Game machine having display screen with touch panel

• US 7,309,287 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2004
• Issued: 12/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Miyamoto, Shigeru, Yoshimoto, Hirohito
• Primary Examiner(s): PEZZUTO, ROBERT ERIC
• Application Number:
  US11/005,301
• Publication Number:
  US 20050202869A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,106 Days
• Field of Search: 463 36- 39, 463/47, 715/345, 273/148.R, 273/148.B
• US Class Current: 463/37
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/2145 the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/26 having at least one additional display device, e.g. on the game controller or outside a game booth
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/426 involving on-screen location information, e.g. screen coordinates of an area at which the player is aiming with a light gun
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5378 for displaying an additional top view, e.g. radar screens or maps using two or more virtual cameras concurrently A63F13/5252
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/812 Ball games, e.g. soccer or baseball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/98 Accessories, i.e. detachable arrangements optional for the use of the video game device, e.g. grip supports of game controllers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1075 using a touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/301 using an additional display connected to the game console, e.g. on the controller

Abstract

A change in input is made to a graphic displayed on a second display screen (12a) covered with a touch panel, with a stylus (16) or the like. By doing so, a player character P1 on a first display screen (11a) moves according to the change in the input. This allows a wide range of players to enjoy a game in a game machine having two display screens.

Claims

1. A storage medium having stored therein a game program to be executed by a computer of a game machine having a first display screen and a second display screen covered with a touch panel, the game program causing the computer to function as:

a game image display controller for displaying a game image on the first display screen;

a graphic display controller for displaying on the second display screen a graphic related to the game image;

an input coordinate detector for detecting a plurality of input coordinates, based on a change in sequential inputs to the touch panel;

a parameter determining programmed logic circuitry for determining, if the input detected by the input coordinate detector is provided to the graphic, at least two types of calculation parameters in accordance with the plurality of input coordinates including at least some previously inputted coordinates, at a time after completion of the sequential inputs to the touch panel;

a change condition calculator for calculating, based on the calculation parameters, change condition setting data used to change the game image according to the change in the inputs; and

an image change controller for changing the game image on the first display screen based on the change condition setting data.

2. The storage medium according to claim 1, wherein

the game image display controller displays on the first display screen a game image containing a player character, a display of the player character changing in response to the input from a player,

the graphic display controller displays a character pattern associated with the player character;

the change condition calculator calculates change condition setting data used to change the display of the player character according to a change in the input to the character pattern, and

the image change controller changes the display of the player character in the game image based on the change condition setting data.

3. The storage medium according to claim 2, wherein

the input coordinate detector detects the plurality of the input coordinates by determining at predetermined time intervals whether sequential inputs are provided to the touch panel, and then detecting sets of position coordinates on the touch panel obtained while the sequential inputs are continuously detected,

the parameter determining programmed logic circuitry determines, as calculation parameters, sets of position coordinates of an input start point and an input end point with respect to the touch panel,

the change condition calculator calculates, based on the calculation parameters, change condition setting data used to move the player character according to a positional relationship between the input start point and the input end point, and

the image change controller moves the player character based on the change condition setting data.

4. The storage medium according to claim 2, wherein

the input coordinate detector detects the plurality of input coordinates by determining at predetermined time intervals whether sequential inputs are provided to the touch panel, and then detecting sets of position coordinates on the touch panel obtained while the sequential inputs are continuously detected,

the parameter determining programmed logic circuitry determines, as calculation parameters, sets of position coordinates of an input start point and an input end point with respect to the touch panel,

the change condition calculator calculates, based on the calculation parameters, change condition setting data used to move the player character according to a positional relationship between the input start point or the input end point and a reference position of the character pattern, and

the image change controller moves the player character based on the change condition setting data.

5. The storage medium according to claim 1, wherein

the game program causes the computer to further function as timekeeper for measuring an input detection time while the sequential inputs to the touch panel is continuously detected,

the parameter determining programmed logic circuitry determines at least two types of calculation parameters including the input detection time, and

the change condition calculator calculates, based on the calculation parameters, change condition setting data used to reflect the input detection time in movement of a player character.

6. A storage medium having stored therein a game program to be executed by a computer of a game machine having a first display screen and a second display screen covered with a touch panel, the game program causing the computer to function as:

a game image display controller for displaying on the first display screen a game image containing a player character, a display of the player character changing in response to input from a player;

a graphic display controller for displaying on the second display screen a character pattern associated with the player character;

an input change detector for detecting a change in the input by detecting, at predetermined time intervals, the input provided to the touch panel and then detecting sets of position coordinates on the touch panel obtained while the change in the input is detected;

an input pattern extractor for extracting, if the input detected by the input change detector is provided to the character pattern, an input pattern closest to the change in the input from a group of input patterns prepared in advance;

an emotional parameter changer for changing emotional parameters assigned to the player character, according to a type of the input pattern and the number of times the input pattern has been repeated which are extracted by the input pattern extractor, the emotional parameters being stored; and

an image change controller for changing a display of the player character based on the emotional parameters having been changed by the emotional parameter changer.

