Entertainment system, entertainment apparatus, recording medium, and program providing color coded display messages

• US 7,136,080 B1
• Filed: 08/31/2000
• Issued: 11/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Shimamura, Hidekazu, Kaminagayoshi, Takehiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Tung, Kee M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HARRISON, CHANTE E
• Application Number:
  US09/653,286
• Time in Patent Office: 2,266 Days
• Field of Search: 345705-706, 345/715, 707/512, 463/30, 463/31, 434/118
• US Class Current: 345/619
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/24 Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/537 using indicators, e.g. showing the condition of a game character on screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/56 Computing the motion of game characters with respect to other game characters, game objects or elements of the game scene, e.g. for simulating the behaviour of a group of virtual soldiers or for path finding
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/822 Strategy games; Role-playing games A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/303 for displaying additional data, e.g. simulating a Head Up Display
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6607 for animating game characters, e.g. skeleton kinematics
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/807 Role playing or strategy games

Abstract

An entertainment system comprises display color code setting means for setting a suitable display color code for each of undefined display color codes in unprocessed message data, the message data generating means for generating message data by dividing the unprocessed message data into line unit data sections each comprising one-line data based on the number of lines in the message and storing the generated message data in a buffer for displaying the message, and message data outputting means for starting display of the message from a point having coordinates indicated by a coordinate code such that each of character strings of data units is displayed in a color indicated by a display color code. If an undefined display color code is included in the message data, the display color code setting means determines the type of a word having the undefined color code and defines the undefined color code based on the determined type.

Claims

1. A recording medium storing a program for use in an entertainment system, the program for causing the entertainment system to perform steps of:

receiving a manual control request from a manual controller to control a first character to approach a second character;

receiving a command from the manual controller to obtain information from the second character;

displaying a message in a message frame on a display in response to the command;

including in the message at least one of a name of a person, a name of a place, and a name of a monster;

if the name of a person is included in the message, displaying the name of the person in a first color if the first character has already met the person, and displaying the name of the person in a second color if the first character has not already met the person;

if the name of a place is included in the message, displaying the name of the place in a third color if the first character has already visited the place, and displaying the name of the place in a fourth color if the first character has not already visited the place; and

if the name of a monster is included in the message, displaying the name of the monster in a fifth color if the first character has already been in battle with the monster, and displaying the name of the monster in a sixth color if the first character has not already been in battle with the monster.

2. A recording medium according to claim 1, wherein message data to be processed in said step of displaying a message comprises a plurality of combinations of a data unit indicating a word to be displayed and a display color code of said word to be displayed, said display color code indicating a display color of said word corresponding to a type of said word.

3. A recording medium according to claim 2, wherein said step of displaying a message comprises a step of determining a type of a word having an undefined color code in said message data and defining said undefined color code based on the determined type.

4. A recording medium according to claim 1, wherein said step of displaying a message comprises a step of determining a display area of said message frame based on a number of characters in said message and display areas of main objects in a scene presently displayed on said display.

5. A recording medium according to claim 1, wherein said step of displaying a message comprises a step of determining whether an event or a condition occurs.

6. A recording medium according to claim 1, wherein said step of displaying a message comprises a step of displaying the message on said display such that a color of a word of a type in said message is dependent on previous manual control requests.

7. An entertainment system comprising:

an entertainment apparatus for executing various programs;

at least one manual controller for inputting information to said entertainment apparatus;

a display for displaying an image outputted from said entertainment apparatus;

means for receiving a manual control request from the manual controller to control a first character to approach a second character;

means for receiving a command from the manual controller to obtain information from the second character;

means for displaying a message in a message frame on the display in response to the command, wherein the message includes at least one of a name of a person, a name of a place, and a name of a monster;

a person'"'"'s name unit configured to indicate that the name of the person should be displayed in a first color if the first character has already met the person, and configured to indicate that the name of the person should be displayed in a second color if the first character has not already met the person;

a place'"'"'s name unit configured to indicate that the name of the place should be displayed in a third color if the first character has already visited the place, and configured to indicate that the name of the place should be displayed in a fourth color if the first character has not already visited the place; and

a monster'"'"'s name unit configured to indicate that the name of the monster should be displayed in a fifth color if the first character has already been in battle with the monster, and configured to indicate that the name of the monster should be displayed in a sixth color if the first character has not already been in battle with the monster.

8. An entertainment system according to claim 7, wherein message data to be processed by said means for displaying a message comprises a plurality of combinations of a data unit indicating a word to be displayed and a display color code of said word to be displayed, said display color code indicating a display color of said word corresponding to a type of said word.

9. An entertainment system according to claim 8, wherein said means for displaying a message comprises display color code setting means for determining a type of a word having an undefined color code in said message data and defining said undefined color code based on the determined type.

10. An entertainment system according to claim 7, wherein said means for displaying a message comprises message frame determining means for determining a display area of said message frame based on a number of characters in said message and display areas of main objects in a scene presently displayed on said display.

11. An entertainment system according to claim 7, wherein said means for displaying a message is configured to determine if an event or a condition occurs.

12. An entertainment system according to claim 7, wherein said means for displaying a message includes means for displaying the message on said display such that a color of a word of a type in said message is dependent on previous manual control requests.