Object movement control apparatus, storage medium storing object movement control program, and object movement control method

• US 20060267955A1
• Filed: 03/06/2006
• Published: 11/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2005
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Hino, Takanori
• Granted Patent: US 10,843,074 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/2145 the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens
• 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 13/426 involving on-screen location information, e.g. screen coordinates of an area at which the player is aiming with a light gun
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1043 being characterized by constructional details
• 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 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8017 Driving on land or water; Flying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A game apparatus includes an LCD, and a touch panel is provided in relation to the LCD. The LCD displays a game screen, and the player performs touch operations (sliding, click, etc.) on the touch panel with use of a stick to draw, correct and decide at random a moving path of an object. When the movement path of the object is decided and some point on the movement path is clicked, the object moves to the clicked position according to the movement path.

Claims

1. An object movement control apparatus, comprising:

a display means for displaying a movable object;

a pointing device provided in relation to said display means;

an input detection means for detecting input coordinates input by said pointing device;

a determination means for determining whether or not the input coordinates detected by said input detection means matches a display position of said movable object;

a drawn locus creation means for, when result of the determination by said determination means shows that there is a match, creating a first locus according to the input coordinates continuously detected by said input detection means; and

an object movement means for, after said drawn locus creation means has created said first locus and then said input detection means has detected no input coordinates temporarily, some input coordinates detected again by said input detection means indicates a first position on said first locus, moving said movable object from a start point of the first locus to the first position, in accordance with the first locus.

2. An object movement control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a locus extension means for, after said drawn locus creation means has created said first locus and said input detection means has detected no input coordinates temporarily, when some input coordinates detected again by said input detection means indicates a second position not on said first locus, extending said first locus from an end point of said first locus to the second position, in accordance with a predetermined rule.

3. An object movement control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a locus shortening means for, when said first position is a point other than the end point of said first locus, shortening the first locus from the start point to the first position.

4. An object movement control apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

after said locus shortening means shortens said first locus down to said first position, said drawn locus creation means extends the first locus based on the input coordinates continuously detected by said input detection means, and

after said extended first locus has been created and said input detection means has detected no input coordinates temporarily, when some input coordinates detected again by said input detection means indicates a third position on said extended first locus, said object movement means moves said movable object from the start point of the first locus to the third position, in accordance with the first locus.

5. An object movement control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

a plurality of said movable objects exist,

a current position of one of said movable objects selected by said pointing device is the start point of said first locus, and

said object movement means moves the selected one movable object in accordance with said first locus.

6. An object movement control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an allowable movement range determination means for determining whether or not said first locus exceeds an allowable movement range of said movable object; and

a locus decision means for, when said first locus exceeds the allowable movement range of said movable object, deciding a second locus different from the first locus, which links said start point with a fourth position corresponding to current input coordinates detected by said input detection means, in accordance with a predetermined rule.

7. An object movement control apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a locus erase means for erasing said first locus when said locus decision means decides the second locus.

8. A storage medium for storing an object movement control program for an object movement control apparatus comprising a display means for displaying a movable object and a pointing device provided in relation to said display means, wherein

said object movement control program causes a processor of said object movement control apparatus to execute:

an input detection step of detecting input coordinates input by said pointing device;

a determination step of determining whether or not the input coordinates detected in said input detection step matches a display position of said movable object;

a drawn locus creation step of, when result of the determination in said determination step shows that there is a match, creating a first locus according to the input coordinates continuously detected in said input detection step; and

an object movement step of, after said first locus has been created in said drawn locus creation step and said input detection step has detected no input coordinates temporarily, when some input coordinates detected again in said input detection step indicates a first position on said first locus, moving said movable object from a start point of the first locus to the first position, in accordance with the first locus.

9. An object movement control method for an object movement control apparatus comprising a display means for displaying a movable object, a pointing device provided in relation to said display means and an input detection means for detecting coordinates input by the pointing device, including following steps of:

(a) determining whether or not the input coordinates detected in said input detection means matches a display position of said movable object;

(b) when result of the determination in said step (a) shows that there is a match, creating a first locus according to the input coordinates continuously detected in said input detection means; and

(c) after said first locus has been created in said step (b) and said input detection means has detected no input coordinates temporarily, when some input coordinates detected again in said input detection means indicates a first position on said first locus, moving said movable object from a start point of the first locus to the first position, in accordance with the first locus.