Three-dimensional image processing system having dynamically changing character polygon number

• US 6,346,046 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2001
• Issued: 02/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/1996
• 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): ONEILL, MICHAEL W
• Application Number:
  US09/780,440
• Publication Number:
  US 20010008847A1
• Time in Patent Office: 365 Days
• Field of Search: 463/30, 463/31, 463/32, 463/33, 463/34, 463/35, 463/36, 345/418, 345/428
• US Class Current: 463/33
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/216 using geographical information, e.g. location of the game device or player using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/52 involving aspects of the displayed game scene
• 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 13/56 Computing the motion of game characters with respect to other game characters, game objects or elements of the game scene, e.g. for simulating the behaviour of a group of virtual soldiers or for path finding
• 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 2300/205 for detecting the geographical location of the game platform
• 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 2300/807 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, 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. 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. the number of polygons utilized to display a player-controlled character is modified depending upon the speed of movement of the character, whereby the number of polygons is reduced at higher speed. At low level speeds, the character is drawn with a predetermined number of polygons and at higher level speeds the character is drawn with a reduced number of polygons, except that the polygons used for drawing the face remains the same as at the first level speed. In this fashion, the character is simulated in a manner designed to appear to be most realistic to the user, who is more likely to focus on the character face, rather than the body during animated character motion.

Claims

1. A method of displaying a movable character having a body and a face on a display screen, comprising:

displaying the character on the display screen using a first number of polygons for the body and a second number of polygons for the face;

detecting when said character is moving at greater than a first predetermined speed; and

displaying said character using a third number of polygons for the body while said character is moving at greater than the first predetermined speed, wherein said third number of polygons is less than said first number of polygons.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, further including displaying the face using said second number of polygons, regardless of the speed of the character.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, further including detecting when said character is moving at greater than a second predetermined speed which is greater than said first determined speed;

and displaying said character using a fourth number of polygons for the body while said character is moving at greater than said second predetermined speed, wherein said fourth number of polygons is less than said third number of polygons.

4. The method of claim 3, further including displaying the face using said second number of polygons, regardless of the speed of the character.

5. The method of claim 1, further including displaying said character in simulated three-dimensional world, and enabling a player to control the character'"'"'s movement in said three dimensional world.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein an overall image of said character remains substantially the same regardless of the speed of said character'"'"'s movement.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein an overall image of said character remains substantially the same regardless of the speed of said character'"'"'s movement.