether a hit decision area, generated in a virtual space with a predetermined target point at the center in accordance with a player'"'"'s manipulation, overlaps with an object located in the virtual space and the object is damaged when it is determined that the hit decision area overlaps with the object, the method comprising:

a step of obtaining positional information indicating a position of the object in th virtual space;

a step of computing an area wherein the hit decision area and the object overlap with each other, based on the hit decision area and the obtained positional information; and

a step of generating data of a damage amount to be attributed to the object, based on the obtained area, and providing damage to the object based on the generated damage amount data.

13. A shooting game controlling method, wherein the shooting game is controlled such that it simulates a player'"'"'s shooting of a character defined in a three-dimensional virtual space, while a virtual camera located in the three-dimensional virtual space is moving at a predetermined speed, comprising:

a step of changing the distance between the character and the virtual camera;

a step of changing the moving speed of the virtual camera or the speed of directing the virtual camera to the character, based on the distance between the character and the virtual camera;

a step of changing the player'"'"'s effective shooting radius based on the distance between the virtual camera and the character;

a step of determining whether a bullet has hit the character, based on the character'"'"'s position and the location of the effective shooting radius; and

a step of computing, when it is determined that the bullet has hit the character in the determination step, a damage amount caused to the character by the shooting, based on both the distance between the virtual camera and the character as well as the distance between the character and the center of the effective shooting radius.

14. An image processing method for moving a virtual camera located in a three-dimensional virtual space at a predetermined speed and changing the distance between the virtual camera and a charact r defined in the three-dimensional virtual space, wherein

the moving speed of the virtual camera changes based on the distance between the virtual camera and the character.

15. The image processing method according to claim 14, wherein

a first character defined in the three-dimensional virtual space and a second character manipulated by a player, are displayed, and

the moving speed of the virtual camera changes based on the distance between the first and second characters.

16. An image processing method for directing a virtual camera to a character located in a three-dimensional virtual space, wherein

a fixation point of the virtual camera is set on the character in a manner so that the speed of directing the virtual camera to the character changes based on the distance between the virtual camera and the character.

17. A game device composed such that a virtual camera located in a three-dimensional virtual space moves at a predetermined speed and the distance between the virtual camera and a character defined in the virtual space changes, comprising:

virtual camera controlling means for changing a moving speed of the virtual camera based on the distance between the virtual camera and the character.

18. The game device according to claim 17, wherein

a first character defined in the three-dim nsional virtual space and a second character manipulated by a player are displayed, and

the virtual camera controlling means changes the moving speed of the virtual camera based on the distance between the first and second characters.

19. The game device according to claim 17, wherein the virtual camera controlling means controls the virtual camera moving speed in a manner that the shorter the distance between the virtual camera and the character becomes, the more the virtual camera moving speed decreases.

20. The game device according to claim 17, wherein

a plurality of areas are provided in the three-dimensional virtual space with the virtual camera at the center, and

the virtual camera controlling means determines in which area a character closest to the virtual camera exists, and controls the virtual camera moving speed in accordance with the determined area.

21. A game device for directing a virtual camera to a character located in a three-dimensional virtual space, comprising:

fixation point setting means for setting a fixation point of the virtual camera on the character such that the speed of directing the virtual camera to the character changes in accordance with the distance between the virtual camera and the character.

22. An image processing device composed to change a distanc between a character and a virtual camera both located in a three-dimensional virtual space, comprising:

means for computing the distance between the virtual camera and th character; and

virtual camera controlling means for changing a moving speed of the virtual camera in accordance with the computed distance.