Method of judging hits and computer-readable storage medium storing game data

• US 6,256,047 B1
• Filed: 06/01/1998
• Issued: 07/03/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Konami Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Takayuki, Kawarazaki, Katsuya, Seki, Teisaku, Seki, Kazue, Isobe, Keiichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kimbinh T.
• Application Number:
  US09/088,157
• Time in Patent Office: 1,128 Days
• Field of Search: 273/438, 341/20, 345/161, 345/158, 345/473, 345/123, 345/121, 345/163, 382/296, 463/1, 463/2, 463/6, 463/52, 463/69
• US Class Current: 345/473
• 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 13/537 using indicators, e.g. showing the condition of a game character on screen
• 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 13/837 Shooting of targets
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/95 Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/303 for displaying additional data, e.g. simulating a Head Up Display
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8017 Driving on land or water; Flying
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/00 Three dimensional [3D] modelling, e.g. data description of 3D objects

Abstract

The invention provides a method of of judging a hit between at least two objects in a game system, the game system being adapted to display a plurality of objects on a screen such that at least one or more objects are moved on the screen in accordance with the operation performed by a player with a controller and/or such that at least on or more objects are moved on the screen by a CPU, the method being characterized in that each object comprises image information to be displayed and a plurality of areas used to judge a hit. Preferably, the plurality of areas are moved in accordance with the motion of each corresponding object.

Claims

1. A method of representing a gravitational force for use in a game system, comprising:

moving a character in a fixed direction on a screen in response to an operation performed by a player with a controller;

successively varying a background image displayed on the screen by means of scrolling;

predefining a pseudo gravitational force; and

displaying the effects of said gravitational force on the game screen, said gravitational force being defined at a position lying on a straight line locus running codirectionally with a scrolling direction and which passes through an approximate center of the screen.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said position of said gravitational force is located outside an area of the screen.

3. A method of representing a gravitational force for use in a game system, comprising:

moving a character in a fixed direction on a screen in response to an operation performed by a player with a controller;

successively varying a background image displayed on the screen by means of scrolling;

predefining a pseudo gravitational force; and

displaying the effects of said gravitational force on the game screen, said gravitational force being defined such that the direction of the gravitational force is opposite to a scrolling direction.

4. A computer-readable storage medium storing a game program for use in a game system comprising executable code for execution by a computer processor causing said computer processor to perform the steps of:

moving a character in a fixed direction on a screen in response to an operation performed by a player with a controller;

successively varying a background image displayed on the screen by means of scrolling;

predefining a pseudo gravitational force; and

displaying the effects of said gravitational force on the game screen, said gravitational force being defined at a position lying on a straight line locus running codirectionally with a scrolling direction and which passes through an approximate center of the screen.

5. A computer-readable storage medium according to claim 4, wherein said position of said gravitational force is located outside an area of the screen.

6. A computer-readable storage medium storing a game program for use in a game system comprising executable code for execution by a computer processor causing said computer processor to perform the steps of:

moving a character in a fixed direction on a screen in response to an operation performed by a player with a controller;

successively varying a background image displayed on the screen by means of scrolling;

predefining a pseudo gravitational force; and

displaying the effects of said gravitational force on the game screen, said gravitational force being defined such that the direction of the gravitational force is opposite to a scrolling direction.

7. A method of displaying a character on a game screen, comprising the steps of:

moving a character in a virtual game space in response to at least one of a command given by a player and a predetermined procedure;

defining a gravitational force generating location in the game space at which a pseudo gravitational force is generated;

defining an attractive force generating location in the game space at which a virtual attractive force is generated, said attractive force generating location being defined at a location different from the location where the gravitational force is generated; and

displaying said character on the game screen so that said character is affected by the attractive force generated at said attractive force generating location, said gravitational force generating location and said attractive force generating location both being located apart from said character.

8. A method of displaying a character on a game screen, comprising the steps of:

moving said character in a virtual gave space in response to at least one of a command given by a player and in accordance with a predetermined procedure;

defining an attractive force generating location in the game space at which a virtual attractive force is generated, said attractive force generating location being defined so that said location becomes far from the game screen as said object is scrolled;

displaying said character on the game screen so that said character is affected by the attractive force generated at said attractive force generating location;

defining an object representing a ground shape in the game space; and

displaying said object on the game screen in such manner that said object is scrolled in a horizontal direction at a fixed speed.

9. A game system, comprising:

operating means for receiving a command given by a player and outputting a command signal corresponding to the command given by the player;

display control means for displaying a character on the game screen in such a manner that said character moves in a virtual game space in accordance with at least one of said command signal and a predetermined procedure;

attractive force location storing means for storing an attractive force generating location in the game space at which a virtual attractive force is generated, said display control means displaying the character on the game screen in such a manner that the character is affected by the attractive force generated at said attractive force generating location, said attractive force generating location being defined at a location different from the location at which the gravitational force is generated, said gravitational force generating location and said attractive force generating location both being located apart from said character.

10. A game system, comprising:

operating means for receiving a command given by a player and outputting a command signal corresponding to the command given by the player;

display control means for displaying a character on a game screen in such a manner that said character moves in a virtual game space in accordance with at least one of said command signal and a predetermined procedure;

attractive force location storing means for storing an attractive force generating location in the game space at which a virtual attractive force is generated, said attractive force generating location being defined so that said location becomes far from the game screen as said object is scrolled, said display control means displaying the character on the game screen in such a manner that the character is affected by the attractive force generated at said attractive force generating location;

object storing means for storing an object representing a ground shape defined in the game space; and

object displaying means for displaying said object on the game screen in such a manner that said object is scrolled in a horizontal direction at a fixed speed.

11. A computer-readable storage medium storing a game program for use in a game system in which a character is displayed on a game screen in such a manner that said character moves in a virtual game space in response to at least one of a command given by a player and in accordance with a predetermined procedure, the game program comprising executable code for execution by a computer processor causing said computer processor to perform the steps of:

defining an attractive force generating location in the game space at which a virtual attractive force is generated;

displaying said character on the game screen so that said character is affected by the attractive force generated at said attractive force generating location, said attractive force generating location being defined at a location different from the location where the gravitational force is generated, said gravitational force generating location and said attractive force generating location both being located apart from said character.

12. A computer-readable storage medium storing a game program for use in a game system in which a character is displayed on a game screen in such a manner that said character moves in a virtual gave space in response to at least one of a command given by a player and a predetermined procedure, the game program comprising executable code for execution by a computer processor causing said computer processor to perform the steps of:

defining an attractive force generating location in the game space at which a virtual attractive force is generated;

displaying said character on the game screen so that said character is affected by the attractive force generated at said attractive force generating location;

defining an object representing a ground shape in the game space;

displaying said object on the game screen in such manner that said object is scrolled in a horizontal direction at a fixed speed; and

defining said attractive force generating location so that said location becomes far from the game screen as said object is scrolled.