Game performing method, storage medium, game apparatus, data signal and program

• US 8,130,196 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2006
• Issued: 03/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc. (BANDAI NAMCO Holdings Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Namco Bandai Games Inc. (BANDAI NAMCO Holdings Inc.)
• Inventors: Ouchi, Satoru
• Primary Examiner(s): Awad, Amr
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bukowski, Kenneth
• Application Number:
  US11/520,658
• Publication Number:
  US 20070008283A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,000 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-157, 345161-162, 744/71.XY, 463/38
• US Class Current: 345/161
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/24 Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/428 involving motion or position input signals, e.g. signals representing the rotation of an input controller or a player's arm motions sensed by accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video 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 13/803 Driving vehicles or craft, e.g. cars, airplanes, ships, robots or tanks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1006 having additional degrees of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/63 for controlling the execution of the game in time
• 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: A63F 2300/8017 Driving on land or water; Flying

Abstract

A game performing method realizable of finer and easier operational input with a joy stick. The game performing method for an apparatus comprising an input section having an operating handle capable of inputting an inclination of a desired angle in a desired direction, has: controlling a virtual handle of a player character according to operation inputted through the operating handle; detecting an inclined direction and an inclined angle of the operating handle; and changing a handle angle of the virtual handle in a direction according to change in the inclined direction when the change in the inclined direction is detected by detecting the inclined direction and the inclined angle of the operating handle.

Claims

1. A game performing method for a player to control a game object by operating an operating handle which can be inclined in a desired direction, the method comprising:

detecting a first position of the operating handle at a first time, the first position including a first inclined direction and a first inclined angle;

detecting a second position of the operating handle at a second time later than the first time, the second position including a second inclined direction and a second inclined angle;

setting a first input invalid sphere to judge whether the operating handle is not inclined beyond a predetermined inclination angle, the first input invalid sphere being centered at a center of an operable sphere of the operating handle and having a radius based on the predetermined inclination angle, the first input invalid sphere being a sphere in which the inclined angle of the operating handle is less than the predetermined inclination angle, and set within the operable sphere of the operating handle;

updating and setting a second input invalid sphere to judge whether a direction of the operating handle is changed by more than a predetermined direction angle, the second input invalid sphere being a direction angle sphere for not allowing a change in the inclined direction with the detected inclined direction of the operating handle when the change in the inclined direction of the operating handle exceeds the predetermined direction angle, the second input invalid sphere being set based on the first position and the predetermined direction angle; and

performing control to change a direction of the game object on the basis of the change in angle from the first inclined direction to the second inclined direction when the second inclined angle is outside of the first input invalid sphere and the second input invalid sphere.

2. The game performing method of claim 1, wherein

the second input invalid sphere is not updated with the presently detected inclined direction of the operating handle as a standard when the detected inclined direction of the operating handle is within the second input invalid sphere.

3. The game performing method of claim 1, wherein

the game object is a moving vehicle, and

controlling the direction of the game object includes controlling a handle angle of a virtual handle of the moving body.

4. The game performing method of claim 3, wherein

a limitation value is set to the handle angle of the virtual handle,

the method, further comprising:

controlling to limit a change in the handle angle exceeding the limitation value.

6. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium to store information for performing the method described in claim 1 when the information is loaded on the apparatus.

5. A game apparatus comprising:

an input section having an operating handle which a player can incline in a desired direction;

a detecting section for detecting a first position of the operating handle at a first time and a second position of the operating handle at a second time later than the first time, the first position including a first inclined direction and a first inclined angle, and the second position including a second inclined direction and a second inclined angle;

a sphere setting section for setting a first input invalid sphere to judge whether the operating handle is not inclined beyond a predetermined inclination angle, the first input invalid sphere being centered at a center of an operable sphere of the operating handle and having a radius based on the predetermined inclination angle, the first input invalid sphere being a sphere in which the inclined angle of the operating handle is less than the predetermined inclination angle, and set within the operable sphere of the operating handle, wherein the sphere setting section updates and sets a second input invalid sphere to judge whether a direction of the operating handle is changed by more than a predetermined direction angle, the second input invalid sphere being a direction angle sphere for not allowing a change in the inclined direction with the detected inclined direction of the operating handle when the change in the inclined direction of the operating handle exceeds the predetermined direction angle, the second input invalid sphere being set based on the first position and the predetermined angle; and

a game object controlling section for performing control to change a direction of the game object on the basis of the change in angle from the first inclined direction to the second inclined direction when the second inclined angle is outside of the first input invalid sphere and the second input invalid sphere.

7. A game performing method for a player to control a game object by operating an analog operating section capable of inputting a position determined by a first coordinate and a second coordinate at one operation, the method comprising:

detecting a first position at a first time and a second position which is a position input next after the first position at a second time later than the first time, the first position and the second position input from the analog operating section;

setting a first input invalid sphere to determine whether a position input from the analog operating section is less than a predetermined distance from a center of an operable sphere, the first input invalid sphere being centered at the center of the operable sphere and having a radius equal to the predetermined distance, the first input invalid sphere being a sphere in which a distance from the center of the operable sphere is a predetermined length or less, and the first input invalid sphere is set within the operable sphere;

updating and setting a second input invalid sphere to judge whether an angle between a direction from the center of the operable sphere to the first position and a direction from the center of the operable sphere to the second position is changed by more than a predetermined angle the second input invalid sphere being a sphere for not allowing a change in the direction of the game object when the change in the position exceeds the predetermined angle, the second input invalid sphere being set based on the direction from the center of the operable sphere to the first position and the predetermined angle; and

performing control to change a direction of the game object on the basis of the change of the coordinates from the first position to the second position when the second position is outside of the first input invalid sphere and the second input invalid sphere.

8. A game apparatus comprising:

an input section having an analog operating section capable of inputting a position determined by a first a first coordinate and a second coordinate at one operation;

a detecting section for detecting a first position at a first time and a second position which is a position input next after the first position at a second time later than the first time, the first position and the second position input from the analog operating section;

a sphere setting section for setting a first input invalid sphere to determine whether a position input from the analog operating section is less than a predetermined distance from a vicinity of a center of an operable sphere, the first input invalid sphere being centered at the center of the operable sphere and having a radius equal to the predetermined distance, the first input invalid sphere being a sphere in which a distance from the center of the operable sphere is the predetermined distance or less, and the first input invalid sphere is set within the operable sphere, wherein the sphere setting section updates and sets a second input invalid sphere to judge whether an angle between a direction from the center of the operable sphere to the first position and a direction from the center of the operable sphere to the second position is changed by more than a predetermined angle, the second input invalid sphere being a sphere for not allowing a change in the direction of the game object when the change in the position exceeds the predetermined angle, the second input invalid sphere being set based on the direction from the center of the operable sphere to the first position and the predetermined angle; and

a game object controlling section for performing control to change a direction of the game object on the basis of the change of the coordinates from the first position to the second position when the second position is outside of the first input invalid sphere and the second input invalid sphere.