COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM HAVING OVERHEAD MAP RESOURCE GENERATION PROGRAM STORED THEREIN, COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM HAVING OVERHEAD MAP DISPLAY PROGRAM STORED THEREIN, OVERHEAD MAP RESOURCE GENERATION APPARATUS, AND OVERHEAD MAP DISPLAY APPARATUS

• US 20110074769A1
• Filed: 12/15/2009
• Published: 03/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: TAKAYAMA, Takahiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,698,794 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/419
• 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 13/5378 for displaying an additional top view, e.g. radar screens or maps using two or more virtual cameras concurrently A63F13/5252
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/95 Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/307 for displaying an additional window with a view from the top of the game field, e.g. radar screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6669 using a plurality of virtual cameras concurrently or sequentially, e.g. automatically switching between fixed virtual cameras when a character change rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/20 Perspective computation

Abstract

In a virtual three-dimensional space, an overhead image of a region in the virtual three-dimensional space is shot by a virtual camera provided in the virtual three-dimensional space. Next, it is determined whether or not the information about a color included in the shot overhead image satisfies a predetermined condition. Image data of the overhead image which it is determined in the result of the determination does not satisfy the predetermined condition is accumulated in a predetermined storage medium, thereby generating resource data. The above processing is repeated until all overhead images corresponding to a predetermined region in the virtual three-dimensional space are shot.

Claims

1. A computer-readable storage medium having stored therein an overhead map resource generation program which is executed by a computer of an overhead map resource generation apparatus for generating a resource for displaying an overhead map corresponding to a virtual three-dimensional space, the overhead map resource generation program causing the computer to function as:

shooting means for shooting an overhead image of a region in the virtual three-dimensional space with a virtual camera provided in the virtual three-dimensional space;

determination means for determining whether or not information about a color included in the overhead image shot by the shooting means satisfies a predetermined condition; and

resource data generation means for generating resource data by accumulating, in a predetermined storage medium, image data of the overhead image which the determination means determines does not satisfy the predetermined condition, and

processing performed by the shooting means, the determination means, and the resource data generation means being repeated until all overhead images corresponding to a predetermined region in the virtual three-dimensional space are shot by the shooting means.

2. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the overhead map resource generation program according to claim 1, wherein

the overhead map resource generation program further causes the computer to function as virtual camera moving means for moving the virtual camera in the virtual three-dimensional space in accordance with a predetermined shooting condition, and

the shooting means shoots an overhead image of a region in the virtual three-dimensional space with the virtual camera moved by the virtual camera moving means.

3. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the overhead map resource generation program according to claim 1, wherein

the overhead map resource generation program further causes the computer to function as resource three-dimensional space generation means for drawing, among geographical objects included in the virtual three-dimensional space, a geographical object other than a predetermined kind of geographical object without drawing the predetermined kind of geographical object, and thereby generating a virtual three-dimensional space, and

the shooting means shoots the virtual three-dimensional space generated by the resource three-dimensional space generation means.

4. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the overhead map resource generation program according to claim 3, wherein the resource three-dimensional space generation means generates the virtual three-dimensional space by using a predetermined single color for a background color and drawing a geographical object other than the predetermined kind of geographical object.

5. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the overhead map resource generation program according to claim 3, wherein when all pixel values of the overhead image shot by the shooting means indicate an identical color, the determination means determines that the predetermined condition is satisfied.

6. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the overhead map resource generation program according to claim 3, wherein when the overhead image includes a plurality of colors, the determination means determines that, among the plurality of colors, colors whose difference in tone is smaller than a predetermined degree are an identical color.

7. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the overhead map resource generation program according to claim 2, wherein the virtual camera moving means moves the virtual camera such that regions in the virtual three-dimensional space which are shot by the virtual camera do not overlap with each other.

8. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the overhead map resource generation program according to claim 7, wherein under the assumption that an image shot by looking down upon the virtual three-dimensional space from above so as to include the whole of the virtual three-dimensional space in one image is divided into squares having a predetermined size in a form of lattice, the virtual camera moving means moves the virtual camera on a square-by-square basis.

9. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the overhead map resource generation program according to claim 1, wherein the resource data generation means accumulates the image data together with information indicating a position in the virtual three-dimensional space corresponding to the overhead image shot by the shooting means, the information being attached to the image data.

10. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the overhead map resource generation program according to claim 1, wherein the shooting means obtains the overhead image by shooting the virtual three-dimensional space by a method of orthogonal projection.

11. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the overhead map resource generation program according to claim 2, wherein the virtual camera moving means determines a distance by which the virtual camera moving means moves the virtual camera, in accordance with an image size of the image data accumulated by the resource data generation means.

12. A computer-readable storage medium having stored therein an overhead map display program which is executed by a computer of an overhead map display apparatus for displaying an overhead map corresponding to a virtual three-dimensional space,

resource data storage means being connected to the computer, which resource data storage means stores resource data which is obtained by accumulating, among image data obtained by repeatedly executing processing for shooting an overhead image of a region in the virtual three-dimensional space with a virtual camera which is moved in the virtual three-dimensional space in accordance with a predetermined shooting condition, only image data formed by an overhead image whose information about color does not satisfy a predetermined condition;

and

the overhead map display program causing the computer to function as;

image data selection means for selecting predetermined image data from the resource data; and

overhead map display means for generating the overhead map based on the image data selected by the image data selection means, and displaying the overhead map on a predetermined display apparatus.

13. A computer-readable storage medium having stored therein an overhead map display program which is executed by a computer of an overhead map display apparatus for displaying an overhead map corresponding to a virtual three-dimensional space,

resource data storage means being connected to the computer, which resource data storage means stores resource data which is obtained by accumulating, among image data obtained by repeatedly executing processing for shooting an overhead image of a region in the virtual three-dimensional space with a virtual camera which is moved in the virtual three-dimensional space in accordance with a predetermined shooting condition, only image data formed by an overhead image whose information about color does not satisfy a predetermined condition, together with information indicating a position, in the virtual three-dimensional space, corresponding to the shot overhead image;

and

the overhead map display program causing the computer to function as;

position obtaining means for obtaining a position, in the virtual three-dimensional space, corresponding to a predetermined display position in the overhead map;

resource existence determination means for determining whether or not a piece of the image data corresponding to the position in the virtual three-dimensional space obtained by the position obtaining means is included in the resource data; and

overhead map display means for, if the resource existence determination means determines that the corresponding piece of the image data is included in the resource data, obtaining the corresponding piece of the image data from the resource data and displaying the corresponding image on the predetermined display position in the overhead map, and for, if the resource existence determination means determines that the corresponding piece of the image data is not included in the resource data, displaying a predetermined image on the predetermined display position in the overhead map.

14. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the overhead map display program according to claim 13, wherein

the overhead map display program further causes the computer to function as first overhead map out-of-range determination means for determining, based on a position of a player object and a predetermined drawing range, whether or not the position in the virtual three-dimensional space obtained by the position obtaining means is out of a range, in the virtual three-dimensional space, which is drawn as the overhead map, and

the resource existence determination means determines, only if the first overhead map out-of-range determination means determines that the position in the virtual three-dimensional space is not out of the overhead map, whether or not apiece of the image data corresponding to the position in the virtual three-dimensional space is included in the resource data.

15. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the overhead map display program according to claim 14, wherein the first overhead map out-of-range determination means determines, based on the position of the player object, the predetermined drawing range, and an enlargement factor of the overhead map, whether or not the position in the virtual three-dimensional space obtained by the position obtaining means is out of a range, in the virtual three-dimensional space, which is displayed as the overhead map.

16. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the overhead map display program according to claim 14, wherein

the overhead map display program further causes the computer to function as second overhead map out-of-range determination means for determining, based on a direction of the player object, whether or not the position in the virtual three-dimensional space which the first overhead map out-of-range determination means determines is not out of the overhead map is included in the range, in virtual three-dimensional space, which is drawn as the overhead map, and

the resource existence determination means determines, only if the second overhead map out-of-range determination means determines that the position in the virtual three-dimensional space is not out of the overhead map, whether or not the piece of the image data corresponding to the position in the virtual three-dimensional space is included in the resource data.

17. An overhead map resource generation apparatus for generating a resource for displaying an overhead map corresponding to a virtual three-dimensional space, the overhead map resource generation apparatus comprising:

shooting means for shooting an overhead image of a region in the virtual three-dimensional space with a virtual camera provided in the virtual three-dimensional space;

determination means for determining whether or not information about a color included in the overhead image shot by the shooting means satisfies a predetermined condition; and

resource data generation means for generating resource data by accumulating, in a predetermined storage medium, image data of the overhead image which the determination means determines does not satisfy the predetermined condition, and

processing performed by the shooting means, the determination means, and the resource data generation means being repeated until all overhead images corresponding to a predetermined region in the virtual three-dimensional space are shot by the shooting means.

18. An overhead map display apparatus for displaying an overhead map corresponding to a virtual three-dimensional space, the overhead map display apparatus comprising:

resource data storage means for storing resource data which is obtained by accumulating, among image data obtained by repeatedly executing processing for shooting an overhead image of a region in the virtual three-dimensional space with a virtual camera which is moved in the virtual three-dimensional space in accordance with a predetermined shooting condition, only image data formed by an overhead image whose information about color does not satisfy a predetermined condition;

image data selection means for selecting predetermined image data from the resource data; and

overhead map display means for generating the overhead map based on the selected image data, and displaying the overhead map on a predetermined display apparatus.

19. An overhead map display apparatus for displaying an overhead map corresponding to a virtual three-dimensional space, the overhead map display apparatus comprising:

resource data storage means for storing resource data which is obtained by accumulating, among image data obtained by repeatedly executing processing for shooting an overhead image of a region in the virtual three-dimensional space with a virtual camera which is moved in the virtual three-dimensional space in accordance with a predetermined shooting condition, only image data formed by an overhead image whose information about color does not satisfy a predetermined condition, together with information indicating a position, in the virtual three-dimensional space, corresponding to the shot overhead image;

position obtaining means for obtaining a position, in the virtual three-dimensional space, corresponding to a predetermined display position in the overhead map;

resource existence determination means for determining whether or not a piece of the image data corresponding to the position in the virtual three-dimensional space obtained by the position obtaining means is included in the resource data; and

overhead map display means for, if the resource existence determination means determines that the corresponding piece of the image data is included in the resource data, obtaining the corresponding piece of the image data from the resource data and displaying the corresponding image on the predetermined display position in the overhead map, and for, if the resource existence determination means determines that the corresponding piece of the image data is not included in the resource data, displaying a predetermined image on the predetermined display position in the overhead map.

20. A method for generating a resource for displaying an overhead map and displaying the overhead map based on the resource, the method comprising:

a shooting step of shooting an overhead image of a region in the virtual three-dimensional space with a virtual camera provided in the virtual three-dimensional space;

a determination step of determining whether or not information about the overhead image shot in the shooting step satisfies a predetermined condition;

a resource data generation step of generating resource data by accumulating, in a predetermined storage medium, image data of the overhead image which it is determined in the determination step does not satisfy the predetermined condition;

a control step of repeating processing performed in the shooting step, the determination step, and the resource data generation step until all overhead images corresponding to a predetermined region in the virtual three-dimensional space are shot in the shooting step;

image data selection step of selecting predetermined image data from the resource data; and

overhead map display step of generating the overhead map based on the image data selected in the image data selection step, and displaying the overhead map on a predetermined display apparatus.