Method of image processing and computer-readable recording medium

• US 8,727,876 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2012
• Issued: 05/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Sega
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Sega
• Inventors: Maeno, Tamotsu
• Primary Examiner(s): McClellan, James S
• Application Number:
  US13/498,393
• Publication Number:
  US 20120190447A1
• Time in Patent Office: 784 Days
• Field of Search: 463/30, 463/31, 463/32
• US Class Current: 463/31
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5255 according to dedicated instructions from a player, e.g. using a secondary joystick to rotate the camera around a player's character
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5258 by dynamically adapting the position of the virtual camera to keep a game object or game character in its viewing frustum, e.g. for tracking a character or a ball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/61 using advertising information
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/812 Ball games, e.g. soccer or baseball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5506 using advertisements
• 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 2300/6661 for changing the position of the virtual camera
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6684 by dynamically adapting its position to keep a game object in its viewing frustrum, e.g. for tracking a character or a ball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8011 Ball
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/20 Perspective computation

Abstract

A computer, functioning as separate units, places at least first, second and viewed objects within a virtual space; displays the objects in a screen by performing a coordinate conversion based on a viewpoint and a viewed point set within the virtual space; moves the first object within the virtual space based on an operation by a player; controls movement of the viewpoint and the viewed point within the virtual space based on an operation by the player; generates an event based on relationship between the first and the second objects which move within the virtual space; determines a center point of the event based on coordinates of the first and the second objects; and sets a target point set on the viewed object as the viewed point, and sets the viewpoint on a half line starting from the viewed point to be passing the center point of the event.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon an image processing program that causes a computer to function as units comprising:

a placing unit that places at least a first object, a second object and a viewed object within a virtual space, as objects within the virtual space;

a display unit that displays the objects in a screen by performing a coordinate conversion based on a viewpoint and a viewed point set within the virtual space;

a moving unit that moves the first object within the virtual space based on an operation by a player;

a moving control unit that controls movement of the viewpoint and the viewed point within the virtual space based on an operation by the player;

an event generating unit that generates an event based on relationship between the second object and the first object which move within the virtual space;

a center point determining unit that determines a center point of the event based on a coordinate of at least one of the first object and the second object when the event is generated; and

a setting unit that sets a target point set on the viewed object as the viewed point, and sets the viewpoint on a half line starting from the viewed point to be passing the center point of the event.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 1,

wherein after the setting unit sets the viewpoint and the viewed point, controlling of the movement of the viewpoint and the viewed point is suspended.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 1,

wherein the placing unit sets the plural viewed objects within the virtual space,

the setting unit selects the viewed object which is shown on the screen at the largest size after removing the viewed object for which an angle calculated based on vector from the center point of the event toward the viewed object and normal vector of the viewed object is more than or equal to a predetermined angle, and the viewed object for which another object exists between a temporary viewpoint and the viewed object, and sets the target point of the selected viewed object as the viewed point.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 1,

wherein an upward angle from the viewpoint to the viewed point with respect to a horizontal plane is calculated, and when the upward angle is more than or equal to a predetermined angle, the target point of the viewed object is set at a lower part of the viewed object.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the coordinate of the viewpoint set on the half line is set based on the distance between the first object and the second object.

6. A method of image processing executed by a control unit of an image processing apparatus that includes at least an input unit, a display unit and the control unit, comprising:

placing at least a first object, a second object and a viewed object within a virtual space, as objects within the virtual space;

displaying the objects in a screen by performing a coordinate conversion based on a viewpoint and a viewed point set within the virtual space;

moving the first object within the virtual space based on an operation by a player;

controlling movement of the viewpoint and the viewed point within the virtual space based on an operation by the player;

generating an event based on relationship between the second object and the first object which move within the virtual space;

determining a center point of the event based on a coordinate of at least one of the first object and the second object when the event is generated; and

setting a target point set on the viewed object as the viewed point, and then setting the viewpoint on a half line starting from the viewed point to be passing the center point of the event.