Music Game Device, Music Game System, Operation Object, Music Game Program, And Music Game Method

• US 20070197290A1
• Filed: 09/17/2004
• Published: 08/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: SSD Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: SSD Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Ueshima, Hiromu
• Application Number:
  US10/572,429
• Publication Number:
  US 20070197290A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/36
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/20 Input arrangements for video game devices
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/213 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells A63F13/219, A63F13/655 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/219 for aiming at specific areas on the display, e.g. light-guns
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/245 specially adapted to a particular type of game, e.g. steering wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/44 involving timing of operations, e.g. performing an action within a time slot
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5375 for graphically or textually suggesting an action, e.g. by displaying an arrow indicating a turn in a driving 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 13/655 by importing photos, e.g. of the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/814 Musical performances, e.g. by evaluating the player's ability to follow a notation
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/10 characterized by input arrangements for converting player-generated signals into game device control signals
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1087 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. a camera
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/55 Details of game data or player data management
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/63 for controlling the execution of the game in time
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6607 for animating game characters, e.g. skeleton kinematics
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/695 Imported photos, e.g. of the player
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0008 Associated control or indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0033 Recording/reproducing or transmission of music for electrophonic musical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/201 for movement interpretation, i.e. capturing and recognizing a gesture or a specific kind of movement, e.g. to control a musical instrument
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/415 Infrared beams
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/455 : Camera input, e.g. analyzing pictures from a video camera and using the analysis results as control data

Abstract

When a cursor (105: FIG. 12) is correctly manipulated in correspondence with guides (“G1” to “G4” and “g1” to “g5”: FIG. 12), the display of the dance object (106: FIG. 12) and the background (110: FIG. 12) is controlled in accordance with the manipulation direction of the cursor. The position of the operation article on a screen (91: FIG. 1) is obtained as the coordinates of the cursor by intermittently irradiating an operation article (150: FIG. 1) by a stroboscope and capturing the image thereof by an imaging unit (13: FIG. 1).

Claims

1. A music game apparatus operable to automatically playing music, comprising:

a stroboscope operable to irradiate an operation article manipulated by a player with light in a predetermined cycle;

an imaging unit operable to generate a lighted image signal and an unlighted image signal by capturing images of the operation article respectively when said stroboscope is lighted and unlighted;

a differential signal generating unit operable to generate a differential signal between the lighted image signal and the unlighted image signal;

a state information calculating unit operable to calculate the state information of the operation article on the basis of the differential signal;

a guide control unit operable to control the display of a guide for the manipulation of a cursor, which moves in association with the operation article, in a timing on the basis of the music;

a cursor control unit operable to control the display of the cursor on the basis of the state information of the operation article; and

a follow-up image control unit operable to control the display of an image in accordance with guidance by the guide when the cursor is correctly manipulated by the operation article in correspondence with the guide,

wherein said follow-up image control unit determines whether or not the cursor is correctly manipulated by the operation article in correspondence with the guide, on the basis of the state information of the operation article and the information about the guide.

2. The music game apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the guide is operable to guide the cursor to a destination position in a manipulation timing, and

wherein said follow-up image control unit is operable to control the display of the image in correspondence with the direction of the destination position as guided by the guide when the cursor is correctly manipulated by the operation article in correspondence with the guide.

3. The music game apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said state information calculating unit is operable to calculate the position of the operation article as the state information on the basis of the differential signal, and

wherein said follow-up image control unit is operable to determine that the cursor, which moves in association with the operation article, is correctly manipulated in correspondence with the guide if the position of the operation article as calculated by said state information calculating unit is located in an area corresponding to the guidance by the guide within a period corresponding to the guidance by the guide.

4. The music game apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the guide is operable to guide the moving path, moving direction and manipulation timing of the cursor.

5. The music game apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein said state information calculating unit is operable to calculate the position of the operation article as the state information on the basis of the differential signal, and

wherein said follow-up image control unit is operable to determine that the cursor, which moves in association with the operation article, is correctly manipulated in correspondence with the guide if the position of the operation article as calculated by said state information calculating unit is moved through a plurality of predetermined areas guided by the guide in a predetermined order guided by the guide within a period guided by the guide.

