Video game apparatus, background sound output setting method in video game, and computer-readable recording medium storing background sound output setting program

• US 6,540,613 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2001
• Issued: 04/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Konami Corporation (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Okubo, Satoru, Araki, Shigeru
• Primary Examiner(s): Martin-Wallace, Valencia
• Assistant Examiner(s): Enatsky, Aaron L.
• Application Number:
  US09/804,512
• Publication Number:
  US 20010023202A1
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• Field of Search: 463/30, 463/32, 463/35, 381/19, 381/300, 381/303, 381/304, 381/305, 381/310
• US Class Current: 463/35
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/525 Changing parameters of virtual cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/54 involving acoustic signals, e.g. for simulating revolutions per minute [RPM] dependent engine sounds in a driving game or reverberation against a virtual wall
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6063 for sound processing
• 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 2300/8005 Athletics

Abstract

A video game apparatus in which a specified event is executed in a game space displayed on a monitor, and a plurality of background sounds having different attributes are outputted at a specified output ratio from a plurality of sound output units spaced apart from each other, comprising: a recording unit for storing the plurality of background sounds as background sound data, and a background sound control unit for setting the output ratio of the background sounds having different attributes to be output from the sound output units according to a viewing point and a viewing direction in the game space while reading the background sound data from the recording unit and outputting them from the plurality of sound output units.

Claims

1. A video game apparatus in which a specified event is executed in a game space displayed on a monitor, and a plurality of background sounds having different attributes are outputted at a specified output ratio from a plurality of sound output units spaced apart from each other, comprising:

a recording unit for storing the plurality of background sounds as background sound data, and

a background sound control unit for setting the output ratio of levels the background sounds output from at least two of the sound output units based on a relationship of a viewing point and a viewing direction to at least two virtual sound sources, each producing same ones of the background sounds, in the game space while reading the background sound data from the recording unit and outputting the background sounds from the plurality of sound output units,

wherein the output ratio of the background sounds is calculated in accordance with a ratio between a first distance and a second distance where said first distance is a space between the viewing point and a first one of the virtual sound sources and a second distance is a space between the viewing point and a second one of the virtual sound sources.

2. A video game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the background sound control unit includes a background sound output unit for further setting the output ratio of the background sounds to be output from the sound output units according to a corresponding one of the attributes.

3. A video game apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the background sound output unit includes an output ratio calculating unit for calculating the output ratio of the background sounds to be output from the sound output units according to the attribute, and a volume setting unit for setting a volume of the background sounds to be outputted from respective ones of the sound output units at the output ratio calculated by the output ratio calculating unit.

4. A video game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the output ratio of the background sounds is calculated using a correction coefficient which is set in advance for each of the background sounds in addition to said ratio between the first distance and the second distance.

5. A video game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the output ratio of the background sounds is calculated based on said first distance and said second distance in addition to said ratio between the first distance and the second distance.

6. A background sound output setting method in a video game in which a specified event is executed in a game space displayed on a monitor, and a plurality of background sounds having different attributes are outputted at a specified output ratio from a plurality of sound output units spaced apart from each other, comprising the steps of:

reading the background sound data from a recording unit for storing the plurality of background sounds having different attributes,

outputting the read background sound data as background sounds from the plurality of sound output units, and

setting the output ratio of levels the background sounds output from at least two of the sound output units based on a relationship of a viewing point and a viewing direction to at least two virtual sound sources, each producing same ones of the background sounds, in the game space,

wherein the output ratio of the background sounds is calculated in accordance with a ratio between a first distance and a second distance where said first distance is a space between the viewing point and a first one of the virtual sound sources and a second distance is a space between the viewing point and a second one of the virtual sound sources.

7. A background sound output setting method according to claim 6, wherein the output ratio of the background sounds to be output from the sound output units is also calculated according to a corresponding one of the attributes, and a volume of the background sound to be output from the respective sound output units is set at the output ratio.

8. A background sound output setting method according to claim 6, wherein the attributes of the background sounds are characterized by frequencies thereof, and the output ratios of ones of the background sounds including one of high-frequency sound components and low-frequency sound components vary less than other ones of the background sounds including intermediate-frequency sound components.

9. A computer readable recording medium storing a background sound output setting program in a video game in which a specified event is executed in a game space displayed on a monitor, and a plurality of background sounds having different attributes are outputted at a specified output ratio from a plurality of sound output units spaced apart from each other, wherein the output ratio of the background sounds output from at least two of the sound output units is set based on a relationship a viewing point and a viewing direction to at least two virtual sound sources, each producing same ones of the background sounds, in the game space while background sound data of the background sounds is read from a recording unit and output from the plurality of sound output units,

wherein the output ratio of the background sounds is calculated in accordance with a ratio between a first distance and a second distance where said first distance is a space between the viewing point and a first one of the virtual sound sources and a second distance is a space between the viewing point and a second one of the virtual sound sources.

10. A computer readable recording medium according to claim 9, wherein the output ratio of the background sounds to be output from the sound output units is also calculated according to a corresponding one of the attributes, and a volume of the background sound to be output from the respective sound output units is set at the output ratio.

11. A computer readable recording medium according to claim 9, wherein the output ratios are also calculated based on an assumption that the virtual sound sources of the background sounds are located at the left and right sides with respect to the viewing direction in the game space when the sound output units are located at the left and right sides of the monitor.

12. A computer readable recording medium according to claim 9, wherein the attributes of the background sounds are characterized by frequencies thereof, and the output ratios of ones of the background sounds including one of high-frequency sound components and low-frequency sound components vary less than other ones of the background sounds including intermediate-frequency sound components.

13. A video game apparatus for playing a game in a virtual game space displayed on a monitor, comprising:

a memory storing image data, a game program, and sound data including at least a first background sound data for producing a first background sound;

a control means for displaying on said monitor at least a portion of said virtual game space based on a viewpoint position and viewpoint direction calculated based on said game program data, said virtual game space having a perimeter boundary;

at least first and second sound output units that are spaced apart from each other;

a background sound control unit for driving said first and second sound output units via first and second channels to output said first background sound from each of said first and second sound output units at respective first and second output levels, said first and second output levels being determined at least in part based on an output ratio determined by a spacial relationship of said viewpoint position, said viewpoint direction and first and second virtual sound sources in said virtual game space;

said background sound control unit setting positions of said first and second virtual sound sources on said perimeter boundary;

an event arena in the virtual game space defining said perimeter boundary, said perimeter boundary being a rectangle; and

said first and second virtual sound sources being located at intersections of a line with said perimeter boundary, said line passing through said viewpoint position and normal to said viewpoint direction.

14. The game apparatus according to claim 13 wherein the background sound control unit sets the output ratio based on a ratio of a first distance between said viewpoint position and said first virtual sound source to a second distance between said viewpoint position and said second virtual sound source.

15. The game apparatus according to claim 13 wherein the background sound control unit sets the first and second output levels based on:

a first ratio of a first distance between said viewpoint position and said first virtual sound source to a separation distance between said first and second virtual sound sources; and

a second ratio of a second distance between said viewpoint position and said second virtual sound source said separation distance between said first and second virtual sound sources.

16. The game apparatus according to claim 13 wherein the background sound control unit sets the output ratio based on a ratio of a first distance between said viewpoint position and said first virtual sound source to a second distance between said viewpoint position and said second virtual sound source.