Game device, image sound processing device and recording medium

• US 5,993,318 A
• Filed: 11/06/1997
• Issued: 11/30/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Sega Enterprises
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Sega Enterprises
• Inventors: Kousaki, Tatsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Martin-Wallace, Valencia
• Assistant Examiner(s): Clayton, Sheila
• Application Number:
  US08/964,378
• Time in Patent Office: 754 Days
• Field of Search: 463/35, 463/30-34, 463/36, 463/40-44, 463/17, 381/17
• US Class Current: 463/35
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5255 according to dedicated instructions from a player, e.g. using a secondary joystick to rotate the camera around a player's character
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/54 involving acoustic signals, e.g. for simulating revolutions per minute [RPM] dependent engine sounds in a driving game or reverberation against a virtual wall
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/803 Driving vehicles or craft, e.g. cars, airplanes, ships, robots or tanks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6063 for sound processing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6661 for changing the position of the virtual camera
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6676 by dedicated player input
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8017 Driving on land or water; Flying

Abstract

Sound processing technology is provided whereby sound can be changed to correspond to changes in the viewpoint for generating a virtual image. The sound processing device generates sound corresponding to a virtual image obtained by observing a virtual space from any one of a plurality of viewpoints set inside this space. It comprises sound generation conditions determining means for identifying the viewpoint of the virtual image currently being generated and determining sound generation conditions for the sound corresponding to the identified viewpoint, and sound generating means for generating sound based on sound signals in accordance with the determined sound generation conditions determined by the sound generation conditions determining means. A very realistic environment is provided to a player viewing the image.

Claims

1. A game device comprising:

viewpoint selecting means for selecting one viewpoint among a plurality of viewpoints positioned relative to an object in a virtual space on the basis of a selection signal from a player,

a plurality of sound generating means for producing sound corresponding respectively to said plurality of viewpoints and realizing a predetermined realistic audio environment in correspondence with the viewpoint selected by said viewpoint selecting means; and

sound selecting means for selecting one sound generating means from said plurality of sound generating means on the basis of said selected viewpoint.

2. A sound processing device which generates sound corresponding to a virtual image obtained by observing a virtual space from any one of a plurality of viewpoints set inside this space, comprises:

sound generation conditions determining means for identifying the viewpoint of said virtual image currently being generated and determining the sound generation conditions; and

sound generating means for producing sound based on sound signals in accordance with the sound generation conditions determined by said sound generation conditions determining means, wherein the produced sound is capable of realizing a predetermined realistic audio environment in correspondence with the identified viewpoint and the predetermined sound generation conditions.

3. The game device comprising an image sound processing device according to claim 2.

4. The sound processing device according to claim 2, wherein said generation conditions comprise the volume of said sound, and said sound generating means amplifies said sound signals up to a volume determined by said sound generation conditions determining means.

5. The game device comprising an image sound processing device according to claim 4.

6. The sound processing device according to claim 2, wherein said generation conditions comprise the panning of said sound, and when producing a sound based on said sound signals, said sound generating means sets the panning of the sound to a panning determined by said sound generation conditions generating means.

7. The game device comprising an image sound processing device according to claim 6.

8. The sound processing device according to claim 2, wherein said generation conditions comprise the frequency characteristics of said sound, and said sound generating means shapes the waveform of said sound signals in accordance with frequency characteristics determined by said sound generation conditions determining means.

9. The game device comprising an image sound processing device according to claim 8.

10. The sound processing device according any of claims 4, 6 or 8, wherein said sound generating means comprises:

a waveform data storing section for storing sound signal waveform data corresponding to each of said viewpoints;

a sound generating section which reads out waveform data corresponding to the type of waveform determined by said sound generation conditions determining means from said waveform data storing section and generates said sound signals in accordance with the waveform data read out; and

a processing section which processes the sound signals generated by said sound generating section in accordance with said sound generation conditions.

11. The game device comprising an image sound processing device according to claim 10.

12. The sound processing device according to claim 10, wherein said waveform data storing section stores a plurality of waveform data corresponding to one or more viewpoints, said sound generating section produces sound signals respectively from this plurality of waveform data when a virtual image is generated from a viewpoint for which a plurality of waveform data is stored in said waveform data storing section, and said processing section processes each of said sound signals in accordance with said sound generation conditions, the processed sound signals being synthesized to produce a sound which is output.

13. The game device comprising an image sound processing device according to claim 12.

14. The image sound processing device according to claim 2, wherein said sound generation conditions determining means comprises a sound generation conditions setting section wherein said sound generation conditions are preset corresponding to each of said viewpoints;

a viewpoint identifying section which identifies the viewpoint of said virtual image; and

a sound generation conditions determining section which reads out sound generation conditions corresponding to the viewpoint identified by said viewpoint identifying section from said sound generation conditions setting section and sets these as the generation conditions for the sound corresponding to said viewpoint.

15. The game device comprising an image sound processing device according to claim 14.

16. A recording medium which stores programs for a sound processing device which generates sound corresponding to a virtual image obtained by observing a virtual space from any one of a plurality of viewpoints set inside this space,

a mechanically readable recording medium, characterized in that it stores programs for causing said sound processing device to implement:

a sound generation conditions determining means whereby the viewpoint of said virtual image currently being generated is identified and the sound generation conditions are determined; and

a sound generating means whereby sound based on sound signals is generated in accordance with the sound generation conditions determined by said sound generation conditions determining step, wherein the generated sound is capable of realizing a predetermined realistic audio environment in correspondence with the identified viewpoint and the determined sound generation conditions.

17. A game device composed such that it is possible to change between a plurality of viewpoints positioned relative to an object in a virtual space, on the basis of a selection signal supplied from an input device,

a game device characterized in that it comprises:

a processing circuit which determines the viewpoint of the virtual space required to generate a display image on the basis of the selection signal supplied from said input device, and outputs viewpoint data showing the position of said viewpoint;

an image generating circuit which generates a display image of said virtual space on the basis of viewpoint data supplied from said processing circuit; and

a sound generating circuit which outputs sound signals on the basis of viewpoint data supplied from said processing circuit, wherein the sound produced by said sound signals is capable of realizing a predetermined realistic audio environment in correspondence with the predetermined viewpoint.