Game apparatus utilizing touch panel and storage medium storing game program

• US 7,658,675 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2005
• Issued: 02/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Hotta, Takuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Coburn; Corbett B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rustemeyer; Malina K
• Application Number:
  US11/183,737
• Publication Number:
  US 20060025218A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,666 Days
• Field of Search: 463/37, 178/18.04
• 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 13/245 specially adapted to a particular type of game, e.g. steering wheels
• 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 13/42 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 13/422 automatically for the purpose of assisting the player, e.g. automatic braking in a driving game
• 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 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1062 being specially adapted to a type of game, e.g. steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1075 using a touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/301 using an additional display connected to the game console, e.g. on the controller
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6054 by generating automatically game commands to assist the player, e.g. automatic braking in a driving game
• 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: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A game apparatus includes a touch panel on which at least two pointing positions are simultaneously detectable. In response to an operation of the touch panel by a player, coordinates values of the detected two points are detected, and at least one of a distance between the two points and an angle of the line connecting the two points is calculated. Furthermore, change amounts of the distance and angle between the two points are calculated. A movement parameter such as a travel speed and a turning angle is set on the basis of at least one of the calculated distance and angle, and the movement of the character such as travel and turning is controlled on the basis of the movement parameter. In addition, when a pointing state of the two points is changed, the movement parameter is changed on the basis of a change amount, and the movement of the character is controlled on the basis of the movement parameter.

Claims

1. A game apparatus utilizing a touch panel, comprising:

a display to display a game space including a character to be operated by a player;

a touch panel operable by said player and capable of simultaneous detection of at least two pointing positions;

a coordinates detector to detect coordinate values of the two pointing positions detected according to an operation of said touch panel by said player;

a positional relationship calculator to calculate at least one of a distance between said two pointing positions detected by said coordinates detector and an angle of a line connecting said two pointing positions,

movement parameter setting programmed logic circuitry to set a movement parameter of said character on the basis of at least one of the distance and angle calculated by said positional relationship calculator and to change a travel speed as said movement parameter on the basis of the change amount of said distance; and

a character controller to control a movement of said character on the basis of the movement parameter set by said movement parameter setting programmed logic circuitry.

2. A game apparatus utilizing touch panel according to claim 1, wherein said movement parameter setting programmed logic circuitry is operable to change a turning angle as said movement parameter on the basis of the change amount of said angle.

3. A game apparatus utilizing a touch panel, comprising:

a display to display a game space including a character to be operated by a player;

a touch panel operable by said player and capable of simultaneous detection of at least two pointing positions;

a coordinates detector to detect coordinate values of the two pointing positions detected according to an operation of said touch panel by said player;

a positional relationship calculator to calculate at least one of a distance between said two pointing positions detected by said coordinates detector and an angle of a line connecting said two pointing positions,

movement parameter setting programmed logic circuitry to set a movement parameter of said character on the basis of at least one of the distance and angle calculated by said positional relationship calculator and to set a travel speed as said movement parameter on the basis of said distance; and

a character controller to control a movement of said character on the basis of the movement parameter set by said movement parameter setting programmed logic circuitry.

4. A game apparatus utilizing touch panel according to claim 3, wherein said movement parameter setting programmed logic circuitry is operable to set a measure and direction of a turning angle as said movement parameter on the basis of the measure and direction of said angle.

5. A computer readable storage medium tangibly storing instructions executable by a computer to perform a method of operating a game apparatus utilizing a touch panel, the method comprising:

displaying a game space including a character to be operated by a player on a display;

simultaneously detecting at least two pointing positions on the touch panel operable by said player;

detecting coordinate values of the two pointing positions detected according to an operation of said touch panel by said player;

calculating at least one of a distance between said two detected pointing positions and an angle of a line connecting said two detected pointing positions,

setting a movement parameter of said character on the basis of at least one of the calculated distance and angle and changing a travel speed as said movement parameter on the basis of the change amount of said distance; and

controlling a movement of said character on the basis of the set movement parameter.

6. A method of operating a game apparatus utilizing a touch panel, the method comprising:

displaying a game space including a character to be operated by a player on a display;

simultaneously detecting at least two pointing positions on the touch panel operable by said player;

detecting coordinate values of the two pointing positions detected according to an operation of said touch panel by said player;

calculating at least one of a distance between said two detected pointing positions and an angle of a line connecting said two detected pointing positions,

setting a movement parameter of said character on the basis of at least one of the calculated distance and angle and setting a travel speed as said movement parameter on the basis of the change amount of said distance; and

controlling a movement of said character on the basis of the set movement parameter.

7. A computer readable storage medium tangibly storing instructions executable by a computer to perform a method of operating a game apparatus utilizing a touch panel, the method comprising:

displaying a game space including a character to be operated by a player on a display;

simultaneously detecting at least two pointing positions on the touch panel operable by said player;

detecting coordinate values of the two pointing positions detected according to an operation of said touch panel by said player;

calculating at least one of a distance between said two detected pointing positions and an angle of a line connecting said two detected pointing positions;

setting a movement parameter of said character on the basis of at least one of the calculated distance and angle and setting a travel speed as said movement parameter on the basis of said distance; and

controlling a movement of said character on the basis of the set movement parameter.

8. A method of operating a game apparatus utilizing a touch panel, the method comprising:

displaying a game space including a character to be operated by a player on a display;

simultaneously detecting at least two pointing positions on the touch panel operable by said player;

detecting coordinate values of the two pointing positions detected according to an operation of said touch panel by said player;

calculating at least one of a distance between said two detected pointing positions and an angle of a line connecting said two detected pointing positions;

setting a movement parameter of said character on the basis of at least one of the calculated distance and angle and setting a travel speed as said movement parameter on the basis of said distance; and

controlling a movement of said character on the basis of the set movement parameter.