Sensory Video Game Machine

• US 20070225054A1
• Filed: 06/13/2005
• Published: 09/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Okamoto, Koji, Sato, Hachitaro
• Granted Patent: US 9,597,591 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/3
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0012 Comparing movements or motion sequences with a registered reference
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0028 Tracking the path of an object, e.g. a ball inside a soccer pitch
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2069/0008 for batting
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/02 Tennis
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/22 Field hockey
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/12 Absolute positions, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/13 Relative positions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0021 Tracking a path or terminating locations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0002 for baseball
• 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 13/42 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 13/537 using indicators, e.g. showing the condition of a game character on screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/573 using trajectories of game objects, e.g. of a golf ball according to the point of impact
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/65 automatically by game devices or servers from real world data, e.g. measurement in live racing competition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/812 Ball games, e.g. soccer or baseball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1062 being specially adapted to a type of game, e.g. steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/69 Involving elements of the real world in the game world, e.g. measurement in live races, real video

Abstract

This invention provides a game apparatus for a virtual or simulation game that allows a game player to readily recognize that a game tool is improperly operated. Image display means 55 displays on a screen of a television set 5 no character, which plays on the screen in place of the game player. Motion determination means 53 determines, based on the motion signal, whether or not a predetermined proper motion has been made by the player with the game tool 9 in a three dimensional space. The image display means 55 indicates on the screen that the proper motion has been made when the motion determination means 53 determines that the proper motion has been made with the game tool 9.

Claims

1. A game apparatus for playing a virtual or simulation game comprising:

a game tool to be operated by a game player in a three dimensional space,

motion signal generation means for detecting a motion of the game tool in the three dimensional space and outputting a motion signal according to the detected motion,

image display means having a function of determining a movement of a movable object such as a ball displayed, based on the motion signal, on a screen where no character, which plays on the screen in place of the game player, is displayed; and

motion determination means for determining, based on the motion signal, whether or not a predetermined proper motion has been made by the player with the game tool in the three dimensional space,

the image display means further having a function of indicating on the screen that the proper motion has been made when the motion determination means determines that the proper motion has been made with the game tool.

2. The game apparatus of claim 1, wherein the motion signal generation means and the image display means are received inside a body of the game apparatus, or the motion signal generation means is received inside the game tool.

3. The game apparatus of claim 2, wherein

the game tool is a simulated-sports game tool that imitates sports equipment such as a bat and a racket, or a wearable game tool that is a substitution for a shoe for the player'"'"'s foot or for a glove for the player'"'"'s hand;

the image display means indicates that the proper motion has been made in a visibly confirmable representation by various ways such as moving an imitated image of the game tool on the screen or changing colors of the imitated image.

4. The game apparatus of claim 3, wherein

the motion signal generation means and the image display means are received inside the body of the game apparatus;

the game tool has on its surface a light-reflecting material that reflects light;

the motion signal generation means includes a light-emitting element that emits out light in the three dimensional space in which the game tool is operated and a light-receiving element that receives reflected light that has been emitted from the light-emitting element and reflected on the light-reflecting material; and

the motion signal is generated based on an output from the light-receiving element.

5. The game apparatus of claim 4, wherein

a light-emitting element receiving hole for receiving the light-emitting element and a light-receiving element receiving hole for receiving the light-receiving element are disposed at a predetermined interval in a top wall portion of the body of the game tool,

the light-receiving element is located lower than the light-emitting element.

6. An image display method for playing a game, which detects a motion of a game tool when a game player operates the game tool in a three dimensional space, and determines a movement of a movable object such as a ball displayed, based on a motion signal according to the motion, on a screen where no character, which plays on the screen in place of the game player, is displayed, the method comprising the steps of:

determining, based on the motion signal, whether or not a predetermined proper motion has been made by the player with the game tool in the three dimensional space; and

indicating on the screen that the proper motion has been made when it is determined that the proper motion has been made by the game player with the game tool.

7. The game image display method of the claim 6, wherein

the game tool is a simulated-sports game tool that imitates sports equipment such as a bat and a racket;

and

it is indicated, in the step of indicating, that the proper motion has been made in a visibly confirmable representation by various ways such as moving an imitated image of the sports equipment on the screen or changing colors of the imitated image.

8. The game image display method of claim 6, wherein

the game tool is a wearable game tool that is a substitution for a shoe for the player'"'"'s foot or for a glove for the player'"'"'s hand;

and

it is indicated, in the step of indicating, that the proper motion has been made in a visibly confirmable representation by various ways such as moving an imitated image of the game tool on the screen or changing colors of the imitated image.

9. A game image display program that implements in a computer a function of outputting a motion signal according to a motion of a game tool when a game player operates the game tool in a three dimensional space, a function of determining a movement of a movable object such as a ball displayed on a screen based on the motion signal, and a function of displaying no character, which plays on the screen in place of the game player, the program having:

a function of determining, based on the motion signal, whether or not a predetermined proper motion has been made by the player with the game tool in the three dimensional space, and

a function of indicating on the screen that the proper motion has been made when it is determined that the proper motion has been made by the player with the game tool.