Method of controlling movement of moving object, storage medium, and game device

• US 20090163275A1
• Filed: 12/11/2008
• Published: 06/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Namco Bandai Games Inc.
• Original Assignee: Namco Bandai Games Inc.
• Inventors: MAKI, Tomohiro, KIKUCHI, Ryouichi, NODA, Tamaki, ISHII, Kentaro
• Application Number:
  US12/332,933
• Publication Number:
  US 20090163275A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/31
• 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 13/42 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 13/45 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 13/812 Ball games, e.g. soccer or baseball
• 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 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands

Abstract

A player brings a stylus pen into contact with a pitching position mark displayed on a second liquid crystal display that includes a touch panel, inputs a ball speed by adjusting a touch position holding time, and inputs a pitching start timing and a pitching direction by inputting a first stroke operation along the direction of a pitching direction guide. When the player desires to change the path of a pitched ball, the player inputs a ball path change direction by inputting a second stroke operation sideways after the first stroke operation.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining start of a stroke operation performed on a touch panel;

determining a magnitude of an operation input based on a time elapsed until the stroke operation is performed after a touch operation has been performed on the touch panel;

determining a direction based on the stroke operation; and

controlling movement of a given moving object displayed on a screen using the determined magnitude and the determined direction.

2. The method as defined in claim 1,

the controlling of the movement of the moving object including variably controlling a moving speed of the moving object based on the determined magnitude.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the stroke operation has started when a touch position has changed in an amount outside a given allowable range.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

determining a second direction based on a touch position after the stroke operation has started; and

changing a moving direction of the moving object to the second direction.

5. The method as defined in claim 4, further comprising:

determining the second direction based on a change direction of the touch position after the stroke operation has started.

6. The method as defined in claim 4, further comprising:

changing the second direction based on an amount of change in the touch position after the stroke operation has started.

7. The method as defined in claim 4, further comprising:

determining the second direction based on the touch position when the touch position is situated at an approximately identical position for a given period of time after the stroke operation has started.

8. The method as defined in claim 4, further comprising:

determining a degree of change in the moving direction of the moving object to the second direction using the determined magnitude.

9. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a display object that indicates the determined magnitude.

10. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

variably outputting effect sound based on the determined magnitude.

13. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a magnitude indicator based on the determined magnitude.

15. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

changing a moving direction of the moving object based on a magnitude of the stroke operation.

17. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program that causes a computer to execute the method as defined in claim 1.

11. A method comprising:

displaying a touch start position indicator on a display section that includes a touch panel;

determining a magnitude of an operation input based on a moving path of a touch position within the touch start position indicator;

determining start of a stroke operation performed on the touch panel;

determining a direction based on the stroke operation; and

controlling movement of a given moving object displayed on a screen using the determined magnitude and the determined direction.

12. The method as defined in claim 11, further comprising:

determining a shape of the moving path; and

selecting a movement control pattern from a plurality of movement control patterns based on the determined shape, and controlling the movement of the moving object according to the selected movement control pattern.

14. The method as defined in claim 11, further comprising:

displaying a magnitude indicator based on the determined magnitude.

16. The method as defined in claim 11, further comprising:

changing a moving direction of the moving object based on a magnitude of the stroke operation.

18. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program that causes a computer to execute the method as defined in claim 11.

19. A game device comprising:

a stroke start determination section that determines start of a stroke operation performed on a touch panel;

a magnitude determination section that determines a magnitude of an operation input based on a time elapsed until the stroke operation is performed after a touch operation has been performed on the touch panel;

a direction determination section that determines a direction based on the stroke operation; and

a movement control section that controls movement of a given moving object displayed on a screen using the determined magnitude and the determined direction.

20. A game device comprising:

a touch start position indicator display control section that displays a touch start position indicator on a display section that includes a touch panel;

a magnitude determination section that determines a magnitude of an operation input based on a moving path of a touch position within the touch start position indicator;

a stroke start determination section that determines start of a stroke operation performed on the touch panel;

a direction determination section that determines a direction based on the stroke operation; and

a movement control section that controls movement of a given moving object displayed on a screen using the determined magnitude and the determined direction.