Game image display control program, game device, and recording medium

• US 20060040738A1
• Filed: 11/20/2003
• Published: 02/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SEGA Corporation (SEGA Sammy Holdings Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SEGA Corporation (SEGA Sammy Holdings Inc.)
• Inventors: Okazaki, Yuichi, Atsu, Takashi
• Granted Patent: US 7,614,954 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/32
• 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 13/5378 for displaying an additional top view, e.g. radar screens or maps using two or more virtual cameras concurrently A63F13/5252
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/307 for displaying an additional window with a view from the top of the game field, e.g. radar screen
• 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

Abstract

A game image display control program in which even in the case where a radar image is displayed on display devices with different screen ratios, a range which is actually in a visual field can match with radar visual field display is provided. The program has a function for displaying a video picture captured from a first visual point position in a virtual three-dimensional space as a main screen of a game on a display unit, and displaying a predetermined range where the virtual three-dimensional space is captured from a second visual point position and a visual field area, where an area in which the virtual three-dimensional space is captured from the first or a third visual point position at a predetermined azimuthal angle is projected in the predetermined range, as a radar image representing a position relationship of an object on a three-dimensional map composing the virtual three-dimensional space on the display unit, and a function for changing a shape of the visual field area according to a shape of the main screen in the display unit.

Claims

1. A game image display control program for allowing a computer to realize a function for displaying a video picture captured from a first visual point position in a virtual three-dimensional space as a main screen of a game on a display unit, and displaying a predetermined range where the virtual three-dimensional space is captured from a second visual point position and a visual field area, in which an area where the virtual three-dimensional space is captured from the first or a third visual point position at a predetermined azimuthal angle is projected in the predetermined range, as a radar image representing a position relationship of an object on a three-dimensional map composing the virtual three-dimensional space, comprising a function for changing a shape of the visual field area according to a shape of the main screen in the display unit.

2. The game image display control program according to claim 1, further comprising a function for changing the shape of the main screen according to a screen ratio of the display unit to change the shape of the visual field area accordingly.

3. The game image display control program according to claim 1, further comprising a function for changing the shape of the visual field area according to a screen ratio of the display unit independently from a change in the shape of the main screen.

4. The game image display control program according to claim 1, further comprising a function for capable of setting the shape of the main screen independently from a screen ratio of the display unit and changing the shape of the visual field area according to the set shape of the main screen.

5. The game image display control program according to claim 1, further comprising a function for changing the shape of the main screen according to game proceeding.

6. The game image display control program according to claim 1, wherein the visual field area is a pyramid shaped or a conical visual field area where the first or the third visual point position is an apex.

7. The game image display control program according to claim 1, wherein the visual field area is a quadrangular pyramid shaped or a conical visual field area where the first or the third visual point position is an apex, comprising a function for changing the shape of the main screen and the shape of the visual field area so that an aspect ratio of a bottom surface of the quadrangular pyramid matches with the screen ratio of the display unit.

8. The game image display control program according to claim 1, comprising a function having a virtual camera which photographs an area captured from the first or the third visual point position for adjusting a field angle of the virtual camera according to the shape of the main screen so as to change the shape of the visual field area.

9. The game image display control program according to claim 1, comprising a function having at least a mode where a ratio of a horizontal direction to a vertical direction of the screen of the display unit is 4:

3 and a mode where the ratio is 16;

9 for widening a visual field in the horizontal direction of the visual field area in the mode of 16;

9 in comparison with the mode of 4;

3.

10. The game image display control program according to claim 1, wherein the video picture to be displayed on the main screen is a video picture relating to the mobile object moving in the virtual three-dimensional space in response to a player'"'"'s operation and a visual field direction of the video picture on the main screen can be freely rotationally moved to any directions in the virtual three-dimensional space with the first visual point position being a center independently from an advancing direction of the mobile object, comprising a function for controlling a rotation movement of the visual field area in conjunction with the rotational movement of the video picture on the main screen.

11. The game image display control program according to claim 1, wherein the video picture to be displayed on the main screen is a video picture relating to the mobile object moving in the virtual three-dimensional space in response to the player'"'"'s operation, and an entire movable area of the mobile object or a periphery of the mobile object is displayed as the radar image.

12. The game image display control program according to claim 1, wherein the video picture to be displayed on the main screen is a video picture relating to the mobile object moving in the virtual three-dimensional space in response to the player'"'"'s operation, and the third visual point position is a position of the mobile object or a position in its vicinity.

13. The game image display control program according to claim 1, wherein the video picture to be displayed on the main screen is a video picture relating to the mobile object moving in the virtual three-dimensional space in response to the player'"'"'s operation, and the second visual point position is a position above the mobile object.

14. The game image display control program according to claim 1, wherein the video picture to be displayed on the main screen is a video picture relating to the mobile object moving in the virtual three-dimensional space in response to the player'"'"'s operation, and a predetermined range where the virtual three-dimensional space is captured from the second visual point position is a range centering on the mobile object.

16. A game machine which is constituted so as to be capable of executing the game image control program according to claim 1.

17. A recording medium which is a readable by means of a computer and into which the game image control program according to claim 1 is recorded.

15. A game image display control program for allowing a computer to realize a function for displaying a video picture obtained by capturing a mobile object moving in a virtual three-dimensional space from a first visual point position as a main screen of a game on a display unit, a function for capturing a predetermined range centering on the mobile object in the virtual three-dimensional space and a predetermined object included in the predetermined range from a position above the mobile object and displaying the predetermined range and icons representing the mobile object and the object as a radar image on a part of the main screen of the game, and a function for displaying a visual field area, where an area in which the virtual three-dimensional space is captured from the first visual point position or from the position of the mobile object is projected in the predetermined range, on a radar screen, further comprising:

a function for changing a shape of the main screen according to a shape of the display unit or game proceeding; and

a function for changing a shape of the visual field area according to the shape of the main screen.