Game system in which a field of view is displayed according to a specific view point position

• US 20050049047A1
• Filed: 10/14/2004
• Published: 03/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Konami Computer Entertainment Japan, Inc. (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Kitao, Takashi
• Granted Patent: US 7,806,767 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/33
• 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 13/5258 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 13/57 Simulating properties, behaviour or motion of objects in the game world, e.g. computing tyre load in a car race game A63F13/56 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/833 Hand-to-hand fighting, e.g. martial arts competition A63F13/837 takes precedence
• 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 2300/6653 for altering the visibility of an object, e.g. preventing the occlusion of an object, partially hiding an object
• 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 2300/8029 Fighting without shooting

Abstract

Game system in which an object is arranged in a virtual three-dimensional space including a display device, an input device for outputting signals according to player operations and a game control device for executing a game according to a program while checking the output of the input device and displaying a visual field image including the object on the display device. The visual field image is viewed from a predetermined view point position in the virtual three-dimensional space. The game control device includes a position determining device for determining whether to view the object from a first view point position which is a back and slightly inclined position toward a moving direction of the object to view an observation position set forward the object, or from a second view point position from which the observation point is viewed in a fixed direction regardless of the movement of the object.

Claims

1. A game system displaying an image on a game screen captured from a predetermined view point position with a virtual camera wherein a first object operated by a player and a second object having a relation with the first object move in a virtual three-dimensional space;

the game system comprising;

a view point position setting device for setting a first view point position to view a predetermined observation point following said moving first object and for setting a second view point position viewed based on an observation point settled between both objects when said first object has a relation to said second object;

a distance judging device for judging a distance between said first object and said second object; and

a virtual camera setting device for arranging said virtual camera by switching said first view point position alternatively to said second view point position corresponding to a judgement result by said distance judging device.

2. A game system according to claim 1, wherein said virtual camera setting device moves said virtual camera along a virtual line connecting said first view point position with said second view point position while keeping the state in which said first object and said second object are captured during the view point position is switched.

3. A game system according to claim 2, wherein said virtual camera setting device adjusts a moving speed when said virtual camera is moved along said virtual line in accordance with a distance judged by said distance judging device.

4. A game system according to claim 1, wherein said virtual camera setting device arranges a position of said virtual camera so that the position is switched to said first view point position when a distance judged by said distance judging device is smaller than a predetermined settled value, and the position is switched to said second view point position when said distance is within a predetermined settled value.

5. A game system according to claim 1, wherein said view point position setting device adjusts a distance between said second view point position and said observation point so that the distance is within a distance judged by said distance judging device.

6. A computer readable storage medium including a program for allowing a computer constituting a game system, the game system displaying an image on a game screen captured from a predetermined view point position with a virtual camera wherein a first object operated by a player and a second object having a relation with the first object move in a virtual three-dimensional space, to function as:

a view point position setting device for setting a first view point position to view a predetermined observation point following said moving first object and for setting a second view point position viewed based on an observation point settled between both characters when said first object has a relation to said second object;

a distance judging device for judging a distance between said first object and said second object; and

a virtual camera setting device for arranging said virtual camera by switching said first view point position alternatively to said second view point position corresponding to a judgement result by said distance judging device.

7. A computer readable storage medium according to claim 6, recording a game program, wherein said virtual camera setting device moves said virtual camera along a virtual line connecting said first view point position to said second view point position while keeping a state in which said first object and said second object are captured when the view point position is switched.

8. A computer readable storage medium according to claim 7, recording a game program, wherein said virtual camera setting device adjusts a moving speed of said virtual camera when the camera moves along said virtual line in accordance with a distance judged by said distance judging device.

9. A computer readable storage medium according to claim 6, recording a game program, wherein said virtual camera setting device arranges said virtual camera at said first view point position when a distance judged by said distance judgement device is larger than a predetermined settled value and at said second view point position when said distance is within a predetermined settled value.

10. A computer readable storage medium according to claim 6, recording a game program, wherein said view point position setting device adjusts a distance between said second view point position and said observation point so that said first object and said second object are arranged within a capture range.

11. An image displaying method displaying an image on a game screen captured from a predetermined view point position with a virtual camera wherein a first object operated by a player and a second object having a relation with the first object move in a virtual three-dimensional space, comprising;

a view point position setting device for setting a first view point position to view a predetermined observation point following said moving first object and for setting a second view point position viewed based on a observation point settled between both objects when said first object has a relation to said second object,

a distance judging device for judging a distance between said first object and said second object,

a virtual camera setting device for arranging said virtual camera by switching said first view point position alternatively to said second view point position corresponding to a judgement result by said distance judging device.