Driving game machine

• US 6,117,008 A
• Filed: 04/15/1998
• Issued: 09/12/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Konami Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Konami Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Machiguchi, Hiroyasu
• Primary Examiner(s): MANUEL, GEORGE C
• Application Number:
  US09/060,738
• Time in Patent Office: 881 Days
• Field of Search: 463/6, 463/7, 463/23, 463/30, 463/32, 463/33, 463/34, 463/36, 463/38, 434/62, 434/69, 434/71
• US Class Current: 463/6
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/245 specially adapted to a particular type of game, e.g. steering wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/56 Computing the motion of game characters with respect to other game characters, game objects or elements of the game scene, e.g. for simulating the behaviour of a group of virtual soldiers or for path finding
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/57 Simulating properties, behaviour or motion of objects in the game world, e.g. computing tyre load in a car race game A63F13/56 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/577 using determination of contact between game characters or objects, e.g. to avoid collision between virtual racing cars
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/803 Driving vehicles or craft, e.g. cars, airplanes, ships, robots or tanks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/843 involving concurrently two or more players on the same game device, e.g. requiring the use of a plurality of controllers or of a specific view of game data for each player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/90 Constructional details or arrangements of video game devices not provided for in groups A63F13/20 or A63F13/25, e.g. housing, wiring, connections or cabinets
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1062 being specially adapted to a type of game, e.g. steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/64 for computing dynamical parameters of game objects, e.g. motion determination or computation of frictional forces for a virtual car
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/643 by determining the impact between objects, e.g. collision detection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6607 for animating game characters, e.g. skeleton kinematics
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8017 Driving on land or water; Flying
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8088 involving concurrently several players in a non-networked game, e.g. on the same game console
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/05 the view from a vehicle being simulated G09B9/052, G09B9/058 take precedence

Abstract

A course coordinate system processor has a general automobile control unit, a movement decision unit, and a position decision unit. The general automobile control unit controls the running of a plurality of general automobiles on a straight road in a course coordinate system. The movement decision unit determines whether or not another automobile exists in front of an automobile which is under consideration for a movement decision. The position decision unit determines the positional relation between a player'"'"'s automobile and general automobiles in the course coordinate system, and also determines general automobiles that are positioned in a predetermined visible range of the player'"'"'s automobile. Positional coordinate data of the player'"'"'s automobile have been transformed from a world coordinate system into the course coordinate system by a course coordinate system transformation unit.

Claims

1. A driving game machine wherein a player automobile is displayed by a display device in a three-dimensional depiction along with at least one general automobile on a three-dimensional road, the driving game machine comprising:

three-dimensional data memory means for storing coordinate data of said three-dimensional road in a three-dimensional coordinate system;

two-dimensional data memory means for storing coordinate data of a two-dimensional road corresponding to said three-dimensional road transformed to a two-dimensional coordinate system;

player automobile control means for controlling said player automobile on said three-dimensional road in response to input by a player and for generating three-dimensional player automobile coordinate data representing a position of said player automobile on said three-dimensional road;

a dimensional coordinate system transforming means for transforming coordinate data between said two-dimensional coordinate system and said three-dimensional coordinate system;

said two-dimensional coordinate system having a first coordinate axis corresponding to a road length of said three-dimensional road and a travel distance of said player automobile on said three-dimensional road being represented in terms of a first coordinate corresponding to a position on said first coordinate axis;

an image display processor for driving said display device to produce said three-dimensional depiction based on said coordinate data of said three-dimensional road in said three-dimensional coordinate system;

a course coordinate system processor for controlling said dimensional coordinate system transforming means and said image display processor to produce said three-dimensional depiction; and

said course coordinate system processor including a general automobile control means for controlling said at least one general automobile on said two-dimensional road and for generating two-dimensional general automobile coordinate data representing a position of said general automobile on said two-dimensional road.

2. The driving game machine as defined in claim 1, wherein said two-dimensional coordinate system has a second coordinate axis corresponding to a transverse direction of said three-dimensional road and a transverse displacement of said player automobile on said three-dimensional road being represented by a second coordinate along said second coordinate axis.

3. The driving game machine as defined in claim 2, wherein said three-dimensional road is defined in sections corresponding to at least one of a straight model, a left curve model and a right curve model stored in said three-dimensional data memory means.

4. The driving game machine as defined in claim 2, wherein said dimensional coordinate system transforming means transforms said coordinate data of said three-dimensional road in said three-dimensional coordinate system into coordinate data representing a straight road in said two-dimensional coordinate system such that a path along a centerline of said three-dimensional road is transformed into a straight line extending in a direction of said first coordinate axis in said two-dimensional coordinate system along a centerline of said two-dimensional road.

5. The driving game machine as defined in claim 2, wherein said course coordinate system processor includes relative position determining means for determining a positional relationship between said player automobile and said at least one general automobile in said two-dimensional coordinate system.

