Video game device and method of displaying images of game, and storage medium storing programs for causing a computer to execute the method

• US 6,468,161 B1
• Filed: 10/08/1999
• Issued: 10/22/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Konami Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Konami Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Shimomura, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): SAGER, MARK ALAN
• Application Number:
  US09/414,523
• Time in Patent Office: 1,110 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463/30-34, 463/43-44, 711/1, 711/100, 711/170, 711/173, 711/147, 711/148, 711/153
• US Class Current: 463/43
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/66 for rendering three dimensional images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/00 Animation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/28 involving image processing hardware

Abstract

The video game device which may display 2D images and pseudo 3D images without need to rewrite data in a frame buffer for a long time in a game. The frame buffer includes a display area storing images directly transferred to the monitor and a non-display area storing images used to produce the image transferred to the monitor. Only the changing parts of the images continuously displayed on the monitor are stored as small sized area in the non-display area and only the changing parts are put on the image to be displayed at a desired timing.

Claims

1. A video game device having a frame buffer which includes a first area storing a first image used in a game, and a game image displaying device which displays the first image to a display device, comprising:

a game image producing device which produces the first image on the basis of proceedings of the game by combining a two-dimensional image and pseudo three dimensional image; and

a game image storing device which stores the first image into the first area,

the game image displaying device displays the first image which is produced by the game image producing device and is stored by the game image storing device into the first area, to the display device, wherein the frame buffer further includes a second area in which second images used to produce the first image are stored, and the game producing device replaces change parts of the first image being displayed with the corresponding second images to produce the first image,

and wherein each of the second images is partial image subdivided in a predetermined size, and stored into a predetermined location in the second area in consideration of a relationship of an orientation between an image to be stored in the second area and the image to be displayed, and wherein the second images include images representing changes according to passage of time in a part of the first image and thereby the number of times of accessing to the frame buffer is reduced by replacing parts of the first image with the second images one after another.

2. The video game device claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a first area defining device which selects a plurality of images representing movement of a character, accumulates change parts which occur at least one change among the selected images, and define any shape of first areas so that the parts are all covered, to represent a series of movement of the character;

an area dividing device which divides the first area into a plurality of second areas, if the size of the first area is greater than a predetermined size;

a second area defining device which accumulates parts which occur at least one change among the second areas displaying the same part of the first image and defines any shape of third areas so that the parts are all covered;

an area division controlling device which controls to repeat the division of the area dividing device and defining of the second area defining device until the sizes of the third areas become within a predetermined size or until the number of times of the dividing is a predetermined number; and

an image storing device which stores the change parts as the second images in a unit of the resulting size of the third areas.

3. The video game device claimed in claim 2, wherein the any shape is rectangular.

4. A video game device having a frame buffer which includes a first area storing a first image used in a game, and a game image displaying device which displays the first image stored in the first area to a display device, comprising:

a second area which is included in the frame buffer and stores second images used to produce the first image;

a game image producing device which when the first image includes change parts which change according to passage of time, reproduces the first image by using the second images which correspond to the change parts of the first image; and

a game image storing device which stores the reproduced first image into the first area,

the game image displaying device displays the reproduced first image to the display device, each of the second images is partial image subdivided in a predetermined size, each of the second images is stored in the second area in consideration of a relationship of an orientation between an image to be stored in the second area and the image to be displayed, and the size, the location, and the orientation of each of the second images to be stored into the second area is optimized so that the interval of accessing to a storage medium other than the frame buffer for producing the first game image is extended.

5. The video game device claimed in claim 4, further comprising:

a first area defining device which selects a plurality of images representing movement of a character, accumulates change parts which occur at least one change among the selected images, and define any shape of first areas so that the parts are all covered, to represent a series of movement of the character;

an area dividing device which divides the first area into a plurality of second areas, if the size of the first area is greater than a predetermined size;

a second area defining device which accumulates parts which occur at least one change among the second areas displaying the same part of the first image and defines any shape of third areas so that the parts are all covered;

an area division controlling device which controls to repeat the division of the area dividing device and defining of the second area defining device until the sizes of the third areas become within a predetermined size or until the number of times of the dividing is a predetermined number; and

an image storing device which stores the change parts as the second images in a unit of the resulting size of the third areas.

6. The video game device claimed in claim 5, wherein the any shape is rectangular.

7. A method of displaying a first image as a game image, the method comprising the steps of:

dividing a frame buffer into a first area storing the first image and a second area storing second images;

optimizing the size, the location, and the orientation of each of the second images to be stored into the second area so that the interval of accessing to a storage medium other than the frame buffer for producing the first game image is extended;

storing the second images which used to produce the first image and subdivided in a predetermine size as partial images into the second area;

reproducing, when the first image includes change parts which change according to passage of time, the first image by using the second images which correspond to the change parts of the first image;

storing the reproduced first image into the first area; and

displaying the stored first image.