Image generating system and program

• US 7,119,817 B1
• Filed: 07/21/2000
• Issued: 10/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc. (BANDAI NAMCO Holdings Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Namco Bandai Games Inc. (BANDAI NAMCO Holdings Inc.)
• Inventors: Kawakami, Masahide
• Primary Examiner(s): Tung, Kee M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): RAHMJOO, MANUCHEHR
• Application Number:
  US09/787,402
• Time in Patent Office: 2,272 Days
• Field of Search: 345/646, 345/606, 345/619, 345/629, 345/642
• US Class Current: 345/646
• 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 13/52 involving aspects of the displayed game scene
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/837 Shooting of targets
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/66 for rendering three dimensional images
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6638 for simulating particle systems, e.g. explosion, fireworks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8076 Shooting
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/60 of natural phenomena, e.g. rain, snow, water or plants
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/20 Editing of 3D images, e.g. changing shapes or colours, aligning objects or positioning parts
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/2008 Assembling, disassembling
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/2016 Rotation, translation, scaling
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/2021 Shape modification

Abstract

There are provided an image generating system and program which can generate an image of an object variable in its state depending on an impacted position, in real-time with less amount of data and reduced load in computation. The image generating system generates an image of an aggregate object formed by a plurality of part objects. The image generating system comprises: an object determination section (120) which determines part objects within a predetermined area in the aggregate object as objects to be changed in display form when an impact is applied to the aggregate object and the impacted position is included within the predetermined area; and an image generation section (160) which changes at least one of shape, color, position, rotation angle, direction, moving direction and moving speed of the part objects determined as objects to be changed and generates an image. The aggregate object may be formed by assembling a plurality of part objects having different shapes without any gaps. The image of the aggregate object may be generated as an image of a single object before the impact is applied thereto and as an image of an aggregate object after the impact.

Claims

1. An image generating system which generates an image of an aggregate object formed by a plurality of part objects, the system comprising:

object determination means that determines which part objects within a predetermined area in the aggregate object are objects to be changed in display form when an impact is applied to the aggregate object, thereby simulating breakage of the aggregate object, where at least one part object spatially separates and remains separated from the aggregate object and the impacted position is included within the predetermined area; and

image generation means which changes at least one of shape, position, rotation angle, direction, moving direction and moving speed of the part objects determined as objects to be changed and generates an image.

2. The image generating system as defined in claim 1,

wherein an area in which the display form of the part objects is changed is determined in accordance with at least one of the magnitude of the impact, the direction of the impact and the type of the aggregate object.

3. The image generating system as defined in claim 1,

wherein an area in which the display form of the part objects is changed is randomly determined.

4. The image generating system as defined in claim 1, further comprising means which changes the display form of the part objects which are spaced further from the impacted position that change at a later time than the display form of the part objects closer to the impacted position.

5. The image generating system as defined in claim 1, further comprising means which changes the part objects which have already been changed to a first display form to further change to a second display form after a given time period has elapsed.

6. The image generating system as defined in claim 1,

wherein a plurality of image patterns used to generate images of the part objects after the change by the impact are previously provided;

and

wherein the images of the part objects after the change by the impact are generated based on an image pattern selected from the plurality of image patterns.

7. The image generating system as defined in claim 1,

wherein the aggregate object is formed by assembling the part objects having different shapes without any gaps.

8. The image generating system as defined in claim 1,

wherein an image of the aggregate object is generated as an image of a single object before the impact is applied to the aggregate object, and the image is generated as an image of the aggregate object formed by the plurality of part objects after the impact.

9. A computer-readable program embodied on an information storage medium or in a carrier wave, storing information for operating an image generating system which generates an image of an aggregate object formed by a plurality of part objects, the program comprising information necessary for implementing:

object determination means that determines which part objects within a predetermined area in the aggregate object are objects to be changed in display form when an impact is applied to the aggregate object, thereby simulating breakage of the aggregate object, where at least one part object spatially separates and remains separated from the aggregate object and the impacted position is included within the predetermined area; and

image generation means which changes at least one of shape, position, rotation angle, direction, moving direction and moving speed of the part objects determined as objects to be changed and generates an image.

10. The computer-readable program embodied on an information storage medium or in a carrier wave as defined in claim 9, further comprising information necessary for determining an area in which the display form of the part objects is changed in accordance with at least one of the magnitude of the impact, the direction of the impact and the type of the aggregate object.

11. The computer-readable program embodied on an information storage medium or in a carrier wave as defined in claim 9, further comprising information necessary for randomly determining an area in which the display form of the part objects is changed.

12. The computer-readable program embodied on an information storage medium or in a carrier wave as defined in claim 9, further comprising information necessary for changing the display form of the part objects which are spaced more apart from the impacted position with more delay.

13. The computer-readable program embodied on an information storage medium or in a carrier wave as defined in claim 9, further comprising information necessary for changing the part objects which have already been changed to a first display form into a second display form after a given time period has elapsed.

14. The computer-readable program embodied on an information storage medium or in a carrier wave as defined in claim 9, further comprising information necessary for:

previously providing a plurality of image patterns used to generate images of the part objects after the change by the impact; and

generating the images of the part objects after the change by the impact based on an image pattern selected from the plurality of image patterns.

15. The computer-readable program embodied on an information storage medium or in a carrier wave as defined in claim 9, further comprising information necessary for forming the aggregate object by assembling the part objects having different shapes without any gaps.

16. The computer-readable program embodied on an information storage medium or in a carrier wave as defined in claim 9, further comprising information necessary for generating an image of the aggregate object as an image of a single object before the impact is applied to the aggregate object, and for generating the image as an image of the aggregate object formed by the plurality of the part objects after the impact.