Three-dimensional image processing system with enhanced character control

• US 6,244,959 B1
• Filed: 05/20/1997
• Issued: 06/12/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Miyamoto, Shigeru, Nishiumi, Satoshi, Nishida, Yasunari, Kawagoe, Takumi
• Primary Examiner(s): ONEILL, MICHAEL W
• Application Number:
  US08/859,528
• Time in Patent Office: 1,484 Days
• Field of Search: 463/31, 463/32, 463/30, 463/34, 463/7, 345/430, 345/473, 345/474, 345/475, 345/121, 345/123, 345/125, 345/126
• US Class Current: 463/31
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/22 Setup operations, e.g. calibration, key configuration or button assignment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/24 Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/428 involving motion or position input signals, e.g. signals representing the rotation of an input controller or a player's arm motions sensed by accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/48 Starting a game, e.g. activating a game device or waiting for other players to join a multiplayer session
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/52 involving aspects of the displayed game scene
• 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 13/57 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 13/822 Strategy games; Role-playing games A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/95 Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1018 Calibration; Key and button assignment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1043 being characterized by constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/206 Game information storage, e.g. cartridges, CD ROM's, DVD's, smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/636 involving process of starting or resuming a game
• 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 2300/6661 for changing the position of the virtual camera
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6676 by dedicated player input
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/807 Role playing or strategy games
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 2009/0474 characterised by means converting mechanical movement into electric signals
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 2009/04759 Light-sensitive detector, e.g. photoelectric
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 9/047 the controlling member being movable by hand about orthogonal axes, e.g. joysticks for switches H01H25/04
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 : Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0383 : Signal control means within the pointing device
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/10 : Geometric effects

Abstract

A video game system includes a game cartridge which is pluggably attached to a main console having a main processor, a coprocessor, expandable main memory and player controllers. A multifunctional peripheral processing subsystem external to the game microprocessor and coprocessor is described which executes commands for handling player controller input/output to thereby lessen the processing burden on the graphics processing subsystem. The video game system and methodology features a unique player controller. A player controlled character may be controlled in a multitude of different ways utilizing the combination of the joystick and/or cross-switch and/or control keys and a wide range of animation effects are generated. The controlled character'"'"'s pace may be varied between walking by slight controller joystick movement or running through a greater angular displacement of the joystick, while at the same time controlling the direction of the character'"'"'s movement over 360 degrees in the three-dimensional world. A player controlled character'"'"'s movement is also controlled as a function of the surface topography on which he stands. For example, a character'"'"'s moving speed changes depending upon whether the character is standing on a horizontal upwardly or downwardly inclined plane. Speed changes also are controlled as a function of a surface'"'"'s coefficient of friction, e.g. a surface having little traction, such as -ice or snow, or a surface having more traction, such as grass.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional image processing system for use with a display comprising:

an external memory for storage of a program for generating a three-dimensional display;

an image processing apparatus for generating image data for displaying an object existing in a three-dimensional space display according to said program;

an operation controlling device including an operating member having a base end rotatably supported and a free end operable by an operator, so that the image data is varied in accordance with movement of said operating member, said operation controlling device including inclination amount data output circuitry which detects an inclination amount of said operating member to output inclination amount data, and

wherein said image processing apparatus is operable to generate image data for displaying a player object on a terrain having an associated surface characteristic in three-dimensional space comprises;

direction determining circuitry operating under control of said program for determining a moving direction of the object in the three-dimensional space based on the inclination amount data;

surface characteristic determining circuitry under the control of said program for determining a surface characteristic of the surface in three-dimensional space on which the player object is moving;

moving amount determining circuitry operating under control of said program for determining a moving amount of the object within one frame on said display based on the inclination amount data and a detected surface characteristic;

position determining circuitry operating under control of said program for determining a position of the object in the three-dimensional space in accordance with the moving direction and the moving amount; and

image data output circuitry for displaying the object on said display at a position controlled by said position determining circuitry.

2. A three-dimensional image processing system according to claim 1, wherein said moving amount determining circuitry includes first calculating circuitry that calculates the moving amount based on the inclination amount data, a moving amount store that stores an actual moving amount of the object at an immediately prior point in time, comparing circuitry for comparing the actual moving amount in said moving amount store with the moving amount determined by said first calculating means, and moving amount varying circuitry that increases and decreases the moving amount calculated by said first calculating circuitry depending on a result of comparison by said comparing circuitry.

3. A three-dimensional image processing system according to claim 2, wherein said first calculating circuitry calculates from the inclination amount data a moving amount which together with a predetermined value determining the moving amount.

4. A three-dimensional image processing system according to claim 2, wherein said moving amount varying circuitry increases and decreases the moving amount in accordance with a function of moving amount in said moving amount store.

5. A three-dimensional image processing system according to claim 2, wherein said moving amount varying circuitry increases and decreases the moving amount in accordance with a constant value.

6. A three-dimensional image processing system according to claim 1, wherein said detected surface characteristic is the slope of the surface on which the character is moving.

7. A three-dimensional image processing system according to claim 1, wherein said detected surface characteristic is related to the slipperiness of the surface on which the character is moving.

