Recording medium having programs to display frames stored therein, game display method for executing frame-by-frame display, and game displaying apparatus

• US 6,758,752 B1
• Filed: 05/30/2000
• Issued: 07/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Square Enix
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Square Enix
• Inventors: Miyagawa, Yoshiyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrison, Jessica
• Assistant Examiner(s): Coburn, Corbett B.
• Application Number:
  US09/580,571
• Time in Patent Office: 1,498 Days
• Field of Search: 463/31, 345/213, 345/545
• US Class Current: 463/31
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/44 involving timing of operations, e.g. performing an action within a time slot
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/52 involving aspects of the displayed game scene
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/203 Image generating hardware
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/63 for controlling the execution of the game in time

Abstract

Display change cycle of images having a different processing load is coincident with the load. After completion of the generation of a frame image, the generation of a vertical synchronization signal is awaited, and a frame buffer is changed. In synchronization with the change of the frame buffer, the generation of a next frame image is started. A generation time of the immediately preceding frame image is measured using one frame cycle as a unit. The measured value is used as a predicted value of the generation time of a frame image to be generated. The measured value is thus determined as it is as a value of the game progression degree that the next frame image should have. When the game flows have been determined, respective polygons constituting each of a group of objects constituting the next frame image are calculated with respect to the position and orientation after lapse of the frame period corresponding to the number of the game progression degree value. Based on the calculation results, image data representing the figures that shows the respective polygons are stored in the frame buffer.

Claims

1. A recording medium readable by a computer, storing programs to execute frame-by-frame display in synchronization with reference signals generated in a fixed cycle, wherein said programs cause said computer:

to judge a processing load in response to an operation input;

to dynamically adjust synchronization timing between the reference signals generated at said fixed cycle and frame-by-frame display in response to said judged processing load, an adjustment amount always varying by an amount directly related to a variation amount of the judged processing load; and

to execute frame-by-frame display at said adjusted synchronization timing.

2. A recording medium as set forth in claim 1, wherein in execution of frame-by-frame display, an image to be frame-displayed at said adjusted synchronization timing is generated.

3. A recording medium as set forth in claim 1, wherein in execution of frame-by-frame display, if any reference signal for which no synchronization timing has been secured exists, generation of an image to be frame-displayed by said corresponding reference signal is omitted.

4. A recording medium readable by a computer, in which programs for a video game executed by said computer are stored, wherein said programs cause said computer:

to sequentially generate a plurality of frame images constituting a video game;

to display said generated plurality of frame images by changing the same;

to predict a time of generation of the frame images when said frame images are generated;

to determine a degree of progress to be advanced by said frame images, depending on the time of generation of the predicted frame images; and

to select a next frame image to synchronize with the determined degree of progress.

5. A recording medium as set forth in claim 4, wherein the predicted generation time comprises a time expressed by using as the unit a frame image display cycle as the minimum display changeover duration of said plurality of displayed frame images.

6. A recording medium readable by a computer, in which programs for a video game executed by said computer are stored, wherein said programs cause said computer:

to sequentially generate a plurality of frame images constituting a video game;

to display said plurality of generated frame images by changing the same;

to measure a time of generation of an immediately preceding frame image when the preceding frame image is generated; and

to determine a degree of progress of a game to be advanced by the corresponding frame images, depending on the time of generation of said immediately preceding measured frame image; and

to select a next frame image to synchronize with the determined degree of game progress.

7. A recording medium readable by a computer, in which programs for a video game executed by said computer are stored, wherein said programs cause said computer:

to sequentially generate a plurality of frame images constituting a video game in synchronization with completion of generation of the frame image preceding the generated frame images;

to display said plurality of generated frame images so as to change over and display said plurality of generated frame images in synchronization with appointed clock signals having a frame image display cycle being the minimum duration of changing over display of said plurality of frame images, after the completion of generation of each of said plurality of frame images;

to predict a time of generation of the frame images when said plurality of frame images are generated;

to determine a degree of progress of a game to be advanced by the frame images, depending on the time of generation of said predicted frame images; and

to select a next frame image to synchronize with the determined degree of game progress.

