Game apparatus, storage medium, and computer program that adjust level of game difficulty

• US 7,367,887 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2003
• Issued: 05/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc. (BANDAI NAMCO Holdings Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Namco Bandai Games Inc.
• Inventors: Endo, Kyoko, Watabe, Hajime, Suzuki, Toshio, Onda, Akio
• Primary Examiner(s): Pezzuto; Robert E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Deodhar; Omkar A.
• Application Number:
  US10/613,096
• Publication Number:
  US 20040005924A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,765 Days
• Field of Search: 463/7, 463/36, 473/416, 273/245, 273/108.2
• US Class Current: 463/36
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• 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 13/42 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 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/46 Computing the game score
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/537 using indicators, e.g. showing the condition of a game character on screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/54 involving acoustic signals, e.g. for simulating revolutions per minute [RPM] dependent engine sounds in a driving game or reverberation against a virtual wall
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/814 Musical performances, e.g. by evaluating the player's ability to follow a notation
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1012 involving biosensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat, limb activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1093 using visible light
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/303 for displaying additional data, e.g. simulating a Head Up Display
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8005 Athletics

Abstract

A game apparatus, a storage medium and a computer program, suitable to games that can be experienced by a player using an entire body to play a game. The game apparatus comprises: a storage section for storing a predetermined assigned movement for a player; an assigned movement display section for displaying the assigned movement, thereon; a movement detection section for detecting a movement of the player; a player movement display section for displaying the movement of the player detected by the movement detection section, thereon; a similarity decision section for comparing the assigned movement with the movement of the player detected by the movement detection section, to decide a similarity between the assigned movement and the movement of the player; and a game operation section for processing a score on the basis of the similarity decided by the similarity decision section.

Claims

1. A game apparatus for executing a predetermined game, comprising:

an image sensor that is capable of concurrently detecting movements of a player in a detection range for a single view;

a movement detection unit that detects a movement of the player in each of a plurality of detection regions from a detection result of the image sensor, the detection range for the single view being divided to form the plurality of detection regions;

a storage unit that stores one or more predetermined assigned movements for each of the plurality of detection regions;

a similarity decision unit that determines a similarity between the movements of the player and the predetermined assigned movements for each detection region based on at least one of a direction, a magnitude and a speed of the movements of the player; and

a game level setting unit that sets a game level of difficulty, wherein at least one of a tempo of the predetermined assigned movements, a type of the predetermined assigned movements and a degree of similarity is changed based on the game level of difficulty.

2. A game apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein each of the predetermined assigned movements are defined for a corresponding predetermined time, and the similarity decision unit determines the similarity between the movements of the player and each of the predetermined assigned movements for the corresponding predetermined time.

3. A game apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a timing notice unit that indicates a predetermined timing by a visual effect or an auditory effect; and

a timing decision unit that decides whether a timing of the movements of the player for each detection region detected by the movement detection unit correspond to the predetermined timing.

4. A game apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a movement specifying unit that specifies, among movements of the player for each of the detection regions, zero or one movement of the player for each of the detection regions detected by the movement detection unit;

wherein the similarity decision unit decides the similarity between the movement of the player specified by the movement specifying unit and the predetermined assigned movement for each of the detection regions.

5. A game apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein a plurality of concurrent movements of the player is detected in one detection region by the movement detection unit, and the movement specifying unit specifies one of the concurrent movements of the player detected in the one detection region based on at least one of the direction, the magnitude and the speed of the movement.

6. A game apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein a boundary between the plurality of detection regions is changed according to a predetermined condition detected by the movement detection unit.

7. A game apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the movement detection unit comprises an artificial retina chip for detecting the movement of the player.

8. A game apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein the movement detection unit detects a detected movement of the player that extends over more than one of the detection regions, and the similarity decision unit determines the similarity between the detected movement of the player and the predetermined assigned movement in each of the detection regions.

9. A game apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a by-region decision display unit that displays a decision according to a similarity in each detection region.

10. A game apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the similarity decision unit changes a degree of similarity based on a predetermined condition detected by the movement detection unit.

11. A game apparatus according to claim 6,

wherein the predetermined condition relates to a body shape of the player detected by the movement detection unit.

