Three-dimensional image processing apparatus with enhanced automatic and user point of view control

• US 6,283,857 B1
• Filed: 05/19/1997
• Issued: 09/04/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Koizumi, Yoshiaki, Miyamoto, Shigeru, Nishida, Yasunari, Kawagoe, Takumi
• Primary Examiner(s): PARADISO, JOHN ROGER
• Application Number:
  US08/858,810
• Time in Patent Office: 1,569 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463/7, 463/31, 463/32, 463/33, 463/36, 463/37, 463/38, 463/39
• 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 13/48 Starting a game, e.g. activating a game device or waiting for other players to join a multiplayer session
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5252 using two or more virtual cameras concurrently or sequentially, e.g. automatically switching between fixed virtual cameras when a character changes room or displaying a rear-mirror view in a car-driving game
• 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 13/5258 by dynamically adapting the position of the virtual camera to keep a game object or game character in its viewing frustum, e.g. for tracking a character or a ball
• 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 2300/6653 for altering the visibility of an object, e.g. preventing the occlusion of an object, partially hiding an object
• 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 2300/6676 by dedicated player input
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6684 by dynamically adapting its position to keep a game object in its viewing frustrum, e.g. for tracking a character or a ball
• 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 methodology features camera perspective or point of view control features. The system changes the “camera” angle (i.e., the displayed point of view in the three-dimensional world) automatically based upon various conditions and in response to actuation of a plurality of distinct controller keys/buttons/switches, e.g., four “C” buttons in the exemplary embodiment. The control keys allow the user at any time to move in for a close up or pull back for a wide view or pan the camera to the right and left to change the apparent camera angle. Such user initiated camera manipulation permits a player to better judge jumps or determine more precisely where an object is located in relation to the player controlled character.

Claims

1. A video game system comprising:

a detachably connectable external memory for storing a video game program;

a game program executing processing system, including a connector for receiving said connectable external memory, and for executing said video game program to generate a three-dimensional world display;

at least one player controller operable by a player including a plurality of camera perspective control keys for generating video game control signals for modifying the displayed three-dimensional world point of view;

said external memory including instructions for causing said game program executing processing system to respond to the player'"'"'s actuation of each of said plurality of camera perspective control keys by modifying the displayed three-dimensional world point of view, wherein said external memory includes instructions for detecting whether an object exists between the player controlled character and a current point of view perspective such that the player controlled character would not be visible on a display screen and changing the current point of view such that the player controlled character will be displayed.

2. For use in a video game system having an external memory for storing a video game program, a game program executing processing system for executing said video game program, at least one player controller operable by a player for generating player controller related data, said player controller having a plurality of point of view control switches, a method of operating of said video game system comprising the steps of:

generating a first three-dimensional world display from a first point of view in which a player-controlled character is depicted in the three-dimensional world;

detecting if any one of a plurality of point of view control switches on said player controller have been depressed by a player;

generating a second three-dimensional world display from a second point of view in response to the detection of the depression of one of said point of view control switches. said second point of view being different depending upon which point of view control switch was depressed by the player;

detecting whether an object exists between the player controlled character and a current point of view perspective such that the player controlled character would not be visible on a display screen; and

changing the current point of view such that the player controlled character will be displayed.

3. For use with a video game system 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 plurality of control keys and operable by a player to generate video game control signals for controlling the display of a player controlled character, a portable storage device for controlling the operation of said video game system comprising:

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

said video game instructions including instructions for causing said game program executing processing system to respond to the actuation of any one of a plurality of control keys of said player controller to execute instructions for changing the displayed point of view perspective in a displayed three-dimensional world in a manner depending upon which of said plurality of control kevs was actuated, wherein said video game instructions further include instructions for detecting whether an object exists between the player controlled character and a current point of view perspective such that the player controlled character would not be visible on a display screen and changing the current point of view such that the player controlled character will be displayed.

4. A portable storage device in accordance with claim 3, wherein said video game instructions further include instructions for detecting whether a special event has occurred and if so for automatically generating a display sequence in which the point of view perspective is changed.

5. For use in a video game system having an external memory for storing a video game program;

a game program executing processing system for executing said video game program;

at least one hand-held player controller embodied in a housing having a front surface and coupled to said game program executing processing system and including an operation control member for generating display data for a player controlled character, and processing circuitry for executing commands received from said game program executing processing system, said player controller having a plurality of point of view control switches, said operation control member and said plurality of control keys protruding from said front surface of said player controller housing, a method of operating said video game system comprising the steps of;

generating a first three-dimensional world display from a first point of view using said game program executing processing system in which a player-controlled character is depicted in the three dimensional world;

processing a command by said hand held player controller received from said game program executing processing system;

generating a second three-dimensional world display from a second point of view in response to the detection of a predetermined condition;

generating a third point of view display in response to the player actuating said operation control member when said display is depicting said second point of view,

detecting whether an object exists between the player controlled character and a current point of view perspective such that the player controlled character would not be visible on a display screen; and

changing the current point of view such that the player controlled character will be displayed.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein said predetermined condition is the depression of one of said point of view control switches, said second point of view being a function of which point of view control switch was depressed by the player.

7. A method according to claim 5, wherein said step of generating a second three-dimensional world display includes the step of generating a second point of view display from the perspective of the player-controlled character.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein said step of generating a third point of view display includes the step of changing the point of view to coincide with the apparent turning of the character'"'"'s head by the operation control member.

9. 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 hand-held player controller embodied in a housing having a front surface and a joystick control member protruding from said front surface and a plurality of control keys protruding from said front surface, said player controller including processing circuitry for executing commands received from said game program executing processing system, 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 and sound data;

said video game instructions including instructions for causing said game program executing processing system to transmit a command to said player controller for execution by said player controller processing circuitry, and including instructions for causing said game program executing processing system to display a scene in a plurality of distinct camera modes, and instructions for causing said game program executing processing system to respond to the detection of a player controlled character being in a predetermined state and for changing the displayed point of view perspective in a displayed three-dimensional world in accordance with one of said camera modes wherein said external memory further includes instructions for detecting whether an object exists between the player controlled character and a current point of view perspective such that the player controlled character would not be visible on a display screen and changing the current point of view such that the player controlled character will be displayed.

10. A portable storage device according to claim 9, wherein said external memory further includes instructions for responding to the actuation of a predetermined control key for changing the displayed point of view perspective.

11. A portable storage device in accordance with claim 9, wherein said predetermined state is one which triggers the occurrence of a special event, and wherein said video game instructions further include instructions for automatically generating a special event display sequence in which the point of view perspective is changed at some point in the sequence.

12. A portable storage device according to claim 9, wherein said predetermined state is the state of the character being in one of a swimming state and a flying state.