Computer-readable recording medium having object control program stored thereon, object control device, and object control method

• US 9,463,385 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2012
• Issued: 10/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ishikawa, Hitoshi, Kudo, Masashi, Ueda, Fumito
• Primary Examiner(s): D'Agostino, Paul A
• Assistant Examiner(s): GRAY, BRANDON RAMON
• Application Number:
  US13/491,950
• Publication Number:
  US 20120322522A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,586 Days
• Field of Search: 463/2, 463/3, 463/40, 463/43
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/56 Computing the motion of game characters with respect to other game characters, game objects or elements of the game scene, e.g. for simulating the behaviour of a group of virtual soldiers or for path finding
• 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 2300/638 according to the timing of operation or a time limit

Abstract

An object control device includes an action control unit configured to control an action of a first object, an action of a second object, and an action of an item, in a virtual space. The object control device also includes an item/object storing unit configured to store first object identification information and item identification information in association with each other, when the action control unit controls the first object to possess the item. The object control device also includes a collision determining unit configured to determine whether the item and the second object have collided. When the collision determining unit determines that the item and the second object have collided, the action control unit acquires the first object identification information stored in association with the item identification information and controls the second object to perform a first action based on the first object identification information.

Claims

1. An object control device, comprising:

an action control unit configured to control an action of a first object, an action of a second object, and an action of an item, in a virtual space;

an item/object storing unit configured to store first object identification information for identifying the first object and item identification information for identifying the item in association with each other, when the action control unit controls the first object to possess the item; and

a collision determining unit configured to determine whether the item and the second object have collided in the virtual space,

wherein when the collision determining unit determines that the item and the second object have collided, the action control unit acquires the first object identification information stored in association with the item identification information from the item/object storing unit and controls the second object to perform a first action against or toward the first object based on the first object identification information.

2. The object control device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an operation-information acquiring unit configured to acquire an item possession instruction to instruct the first object to possess the item and an action instruction to instruct the first object to perform a second action using the item;

a time counting unit configured to count an elapsed time from a timing based on the second action; and

an item/object information management unit configured to erase the first object identification information and the item identification information, which are stored in association with each other in the item/object storing unit, when the elapsed time counted by the time counting unit becomes equal to or longer than a predetermined elapsed time.

3. The object control device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an item-information storing unit configured to store mass information indicating a mass of the item, size information indicating a size of the item, and item positional information indicating a position of the item in association with the item identification information; and

a physical computation unit configured to compute positional information of the item for each predetermined period after the second action is performed, based on the mass information, the size information, and the item positional information.

4. The object control device according to claim 1, further comprising positional-information acquiring unit configured to acquire positional information indicating a position of the first object, positional information indicating a position of the second object, and positional information indicating a position of the item,

wherein the collision determining unit determines whether the second object and the item have collided based on the positional information of the second object and the positional information of the item, which are acquired by the positional-information acquiring unit.

5. The object control device according to claim 4, further comprising possession determining unit configured to determine whether the first object is able to possess the item based on the positional information of the first object and the positional information of the item, which are acquired by the positional-information acquiring unit,

wherein the action control unit controls the first object to perform an action of possessing the item when the possession determining unit determines that the first object is able to possess the item.

8. The object control device according to claim 1, wherein the first action is an attack against the first object.

9. The object control device according to claim 1, wherein the first action is a positional movement of the second object toward the first object.

10. The object control device according to claim 1, wherein the first action is selected based upon the item identification information and the first object identification information.

11. The object control device according to claim 1, wherein the first object is controlled by a user using an input device and the second object is controlled by the object control device.

6. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having an object control program stored thereon for causing a computer to function as:

an action control unit configured to control an action of a first object, an action of a second object, and an action of an item in a virtual space;

an item/object storing unit configured to store first object identification information for identifying the first object and item identification information for identifying the item in association with each other, when the action control unit controls the first object to possess the item; and

a collision determining unit configured to determine whether the item and the second object have collided in the virtual space,

wherein when the collision determining unit determines that the item and the second object have collided, the action control unit acquires the first object identification information stored in association with the item identification information from the item/object storing unit and controls the second object to perform a first action against or toward the first object based on the first object identification information.

7. An object control method, comprising:

controlling an action of a first object, an action of a second object, and an action of an item in a virtual space;

storing first object identification information for identifying the first object and item identification information for identifying the item in association with each other, when the first object is controlled to possess the item;

determining whether the item and the second object have collided in the virtual space; and

when it is determined that the item and the second object have collided, acquiring the first object identification information stored in association with the item identification information and controlling the second object to perform a predetermined action against or toward the first object based on the first object identification information.