Method for scrolling images on a screen

• US 5,838,295 A
• Filed: 10/09/1996
• Issued: 11/17/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hudson Soft Co., Ltd. (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Hudson Soft Co., Ltd. (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Aoyama, Koji
• Primary Examiner(s): Mengistu, Amare
• Application Number:
  US08/727,284
• Time in Patent Office: 769 Days
• Field of Search: 345/121, 345/122, 345/123, 345/124, 345/125, 345/127, 345/950, 395/102, 395/119, 395/125, 395/140, 395/141, 382/276, 382/295
• US Class Current: 715/784
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/34 for rolling or scrolling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 345/95 Sprite processing

Abstract

A screen is divided into plural character positions each having an equal area. In at least one of the characters, characters having position-shifted patterns are displayed sequentially, so that a displayed pattern is scrolled in predetermined direction.

Claims

1. A method for scrolling images on a screen, comprising;

displaying background images on a screen,

defining a predetermined number of sprite positions on said screen for displaying movable sprite characters against said background, each of said characters being formed by a predetermined number of dots;

displaying said characters at said positions on said screen, at least one of said characters having a displaying pattern;

means wherein said displaying pattern enables the sprite to move in substantially any selected predetermined direction for said at least one of said characters in accordance with information stored in a memory, said information being stored in said memory at addresses designated by said positioned on said screen for displaying said at least one of said characters;

said at least one of said characters comprising a plurality of characters extending from a small to a large display of patterns which are selected and displayed to provide small and large size patterns in accordance with perspective representation and depth perception in order to provide apparent three dimensional images of said characters as they appear to move toward or away from the viewer.

2. A method for scrolling images on a screen, according to claim 1, wherein

said addresses are stored in a background attribute table in a video random access memory;

said information being stored in a character generator region in said video random access memory; and

said displaying pattern displayed by colors designated in a color pallet by said stored information, said displaying pattern moving in response to changing one of said addresses and said information.

3. A method for scrolling images on a screen, according to claim 1, wherein

said characters displayed on said positions of said screen are combined to make a smooth scroll in said substantially any direction which is carried out under control of a computer system program.

4. A method of scrolling images on a screen defined by a plurality of image locations which are identified by individually associated screen addresses, means for storing image information identifying at least one character in a memory at a plurality of different memory locations which are individually identified by said screen addresses, said one character having a common image pattern including color information at each of said plurality of memory locations, means for scrolling said one character to move in any direction across said screen by reading out said different memory locations in an order selected to correspond to the desired scrolled movement of said one character on said screen directly and in a shortest direction to a selected one of said locations, a first memory means storing first data relating to color and second data relating to a character pattern, a second character generation memory means storing positioned signals in the form of data according to said second data, means responsive to said first data and said position signals for providing a signal combining colored data in a character pattern at a desired position, said second data representing patterns having a plurality of graduated sizes, and depth perception means for selecting sizes which are smaller in one area and larger in another area in order to provide a three dimensional depth perspective effect in said character image as it appears to move toward or away from the viewer.