Game device and picture processing device

• US 6,217,446 B1
• Filed: 12/03/1997
• Issued: 04/17/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Sega Enterprises
• Original Assignee: Sega Enterprises LTD. (SEGA Sammy Holdings Inc.)
• Inventors: Ohto, Kouji, Oda, Takashi, Sanbongi, Kazutomo
• Primary Examiner(s): Martin-Wallace, Valencia
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, BINH AN DUC
• Application Number:
  US08/984,591
• Time in Patent Office: 1,231 Days
• Field of Search: 463/7, 463/8, 463/9, 463/37, 463/31, 463/43, 463/44, 463/46, 463/47, 463/49, 463/50, 463/57, 463/52, 463/53, 463/54, 463/56, 463/51, 345/427, 345/474, 345/473, 345/952, 345/958, 345/959, 345/419, 434/27, 434/44, 434/308, 434/365, 434/43, 434/38, 434/68
• US Class Current: 463/7
• 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 13/525 Changing parameters of virtual cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/833 Hand-to-hand fighting, e.g. martial arts competition A63F13/837 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2001/008 adapted for being playable on a screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/65 for computing the condition of a game character
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6661 for changing the position of the virtual camera
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6669 using a plurality of virtual cameras concurrently or sequentially, e.g. automatically switching between fixed virtual cameras when a character change rooms
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8029 Fighting without shooting
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/0291 with a simulated projectile, e.g. an image on a screen

Abstract

A device for proceeding a game in correspondence with the game scores. The game device (10) enables game play by moving a viewpoint arranged inside a three-dimensional virtual space, and comprises a storing unit (102) for storing a plurality of movement courses of the viewpoint branching off from a certain scene in the three-dimensional virtual space, together with the conditions for such branch-off, a picture processing unit (108-116) for performing data processing (101) to form pictures in accordance with the operation signals from an operating unit through the implementation of algorithms, and for performing picture conversion to form the image viewed from such viewpoint, and a course selecting unit (101) for selecting the movement course corresponding to the game score from among said plurality of viewpoint movement courses, and for moving the viewpoint along such selected movement course.

Claims

1. A picture processing device in which a virtual camera is directed towards a plurality of characters arranged inside a three-dimensional virtual space comprising at least one zone containing characters having an attack state preference, comprising:

first setting means for automatically setting a gaze point of said virtual camera preferentially to the character nearer to the virtual camera if only that character is in an attack state; and

second setting means for automatically setting the gaze point to a position between two of these characters, if two characters exist with a same attack state preference.

2. A Medium for staring a program to cause a computer system to function as the picture processing device according to claim 1.

3. A picture processing device which controls the gaze point movement of a virtual camera arranged inside a three-dimensional virtual space of a game, the device comprising:

calculating means for calculating an angle of deviation formed by a present position of said gaze point in the three-dimensional virtual space of the game and a target position of said gaze point with the virtual camera position as a vertex arranged inside of said virtual space; and

setting means for setting a next movement position of said gaze point corresponding to the value of said angle of deviation.

4. A picture processing device according to claim 3,

wherein said next movement position is a dividing point an a line connecting said present position with said target position and said dividing point is set corresponding to said angle of deviation.

5. A picture processing device according to claim 3,

wherein the succeeding distance of movement of said gaze point is determined by a function having said angle of deviation as its variable.

6. A picture processing device according to claim 5,

wherein a maximum and minimum value have been set for the distance of movement of the gaze point of the virtual camera against said angle of deviation.

7. A medium for staring a program to cause a computer system to function as the picture processing device according to claim 3.

8. A game device configured to simulate fights between a player and one or more moving characters in a three-dimensional virtual space, the game device comprising:

moving means for moving a viewpoint inside the three-dimensional virtual space in which fights are simulated between the moving characters and the player inside the virtual space;

shooting means controllable by the player such that during a fight between the player and the moving character, the player can control the shooting means to shoot at the moving character;

eliminating means for eliminating a moving character from the moving characters to be attacked by the player if the moving character has been attacked by the player for at least a predetermined number of attacks;

storing means configured to store multiple movement courses of the view point which branch off from a certain scene in said three-dimensional virtual space together with the conditions for such branch-off;

multiple movement courses of the view point which branch off from a certain scene in the three-dimensional virtual space together with the conditions for such branch-off, wherein the movement courses are stored by the storing means;

picture processing means for performing data processing to form pictures corresponding to the operation signals from an operating means, and for performing picture conversion to form an image viewed from said viewpoint; and

course selecting means for selecting a predetermined movement course corresponding to said moving characters which have not been considered to be dead from among the multiple viewpoint movement courses, and for moving said viewpoint along a selected movement course.

9. A medium for storing a program to cause a computer system to function as the gang device according to claim 8.

10. A game device comprising:

displaying means for displaying objects placed in a three-dimensional virtual space as object pictures captured from a certain virtual camera in the virtual space;

shooting means for shooting the object pictures;

gaze object determining means for determining the object to be gazed by said virtual camera based on the distances between said virtual camera and each of said objects; and

gaze point setting means for automatically setting the gaze point of said virtual camera upon the determined object.

