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

• US 6,491,585 B1
• Filed: 10/13/2000
• Issued: 12/10/2002
• 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): Harrison, Jessica
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHERUBIN, YVESTE GILBERTE
• Application Number:
  US09/689,729
• Time in Patent Office: 788 Days
• Field of Search: 463/32, 463/33, 463/30, 463/5, 463/31, 463/34-35, 463/7, 463/1, 463/36, 463/37-39, 345/419, 345/302
• US Class Current: 463/33
• 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 13/5252 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 13/95 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. For use with a video game system console having a game program executing processing system for executing a video game program to create a display simulating a three-dimensional world, and at least one player controller operable by a player to generate video game control signals, a storage device for controlling the operation of said video game system console comprising:

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

said video game instructions including instructions for initiating one of a plurality of 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 the displayed three-dimensional world in response to detecting the predetermined state.

2. A storage device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said video game instructions further include instructions for rotating the three-dimensional display perspective in response to a player actuating a predetermined control member.

3. A storage device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said video game instructions further include instructions for rotating the three-dimensional display perspective in response to a player actuating a joystick control member.

4. A storage device according to claim 1, wherein said memory media further includes instructions for responding to the actuation of a predetermined control key for changing the displayed point of view perspective.

5. A storage device as defined in claim 1, wherein the predetermined state of the player controlled character is one of a swimming and a flying state.

6. A storage device as defined in claim 1, wherein the predetermined state of the player controlled character is that the character is in a predetermined display area.

7. A storage device as defined in claim 6, wherein the predetermined display area is defined by a coordinate position of the character in a current display frame.