COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM HAVING OBJECT CONTROL PROGRAM STORED THEREIN AND OBJECT CONTROL APPARATUS

• US 20110105228A1
• Filed: 12/30/2009
• Published: 05/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: YAMADA, Yoichi, Mouri, Shirou
• Granted Patent: US 8,608,561 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/31
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/2145 the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/26 having at least one additional display device, e.g. on the game controller or outside a game booth
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/422 automatically for the purpose of assisting the player, e.g. automatic braking in a driving game
• 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 13/44 involving timing of operations, e.g. performing an action within a time slot
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5372 for tagging characters, objects or locations in the game scene, e.g. displaying a circle under the character controlled by the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/77 involving data related to game devices or game servers, e.g. configuration data, software version or amount of memory
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/822 Strategy games; Role-playing games A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence
• 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 2300/301 using an additional display connected to the game console, e.g. on the controller
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/306 for displaying a marker associated to an object or location in the game field
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/552 for downloading to client devices, e.g. using OS version, hardware or software profile of the client device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6054 by generating automatically game commands to assist the player, e.g. automatic braking in a driving game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/638 according to the timing of operation or a time limit
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6653 for altering the visibility of an object, e.g. preventing the occlusion of an object, partially hiding an object
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/807 : Role playing or strategy games

Abstract

When a game apparatus detects a double-touch in an area other than an area where an enemy character is displayed, the game apparatus causes a player character to perform a forward roll motion. On the other hand, when the game apparatus detects a touch operation onto the enemy character, a prohibition area is provided at a position of the enemy character. When the game apparatus detects a touch onto the prohibition area, even if the touch operation is the double-touch, the game apparatus prohibits the player character from performing the forward roll motion and causes the player character to attack the enemy character.

Claims

1. A computer-readable storage medium having stored therein an object control program executed by a computer in an object control apparatus for controlling an operational object in a virtual space, the operational object operated in accordance with a user'"'"'s input to an input device operable to designate a position on a screen of a display device, the object control program causing the computer to function as:

position detection means for detecting, based on an output signal from the input device, a position on the screen, which is designated by a user;

area setting means for setting a predetermined area in a position of a predetermined object in the virtual space, which is different from the operational object;

area holding means for holding the predetermined area set by the area setting means until a predetermined hold period has elapsed;

motion control means for detecting, based on an output signal from the input device, a first operation onto the screen and causing the operational object to perform a first motion in accordance with the first operation; and

area determination means for determining whether or not the position detected by the position detection means is present in the predetermined area held by the area holding means,

the area holding means holding, even in a case where the predetermined object has moved in the virtual space, the predetermined area at a position where the predetermined object has been present before movement, and

the motion control means prohibiting the operational object from performing the first motion when a determination result made by the area determination means is positive even in a case where the first operation is performed.

2. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the object control program, according to claim 1, wherein the area setting means sets the predetermined area based on an output signal from the input device when a user'"'"'s designation to the predetermined object is detected.

3. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the object control program, according to claim 1, wherein the motion control means causes the operational object to perform a second motion different from the first motion when the determination result made by the area determination means is positive.

4. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the object control program, according to claim 3, wherein the motion control means detects the first operation or a second operation different from the first operation onto the screen based on an output signal from the input device and when the determination result made by the area determination means is positive, causes the operational object to perform the second motion in accordance with the first operation or the second operation.

5. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the object control program, according to claim 4, wherein when the determination result made by the area determination means is negative, the motion control means causes the operational object to perform the first motion in accordance with the first operation.

6. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the object control program, according to claim 4, wherein the motion control means detects the first operation when a predetermined operation onto the input device is repeatedly detected for a predetermined detection period.

7. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the object control program, according to claim 6, wherein the hold period is longer than the detection period.

8. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the object control program, according to claim 1, wherein

when the predetermined object has moved in the virtual space, the area holding means moves the predetermined area in accordance with the movement of the redetermined object, and

the area determination means determines whether or not a position detected by the position detection means is present in any of either an area into which the predetermined area has been moved by the area holding means or an area in which the predetermined area has been held by the area holding means.

9. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the object control program, according to claim 1, wherein when a positional relationship between the operational object and the predetermined object satisfies a predetermined condition, the area setting means does not set the predetermined area.

10. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the object control program, according to claim 1, wherein when through the movement of the operational object and/or the predetermined object, a positional relationship between the operational object and the predetermined object comes to satisfy a predetermined condition, the area setting means causes the predetermined area to disappear.

11. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the object control program, according to claim 10, wherein when a third object different from the operational object and from the predetermined object comes to be present between the operational object and the predetermined object, the area setting means causes the predetermined area to disappear.

12. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the object control program, according to claim 1, wherein the area setting means sets the hold period in accordance with a kind of the predetermined object.

13. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the object control program, according to claim 1, wherein the computer is further caused to function as movement control means for automatically moving the predetermined object.

14. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the object control program, according to claim 3, wherein

the first motion is a non-attack motion which the operational object is caused to perform, and

the second motion is an attack motion against the predetermined object, which the operational object is caused to perform.

15. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the object control program, according to claim 1, wherein the area setting means sets a shape of the predetermined area, a size of the predetermined area, or a number of the predetermined areas in accordance with a kind of the predetermined object.

16. An object control apparatus for controlling an operational object in a virtual space, the operational object operated in accordance with a user'"'"'s input to an input device operable to designate a position on a screen of a display device, the object control apparatus comprising:

position detection means for detecting, based on an output signal from the input device, a position on the screen, which is designated by a user;

area setting means for setting a predetermined area in a position of a predetermined object in the virtual space, which is different from the operational object;

area holding means for holding the predetermined area set by the area setting means until a predetermined hold period has elapsed;

motion control means for detecting, based on an output signal from the input device, a first operation onto the screen and causing the operational object to perform a first motion in accordance with the first operation; and

area determination means for determining whether or not the position detected by the position detection means is present in the predetermined area held by the area holding means,

the area holding means holding, even in a case where the predetermined object has moved in the virtual space, the predetermined area at a position where the predetermined object has been present before movement, and

the motion control means prohibiting the operational object from performing the first motion when a determination result made by the area determination means is positive even in a case where the first operation is performed.

17. A computer-readable storage medium having stored therein an object control program executed by a computer in an object control apparatus for controlling an operational object in a virtual space, the operational object operated in accordance with a user'"'"'s input to an input device operable to designate a position on a screen of a display device, the object control program causing the computer to function as:

position detection means for detecting, based on an output signal from the input device, a position on the screen, which is designated by a user;

area setting means for setting a predetermined area in a position of a predetermined object in the virtual space, which is different from the operational object;

area holding means for holding the predetermined area set by the area setting means until a predetermined hold period has elapsed;

area determination means for determining whether or not the position detected by the position detection means is present in the predetermined area held by the area holding means; and

motion control means for, when a determination result made by the area determination means is positive, causing the operational object to perform a first motion in accordance with a predetermined operation onto the input device,

the area holding means holding, even in a case where the predetermined object has moved in the virtual space, the predetermined area at a position where the predetermined object has been present before movement.