Game system, computer readable storage medium storing game program and image displaying method

• US 6,835,136 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2001
• Issued: 12/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Konami Computer Entertainment Japan, Inc. (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Kitao, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KIM T
• Application Number:
  US09/815,571
• Publication Number:
  US 20010024972A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,376 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463/30, 463/31, 463/32, 463/33, 463/34, 463/36, 463/37, 463/38, 463/43
• US Class Current: 463/33
• 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 13/5258 by dynamically adapting the position of the virtual camera to keep a game object or game character in its viewing frustum, e.g. for tracking a character or a ball
• 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 13/833 Hand-to-hand fighting, e.g. martial arts competition A63F13/837 takes precedence
• 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 2300/6653 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 2300/6684 by dynamically adapting its position to keep a game object in its viewing frustrum, e.g. for tracking a character or a ball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8029 Fighting without shooting

Abstract

Game system in which an object is arranged in a virtual three-dimensional space including a display device, an input device for outputting signals according to player operations and a game control device for executing a game according to a program while checking the output of the input device and displaying a visual field image including the object on the display device. The visual field image is viewed from a predetermined view point position in the virtual three-dimensional space. The game control device includes a position determining device for determining whether to view the object from a first view point position which is a back and slightly inclined position toward a moving direction of the object to view an observation position set forward the object, or from a second view point position from which the observation point is viewed in a fixed direction regardless of the movement of the object.

Claims

1. A game system in which an object is arranged in a virtual three-dimensional space, comprising:

a display device for displaying a game screen;

an input device for outputting signals according to operations by a player; and

a game control device for executing a game according to a predetermined program while checking the output of the input device and displaying a visual field image including said object moving to a moving direction on the game screen through the display device, the visual field image being viewed from a view point position in the virtual three-dimensional space,

wherein the game control device comprises;

a position determining device for determining a view point position between a first view point position which is a back and slightly inclined position toward the moving don of said object to view an observation point set forward of said object moving to the moving direction, and a second view point position 0 a side of said object relative to the moving direction and from which the observation point is viewed fixed regardless of the movement of said object in accordance with a state of said object; and

a switch control device for switching between the first view point position and the second viewpoint position when said object reaches a predetermined position, the switch control device being arranged to move between the first and second view point positions on a line between them when they are switched, and while switching been the first and second view point positions, displaying the view field image from moving view point positions on the line between the first and second view point positions.

2. A game system according to claim 1, wherein the position determining device is arranged to situate the second view point position aslant and to the side of said object such that the side of said object is viewed on the game screen.

3. A game system displaying an image on the game screen captured by a virtual camera from a predetermined view point position to an object moving in a virtual three-dimensional space in accordance with a player'"'"'s operation, wherein the game system comprises:

a view point position setting device for setting a first view point position which is a back and slightly inclined position toward a moving direction of sad object to view an observation point set forward of said object moving to the moving direction and a second view point position relative to the moving direction and from which the observation point is viewed fixed regardless of the movement of said object in accordance with a state of said object; and

a virtual camera setting device for arranging said virtual camera by switching alternatively said first view point position to said second view point position corresponding to a state of said object and for moving said virtual camera along a virtual line connecting said first viewpoint position with said second view point position while keeping a state of capturing said object when the view point position is switched.

4. A computer readable recording medium recording a program for allowing a computer, included in a game system in which an object is arranged in a viral three-dimensional space, to function as the following:

a display device for displaying a game screen;

an input device for outputting signals according to operations by a player; and

a game control device for executing a game according to the program while checking the output of the input device and displaying a visual field image including said object moving in a moving direction on the game screen through the display device, the visual field image being viewed from a view point position in the virtual three-dimensional space,

wherein the game control device comprises;

a position determining device for determining one view point position between a first view point position which is a back and slightly inclined position toward the moving direction of said object to view an observation point set forward of said object moving to the moving direction, and a second view point position on a side of said object relative to the moving direction and from which the observation point is viewed fixed regardless of the movement of said object in accordance with a state of said object; and

a switch control device for switching between the first view point position and the second viewpoint position when said object reaches a predetermined position, the switch control device being arranged to move between the first and second view point positions on a line between them when they are switched, and while switching between the first and second view point positions, displaying the view field image from moving view point positions on the line between the first and second view point positions.

5. A computer readable recording medium according to claim 4, wherein the position determining device is arranged to situate the second view point position aslant to the side of said object such that the side of said object is viewed on the game screen.

6. A computer readable storage medium including a program for allowing a computer constituting a game system, the game system displaying a picture captured by a virtual camera from a predetermined view point position to an object moving in accordance with a players operation in a virtual three-dimensional space, to function as:

a view point position setting device for setting a first view point position to which is a back and slightly inclined position toward a moving direction of said object to view an observation point set forward of said object moving to the moving direction and a second view point position on aside of said object relative to the moving direction and from which the observation point is viewed fixed regardless of the movement of said object in accordance wit a state of said object; and

a virtual camera setting device for arranging said virtual camera by switching said fit view point position alternatively to said second view point position corresponding to a state of said object, and for moving said vital camera along a virtual line connecting said first view point position to said second view point position while keeping a state of capturing said object when the view point position is switched.

7. An image display method for a game system in which an object is arranged in a virtual three-dimensional space, the game system including a display device for displaying a game screen, an input device for outputting signals according to operations by a player, and a game control device for executing a game according to the program while checking the output of the input device and displaying a visual field image including said object moving to a moving direction on the game screen through the display device, the visual field image being viewed from a view point position in the virtual three-dimensional space, the method comprising the steps of:

determining one view point position between a first view point position which is a back and slightly inclined position toward the moving direction of said object to view an observation point set forward of said object moving to the moving direction, and a second view point position on a side of said object relative to the moving direction and from which an observation point is viewed fixed regardless of the movement of said object in accordance with state of said object; and

switching between the first view point position and the second view point position when said object reaches a predetermined position by moving between the first and second view point positions on a line between them and while switching between the first and second view point positions, displaying the view field image from moving viewpoint positions on the line between the first and second viewpoint positions.

8. A method according to claim 7, further comprising the step of determining the second viewpoint position as a position aslant and to the side of said object such that the side of said object is viewed on the game screen.

9. An image displaying method displaying a visual field image viewed from a predetermined view point position by a virtual camera toward an object moving in accordance with a player'"'"'s operation in a virtual three-dimensional space, comprising;

a view point position setting device for setting a first view point position for which is a back and slightly inclined position toward a moving direction of said object to view an observation point set forward of said object moving to the moving direction, and a second view point position on a side of said object relative to the moving direction and from which the observation point is viewed fixed regardless of the movement of said object in accordance with a state of said object; and

a virtual camera setting device for arranging said virtual camera by alternatively switching said first view point position to said second view point position in accordance with a state of said object, and moving said virtual camera along a line connecting said first view point position with said second view point position while keeping a state of capturing said operas object when the view point position is switched.