Touch screen inputs for a video game system

• US 20070105626A1
• Filed: 08/21/2006
• Published: 05/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo of America, Inc. (Nintendo Company Limited), Nintendo Software Technology Corporation (Nintendo Company Limited)
• Inventors: Smith, Darren, Cho, Wing
• Application Number:
  US11/507,020
• Publication Number:
  US 20070105626A1
• 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 13/25 Output arrangements for video game devices
• 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 13/426 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 13/53 involving additional visual information provided to the game scene, e.g. by overlay to simulate a head-up display [HUD] or displaying a laser sight in a shooting game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/56 Computing the motion of game characters with respect to other game characters, game objects or elements of the game scene, e.g. for simulating the behaviour of a group of virtual soldiers or for path finding
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/822 Strategy games; Role-playing games A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/828 Managing virtual sport teams
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• 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 2300/30 characterized by output arrangements for receiving control signals generated by the game device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/303 for displaying additional data, e.g. simulating a Head Up Display
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6607 for animating game characters, e.g. skeleton kinematics
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6623 for animating a group of characters
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8052 Ball team management
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/807 Role playing or strategy games

Abstract

Example systems and methods involve a video game system that has a touch sensitive display screen that can be used to supply inputs used in video game control. In one example system and method, a user or player draws movement patterns on the touch sensitive display screen. The drawn movement patterns are stored and a game object can be moved in accordance with a drawn movement pattern selected from the memory by the user.

Claims

1. A video game system comprising:

a touch sensitive display screen on which a player draws movement patterns;

a memory for storing the drawn movement patterns; and

processing circuitry for moving a game object in accordance with a drawn movement pattern selected from the memory by a player.

2. The video game system according to claim 1, wherein the game object comprises a game character.

3. The video game system according to claim 2, wherein the game character is a football player and the movement pattern specifies movement of the football player during a play.

4. The video game system according to claim 2, wherein the game character is a soldier and the movement pattern specifies movement of the soldier in a field of battle.

5. The video game system according to claim 1, wherein the game object is a military vehicle and the movement pattern specifies movement of the military vehicle in a field of battle.

6. A computer-readable medium having computer readable code encoded therein for use in the execution by a processor of a video game system having a touch sensitive display screen of a method for video game playing, the method comprising:

storing in a memory movement patterns drawn on the touch sensitive screen; and

moving a game object in accordance with a drawn movement pattern selected from the memory by a player.

7. The computer-readable medium according to claim 6, wherein the game object comprises a game character.

8. The computer-readable medium according to claim 7, wherein the game character is a football player and the movement pattern specifies movement of the football player during a play.

9. The computer-readable medium according to claim 7, wherein the game character is a soldier and the movement pattern specifies movement of the soldier in a field of battle.

10. The computer-readable medium according to claim 6, wherein the game object is a military vehicle and the movement pattern specifies movement of the military vehicle in a field of battle.

11. A data signal embodied in a carrier wave and representing a sequence of instructions which, when executed by a processor of a video game system having a touch sensitive display screen, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:

storing in a memory movement patterns drawn on the touch sensitive screen; and

moving a game object in accordance with a drawn movement pattern selected from the memory by a player.

12. The data signal according to claim 11, wherein the game object comprises a game character.

13. The data signal according to claim 12, wherein the game character is a football player and the movement pattern specifies movement of the football player during a play.

14. The data signal according to claim 12, wherein the game character is a soldier and the movement pattern specifies movement of the soldier in a field of battle.

15. The data signal according to claim 11, wherein the game object is a military vehicle and the movement pattern specifies movement of the military vehicle in a field of battle.

16. A video game system comprising:

a touch sensitive display screen on which a player draws a movement pattern; and

processing circuitry for moving a game object based a shape and a color of the drawn movement pattern.

17. The video game system according to claim 16, wherein the processing circuitry moves a first game object when a movement pattern is drawn using a first color and moves a second different game object when the same movement pattern is drawn using a second different color.

18. A computer-readable medium having computer readable code encoded therein for use in the execution by a processor of a video game system having a touch sensitive display screen of a method for video game playing, the method comprising:

determining a color used to draw a movement pattern for a game object on the touch sensitive display screen; and

moving the game object based the shape and the color of the drawn movement pattern.

19. The computer-readable medium according to claim 18, wherein the method further comprises:

moving a first game object when a movement pattern is drawn using a first color; and

moving a second different game object when the same movement pattern is drawn using a second different color.

20. A data signal embodied in a carrier wave and representing a sequence of instructions which, when executed by a processor of a video game system having a touch sensitive display screen, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:

determining a color used to draw a movement pattern for a game object on the touch sensitive display screen; and

moving the game object based the shape and the color of the drawn movement pattern.

21. The data signal according to claim 20, wherein the method further comprises:

moving a first game object when a movement pattern is drawn using a first color; and

moving a second different game object when the same movement pattern is drawn using a second different color.

22. A video game system for use in a multi-player video game, the video game system comprising:

a touch-sensitive display screen for displaying a map of a game world showing deployment of one or more game objects associated with a video game teammate and of one or more game objects associated with a video game opponent and for receiving tactical game data drawn on the displayed map; and

communication circuitry for communicating at least the drawn tactical data to another video game system for display on a corresponding map displayed on the other video game system.

23. The video game system according to claim 22, wherein the communication circuitry communicates the drawn tactical data in real-time to the other video game system.

24. The video game system according to claim 22, further comprising:

a memory for storing the map with the tactical data drawn thereon.

25. The video game system according to claim 24, further comprising:

an input device for selecting the stored map with the tactical data from the memory.