Command input method and recording medium

• US 6,146,277 A
• Filed: 04/07/1998
• Issued: 11/14/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Konami Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Ikeda, Osamu
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrison, Jessica J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, BINH AN DUC
• Application Number:
  US09/051,253
• Time in Patent Office: 952 Days
• Field of Search: 463/43, 463/37, 463/36, 463/38, 463/42, 463/44, 463/45, 463/46, 463/47, 463/30, 463/31, 463/32, 463/33, 463/34, 273/148 B, 345/168, 345/156, 345/118, 345/115, 345/121
• US Class Current: 463/43
• 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 13/533 for prompting the player, e.g. by displaying a game menu
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/822 Strategy games; Role-playing games A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/308 Details of the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/807 Role playing or strategy games
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance

Abstract

This invention relates to a game system. The game system has a window image including an action command frame and a non-action command frame. When it is a player'"'"'s turn to designate an action parameter, the window image including the action command frame and the non-action command frame is displayed on a display plane of display means of the game player to enable the game player to select a command in the action command frame or the non-action command frame and accept the selected command. Concurrently, a window image solely including the non-action command frame is displayed on a display plane of display means of the game player who is not assigned with the turn to enable the non-assigned game player to designate the command in the non-action command frame on the window image and accept the designated command while allowing the game player to see an overall image in a game space through the window image. Accordingly, while the opponent game player is in turn of using the action command, the non-assigned game player utilizes the non-action command frame, thereby allowing the game players to participate in a game more positively to establish a more pleasant game environment.

Claims

1. A command input method used in a simulation game in which two or more competitors are assigned turns to designate an action parameter to enable execution of an action in the simulation game, the command input method comprising the steps of:

displaying a window image including an action command frame and a non-action command frame on a display of one competitor when it is said one competitor'"'"'s assigned turn to designate an action parameter;

enabling said one competitor having the assigned turn to effect execution of a command in the action command frame or the non-action command frame;

assigning another competitor a turn after said one competitor has effected execution of said command;

displaying the window image including the non-action command frame while excluding display of the action command frame on the display of said one game competitor when it is said other competitor'"'"'s assigned turn to designate an action parameter; and

enabling said one competitor when it is said other competitor'"'"'s assigned turn to designate an action parameter to effect execution of a command in the non-action command frame.

2. The command input method set forth in claim 1 comprising providing the non-action command frame with information on the status of the simulation game.

3. The command input method set forth in claim 1 comprising utilizing a CPU of the simulated game to play a role as one of the competitors, and providing for exclusion use of the display by said one competitor.

4. The command input method set forth in claim 1 comprising utilizing a CPU of the simulated game to play a role of one of the competitors independently of a main process of the CPU.

5. The command input method set forth in claim 1 comprising utilizing at least two game machines connected in a mutually communicable manner, and enabling a competitor at each game machine to compete with each other on the simulated game.

6. The command input method set forth in claim 1 further comprising the step of displaying a window image including the action command frame and the non-action command frame on a display plane of a display device of said one competitor when it is said one competitor'"'"'s assigned turn to designate an action parameter so as to enable the last said competitor to see an image in the display device through the window image.

7. The command input method set forth in claim 1 further comprising the step of displaying the window image including the action command frame and the non-action command frame while excluding display of a game image on the display plane of the display device of said one competitor when it is said one competitor'"'"'s turn to designate the action parameter so as to enable the last said competitor to select the command in the action command frame or the non-action command frame on the window image.

8. A recording medium in which a simulation game program is stored to be readable by a computer, the game program being configured in such a manner that two or more competitors take turns to designate an action parameter from an action command frame on a window image for having an object selected by the competitor execute an action so as to let the objects thereof compete with each other in a game space defined on a display plane of a display device, the recording medium storing a control program executing the following steps:

a switching step for changing the assigned turn of competitors to designate an action parameter;

a judging step for judging whether the competitor has designated a display of the window image;

a masking step for masking the action command frame of the window image on the display device of the competitor when the last said competitor has not been assigned a turn;

a first window image display step for displaying the window image including the action command frame and the non-action command frame on the display plane of the display device of the competitor who has been assigned the turn upon receiving an instruction by the assigned competitor to display the window image; and

a second window image display step for displaying the window image including the non-action command frame and excluding the action command frame on the display plane of the display device of the competitor who is not assigned the turn upon receiving an instruction by the non-assigned competitor to display the window image.

9. The recording medium set forth in claim 8 wherein the non-action command frame includes information on the status of the game.

10. The recording medium set forth in claim 8 comprising utilizing a CPU of the game to play a role as one of the competitors.

11. The recording medium set forth in claim 8 wherein the CPU plays the role as one of the competitor independently of the main process of the CPU.

12. The recording medium set forth in claim 8 comprising utilizing at least two game machines connected in a mutually communicable manner, and enabling a competitor at each game machine to compete with each other.

13. The recording medium set forth in claim 8 comprising effecting the step of displaying the window image including the action command frame and the non-action command frame on the display plane of the display device in such a manner that an image in the game space is seen through the window image.

14. The recording medium set forth in claim 8 wherein, in the first window image display step, the window image including the action command frame and the non-action command frame are displayed on the display plane of the display means while excluding display of the game image in the game space.

15. A game apparatus comprising:

a display device displaying a game image;

an input device which enables input of a designation by a game competitor;

a controller controlling the display device to display the game image on the display device according to the designation of the game competitor;

the controller including a switching device for enabling the input device to provide an assigned turn and a non-assigned turn among two or more competitors such that a competitor with an assigned turn provides an input to said input device to effect execution of an action; and

a game image provider for providing the competitor with the assigned turn with a window image having an action command frame and a non-action command frame and providing the competitor with a non-assigned turn with a window image having the non-action command frame and excluding the action command frame.

16. The game apparatus set forth in claim 15 wherein the non-action command frame display information on the status of the game.

17. The game apparatus set forth in claim 15 wherein the controller plays a role as one of the competitors.

18. The game apparatus set forth in claim 15 wherein the controller plays the role as the competitor independently the main processing of the controller.

19. The game apparatus set forth in claim 15 further comprising a plurality of game sub-systems, each of the game sub-systems including a display device and an input device.

20. The game apparatus set forth in claim 15 wherein the game image provider provides the competitor with the assigned turn with the game image which has a game space to be displayed on the display device in addition to having the window image having the action command frame and the non-action command frame.

21. The game apparatus set forth in claim 15 wherein the game image provider provides the competitive with the assigned turn with the window image having the action command frame and the non-action command frame to be displayed on the display device while excluding display of the game image.