Video game device, method and medium with program for character control based on measured moving time and position

• US 6,544,125 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2001
• Issued: 04/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Konami Corporation (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Konami Corporation (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Nakano, Yosuke, Mukai, Shinsuke, Horigami, Atsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheng, Joe H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MENDOZA, ROBERT J
• Application Number:
  US09/846,396
• Publication Number:
  US 20010039207A1
• Time in Patent Office: 706 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1-8, 463/36, 463/37, 463/38, 345/156-162, 273/140
• US Class Current: 463/38
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/422 automatically for the purpose of assisting the player, e.g. automatic braking in a driving game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/57 Simulating properties, behaviour or motion of objects in the game world, e.g. computing tyre load in a car race game A63F13/56 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/822 Strategy games; Role-playing games A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6054 by generating automatically game commands to assist the player, e.g. automatic braking in a driving 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

Abstract

A method and a video game device are provided which makes a game character perform different actions according to a moving range or a moving speed of an analog button manipulated by a game player. When the analog button is moved to an adjacent point, the game character is controlled to change a posture of holding a sword. When the analog button is moved to a non-adjacent point, the game character is controlled to change a posture of holding the sword or attack enemies by slashing the sword, according to the moving speed of the analog button.

Claims

1. A video game device which controls operations of a game character according to manipulations of a button by a game player, comprising:

a measuring unit which measures a moving time from a time instant at which the button leaves a first position to another time instant at which the button reaches a second position, the button being moved from the first position to the second position by the game player;

a character control unit which controls to make the game character perform operations according to the measured moving time; and

a position determining unit which determines a position relationship between the first and the second positions and which also determines whether or not the second position belongs within a predetermined area adjacent to the first position;

the character control unit being operative to make the game character perform operations according to a combination of the measured moving time and the determined position relationship and comprising;

(1) a first control unit which makes the game character change a posture of holding a sword when the position determining unit determines that the second position is adjacent to the first position;

(2) a second control unit which makes the game character change a posture of holding the sword when the position determining unit determines that the second position is not adjacent to the first position and when the moving time of the button exceeds a predetermined time; and

(3) a third control unit which makes the game character slash the sword when the position determining unit determines that the second position is not adjacent to the first position and when the moving time of the button is within the predetermined time.

2. The video game device of claim 1, wherein the direction of the slashing of the sword and the direction of the changing the posture of holding the sword are determined according to the moving direction of the button from the first position to the second position.

3. A method for use in a video game device to control operations of a game character according to manipulations of a button by a game player, comprising the steps of:

measuring a moving time from a time instant at which the button leaves a first position to another time instant at which the button reaches a second position, the button being moved from the first position to the second position by the game player;

controlling to make the game character perform operations according to the measured moving time; and

determining a position relationship between the first and the second positions and which also determines whether or not the second position belongs within a predetermined area adjacent to the first position;

the character control step being operative to make the game character perform operations according to a combination of the measured moving time and the determined position relationship and comprising the steps of;

making the game character change a posture of holding a sword when the position determining unit determines that the second position is adjacent to the first position;

making the game character change a posture of holding the sword when the position determining unit determines that the second position is not adjacent to the first position and when the moving time of the button exceeds a predetermined time; and

making the game character slash the sword when the position determining unit determines that the second position is not adjacent to the first position and when the moving time of the button falls within the predetermined time.

4. A recording medium which is readable by a computer and which stores a program composed of instructions executable by the computer to perform a method of controlling operations of a game character according to manipulations of a button by a game player, the method comprising the steps of:

measuring a moving time from a time instant at which the button leaves a first position to another time instant at which the button reaches a second position, the button being moved from the first position to the second position by the game player;

controlling to make the game character perform operations according to the measured moving time; and

determining a position relationship between the first and the second positions and which also determines whether or not the second position belongs within a predetermined area adjacent to the first position;

the character control step being operative to make the game character perform operations according to a combination of the measured moving time and the determined position relationship and comprising the steps of;

making the game character change a posture of holding a sword when the position determining unit determines that the second position is adjacent to the first position;

making the game character change a posture of holding the sword when the position determining unit determines that the second position is not adjacent to the first position and when the moving time of the button exceeds a predetermined time; and

making the game character slash the sword when the position determining unit determines that the second position is not adjacent to the first position and when the moving time of the button falls within the predetermined time.