8. In a three-dimensional image processing system including an image processing apparatus connected to a display to generate image data for displaying an object existing in a three-dimensional space display, and an operation controlling device including an operating member having a base end rotatably supported, a free end operable by an operator, and an inclination amount data output circuitry for detecting an inclination amount and outputting inclination amount data, such that the image data is varied depending on movement of said operating member, an external storage media for storing a program for generating the image data, a method for operating said image processing system comprising the steps of:

(a) determining a moving direction of a displayed object in three-dimensional space based on the inclination amount data;

(b) detecting a characteristic of a surface in the three-dimensional space on which the object is moving;

(c) determining a moving amount of the object to be moved within one frame on said display based on the inclination amount data and the detected surface characteristic;

(d) determining a position of the object in the three-dimensional space depending on the moving direction, and the moving amount; and

(e) outputting the image data for displaying the object at the position thus determined.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein said image processing apparatus includes a memory that stores an actual moving amount of the object, wherein the step of determining includes the steps of determining the moving amount based on the inclination amount data, comparing the actual moving amount stored by said memory with the determined moving amount, and increasing and decreasing the determined moving amount depending on the result of said comparing step.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein said step of determining includes the step of determining the moving amount from a moving amount which is calculated based on the inclination amount change and a predetermined value.

11. A method according to claim 9, wherein said step of determining by increasing and decreasing the determined moving amount operates as a function of a stored moving amount.

12. A method according to claim 9, wherein said step of determining by increasing and decreasing the determined moving amount operates as a function of a constant value.

13. For use with a video game system console having a game program executing processing system for executing said video game program to create a display simulating a three-dimensional world, and at least one player controller having a joystick control member and a plurality of control keys and operable by a player to generate video game control signals, a portable storage device for controlling the operation of said video game system console comprising:

a memory media for storing video game instructions and graphics data;

a connector for coupling said video game instructions and said graphics data from said memory media to said video game system console;

said video game instructions including instructions for causing said game program executing processing system to display a player-controlled character and to respond to changes in the joystick position to control the direction of motion of the player-controlled character and to respond to the amount of change in the joystick angular rotation to control the rate of the characters motion.

14. A portable storage device according to claim 13, wherein instructions in said memory media control said game program executing processing system to display the character in a running motion if the amount of joystick angular rotation is above a first predetermined value.

15. A portable storage device according to claim 14, wherein instructions in said memory media control said game program executing processing system to display the character in a running motion which is at a higher rate than when the amount of joystick angular rotation is at said first predetermined value, if the amount of joystick angular rotation is at a second predetermined value greater than the first predetermined value.

16. A portable storage device according to claim 13, wherein instruction in said memory media control said game program executing processing system to display the character in a walking motion if the amount of joystick angular rotation is below a predetermined value.

17. A portable storage device according to claim 13, wherein instructions in said memory media control said game program executing processing system to display the character in one of an acceleration running mode and a deceleration running mode.

18. A portable storage device according to claim 17, wherein instructions in said memory media control said game program executing processing system to apply a different relationship between the amount of joystick change and the speed of motion in the acceleration and the deceleration modes.

19. A portable storage device according to claim 13, wherein instructions in said memory media control said game program executing processing system to detect whether a player controlled character is moving on a sloped surface and to modify the character'"'"'s moving speed as a function of the slope of the surface.

20. A portable storage device according to claim 19, wherein said instructions control said game program executing processing system to detect whether a player controlled character is moving on an upwardly inclined sloped surface in three-dimensional space relative to the character'"'"'s direction of movement.

21. For use with a video game system console having a game program executing processing system for executing said video game program to create a display simulating a three-dimensional world, and at least one player controller having a joystick control member and a plurality of control keys and operable by a player to generate video game control signals, a portable storage device for controlling the operation of said video game system console comprising:

a memory media for storing video game instructions and graphics data;

a connector for coupling said video game instructions and said graphics data from said memory media to said video game system console;

said video game instructions including instructions for causing said game program executing processing system to display a player-controlled character, to determine whether said player controlled character is moving on a sloped surface in the three-dimensional world, to determine the amount of change in the joystick angular rotation, and to control the rate of the character'"'"'s motion as a function of the changes in the joystick angular rotation and the detection of the character moving on a sloped surface.

22. A portable storage device according to claim 21, wherein instructions in said memory media control said game program executing processing system to display the character in a running motion if the amount of joystick angular rotation is above a first predetermined value.

23. A portable storage device according to claim 22, wherein instructions in said memory media control said game program executing processing system to display the character in a running motion which is at a higher rate than when the amount of joystick angular rotation is at said first predetermined value, if the amount of joystick angular rotation is at a second predetermined value greater than the first predetermined value.

24. A portable storage device according to claim 21, wherein instruction in said memory media control said game program executing processing system to display the character in a walking motion if the amount of joystick angular rotation is below a predetermined value.

25. A portable storage device according to claim 21, wherein instructions in said memory media control said game program executing processing system to display the character in one of an acceleration running mode and a deceleration running mode.

26. A portable storage device according to claim 25, wherein instructions in said memory media control said game program executing processing system to apply a different relationship between the amount of joystick change and the speed of motion in the acceleration and the deceleration modes.

27. A portable storage device according to claim 21, wherein instructions in said memory media control said game program executing processing system to modify the character'"'"'s moving speed as a function of the sine of the angle of inclination of the surface.

28. A portable storage device according to claim 27, wherein said instructions control said game program executing processing system to detect whether a player controlled character is moving on an upwardly inclined sloped surface relative to the character'"'"'s direction of movement and to modify the character'"'"'s moving speed to be slower than the character'"'"'s speed prior to reaching the upwardly inclined sloped surface.

29. A portable storage device according to claim 21, wherein said instructions control said game program executing processing system to detect a slipperiness characteristic of the surface on which the character is moving and to modify the character'"'"'s moving speed as a function of the surface slipperiness.