Computer readable recording medium recording a program of a ball game and the program, ball game processing apparatus and its method

• US 6,482,086 B1
• Filed: 09/27/2000
• Issued: 11/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Square Enix
• Original Assignee: Square Co Ltd (Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Yoshinobu, Tomoaki, Rimoto, Shiyu
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrison, Jessica
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHERUBIN, YVESTE GILBERTE
• Application Number:
  US09/670,542
• Time in Patent Office: 783 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1-3, 463/30-33, 463/43, 463/317, 463/317.6, 345/418, 345/428, 345/426, 345/433, 345/473, 345/156, 345/157, 345/161, 345/163, 345/159, 345/173, 345/167, 273/317--31, 273/459, 273/460, 273/461
• US Class Current: 463/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/53 involving additional visual information provided to the game scene, e.g. by overlay to simulate a head-up display [HUD] or displaying a laser sight in a shooting game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5372 for tagging characters, objects or locations in the game scene, e.g. displaying a circle under the character controlled by the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5375 for graphically or textually suggesting an action, e.g. by displaying an arrow indicating a turn in a driving game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/573 using trajectories of game objects, e.g. of a golf ball according to the point of impact
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/812 Ball games, e.g. soccer or baseball
• 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 2300/306 for displaying a marker associated to an object or location in the game field
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/646 for calculating the trajectory of an object
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8011 Ball

Abstract

After a batter hits a ball, the height of the ball moving on a trajectory passing through present movement positions is judged. For example, future movement positions respectively positioned on a time axis ahead of the present movement positions are indicated on the ground by elliptical marks. The peak of the height becomes a boundary, and before the peak, the mark has a first color and the size of the mark is enlarged in a rising process of the ball, and after the peak, the mark has a second color and the size of the mark is reduced in a falling process of the ball. Therefore, the real pleasure of the operation by the combination of the operation support of a computer and the operation skill of the user himself can be obtained.

Claims

1. A computer readable recording medium recording a program of a ball game, which realizes the ball game in which a player handles a movable ball on the ground, the recording medium recording the program for causing a computer to execute:

a calculation of a trajectory of the moving ball;

a judgement of a height of the ball moving on the calculated trajectory at a present movement position;

an indication of a future movement position positioned ahead of the present movement position on a time axis by a mark on the ground, the mark following a movement position of the ball moving on the calculated trajectory; and

a change of a size of the displayed mark in accordance with the judged height of the ball at the present movement position.

2. The recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the program causes the computer to execute the display of the mark beneath the future movement position.

3. The recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the program causes the computer to execute the display of the mark in an elliptical shape.

4. The recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the program causes the computer to execute the display of the mark and to execute an indication of a shadow of the ball at the present movement position.

6. The recording medium according to claim 1 or 5, wherein the program causes the computer to execute the change of the size of the mark so that the size of the mark gradually becomes large until the height of the moving ball reaches a peak while the size is made to follow rising of the ball, and so that the size of the mark gradually becomes small after the height of the moving ball reaches the peak while the size is made to follow falling of the ball.

8. The recording medium according to claim 1 or 5, wherein the program causes the computer to execute fixing of the size of the mark and a display position thereof when a positional relation between the moving ball and the player satisfies a predetermined condition.

5. A computer readable recording medium recording a program of a ball game, which realizes the ball game in which a player handles a movable ball on the ground, the recording medium recording the program for causing a computer to execute:

a calculation of a trajectory of the moving ball;

a judgement of a height of the ball moving on the calculated trajectory at a present movement position;

an indication of a future movement position positioned ahead of the present movement position on a time axis by a mark on the ground, the mark following a movement position of the ball moving on the calculated trajectory; and

a change of a size and a color of the displayed mark in accordance with the judged height of the ball at the present movement position.

7. The recording medium according to claim 5, wherein the program causes the computer to execute the change of the color of the mark just before or after the height of the moving ball reaches a peak.

9. The recording medium according to claim 5, wherein the program causes the computer to execute fixing of the color of the mark and a display position thereof when a positional relation between the moving ball and the player satisfies a predetermined condition.

10. The recording medium according to claim 7, wherein the program causes the computer to execute fixing of a shape of the mark and a display position thereof when a positional relation between the moving ball and the player satisfies a predetermined condition.

11. A computer program product relating to a ball game in which a player handles a movable ball on the ground, the computer program product causing a computer to execute:

a calculation of a trajectory of the moving ball;

a judgement of a height of the ball moving on the calculated trajectory at a present movement position;

an indication of a future movement position positioned ahead of the present movement position on a time axis by a mark on the ground, the mark following a movement position of the ball moving on the calculated trajectory; and

a change of a size of the displayed mark in accordance with the judged height of the ball at the present movement position.

12. The computer program product according to claim 11, wherein the computer program product causes the computer to execute the change of the size of the mark so that the size of the mark gradually becomes larger until the height of the moving ball reaches a peak so that the size follows rising of the ball, and so that the size of the mark gradually becomes smaller after the height of the moving ball reaches the peak so that the size follows falling of the ball.

13. The computer program product according to claim 11, wherein the computer program product causes the computer to execute fixing of the size of the mark and a display position thereof when a positional relation between the moving ball and the player satisfies a predetermined condition.

14. The computer program product according to claim 11, wherein the computer program product causes the computer to execute the display of the mark beneath the future movement position.

15. The computer program product according to claim 11, wherein the computer program product causes the computer to execute the display of the mark in an elliptical shape.

16. The computer program product according to claim 11, wherein the computer program product causes the computer to execute the display of the mark and to execute an indication of a shadow of the ball at the present movement position.