11. A game device according to claim 10, characterized in that said gaze object determining means selects the object nearest in distance from said virtual camera.

12. A game device according to claim 10, further comprising movement controlling means for controlling the movement mode of the gaze point of said virtual camera in correspondence with the distance between the present virtual camera gaze point and said determined object during the movement of said virtual camera gaze point.

13. A medium for storing a program to cause a computer system to function as the game device according to claim 10.

14. A game device for playing a game under movement of a viewpoint arranged in a three-dimensional virtual space, comprising:

game score setting means for setting a game score of the player based on the player'"'"'s ability to fight one or more enemy characters;

storing means configured to store multiple movement courses of the viewpoint which branch off from a certain scene in said three-dimensional virtual space, together with the conditions for such branch-off;

multiple movement courses of the view point which branch off from a certain scene in the three-dimensional virtual space together with the conditions for such branch-off, wherein the movement courses are stored by the storing means;

picture processing means for performing data processing to form pictures corresponding to the operation signals from an operating means, and for performing picture conversion to form the image viewed from said viewpoint; and

course selecting means for selecting a movement course corresponding to the game scores from among said multiple viewpoint movement courses, and for moving said viewpoint along the selected movement course.

15. A medium for storing a program to cause a computer system to function as the game device according to claim 14.

16. A game device configured to simulate fights between a player and one or more moving characters in a three-dimensional virtual space, the game device comprising:

moving means for moving a viewpoint inside the three-dimensional virtual space in which fights are simulated between the moving characters and the player inside the virtual space;

shooting means controllable by the player such that during a fight between the player and the moving character, the player can control the shooting means to simulate shooting at the moving character;

eliminating means for eliminating a moving character from the moving characters to be attacked by the player if the moving character has been attacked by the player for at least a predetermined number of attacks;

storing means configured to store multiple movement courses of the viewpoint which branch off from a certain scene in said three-dimensional virtual space, together with the conditions for such branch-off;

multiple movement courses of the view point which branch off from a certain scene in the three-dimensional virtual space together with the conditions for such branch-off, wherein the movement courses are stored by the storing means;

picture processing means for performing data processing to form pictures corresponding to the operation signals from an operating means, and for performing picture conversion to form the image viewed from said viewpoint; and

course selecting means configured to calculate the strength level of the characters simulated dead within a predetermined period of time as the game score, to select a movement course corresponding to the game scores from among said multiple viewpoint movement courses, and to move said viewpoint along the selected movement course.

17. A game device according to claim 16, further comprising multiple zoning of said three-dimensional virtual space, arranging a plurality of said characters among said multiple zones, and defining the strength of each character in each zone with regard, to the degree of resistance against said shooting.

18. A game device according to claim 17, further comprising causing a character to appear with preference in zones further away from the viewpoint among said multiple zones.

19. A game device according to claim 17, wherein the character number to be arranged in each zone is limited.

20. A medium for storing a program to cause a computer system to function as the game device according to claim 16.

21. A picture processing device for moving a virtual camera inside a three-dimensional virtual space in a game, comprising:

a zone delineating means for delineating into multiple zones, on the basis of proximity to the virtual camera an area in which said player and said plurality of enemy characters fight; and

limiting means for limiting the number of enemy characters which may exist inside a zone nearest to said virtual space,

wherein the game comprises multiple movable enemy characters configured to fight the player, and the player fights the enemy characters in the zone nearest to the virtual camera.

22. A medium for staring a program to cause a computer system to function as the game device according to claim 21.

23. A game device comprising:

a plurality of enemy characters, each enemy character having a strength defined with regard to a degree of resistance against an attack;

a virtual camera configured to move inside a three-dimensional virtual space in which fights between the plurality of movable enemy characters and a player are simulated;

attacking means controllable by the player such that during a fight between the player and the enemy character, the player can control the attacking means to simulate attacking against the enemy character;

eliminating means for eliminating an attacked enemy character from the enemy characters to be attacked by the player if the enemy character has been attacked by the player for at least a predetermined number of attacks; and

controlling means for controlling the movement of a gaze point of said virtual camera to follow said enemy character which has not been considered to be dead in spite of said attacks.

24. A medium for storing a program to cause a computer system to function as the game device according to claim 23.

25. A game device comprising:

a plurality of movable enemy characters each of which has a strength defined with regard to a degree of resistance against an attack;

a virtual camera configured to move inside a three-dimensional virtual space in which fights between the plurality of movable enemy characters and a player are simulated;

attacking means controllable by the payer such that during a fight between the player and the enemy character, the player can control the attacking means to simulate attacking against the enemy character;

eliminating means for eliminating an attacked enemy character from the enemy characters to be attacked by the player if the enemy character has been attacked by the player for at least a predetermined number of attacks; and

character movement controlling means for moving said enemy character that has not been considered to be dead in spite of said attacks to move towards said virtual camera.

26. A medium for storing a program to cause a computer system to function as the game device according to claim 25.