6. The music game apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the guide is displayed in each of a plurality of positions which is determined in advance in a screen, and

wherein the guide control unit is operable to change the appearance of the guide in a timing on the basis of the music;

7. The music game apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the guide is expressed in an image with which it is possible to visually recognize the motion from a first predetermined position to a second predetermined position on a screen, and

wherein the guide control unit is operable to control the display of the guide in a timing on the basis of the music.

8. The music game apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein the guide is expressed by the change in appearance of a plurality of objects which are arranged in a path having a start point at the first predetermined position and an end point at the second predetermined position on the screen.

9. The music game apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein the guide is expressed by an object moving from the first predetermined position to the second predetermined position on the screen.

10. The music game apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein the guide is expressed by the change in appearance of a path having a start point at the first predetermined position and an end point at the second predetermined position on the screen.

11. The music game apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the state information of the operation article as calculated by said state information calculating unit is any one of or any combination of two or more of speed information, moving direction information, moving distance information, velocity vector information, acceleration information, movement locus information, area information, and positional information.

13. The operation article manipulated by the player of the music game apparatus as recited in claim 1, comprising:

a stick-like grip portion to be gripped by the player; and

a reflecting portion provided at one end of said grip portion and operable to retroreflectively reflect incident light.

12. A music game system operable to automatically playing music, comprising:

an operation article to be manipulated by a player;

a stroboscope operable to irradiate said operation article with light in a predetermined cycle;

an imaging unit operable to generate a lighted image signal and an unlighted image signal by capturing images of the operation article respectively when said stroboscope is lighted and unlighted;

a differential signal generating unit operable to generate a differential signal between the lighted image signal and the unlighted image signal;

a state information calculating unit operable to calculate the state information of the operation article on the basis of the differential signal;

a guide control unit operable to control the display of a guide for the manipulation of a cursor, which moves in association with the operation article, in a timing on the basis of the music;

a cursor control unit operable to control the display of the cursor on the basis of the state information of the operation article; and

a follow-up image control unit operable to control the display of an image in accordance with guidance by the guide when the cursor is correctly manipulated by the operation article in correspondence with the guide,

wherein said follow-up image control unit determines whether or not the cursor is correctly manipulated by the operation article in correspondence with the guide, on the basis of the state information of the operation article and the information about the guide.

14. A music game program which makes a computer perform processing comprising:

automatically playing music;

irradiating an operation article manipulated by a player with light in a predetermined cycle;

generating a lighted image signal and an unlighted image signal by capturing images of the operation article respectively when the light is emitted and not emitted;

generating a differential signal between the lighted image signal and the unlighted image signal;

calculating the state information of the operation article on the basis of the differential signal;

controlling the display of a guide for the manipulation of a cursor, which moves in association with the operation article, in a timing on the basis of the music;

controlling the display of the cursor on the basis of the state information of the operation article; and

determining whether or not the cursor is correctly manipulated by the operation article in correspondence with the guide, on the basis of the state information of the operation article and the information about the guide, and controlling the display of an image in accordance with guidance by the guide when the cursor is correctly manipulated by the operation article in correspondence with the guide.

15. A music game method comprising:

irradiating an operation article manipulated by a player with light in a predetermined cycle;

generating a lighted image signal and an unlighted image signal by capturing images of the operation article respectively when the light is emitted and not emitted;

generating a differential signal between the lighted image signal and the unlighted image signal;

calculating the state information of the operation article on the basis of the differential signal;

controlling the display of a guide for the manipulation of a cursor, which moves in association with the operation article, in a timing on the basis of the music;

controlling the display of the cursor on the basis of the state information of the operation article; and

controlling the display of an image in accordance with guidance by the guide when the cursor is correctly manipulated by the operation article in correspondence with the guide, and wherein

in said step of controlling the display of the image, it is determined whether or not the cursor is correctly manipulated by the operation article in correspondence with the guide, on the basis of the state information of the operation article and the information about the guide.