17. A computer program product relating to a ball game in which a player handles a movable ball on the ground, the computer program product causing a computer to execute:

a calculation of a trajectory of the moving ball;

a judgement of a height of the ball moving on the calculated trajectory at a present movement position;

an indication of a future movement position positioned ahead of the present movement position on a time axis by a mark on the ground, the mark following a movement position of the ball moving on the calculated trajectory; and

a change of a size and a color of the displayed mark in accordance with the judged height of the ball at the present movement position.

18. The computer program product according to claim 17, wherein the computer program product causes the computer to execute the change of the color of the mark just before or after the height of the moving ball reaches a peak.

19. The computer program product according to claim 18, wherein the computer program product causes the computer to execute fixing of a shape of the mark and a display position thereof when a positional relation between the moving ball and the player satisfies a predetermined condition.

20. The computer program product according to claim 17, wherein the computer program product causes the computer to execute fixing of the color of the mark and a display position thereof when a positional relation between the moving ball and the player satisfies a predetermined condition.

21. A ball game processing apparatus comprising:

a computer readable recording medium recording a program for realizing a ball game in which a ball is handled on the ground;

a computer for reading out at least a part of the program from the recording medium and executing at least the part of the program; and

a display for displaying the ball game realized by the program, wherein the computer reads out at least the part of the program from the recording medium to execute;

a calculation of a trajectory of a moving ball;

a judgement of a height of the ball moving on the calculated trajectory at a present movement position;

an indication of a future movement position positioned ahead of the present movement position on a time axis by a mark on the ground, the mark following a movement position of the ball moving on the calculated trajectory; and

a change of a size of the displayed mark in accordance with the judged height of the ball at the present movement position.

22. The ball game processing apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the program causes the computer to execute the display of the mark beneath the future movement position.

23. The ball game processing apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the program causes the computer to execute the display of the mark in an elliptical shape.

24. The ball game processing apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the program causes the computer to execute the display of the mark and to execute an indication of a shadow of the ball at the present movement position.

26. The ball game processing apparatus according to claim 21 or 25, wherein the program causes the computer to execute the change of the size of the mark so that the size of the mark gradually becomes large until the height of the moving ball reaches a peak while the size is made to follow rising of the ball, and the change of the size of the mark so that the size of the mark gradually becomes small after the height of the moving ball reaches the peak while the size is made to follow falling of the ball.

29. The ball game processing apparatus according to claim 21 or 25, wherein the program causes the computer to execute fixing of the size of the mark and a display position thereof when a positional relation between the moving ball and the player satisfies a predetermined condition.

25. A ball game processing apparatus comprising:

a computer readable recording medium recording a program for realizing a ball game in which a movable ball is handled on the ground;

a computer for reading out at least a part of the program from the recording medium and executing at least the part of the program; and

a display for displaying the ball game realized by the program, wherein the computer reads out at least the part of the program from the recording medium to execute;

a calculation of a trajectory of the moving ball;

a judgement of a height of the ball moving on the calculated trajectory at a present movement position;

an indication of a future movement position positioned ahead of the present movement position on a time axis by a mark displayed on the ground, the mark following a movement position of the ball moving on the calculated trajectory; and

a change of a size and a color of the mark in accordance with the judged height of the ball at the present movement position.

27. The ball game processing apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the program causes the computer to execute the change of the color of the mark just before or after the height of the moving ball reaches a peak.

28. The ball game processing apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the program causes the computer to execute fixing of a shape of the mark and a display position thereof when a positional relation between the moving ball and the player satisfies a predetermined condition.

30. The ball game processing apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the program causes the computer to execute fixing of the color of the mark and a display position thereof when a positional relation between the moving ball and the player satisfies a predetermined condition.

31. A ball game processing method for realizing a ball game in which a player handles a movable ball on the ground, the method comprising:

calculating a trajectory of a moving ball;

judging a height of the ball moving on the calculated trajectory at a present moving position;

indicating a future moving position positioned ahead of the present movement position on a time axis by a mark on the ground, the mark following a movement position of the ball moving on the calculated trajectory; and

changing a size of the displayed mark in accordance with the judged height of the ball at the present movement position.

32. The ball game processing method according to claim 31, wherein the size of the mark and a display position thereof are fixed when a positional relation between the moving ball and the player satisfies a predetermined condition.

33. The ball game processing method according to claim 31, wherein the mark is displayed beneath the future movement position.

34. The ball game processing method according to claim 31, wherein the mark is displayed in an elliptical shape.

35. The ball game processing method according to claim 31, wherein the mark is displayed and a shadow of the ball at the present movement position is displayed.

37. The ball game processing method according to claim 31 or 36, wherein the size of the mark is changed so that the size of the mark gradually becomes large until the height of the moving ball reaches a peak while the size is made to follow rising of the ball, and the size of the mark is changed so that the size of the mark gradually becomes small after the height of the moving ball reaches the peak while the size is made to follow falling of the ball.

36. A ball game processing method for realizing a ball game in which a player handles a movable ball on the ground, the method comprising:

calculating a trajectory of a moving ball;

judging a height of the ball moving on the calculated trajectory at a present moving position;

indicating a future moving position positioned ahead of the present movement position on a time axis by a mark on the ground, the mark following a movement position of the ball moving on the calculated trajectory; and

changing a size and a color of the displayed mark in accordance with the judged height of the ball at the present movement position.

38. The ball game processing method according to claim 36, wherein the color of the mark is changed just before or after the height of the moving ball reaches a peak.

39. The ball game processing method according to claim 38, wherein a shape of the mark and a display position thereof are fixed when a positional relation between the moving ball and the player satisfies a predetermined condition.

40. The ball game processing method according to claim 36, wherein the color of the mark and a display position thereof are fixed when a positional relation between the moving ball and the player satisfies a predetermined condition.