12. A game apparatus according to claim 10,

wherein the predetermined condition relates to a body shape of the player detected by the movement detection unit.

13. A game apparatus for executing a predetermined game, comprising:

a storage unit that stores one or more predetermined assigned movements, the predetermined assigned movements having a predetermined timing;

a movement detection unit that detects one or more concurrent movements of a player;

a timing notice unit that indicates the predetermined timing of the predetermined assigned movements by a visual effect or an auditory effect;

a timing decision unit that decides whether a timing of the concurrent movements of the player corresponds to the predetermined timing for the predetermined assigned movements and decides that the timing of the concurrent movement of the player does not correspond to the predetermined timing for the predetermined assigned movements if the timing of the concurrent movements of the player does not fall within an allowable range of the predetermined timing for the predetermined assigned movements;

a movement specifying unit that specifies a correspondence between the concurrent movements of the player and the predetermined assigned movements based on the decision by the timing decision unit;

a similarity decision unit that determines a similarity between the concurrent movements of the player and the predetermined assigned movement based on at least one of a direction, a magnitude and a speed of the concurrent movements of the player; and

a game level setting unit that sets a game level of difficulty, wherein at least one of a tempo of the predetermined assigned movements, a type of the predetermined assigned movements and a degree of similarity is changed based on the game level of difficulty.

14. A game apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising a detection range of the movement detection unit, the detection range being divided into a plurality of detection regions,

wherein the similarity decision unit determines the similarity between the concurrent movements of the player and the predetermined assigned movements for each detection region.

15. A storage medium in a computer having a computer-executable program recorded thereon, the computer being provided with an image sensor that is capable of concurrently detecting movements of a player in a detection range for a single view, the program comprising:

a program code that executes a predetermined game;

a program code that detects a movement of the player in each of a plurality of detection regions from a detection result of the image sensor, the detection range for the single view being divided to form the plurality of detection regions;

a program code that determines a similarity between the movement of the player and a predetermined assigned movement for each detection region based on at least one of a direction, a magnitude and a speed of the movement of the player, the predetermined assigned movement being set in accordance with the detection region in advance; and

a program code that sets a game level of difficulty, wherein at least one of a tempo of the predetermined assigned movement, a type of the predetermined assigned movement and a degree of similarity is changed based on the game level of difficulty.

16. A storage medium having a computer program for performing the steps of:

executing a predetermined game;

detecting a movement of a player in each of a plurality of detection regions from a detection result of an image sensor that is capable of concurrently detecting movements of the player in a detection range for a single view, the detection range for the single view being divided to form the plurality of detection regions;

determining a similarity between the movement of the player and a predetermined assigned movement for each detection region based on at least one of a direction, a magnitude and a speed of the movement of the player, the predetermined assigned movement being set in accordance with the detection region in advance; and

setting a game level of difficulty, wherein at least one of a tempo of the predetermined assigned movement, a type of the predetermined assigned movement and a degree of similarity is changed based on the game level of difficulty.

17. A game apparatus for executing a predetermined game, comprising:

a storage unit that stores one or more predetermined assigned movements;

an image sensor that is capable of concurrently detecting movements of a player in a detection range for a single view;

a movement detection unit that detects a movement of the player in each of a plurality of detection regions from a detection result of the image sensor, the detection range for the single view being divided to form the plurality of detection regions;

a movement specifying unit that specifies one or more specified detection regions for the concurrent movements of the player based on at least one of a direction, a magnitude and a speed of each of the movements of the player;

a similarity decision unit that determines a similarity in each specified detection region between the concurrent movements of the player and the predetermined assigned movements corresponding to the specified detection region based on at least one of the direction, the magnitude and the speed of the concurrent movement of the player; and

a game level setting unit that sets a game level of difficulty, wherein at least one of a tempo of the predetermined assigned movements, a type of the predetermined assigned movements and a degree of similarity is changed based on the game level of difficulty.

18. A game apparatus for executing a predetermined game, comprising:

a storage unit that stores one or more first movement vectors of a predetermined assigned movement;

a movement detection unit that detects a movement of a player;

a movement vector calculation unit that calculates one or more second movement vectors for the movement of the player based on at least one of a direction, a magnitude and a speed of the movement of the player; and

a similarity decision unit that decides a similarity between the first movement vectors and the second movement vectors.