7. A storage medium having stored therein a game program to be executed by a computer of a game machine having a first display screen and a second display screen covered with a touch panel, the game program causing the computer to function as:

a narrow-area map display controller for setting, within an image storage region where a game space is rendered, a first display range used to display part of the rendered game space, and displaying, as a narrow-area map, an image contained in the first display range on the first display screen at an enlarged scale;

a wide-area map display controller for setting, within the image storage region, a second display range wider than the first display range, and displaying an image contained in the second display range on the second display screen, as a wide-area map;

an input pattern detector for detecting an input pattern provided to a region of the touch panel where the wide-area map is displayed, and an input position of the input pattern; and

a narrow-area map updater for updating, if the input pattern detected by the input pattern detector is determined as a first input pattern, a display of the narrow-area map by moving the first display range to a location within the image storage region which corresponds to the input position, and then displaying an image contained in the first display range on the first display screen at an enlarged scale.

8. The storage medium according to claim 7, wherein the game program causes the computer to further function as a wide-area map updater for updating, if the input pattern detected by the input pattern detector is determined as a second input pattern, the wide-area map by scrolling the second display range within the image storage region in conjunction with the input pattern, and then displaying an image contained in the second display range on the second display screen.

9. A method of displaying images from a game program to be executed by a computer of a game machine having a first display screen and a second display screen covered with a touch panel, the method comprising:

displaying a game image on the first display screen;

displaying on the second display screen a graphic related to the game image;

detecting a plurality of input coordinates, based on a change in sequential inputs to the touch panel;

determining, if a change in input is detected, at least two types of calculation parameters in accordance with the plurality of input coordinates including at least some previously inputted coordinates, at a time after completion of the sequential inputs to the touch panel;

calculating, based on the calculation parameters, change condition setting data used to change the game image according to the change in the input; and

changing the game image on the first display screen based on the change condition setting data.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

displaying on the first display screen a game image containing a player character, a display of the player character changing in response to the input from a player,

displaying a character pattern associated with the player character;

calculating change condition setting data used to change the display of the player character according to a change in the input to the character pattern, and

changing the display of the player character in the game image based on the change condition setting data.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

detecting the plurality of input coordinates by determining at predetermined time intervals whether sequential inputs are provided to the touch panel, and then detecting sets of position coordinates on the touch panel obtained while the sequential inputs are continuously detected,

determining, as calculation parameters, sets of position coordinates of an input start point and an input end point with respect to the touch panel,

calculating, based on the calculation parameters, change condition setting data used to move the player character according to a positional relationship between the input start point and the input end point, and

moving the player character based on the change condition setting data.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

detecting the plurality of input coordinates by determining at predetermined time intervals whether the sequential inputs are provided to the touch panel, and then detecting sets of position coordinates on the touch panel obtained while the sequential inputs are continuously detected,

determining, as calculation parameters, sets of position coordinates of an input start point and an input end point with respect to the touch panel,

calculating, based on the calculation parameters, change condition setting data used to move the player character according to a positional relationship between the input start point or the input end point and a reference position of the character pattern, and

moving the player character based on the change condition setting data.

13. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

measuring an input detection time while the sequential inputs to the touch panel is continuously detected,

determining at least two types of calculation parameters including the input detection time, and

calculating, based on the calculation parameters, change condition setting data used to reflect the input detection time in movement of a player character.

16. The method according to claim 11, further comprising updating, if the detected input pattern is determined as a second input pattern, the wide-area map by scrolling the second display range within the image storage region in conjunction with the input pattern, and then displaying an image contained in the second display range on the second display screen.

14. A method of displaying images from a game program to be executed by a computer of a game machine having a first display screen and a second display screen covered with a touch panel, the method comprising:

displaying on the first display screen a game image containing a player character, a display of the player character changing in response to input from a player;

displaying on the second display screen a character pattern associated with the player character;

detecting a change in the input by detecting, at predetermined time intervals, the input provided to the touch panel and then detecting sets of position coordinates on the touch panel obtained while the change in the input is detected;

extracting, if the detected input is provided to the character pattern, an input pattern closest to the change in the input from a group of input patterns prepared in advance;

changing emotional parameters assigned to the player character, according to a type of the input pattern and the number of times the input pattern has been repeated extracted by the extracting step, the emotional parameters being stored; and

changing a display of the player character based on the emotional parameters having been changed by the emotional parameter changer.

15. A method of displaying images from a game program to be executed by a computer of a game machine having a first display screen and a second display screen covered with a touch panel, as the method comprising:

setting, within an image storage region where a game space is rendered, a first display range used to display part of the rendered game space, and displaying, as a narrow-area map, an image contained in the first display range on the first display screen at an enlarged scale;

setting, within the image storage region, a second display range wider than the first display range, and displaying an image contained in the second display range on the second display screen, as a wide-area map;

detecting an input pattern provided to a region of the touch panel where the wide-area map is displayed, and an input position of the input pattern; and

updating, if the detected input pattern is determined as a first input pattern, a display of the narrow-area map by moving the first display range to a location within the image storage region which corresponds to the input position, and then displaying an image contained in the first display range on the first display screen at an enlarged scale.