Virtual course display method and game machine using the same

• US 6,007,423 A
• Filed: 11/12/1996
• Issued: 12/28/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sega Enterprises LTD.
• Original Assignee: Sega Enterprises LTD.
• Inventors: Nakamura, Atsuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Martin-Wallace, Valencia
• Assistant Examiner(s): PARADISO, JOHN ROGER
• Application Number:
  US08/747,596
• Time in Patent Office: 1,141 Days
• Field of Search: 463/6, 463/58, 463/59, 273/138.1, 273/138.2, 273/139, 273/237, 273/246, 273/459, 273/460, 273/461
• 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 13/52 involving aspects of the displayed game scene
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/803 Driving vehicles or craft, e.g. cars, airplanes, ships, robots or tanks
• 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 2300/66 for rendering three dimensional images
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8017 Driving on land or water; Flying

Abstract

The present invention relates to a virtual course display method of displaying on display means a virtual course, which is constructed by connecting a plurality of virtual course parts and where a virtual mobile body runs, the method comprising the steps of: randomly selecting a predetermined number of successively connectable virtual course parts data from among plural pieces of virtual course parts data having different shapes and each being connectable to at least one of other virtual course parts data; storing at least a connecting order of the selected predetermined number of virtual course parts data; constructing a virtual course including virtual course parts data a mobile body passes and a predetermined number of virtual course parts data following the former virtual course parts data based on the connecting order; generating an image of the virtual course; and displaying the image of the virtual course on the display means. The present invention also relates to a game machine and storage medium for the above method.

Claims

1. A virtual course display method of displaying on display means a virtual course, which is constructed by connecting a plurality of virtual course parts and where a virtual mobile body runs, the method comprising the steps of:

randomly selecting a predetermined number of successively connectable virtual course parts data from among plural pieces of virtual course parts data having different shapes and each being connectable to at least one of other virtual course parts data;

storing at least a connecting order of the selected predetermined number of virtual course parts data;

constructing a virtual course including virtual course parts data a mobile body passes and a predetermined number of virtual course parts data following the former virtual course parts data based on the connecting order;

generating an image of the virtual course; and

displaying the image of the virtual course on the display means.

2. A Virtualcourse display method according to the claim 1, further comprising a step of:

randomly selecting a virtual course part datum from among a plurality of virtual course parts data connectable to a last virtual course part during execution of a game program when the mobile body manipulatable by a player reaches a point in a virtual course located away from the last virtual course part by a predetermined number of virtual course parts; and

connecting the selected virtual course part to the last virtual course part to update the virtual course.

3. A game machine for executing a game program, stored in a storage medium, for driving a virtual mobile body in accordance with an operation signal generated by a player and supplying an image signal to a display section for displaying a game scene, the game machine comprising:

a storage medium storing plural pieces of virtual course parts data having different shapes in such a manner that one virtual course part is connectable to a predetermined number of other virtual course parts in shape; and

control means for randomly selecting a predetermined number of virtual course parts data connectable to one another, storing at least a connecting order of the selected predetermined number of virtual course parts data, connecting the selected virtual course parts data based on the connecting order to construct a virtual course, and executing the game program while supplying an image signal for displaying an image of the virtual course to the display section in accordance with the virtual course.

4. A game machine according to the claim 3, wherein:

the control means randomly select a virtual course part datum from among a plurality of virtual course parts data connectable to a last virtual course part during execution of the game program when the mobile body manipulatable by the player reaches a point of a predetermined number of virtual course parts away from the last virtual course part in a virtual course, and connect the selected virtual course part to the last virtual course part to update the virtual course.

5. A storage medium having stored a game program for driving a virtual mobile body and connectable to a game machine for executing the game program for driving the virtual mobile body in accordance with an operation signal generated by a player and supplying an image signal to a display section for displaying a game scene, the storage medium including:

plural pieces of virtual course parts data having different shapes in such a manner that one virtual course part is connectable to a predetermined number of other virtual course parts;

a program code for a step of randomly selecting a predetermined number of virtual course parts data connectable to one another;

a program code for a step of storing at least a connecting order of the selected predetermined number of virtual course parts data;

a program code for a step of connecting the selected virtual course parts data based on the connecting order to construct a virtual course; and

a program code for a step of executing the game program while displaying an image of the virtual course on the display section in accordance with data of the virtual course.

6. A storage medium according to the claim 5, further including:

a program code for a step of randomly selecting a virtual course part datum from among a plurality of virtual course parts data connectable to a last virtual course part during execution of the game program when the mobile body manipulatable by the player reaches a point of a predetermined number of virtual course parts away from the last virtual course part in a virtual course, and connecting the selected virtual course part to the last virtual course part to update the virtual course.

7. A storage medium according to the claim 6, wherein, each of the virtual course parts data has plural pieces of data of polygons and texture data of surfaces of the polygons, and the polygons of the mutually connectable virtual course parts data at connecting portions have same shapes or complementary shapes and have same texture.