6. The driving game machine as defined in claim 2, further comprising:

a first road memory means for storing road model search data correlating positions on said two-dimensional road along said first axis of said two-dimensional coordinate system with road model identifiers identifying road models;

a second road memory means for storing road model position data correlating said road models with positions in said three-dimensional coordinate system of said three-dimensional road;

a third road memory means for storing road model configuration data of said road models which define road configuration in a local three-dimensional coordinate system correlated to said three-dimensional coordinate system of said three-dimensional road by said road model position data;

said course coordinate system processor controlling said dimensional coordinate system transforming means to produce three-dimensional coordinate system data in said three-dimensional coordinate system of said three-dimensional road, for producing said three-dimensional depiction showing said player automobile in a corresponding one of said road models, based on a position of said player automobile on said two-dimensional road by reading said road model search data to identify only said corresponding one of said road models correlated to said position of said player automobile on said two-dimensional road and only road model position data and road model configuration data for said corresponding one of said road models; and

said course coordinate system processor controlling said image display processor using said three-dimensional coordinate system data in said three-dimensional coordinate system of said three-dimensional road to produce said three-dimensional depiction showing said player automobile in said corresponding one of said road models.

7. The driving game machine as defined in claim 6 wherein said image display processor displays only said corresponding one of said road models at a given time.

8. The driving game machine as defined in claim 2, further comprising:

a first road memory means for storing road model search data correlating positions on said two-dimensional road along said first axis of said two-dimensional coordinate system with road model identifiers identifying road models;

a second road memory means for storing road model position data correlating said road models with positions in said three-dimensional coordinate system of said three-dimensional road;

a third road memory means for storing road model configuration data of said road models which define road configuration in a local three-dimensional coordinate system correlated to said three-dimensional coordinate system of said three-dimensional road by said road model position data;

said dimensional coordinate system transforming means transforming said three-dimensional player automobile coordinate data generated by said player automobile control means into two dimensional player automobile coordinate data in said two-dimensional coordinate system of said two-dimensional road model;

said course coordinate system processor identifying only a corresponding one of said road models based on said two-dimensional player automobile coordinate data by reading said road model search data corresponding to said two-dimensional player automobile coordinate data and reading corresponding ones of said road model position data and said road model configuration data;

said course coordinate system processor controlling said dimensional coordinate system transforming means to calculate three-dimensional coordinate data of said player automobile in said local three-dimensional coordinate system of only said corresponding one of said road models at a given time based on said corresponding one of said road model configuration data and said two-dimensional player automobile coordinate data;

said course coordinate system processor controlling said dimensional coordinate system transforming means to calculate three-dimensional coordinate data of said player automobile in said three-dimensional coordinate system of said three-dimensional road based on said three-dimensional coordinate data of said player automobile in said local three-dimensional coordinate system and only said corresponding one of said road model configuration data at said given time; and

said course coordinate system processor controlling said display device to produce said three-dimensional depiction which shows said corresponding one of said road models with said player automobile depicted therein.

9. The driving game machine as defined in claim 8, wherein said three-dimensional road is defined in sections corresponding to at least one of a straight model, a left curve model and a right curve model stored in said three-dimensional data memory means.

10. The driving game machine as defined in claim 8, wherein:

said road model memory means includes;

a first road memory storing road model search data correlating positions on said two-dimensional road along said first axis of said two-dimensional coordinate system with road model identifiers identifying road models;

a second road memory means for storing road model position data correlating said road models with positions in said three-dimensional coordinate system of said three-dimensional road; and

a third road memory means for storing road model configuration data of said road models which define road configuration in a local three-dimensional coordinate system correlated to said three-dimensional coordinate system of said three-dimensional road by said road model position data; and

said image display processing means transforms said road model configuration data of said select one of said road models from said local three-dimensional coordinate system into said three-dimensional coordinate system of said three-dimensional road using corresponding data of said road model position data.

11. The driving game machine as defined in claim 1, wherein said dimensional coordinate system transforming means includes:

a two-dimensional coordinate system transforming means for transforming coordinate data in said three-dimensional coordinate system corresponding to a position on said three-dimensional road into coordinate data in said two-dimensional coordinate system corresponding to a position on said two-dimensional road;

three-dimensional coordinate system transforming means for transforming coordinate data corresponding to a position on said two-dimensional road in said two-dimensional coordinate system into coordinate data in said three-dimensional coordinate system corresponding to a position on said three-dimensional road;

said two-dimensional coordinate system transforming means transforming said three-dimensional player automobile coordinate data of said player automobile on said three-dimensional road into two-dimensional player automobile coordinate data on said two-dimensional road in said two-dimensional coordinate system; and

said three-dimensional coordinate system transforming means transforming said two-dimensional player automobile coordinate data of said player automobile on said two-dimensional road in said two-dimensional coordinate system into three-dimensional player automobile coordinate data in said three-dimensional coordinate system.

