Three-dimensional image processing apparatus

• US 6,778,190 B1
• Filed: 05/11/1999
• Issued: 08/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Kawagoe, Takumi, Koshima, Kazuo, Nishiumi, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Brier, Jeffrey
• Assistant Examiner(s): HARRISON, CHANTE E
• Application Number:
  US09/309,375
• Time in Patent Office: 1,925 Days
• Field of Search: 345/419, 345/679, 345/473, 345/672, 345/680, 345/418, 345/474, 345/619, 463/33, 463/38
• US Class Current: 345/619
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/213 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells A63F13/219, A63F13/655 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/22 Setup operations, e.g. calibration, key configuration or button assignment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/23 for interfacing with the game device, e.g. specific interfaces between game controller and console
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/24 Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/42 by mapping the input signals into game commands, e.g. mapping the displacement of a stylus on a touch screen to the steering angle of a virtual vehicle
• 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 13/577 using determination of contact between game characters or objects, e.g. to avoid collision between virtual racing cars
• 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 2300/1025 details of the interface with the game device, e.g. USB version detection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1037 being specially adapted for converting control signals received from the game device into a haptic signal, e.g. using force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1043 being characterized by constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1087 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. a camera
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/206 Game information storage, e.g. cartridges, CD ROM's, DVD's, smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands
• 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 2300/643 by determining the impact between objects, e.g. collision detection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/66 for rendering three dimensional images
• 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 2300/8005 : Athletics
• 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 2009/04777 : with additional push or pull action on the handle
• 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 11/20 : using active fault-masking, e.g. by switching out faulty elements or by switching in spare elements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/013 : Force feedback applied to a game
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/015 : Force feedback applied to a joystick
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 : Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 : Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• 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 15/20 : Perspective computation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30244 : Camera pose
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/70 : Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras camera calibration G06T7/80

Abstract

A three-dimension image processing apparatus includes a CPU. When the CPU detects by collision determination that another object, e.g., a wall, is existent between an operable object and a camera, it calculates such a moving angle of the camera that an eye of the camera to the operable object is not obstructed by the other object. The camera is moved in accordance with the moving angle to a position where the operable object and the other object existing in a photographed three-dimensional space are displayed on a display.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus for use in displaying an image of a first object and a second object existing in a three-dimensional space from a predetermined point of view, comprising:

an external memory for storing data relating to the first object, the second object, and a predetermined program;

an input device which inputs data that alters the position of one of the first object and the second object in the three-dimensional space;

object position data generating circuitry which generates object position data so as to alter the position of at one of the first object and the second object in the three-dimensional space;

three-dimensional data generating circuitry for creating three-dimensional data based on the data stored in said external memory and the object position data;

a point of view position data generator for generating position data representative of a point of view position in the three-dimensional space for viewing the first object;

a detector for automatically detecting whether or not the second object is existent between the viewing position and the first object position;

point of view position data altering processing circuitry for automatically altering the point of view position data such that the second object is not existent between the point of view position and the first object position when said detector detects existence of the second object;

a display data generator for displaying the image of the first object from a predetermined position in the three-dimensional space based on the three-dimensional data and the point of view position data; and

image signal generating circuitry which outputs an image signal to said display based on the display data created by said display data creating generator.

2. A three-dimension image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said detector includes collision determining circuitry which determines whether or not the first object collides with the second object.

3. A three-dimensional image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first object is a player controlled object, and wherein said point of view position data altering processing circuitry includes a moving-angle setting means which sets a moving angle at which the second object becomes nonexistent between the point of view position and the player controlled object position.

4. A video game system comprising:

a removable external memory for storing a video game program and for storing image data representative of a first object and a second object;

a memory port for receiving said external memory;

a game program executing processing system for executing said video game program to generate a three-dimensional world display;

at least one player controller coupled to said game program executing processing system operable by a player including a plurality of control keys for generating video game control signals for controlling the position of one of a first object and a second object;

said external memory including point of view modifying instructions for automatically determining in response to a player'"'"'s control key actuation when an obstructed view exists of said first object or said second object and for modifying the displayed three-dimensional world point of view in order to enable unobstructed viewing of one of said first object and said second object.

5. A video game system according to claim 4, wherein the first object is a player controlled object, and wherein said three-dimensional world is displayed in accordance with a first camera mode and wherein said point of view modifying instructions cause said game program executing processing system to detect whether a player controlled character has been controlled to be in a predetermined display state, and for automatically changing from said first camera mode to another camera mode if said predetermined display state is detected.

6. A video game system according to claim 4, wherein the first object is a player controlled object, and wherein said point of view modifying instructions cause said game program executing processing system to detect whether said second object exists between the player controlled character and a current point of view perspective such that the player controlled character would not be visible on a display screen and changing the current point of view such that the player controlled character will be displayed.

7. For use in a video game system having an external memory for storing a video game program, a game program executing processing system for executing said video game program, at least one player controller operable by a player for generating player controller related data, said player controller having a plurality of player control switches, a method of operating said video game system comprising the steps of:

generating a first three-dimensional world display from a first point of view in which a first object and a second object are depicted in the three-dimensional world;

detecting in response to player manipulation of one of said player control switches whether there is an obstructed view of the first or second object and a need to change the first point of view display in order to enable unobstructed viewing of one of said first object and said second object, and

automatically generating a second three-dimensional world display from a second point of view in response to detecting said need to change the first point of view display.

8. For use with a video game system console having a game program executing processing system for executing said video game program to create a display simulating a three-dimensional world, and at least one player controller having a plurality of control keys and operable by a player to generate video game control signals, a portable 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 causing said game program executing processing system in response to a player'"'"'s actuation of at least one of said control keys to execute instructions for automatically changing the displayed point of view perspective in a displayed three-dimensional world upon detecting an obstructed view of a first object by another object such that the first object can be continuously viewed without obstruction from other objects in said three-dimensional world.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the first object is a player controlled object, and further including the steps of detecting whether said second object exists between the player controlled character and a current point of view perspective such that the player controlled character would not be visible on a display screen with respect to the current point of view;

and changing the current point of view such that the player controlled character will be displayed.

10. A portable storage device in accordance with claim 8, wherein said controller includes a joystick control member and wherein said video game instructions further include instructions for rotating the three-dimensional display perspective in response to a player actuating said joystick control member.

11. A portable storage device in accordance with claim 8, wherein the first object is a player controlled object, wherein said video game instructions further include instructions for detecting whether a second object exists between the player controlled character and a current point of view perspective such that the player controlled character would not be visible on a display screen when viewed from said current point of view perspective and changing the current point of view such that the player controlled character will be displayed.

12. For use with a video game system console having a game program executing processing system for executing said video game program to generate a three-dimensional world display, and at least one player controller operable by a player to generate video game control signals and including command processing circuitry;

a portable storage device for controlling the operation of said video game system console comprising;

a memory media for storing video game instructions and graphics data for at least a first object;

a memory media interface for coupling said video game instructions and said graphics data retrieved from said memory media to said video game system console;

said video game instructions including at least one player controller related instruction for causing said game program executing processing system to send a command to said player controller for decoding and processing, said video game instructions further including point of view modifying instructions for automatically determining in response to a player'"'"'s operation of said player controller when an obstructed view exists of said first object and for modifying the displayed three-dimensional world point of view in order to maintain an unobstructed view of said first object in said three-dimensional world.