GAME APPARATUS

• US 20130184074A1
• Filed: 11/29/2012
• Published: 07/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: TOKITA, Takashi, SOKEN, Masayoshi
• Granted Patent: US 9,700,800 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/31
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/52 involving aspects of the displayed game scene
• 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 13/77 involving data related to game devices or game servers, e.g. configuration data, software version or amount of memory
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/209 characterized by low level software layer, relating to hardware management, e.g. Operating System, Application Programming Interface
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/406 Transmission via wireless network, e.g. pager or GSM
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6009 for importing or creating game content, e.g. authoring tools during game development, adapting content to different platforms, use of a scripting language to create content
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/695 Imported photos, e.g. of the player
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera

Abstract

A game apparatus is provided which has a convenience where another function such as photo taking by a camera can be used while playing a game by causing a game program and another application program to work together and which increases interest of the game by relating a result of execution of the application program to the contents of the game. When a camera icon displayed on a display section is selected by an operation of a touch panel, an application for controlling a camera function launches, and an image can be captured at an arbitrary timing. The captured image is converted according to a predetermined condition. The converted image is displayed on a display screen and image data is stored in a flash memory.

Claims

1. A game apparatus comprising:

a program storage that stores a game program and another application program different from the game program;

a program launcher that launches the application program stored by the program storage while the game program is being executed;

a program executer that executes the application program launched by the program launcher;

a data converter that converts data, which is obtained by executing the application program by the program executer, according to a predetermined condition; and

a first displayer that displays an image corresponding to the data converted by the data converter on a display screen.

2. The game apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second displayer that displays an icon for launching the application program on the display screen; and

an icon selection receptor that receives a selection of an icon by an operation instruction by a player,

wherein the program launcher launches the application program when the selection of the icon is received by the icon selection receptor.

3. A game apparatus including a camera function, the game apparatus comprising:

a program storage that stores a game program and a camera program for controlling photographing using the camera function;

a camera program launcher that launches the camera program stored by the program storage while the game program is being executed;

a photographing executer that executes photographing by the camera program launched by the camera program launcher;

an image data converter that converts image data, which is obtained by the photographing executer, according to a predetermined condition; and

a displayer that displays an image corresponding to the image data converted by the image data converter on a display screen.

4. A game apparatus which can connect and communicate with a communication network, the game apparatus comprising:

a program storage that stores a game program and a web browser;

a web browser launcher that launches the web browser while the game program is being executed;

a data transmit-receiver that executes the web browser launched by the web browser launcher and transmits and receives text data to and from a predetermined server connected and communicated with a computer apparatus;

a text data converter that converts text data, which is obtained by the transmit-receiver, according to a predetermined condition; and

a displayer that displays an image corresponding to the text data converted by the text data converter on a display screen.

5. A game program executed by a computer apparatus in which another application program different from the game program is stored, the game program causing the computer apparatus to function as:

a program launcher that launches the application program while the game program is being executed;

a program executer that executes the application program launched by the program launcher;

a data converter that converts data, which is obtained by executing the application program by the program executer, according to a predetermined condition; and

a displayer that displays an image corresponding to the data converted by the data converter on a display screen.

6. A game program which is executed by a computer apparatus which includes a camera function and which stores a camera program for controlling photographing using the camera function, the game program causing the computer apparatus to function as:

a camera program launcher that launches the camera program while the game program is being executed;

a photographing executer that executes photographing by the camera program launched by the camera program launcher;

an image data converter that converts image data, which is obtained by the photographing executer, according to a predetermined condition; and

a displayer that displays an image corresponding to the image data converted by the image data converter on a display screen.

7. A game program executed by a computer apparatus which can be connected and communicated with a communication network and which includes a web browser, the game program causing the computer apparatus to function as:

a web browser launcher that launches the web browser while the game program is being executed;

a data transmit-receiver that executes the web browser launched by the web browser launcher and transmits and receives text data to and from a predetermined server connected and communicated with the computer apparatus;

a text data converter that converts text data, which is obtained by the transmit-receiver, according to a predetermined condition; and

a displayer that displays an image corresponding to the text data converted by the text data converter on a display screen.