8. A recording medium as set forth in claim 7, wherein in generation of frame images, the next frame image is generated in synchronization with said clock signal after the completion of said plurality of respective frame images.

9. A game displaying method for executing frame-by-frame display in-synchronization with reference signals generated at a fixed cycle, comprising:

judging a processing load in response to an operating input;

dynamically adjusting a synchronization timing between the reference signals generated at said fixed cycle and the frame-by-frame display in response with a judged processing load, an adjustment amount always varying by an amount directly related to an amount the judged processing load varies; and

executing frame-by-frame display at said adjusted synchronization timing.

10. A game displaying method as set forth in claim 9, wherein said frame-by-frame display executing generates an image to be frame-displayed at the adjusted synchronization timing.

11. A game displaying method as set forth in claim 9, wherein said frame-by-frame executing omits generation of an image to be frame-displayed by a reference signal where the reference signal for which an adjusted synchronization timing is not secured.

12. A game display method comprising:

sequentially generating a plurality of frame images constituting a video game;

displaying a plurality of generated frame images by changing over said plurality of frame images;

predicting a time of generation of the frame images when said frame images are generated;

determining a degree of progress of a game to be advanced by the frame images, depending on the time of generation of the predicted frame images; and

selecting a next frame image to synchronize with the determined degree of progress.

13. A game display method comprising:

sequentially generating a plurality of frame images constituting a video game;

displaying a plurality of generated frame images by changing over said plurality of frame images;

measuring a time of generation of an immediately preceding frame image when the immediately preceding frame image is generated;

determining a degree of progress of a game to be advanced by the corresponding frame image, depending on the time of generation of the immediately preceding frame image; and

selecting a next frame image to synchronize with the determined degree of game progress.

14. A game display method, comprising:

sequentially generating a plurality of frame images, which constitute a video game, in synchronization with the completion of generation of frame images preceding the generated frame images;

displaying a plurality of generated frame images so that said plurality of generated frame images are changed over and displayed in synchronization with appointed clock signals having a frame image display cycle being the minimum duration of display changeover of said plurality of frame images after the completion of generation of each of said plurality of respective frame images;

predicting a time of generation of the frame images when said frame images are generated;

determining a game progressing degree to be advanced by the frame images, depending on the time of generation of the corresponding predicted frame images; and

selecting a next frame image to synchronize with the determined degree of game progress.

15. A game display apparatus for executing frame-by-frame display in synchronization with a reference signal generated at a fixed cycle, comprising:

a system that judges a processing load in response to an operating input;

a system that dynamically adjusts the synchronization timing with the reference signal generated at said fixed cycle and frame-by-frame display, in response to the processing load judged by said judging system, an adjustment amount always varying by an amount directly related to an amount the judged processing load varies; and

a system that executes frame-by-frame display at the adjusted synchronized timing.

16. A game display apparatus as set forth in claim 15, wherein said executing system generates an image to be frame-displayed at the synchronized timing adjusted by said adjusting system.

17. A game display apparatus as set forth in claim 15, wherein said executing system omits generation of an image to be frame-displayed by said reference signal where there is a reference signal for which the synchronization timing is not secured by said adjusting system.

18. A game display apparatus, comprising:

a generator that sequentially generates a plurality of frame images which constitute a video game, in synchronization with completion of generation of frame images preceding the respective frame images;

a display that displays said plurality of frame images generated by generator so that said plurality of generated frame images are changed over and displayed in synchronization with appointed clock signals having a frame image display cycle being the minimum duration of display changeover of said plurality of frame images after the completion of generation of each of said plurality of frame images;

a predicting system that predicts a time of generation of the frame images when said plurality of frame images are generated;

a determining system that determines a game progressing degree to be advanced by the frame images, depending on the time of generation of the predicted frame images; and

a selecter that selects a next frame image to synchronize with the determined degree of game progress.