Computer program product

• US 7,736,220 B2
• Filed: 09/18/2002
• Issued: 06/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Sega
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Sega
• Inventors: Mori, Kazuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo; Peter DungBa
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hoel; Matthew D.
• Application Number:
  US10/245,311
• Publication Number:
  US 20030073473A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,827 Days
• Field of Search: 463/6, 463 58- 69, 463 30- 32, 463/23, 434 62- 70, 434/72, 434/305, 434/373, 345/672, 345/677, 345/678, 345/680, 345/681, 345/682, 345/683, 345/687
• US Class Current: 463/6
• 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 13/577 using determination of contact between game characters or objects, e.g. to avoid collision between virtual racing cars
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/803 Driving vehicles or craft, e.g. cars, airplanes, ships, robots or tanks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/643 by determining the impact between objects, e.g. collision detection

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to impose a penalty on a player, without causing a sudden deceleration, when a moving body moving on a course formed in a virtual space contacts a sidewall at the edge of the course. To achieve this object, assume that a vehicle running on a course formed in a virtual space has contacted a sidewall at point A which corresponds to the 0^th frame. Whereupon, at point B which corresponds to the 1^st frame, an amount, Rf, is subtracted from vehicle speed V, and from the 2^nd frame until point C which corresponds to the 60t^th frame, processing to subtract RSd from vehicle speed V is successively performed.

Claims

1. A computer program product in which computer-readable instructions that, when executed by a computer, perform a game processing are recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, the computer-readable instructions comprising:

instructions for setting a course having a sidewall disposed along at least a portion of the edge of the course in a virtual space;

instructions for receiving a player'"'"'s instructions from an input device;

instructions for, based on a predetermined view point in the virtual space, generating image data of a virtual moving object traveling on the course at a predetermined speed, in response to the player'"'"'s instructions;

instructions for displaying a game video image on a display based on the image data;

instructions for determining whether the virtual moving object comes into contact with the sidewall;

instructions for calculating, based on at least a current speed of the virtual moving object at the time when the contact occurs, a total deceleration amount for the virtual moving object if the virtual moving object has been determined to have contacted the sidewall;

instructions for calculating a unit deceleration amount by dividing the total deceleration amount by a predetermined unit of time or distance;

instructions for determining whether deceleration processing is required based on the total deceleration amount if the virtual moving object is not in contact with the sidewall; and

instructions for executing the deceleration processing if the deceleration processing was determined to be required,

wherein the deceleration processing includes instructions for, based on the unit deceleration amount, updating the current speed of the virtual moving object such that the virtual moving object traveling on the course decelerates and updating the total deceleration amount such that the total deceleration amount is decreased, and

wherein the current speed of the virtual moving object gradually decreases depending on the predetermined unit.

2. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the course has at least a curve, and wherein the sidewall is disposed along an inner edge of the curve.

3. The computer program product according to claim 1, wherein the virtual moving object moves only on the course and does not deviate from the course.

4. The computer program product according to claim 1, wherein the unit deceleration amount is calculated by dividing the total deceleration amount on a per distance basis.

5. A computer program product in which computer-readable instructions that, when executed by a computer, perform a game processing are recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, the computer-readable instructions comprising:

instructions for setting a course have a sidewall disposed along at least a portion of the edge of the course in a virtual space;

instructions for receiving a player'"'"'s instructions from an input device;

instructions for, based on a predetermined view point in the virtual space, generating image data of a virtual moving object traveling on the course at a predetermined speed, in response to the player'"'"'s instructions;

instructions for determining a skill level of the player;

instructions for displaying a game video image on a display based on the image data;

instructions for determining whether the virtual moving object comes into contact with the sidewall;

instructions for calculating, based on at least a current speed of the virtual moving object at the time when the contact occurs and based on the skill level of the player, a total deceleration amount for the virtual moving object if the virtual moving object has been determined to have contacted the sidewall;

instructions for calculating a unit deceleration amount by dividing the total deceleration amount by a predetermined unit of time or distance;

instructions for determining whether deceleration processing is required based on the total deceleration amount if the virtual moving object is not in contact with the sidewall; and

instructions for executing the deceleration processing if the deceleration processing was determined to be required,

wherein the deceleration processing includes instructions for, based on the unit deceleration amount, updating the current speed of the virtual moving object such that the virtual moving object traveling on the course decelerates and updating the total deceleration amount such that the total deceleration amount is decreased, and

wherein the current speed of the virtual moving object gradually decreases depending on the predetermined unit.

6. The computer program product according to claim 5, wherein the unit deceleration amount is calculated by dividing the total deceleration amount on a per distance basis.

10. The computer program product according to any of claims 5, 7, 8, and 9, wherein the virtual moving object moves only on the course and does not deviate from the course.

