Sign perception system, game system, and computer-readable recording medium having game program recorded thereon

• US 6,642,917 B1
• Filed: 11/13/2000
• Issued: 11/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc. (BANDAI NAMCO Holdings Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Namco Limited (BANDAI NAMCO Holdings Inc.)
• Inventors: Koyama, Naoyuki, Tooyama, Shigeki
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, FRANCIS N
• Application Number:
  US09/709,442
• Time in Patent Office: 1,086 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156-158, 345/173-174, 463/36-39, 382/103, 382/203, 382/218
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

There is provided a game system which perceives a sign intended by a game player from the motion of a finger or hand of the player and controls the motions of game characters or the situation of a game in accordance with the sign. A game machine includes a received-light pattern detection apparatus for detecting the motion of a hand of a game player as a received-light pattern; a sign perception system for perceiving a sign from the received-light pattern input from the received-light pattern detection apparatus, and a main CPU for controlling a game in accordance with the sign perceived by the sign perception system.

Claims

1. A game system for controlling a game in accordance with a motion of a game player, comprising:

received-light pattern detection means for detecting the motion of the game player'"'"'s hand as a received-light pattern;

sign perception means for perceiving a sign from the received-light pattern input from the received-light pattern detection means; and

game control means for controlling a game in accordance with the sign perceived by the sign perception means

wherein said sign perception means includes

a coordinate determination processing section for determining coordinates from the received-light pattern data;

an inclination computation processing section for detecting a straight line from the coordinate data determined by the coordinate determination processing section, thereby computing the inclination of the straight line; and

a verification processing section for perceiving a sign by means of checking the inclination data computed by the inclination computation section against template data.

2. A computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program for controlling a game in accordance with a motion of a game player and causing a computer to perform

a sign perception function for perceiving a sign from a received-light pattern corresponding to the motion of a hand of the game player;

and

a game control function for controlling a game in accordance with the sign perceived by the sign perception function

wherein said sign perception function includes

a coordinate determination function for determining coordinates from the received-light pattern data;

an inclination computation function for computing an inclination of a straight line from the coordinate data determined by the coordinate determination function; and

a verification function for perceiving a sign by means of checking the inclination data computed by the inclination computation function against template data.

3. A sign perception system for perceiving a sign from received-light pattern data, comprising:

a coordinate determination processing section for determining coordinates from the received-light pattern data;

an inclination computation processing section for detecting a straight line from the coordinate data determined by the coordinate determination processing section, thereby computing the inclination of the straight line; and

a verification processing section for perceiving a sign by means of checking the inclination data computed by the inclination computation section against template data.

4. A sign perception system for perceiving a sign from received-light pattern data, comprising:

a coordinate determination processing section for determining coordinates from the received-light pattern data;

a data selection processing section for selecting the coordinate data determined by the coordinate determination section;

an angle computation processing section for computing angle data from the coordinate data selected by the data selection processing section;

an inclination computation processing section for detecting a straight line from the angle data computed by the angle computation processing section, thereby computing the inclination of the straight line; and

a verification processing section for perceiving a sign by means of checking the inclination data computed by the inclination computation section against template data.

5. A computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program for perceiving a sign from received-light pattern data and causing a computer to perform

a coordinate determination function for determining coordinates from the received-light pattern data;

an inclination computation function for computing an inclination of a straight line from the coordinate data determined by the coordinate determination function; and

a verification function for perceiving a sign by means of checking the inclination data computed by the inclination computation function against template data.

6. A game system for controlling a game in accordance with a motion of a game player, comprising:

received-light pattern detection means for detecting the motion of the game player'"'"'s hand as a received-light pattern;

sign perception means for perceiving a sign from the received-light pattern input from the received-light pattern detection means; and

game control means for controlling a game in accordance with the sign perceived by the sign perception means

wherein said game control means includes

target detecting means for detecting a target specified by the game player'"'"'s hand; and

attacking means for attacking the target in a way specified by the sign.

7. A computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program for controlling a game in accordance with a motion of a game player and causing a computer to perform

a sign perception function for perceiving a sign from a received-light pattern corresponding to the motion of a hand of the game player;

and

a game control function for controlling a game in accordance with the sign perceived by the sign perception function

wherein said game control function includes

target detecting function for detecting a target specified by the game player'"'"'s hand; and

attacking function for attacking the target in a way specified by the sign.