Game performing method, storage medium, game apparatus, data signal and program

• US 20070008283A1
• Filed: 09/14/2006
• Published: 01/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc. (BANDAI NAMCO Holdings Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Namco Bandai Games Inc. (BANDAI NAMCO Holdings Inc.)
• Inventors: Ouchi, Satoru
• Granted Patent: US 8,130,196 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/161
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/24 Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/428 involving motion or position input signals, e.g. signals representing the rotation of an input controller or a player's arm motions sensed by accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video 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 13/803 Driving vehicles or craft, e.g. cars, airplanes, ships, robots or tanks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1006 having additional degrees of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/63 for controlling the execution of the game in time
• 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 2300/8017 Driving on land or water; Flying

Abstract

A game performing method realizable of finer and easier operational input with a joy stick. The game performing method for an apparatus comprising an input section having an operating handle capable of inputting an inclination of a desired angle in a desired direction, has: controlling a virtual handle of a player character according to operation inputted through the operating handle; detecting an inclined direction and an inclined angle of the operating handle; and changing a handle angle of the virtual handle in a direction according to change in the inclined direction when the change in the inclined direction is detected by detecting the inclined direction and the inclined angle of the operating handle.

Claims

1. A game performing method for an apparatus comprising an input section having an operating handle capable of inputting an inclination of a desired angle in a desired direction, the method comprising:

controlling a virtual handle of a player character according to an operation inputted through the operating handle;

detecting an inclined direction of the operating handle;

determining a changeable amount of a handle angle of the virtual handle on the basis of change in angle between a previously detected inclined direction and a presently detected inclined direction;

determining whether the change in angle between the previously detected inclined direction and the presently detected inclined direction is not less than a predetermined threshold angle or not; and

determining the presently detected inclined direction as invalid and not conducting a changing a handle angle of the virtual handle when the change in angle is determined to be not less than the predetermined threshold angle, and changing a handle angle of the virtual handle on the basis of the determined changeable amount when the change in angle is determined to be less than the predetermined threshold angle.

9. A storage medium having information recorded thereon, wherein when the information is loaded onto an apparatus, the information makes the apparatus execute the method as claimed in claim 1.

12. A data signal embodied in a carrier wave, comprising information used for executing the method as claimed in claim 1.

15. A program making an apparatus execute the method as claimed in claim 1, when the program is loaded onto the apparatus.

2. A game performing method for an apparatus comprising an input section having an operating handle capable of inputting an inclination of a desired angle in a desired direction, the method comprising:

controlling a virtual handle of a player character according to an operation inputted through the operating handle;

detecting an inclined direction and an inclined angle of the operating handle; and

changing a handle angle of the virtual handle in a direction according to a change in the inclined direction when the change in the inclined direction is detected by detecting the inclined direction and the inclined angle of the operating handle, wherein the changing a handle angle of the virtual handle includes

determining the handle angle to be a limited value of an angle changeable sphere and conducting the changing a handle angle of the virtual handle in the angle changeable sphere, when the handle angle exceeds the predetermined angle changeable sphere by conducting the changing a handle angle of the virtual handle.

4. The game performing method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

outputting predetermined information when the handle angle is the limited value of the angle changeable sphere.

10. A storage medium having information recorded thereon, wherein when the information is loaded onto an apparatus, the information makes the apparatus execute the method as claimed in claim 2.

13. A data signal embodied in a carrier wave, comprising information used for executing the method as claimed in claim 2.

16. A program making an apparatus execute the method as claimed in claim 2, when the program is loaded onto the apparatus.

3. A game performing method for an apparatus comprising an input section having an analog operating section capable of inputting a first coordinate and a second coordinate at one operation, the method comprising:

controlling a virtual handle of a player character according to an operation inputted through the analog operating section;

detecting coordinates of the first coordinate and the second coordinate inputted through the analog operating section; and

changing a handle angle of the virtual handle according to a change in the coordinates of the first coordinate and the second coordinate detected, wherein the changing a handle angle of the virtual handle includes

determining the handle angle to be a limited value of an angle changeable sphere and conducting the changing a handle angle of the virtual handle in the angle changeable sphere, when the handle angle exceeds the predetermined angle changeable sphere by conducting the changing a handle angle of the virtual handle.

5. The game performing method as claimed in claim 3, further comprising:

outputting predetermined information when the handle angle is the limited value of the angle changeable sphere.

11. A storage medium having information recorded thereon, wherein when the information is loaded onto an apparatus, the information makes the apparatus execute the method as claimed in claim 3.

14. A data signal embodied in a carrier wave, comprising information used for executing the method as claimed in claim 3.

17. A program making an apparatus execute the method as claimed in claim 3, when the program is loaded onto the apparatus.

6. A game apparatus comprising:

an input section having an operating handle capable of inputting an inclination of a desired angle in a desired direction;

a control section for controlling a virtual handle of a player character according to an operation inputted through the operating handle;

a detecting section for detecting an inclined direction of the operating handle;

a changeable amount determining section for determining a changeable amount of a handle angle of the virtual handle on the basis of change in angle between a previously detected inclined direction and a presently detected inclined direction detected by the detecting section;

a change in angle determining section for determining whether the change in angle between the previously detected inclined direction and the presently detected inclined direction detected by the detecting section is not less than a predetermined threshold angle or not; and

a changing section for determining the presently detected inclined direction as invalid and not conducting a changing a handle angle of the virtual handle when the change in angle is determined to be not less than the predetermined threshold angle, and changing a handle angle of the virtual handle on the basis of the determined changeable amount when the change in angle is determined to be less than the predetermined threshold angle.

7. A game apparatus comprising:

an input section having an operating handle capable of inputting an inclination of a desired angle in a desired direction;

a control section for controlling a virtual handle of a player character according to an operation inputted through the operating handle;

a detecting section for detecting an inclined direction and an inclined angle of the operating handle; and

a changing section for changing a handle angle of the virtual handle in a direction according to a change in the inclined direction when the change in the inclined direction is detected as a result of the inclined direction and the inclined angle of the operating handle detected by the detection section,

wherein the changing section determines the handle angle to be a limited value of an angle changeable sphere and conducts the changing a handle angle of the virtual handle in the angle changeable sphere, when the handle angle exceeds the predetermined angle changeable sphere by conducting the changing a handle angle of the virtual handle.

8. A game apparatus comprising:

an input section having an analog operating section capable of inputting a first coordinate and a second coordinate at one operation;

a control section for controlling a virtual handle of a player character according to an operation inputted through the analog operation section;

a detecting section for detecting coordinates of the first coordinate and the second coordinate inputted through the analog operating section; and

a changing section for changing a handle angle of the virtual handle according to a change in the coordinates of the first coordinate and the second coordinate detected by the detecting section,

wherein the changing section determines the handle angle to be a limited value of an angle changeable sphere and conducts the changing a handle angle of the virtual handle in the angle changeable sphere, when the handle angle exceeds the predetermined angle changeable sphere by conducting the changing a handle angle of the virtual handle.