12. The driving game machine as defined in claim 11, wherein:

said course coordinate system processor includes;

relative position determining means for determining a positional relationship between said player automobile and said at least one general automobile in said two-dimensional coordinate system;

said relative position determining means including visible range determining means for determining whether said at least one general automobile is within a predetermined visible range of said player automobile;

control means for controlling said three-dimensional coordinate system transforming means to transform said two-dimensional general automobile coordinate data of said at least one general automobile in said two-dimensional coordinate system into three-dimensional general automobile coordinate data in said three-dimensional coordinate system corresponding to a position on said three-dimensional road only if said visible range determining means determines that said at least one general automobile is within a predetermined visible range of said player automobile; and

control means to control said image display processor to display on said display device said at least one general automobile having coordinate data transformed into said three-dimensional general automobile coordinate data in said three-dimensional coordinate system.

13. The driving game machine as defined in claim 11, further comprising:

said at least one general automobile including a plurality of general automobiles;

said course coordinate system processor including relative position determining means for determining positional relationships between said player automobile and said plurality of general automobiles in said two-dimensional coordinate system;

said relative position determining means including visible range determining means for identifying individual ones of said plurality of general automobiles that are within a predetermined visible range of said player automobile; and

said course coordinate system processor controlling said three-dimensional coordinate system transforming means to transform coordinate data of said individual ones of said plurality of general automobiles in said two-dimensional coordinate system into coordinate data in said three-dimensional coordinate system corresponding to a position on said three-dimensional road and not transforming coordinate data of other ones of said plurality of general automobiles not included in said individual ones of said plurality of general automobiles; and

an image display processor for displaying on said display device said individual ones of said plurality of general automobiles having said coordinate data transformed into said three-dimensional coordinate system using said coordinate data transformed into said three-dimensional coordinate system.

14. A driving game machine wherein a player automobile is displayed by a display device in a three-dimensional depiction along with general automobiles on a three-dimensional road, the driving game machine comprising:

three-dimensional data memory means for storing coordinate data of said three-dimensional road in a three-dimensional coordinate system;

two-dimensional data memory means for storing coordinate data of a two-dimensional road corresponding to said three-dimensional road transformed to a two-dimensional coordinate system;

player automobile control means for controlling said player automobile on said three-dimensional road in response to input by a player and for generating three-dimensional player automobile coordinate data representing a position of said player automobile on said three-dimensional road;

general automobile control means for controlling said general automobiles on said two-dimensional road and for generating two-dimensional general automobile coordinate data representing positions of said general automobiles on said two-dimensional road;

a dimensional coordinate system transforming means for transforming coordinate data between said two-dimensional coordinate system and said three-dimensional coordinate system;

said two-dimensional coordinate system having a first coordinate axis corresponding to a road length of said three-dimensional road and a travel distance of said player automobile on said three-dimensional road being represented in terms of a first coordinate corresponding to a position on said first coordinate axis;

said dimensional coordinate system transforming means including;

a two-dimensional coordinate system transforming means for transforming coordinate data in said three-dimensional coordinate system corresponding to a position on said three-dimensional road into coordinate data in said two-dimensional coordinate system corresponding to a position on said two-dimensional road;

three-dimensional coordinate system transforming means for transforming coordinate data corresponding to a position on said two-dimensional road in said two-dimensional coordinate system into coordinate data in said three-dimensional coordinate system corresponding to a position on said three-dimensional road;

said two-dimensional coordinate system transforming means transforming said three-dimensional player automobile coordinate data of said player automobile on said three-dimensional road into two-dimensional player automobile coordinate data on said two-dimensional road in said two-dimensional coordinate system; and

said three-dimensional coordinate system transforming means transforming said two-dimensional player automobile coordinate data of said player automobile on said two-dimensional road in said two-dimensional coordinate system into three-dimensional player automobile coordinate data on said three-dimensional road;

relative position determining means for determining positional relationships between said player automobile and said plurality of general automobiles in said two-dimensional coordinate system;

said relative position determining means including visible range determining means for identifying individual ones of said plurality of general automobiles that are within a predetermined visible range of said player automobile;

said three-dimensional coordinate system transforming means transforming coordinate said two-dimensional general automobile data of said individual ones of said plurality of general automobiles in said two-dimensional coordinate system into three-dimensional general automobile coordinate data in said three-dimensional coordinate system corresponding to a position on said three-dimensional road and not transforming coordinate data of other ones of said plurality of general automobiles not included in said individual ones of said plurality of general automobiles;

a road model memory means for storing road models in said three-dimensional coordinate system correlated to positions along said first axis of said two-dimensional coordinate system representing positions on said two-dimensional road;

road model selection means for selecting one of said road models corresponding to positions on said first axis, of said two-dimensional coordinate system, of said individual ones of said plurality of general automobiles that are within said predetermined visible range of said player automobile; and

image display processing means for displaying on said display device said individual ones of said plurality of general automobiles having coordinate data transformed into said three-dimensional coordinate system in said selected one of said road models.