7. A computer program product in which computer-readable instructions that, when executed by a computer, perform a game processing are recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, the computer-readable instructions comprising:

instructions for setting a course having a sidewall disposed along at least a portion of the edge of the course in a virtual space;

instructions for receiving a player'"'"'s instructions from an input device;

instructions for, based on a predetermined view point in the virtual space, generating image data of a virtual moving object on a course at a predetermined speed, in response to the player'"'"'s instructions;

instructions for determining a skill level of the player based on any of an average moving speed, running position, lap time, angle of impact to the sidewall, number of times of overtaking other moving bodies, or number of crashes of the moving body;

instructions for displaying a game video image on a display based on the image data;

instructions for determining whether the virtual moving body comes into contact with the sidewall;

instructions for calculating, based on at least a current speed of the virtual moving object at the time when the contact occurs and based on the skill level of the player, a total deceleration amount for the virtual moving object if the virtual moving object has been determined to have contacted the sidewall;

instructions for calculating a unit deceleration amount by dividing the total deceleration amount by a predetermined unit of time or distance;

instructions for determining whether deceleration processing is required based on the total deceleration amount if the virtual moving object is not in contact with the sidewall; and

instructions for executing the deceleration processing if the deceleration processing was determined to be required,

wherein the deceleration processing includes instructions for, based on the unit deceleration amount, updating the current speed of the virtual moving object such that the virtual moving object traveling on the course decelerates and updating the total deceleration amount such that the total deceleration amount is decreased, and

wherein the current speed of the virtual moving object gradually decreases depending on the predetermined unit.

8. A computer program product in which computer-readable instructions that, when executed by a computer, perform a game processing are recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, the computer-readable instructions comprising:

instructions for setting a course having a sidewall disposed along at least a portion of the edge of the course in a virtual space;

instructions for receiving a player'"'"'s instructions from an input device;

instructions for, based on a predetermined view point in the virtual space, generating image data of a virtual moving object travelling on the course at a predetermined speed, in response to the player'"'"'s instructions;

instructions for determining a skill level of the player;

instructions for displaying a game video image on a display based on the image data;

instructions for determining whether the virtual moving object comes into contact with the sidewall;

instructions for calculating, on a condition that the skill level of the player exceeds a predetermined level, and based on at least a current speed of the virtual moving object at the time when the contact occurs, a total deceleration amount for the virtual moving object if the virtual moving object has been determined to have contacted the sidewall;

instructions for calculating a unit deceleration amount by dividing the total deceleration amount by a predetermined unit of time or distance;

instructions for determining whether deceleration processing is required based on the total deceleration amount if the virtual moving object is not in contact with the sidewall; and

instructions for executing the deceleration processing if the deceleration processing was determined to be required,

wherein the deceleration processing includes instructions for, based on the unit deceleration amount, updating the current speed of the virtual moving object such that the virtual moving object traveling on the course decelerates and updating the total deceleration amount such that the total deceleration amount is decreased, and

wherein the current speed of the virtual moving object gradually decreases depending on the predetermined unit.

9. A computer program product in which computer-readable instructions that, when executed by a computer, perform a game processing are recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, the computer-readable instructions comprising:

instructions for setting a course having a sidewall disposed along at least a portion of the edge of the course in a virtual space;

instructions for receiving a player'"'"'s instructions from an input device;

instructions for, based on a predetermined view point in the virtual space, generating image data of a virtual moving object travelling on the course at a predetermined speed, in response to the player'"'"'s instructions;

instructions for determining a skill level of the player;

instructions for displaying a game video image on a display based on the image data;

instructions for determining whether the virtual moving object comes into contact with the sidewall;

instructions for calculating, on a condition that the skill level of the player does not exceed a predetermined level, based on at least a current speed of the virtual moving object at the time when the contact occurs, a total deceleration amount for the virtual moving object if the virtual moving object has been determined to have contacted the sidewall;

instructions for calculating a unit deceleration amount by dividing the total deceleration amount by a predetermined unit of time or distance;

instructions for determining whether deceleration processing is required based on the total deceleration amount if the virtual moving object is not in contact with the sidewall; and

instructions for executing the deceleration processing if the deceleration processing was determined to be required,

wherein the deceleration processing includes instructions for, based on the unit deceleration amount, updating the current speed of the virtual moving object such that the virtual moving object traveling on the course decelerates and updating the total deceleration amount such that the total deceleration amount is decreased, and

wherein the current speed of the virtual moving object gradually decreases depending on the predetermined unit.

11. A method for executing game processing in a virtual space, comprising:

setting a course having a sidewall disposed along at least a portion of the edge of the course in the virtual space;

receiving a player'"'"'s instructions from an input device;

generating, based on a predetermined view point in the virtual space, image data of a virtual moving object traveling on the course at a predetermined speed, in response to the player'"'"'s instructions;

displaying, by a processor, a game video image on a display based on the image data;

determining whether the virtual moving object comes into contact with the sidewall;

calculating, by the processor, based on at least a current speed of the virtual moving object at the time when the contact occurs, a total deceleration amount for the virtual moving object if the virtual moving object has been determined to have contacted the sidewall;

calculating, by the processor, a unit deceleration amount by dividing the total deceleration amount by a predetermined unit of time or distance;

determining, by the processor, whether deceleration processing is required based on the total deceleration amount if the virtual moving object is not in contact with the sidewall; and

executing, by the processor, the deceleration processing if the deceleration processing was determined to be required,

wherein the deceleration processing includes instructions for, based on the unit deceleration amount, updating the current speed of the virtual moving object such that the virtual moving object traveling on the course decelerates and updating the total deceleration amount such that the total deceleration amount is decreased, and

wherein the current speed of the virtual moving object gradually decreases depending on the predetermined unit.