Game apparatus utilizing touch panel and storage medium storing game program

• US 20060025218A1
• Filed: 07/19/2005
• Published: 02/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Hotta, Takuji
• Granted Patent: US 7,658,675 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/37
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/2145 the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/245 specially adapted to a particular type of game, e.g. steering wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/26 having at least one additional display device, e.g. on the game controller or outside a game booth
• 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 13/57 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 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1062 being specially adapted to a type of game, e.g. steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1075 using a touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/301 using an additional display connected to the game console, e.g. on the controller
• 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 2300/64 for computing dynamical parameters of game objects, e.g. motion determination or computation of frictional forces for a virtual car
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A game apparatus includes a touch panel on which at least two pointing positions are simultaneously detectable. In response to an operation of the touch panel by a player, coordinates values of the detected two points are detected, and at least one of a distance between the two points and an angle of the line connecting the two points is calculated. Furthermore, change amounts of the distance and angle between the two points are calculated. A movement parameter such as a travel speed and a turning angle is set on the basis of at least one of the calculated distance and angle, and the movement of the character such as travel and turning is controlled on the basis of the movement parameter. In addition, when a pointing state of the two points is changed, the movement parameter is changed on the basis of a change amount, and the movement of the character is controlled on the basis of the movement parameter.

Claims

1. A game apparatus utilizing touch panel, comprising:

a display means for displaying a game space including a character to be operated by a player;

a touch panel being operated by said player for allowing simultaneous detection of at least two pointing positions;

a coordinates detecting means for detecting coordinates values of the two pointing positions detected according to an operation of said touch panel by said player;

a positional relationship calculating means for calculating at least one of a distance between said two points detected by said coordinates detecting means and an angle of a line connecting said two points,

a movement parameter setting means for setting a movement parameter of said character on the basis of at least one of the distance and angle calculated by said positional relationship calculating means;

a character controlling means for controlling a movement of said character on the basis of the movement parameter set by said movement parameter setting means.

2. A game apparatus utilizing touch panel according to claim 1, wherein

said positional relationship calculating means further includes a change amount calculating means for calculating a change amount of at least one of said distance and said angle,

said movement parameter setting means changes said movement parameter on the basis of at least one of the change amount of said distance and the change amount of said angle, and

said character controlling means controls the movement of said character on the basis of the changed movement parameter.

3. A game apparatus utilizing touch panel according to claim 2, wherein said change amount calculating means calculates said change amount every unit of time.

4. A game apparatus utilizing touch panel according to claim 2, further comprising:

a first change amount determining means for determining whether or not the change amount calculated by said change amount calculating means is equal to or less than a first predetermined value, wherein

said character controlling means controls a movement of said character on the basis of the changed movement parameter when it is determined that said change amount is not equal to or less than the first predetermined value, and causes said character to perform a first special action when it is determined that the change amount is equal to or less than the first predetermined value.

5. A game apparatus utilizing touch panel according to claim 2, further comprising:

a second change amount determining means for determining whether or not the change amount calculated by said change amount calculating means is equal to or more than a second predetermined value, wherein

said character controlling means controls the movement of said character on the basis of the changed movement parameter when it is determined that said change amount is not equal to or more than the second predetermined value, and causes said character to perform a second special action when it is determined that the change amount is equal to or more than the second predetermined value.

6. A game apparatus utilizing touch panel according to claim 2, wherein said movement parameter setting means changes a travel speed as said movement parameter on the basis of the change amount of said distance.

7. A game apparatus utilizing touch panel according to claim 2, wherein said movement parameter setting means changes a turning angle as said movement parameter on the basis of the change amount of said angle.

8. A game apparatus utilizing touch panel according to claim 1, wherein said movement parameter setting means sets a travel speed as said movement parameter on the basis of said distance.

9. A game apparatus utilizing touch panel according to claim 1, wherein

said movement parameter setting means sets a measure and direction of said turning angle as said movement parameter on the basis of the measure and direction of said angle.

10. A game apparatus utilizing touch panel according to claim 1 wherein,

said positional relationship calculating means further calculates a central coordinates value of said two points, and

said movement parameter setting means sets a display position as said movement parameter on the basis of said central coordinates value.

11. A storage medium storing a game program for controlling a character in a game apparatus utilizing touch panel that is provided with a display means for displaying a game space including said character to be operated by a player, and a touch panel to be operated by said player for allowing simultaneous detection of at least two pointing positions, wherein said game program causes a processor of said game apparatus to execute following steps of:

a coordinates detecting step for detecting coordinates values of the two pointing positions detected according to an operation of said touch panel by said player;

a positional relationship calculating step for calculating at least one of a distance between said two points detected by said coordinates detecting step and an angle of a line connecting said two points,

a movement parameter setting step for setting a movement parameter of said character on the basis of at least one of the distance and angle calculated by said positional relationship calculating step, and

a character controlling step for controlling a movement of said character on the basis of the movement parameter set by said movement parameter setting step.

12. A storage medium storing a game program according to claim 11, wherein

said positional relationship calculating step further includes a change amount calculating step for calculating a change amount of at least one of said distance and said angle,

said movement parameter setting step changes said movement parameter on the basis of at least one of the change amount of said distance and the change amount of said angle, and

said character controlling step for controlling the movement of said character on the basis of said changed movement parameter.