Video game apparatus and image synthesizing method thereof

• US 6,241,524 B1
• Filed: 11/30/1995
• Issued: 06/05/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Namco Bandai Games Inc.
• Original Assignee: Namco Limited (BANDAI NAMCO Holdings Inc.)
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Takeyasu, Aoshima, Nobuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): SAGER, MARK ALAN
• Application Number:
  US08/565,584
• Time in Patent Office: 2,014 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1-2, 463/5-7, 463/9, 463/30, 463/31, 463/32, 463/33, 463/34, 463/35, 463/36, 463/38, 463/49, 463/53, 434/30, 434/35, 434/29, 434/62, 434/69, 434/43, 434/44, 434/45, 434/46, 434/47, 434/48, 434/49, 434/55, 434/118, 434/307.R, 364/410, 364/411, 273/DIG.26, 273/DIG.28
• US Class Current: 434/118
• 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 13/5375 for graphically or textually suggesting an action, e.g. by displaying an arrow indicating a turn in a driving game
• 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 13/54 involving acoustic signals, e.g. for simulating revolutions per minute [RPM] dependent engine sounds in a driving game or reverberation against a virtual wall
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/303 for displaying additional data, e.g. simulating a Head Up Display
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/305 for providing a graphical or textual hint to the player
• 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 2300/6063 for sound processing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8017 Driving on land or water; Flying

Abstract

There is provided a game apparatus which can display an advice data appropriate to the sate of game development and player'"'"'s operation so that the player can master a high-level and complicated game while playing the game.

The game apparatus has a control section through which the player plays the game and a game computing section for computing the game and displaying a game image on a display, based on an operation signal from the control section.

The game computing section computes and outputs advice data depending on the state of game on the display.

Claims

1. A video game apparatus comprising:

a display;

game operating means operated by a player;

game computing means for computing a game in accordance with an operation signal from said game operating means and a predetermined game program to display a game image on said display; and

advice data computing means which computes and outputs advice data for the player depending on a state of the game, wherein said advice data computing means comprises an operational state judging section for judging an operational state of the game operating means from an operational history of the player, the advice data computing means automatically generating an operation advice image of the game operating means, and displays the operation advice image on the display depending on the operational state.

2. The video game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said advice data computing means computes advice data depending on a state of the game to display an advice image.

3. The video game apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:

said game operating means comprises;

steering means for steering a player'"'"'s object which moves in a game space, and

attacking means actuatable by the player for attacking an enemy or target;

said game computing means comprises;

three-dimensional space computing means for computing a three-dimensional game space in which the player'"'"'s object moves and attacks said enemy or target in accordance with an operational signal from said game computing means and a predetermined game program, and

three-dimensional image synthesizing means for synthesizing a pseudo three-dimensional image which is obtained when said three-dimensional game space is viewed from a given viewpoint to display said pseudo three-dimensional image on the display as a game image; and

said advice data computing means comprises;

data storage means for storing advice data which advises the player how to operate at least one of said steering means and said attacking means as dynamic image data in different states of the game as advice data, and

state judging means for judging a state of the game, wherein said advice game computing means reads out said advice data appropriate to the state of the game from said data storage means and displays the advice data as a dynamic image.

4. The video game apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising sound generating means for producing sounds for the game, wherein said advice data computing means computes advice data depending on a state of the game to generate advice sounds through said sound generating means.

5. The video game apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said advice data computing means comprises data storage means which stores advice data for operating said game operating means as dynamic image data, and said advice data computing means reads out the advice data appropriate to the operational state and displays operation of the game operating means as a dynamic image.

6. The video game apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said game computing means displays said advice data computed by said advice data computing means in a window in a game image.

7. The video game apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said game computing means displays said advice data computed by said advice data computing means in a window in a game image.

8. The video game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said advice data computing means comprises a game state judging section for judging a state of the game, said advice data computing means automatically generating an advice image which advises the player how to proceed with the game depending on the judging data.

9. The video game apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said advice data computing means comprises a gauge data judging section for judging data of gauges used in the game to select advice data appropriate to gauge data.

10. The video game apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising sound generating means for producing sounds for the game, wherein said advice data computing means computes advice data depending on a state of the game to generate advice sounds through said sound generating means.

11. The video game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said advice data computing means comprises a gauge data judging section for judging data of gauges used in the game to select advice data appropriate to gauge data.

12. The video apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said advice data computing means comprises a gauge data judging section for judging data of gauges used in the game, the advice data computing means automatically generating an advice image which advises the player on a current state of a gauge and displays the advice image on the display depending on the judging data.

13. The video game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said game operating means comprises advice deciding means for the player to decide whether advice display is required or not.

14. The video game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said game computing means proceeds with the game without interruption when an advice image is being displayed.

15. The video game apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said game operating means comprises advice terminating means;

and

wherein said game computing means stops the game when an advice image is being displayed, and restarts the game when said advice terminating means is operated during advice display.

16. The video game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said advice data computing means limits displaying of identical advice images to a given number of times.

17. The video game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said game operating means comprises;

steering means for steering a player'"'"'s object which moves in a game space,

attacking means actuatable by the player for attacking an enemy or target;

said game computing means comprises;

three-dimensional space computing means for computing a three-dimensional game space in which the player'"'"'s object moves and attacks said enemy or target in accordance with an operational signal from said game computing means and a predetermined game program, and

three-dimensional image synthesizing means for synthesizing a pseudo three-dimensional image which is obtained when said three-dimensional game space is viewed from a given viewpoint to display said pseudo three-dimensional image on the display as a game image; and

said advice data computing means comprises;

data storage means for storing advice data which advises the player how to operate at least one of said steering means and said attacking means as dynamic image data, and

state judging means for judging a state of the game, wherein said advice game computing means reads out said advice data appropriate to the state of the game from said data storage means and displays the advice data as a dynamic image.

18. A method of synthesizing an image for a video game apparatus, comprising:

judging an operational state of name operating means from an operational history of a player;

automatically computing an operational advice image of the game operating means depending on the judging operational state; and

displaying the operation advice image on the display.

19. A video game apparatus comprising:

a display;

game operating means operated by a player;

game computing means for computing a game in accordance with an operation signal from said game operating means and a predetermined game program to display a game image on said display; and

advice data computing means which computes and outputs advice data for the player depending on a state of the game, wherein said advice data computing means comprises a gauge data judging section for judging data of gauges used in the game, the advice data computing means automatically generating an advice image which advises the player on a current state of a gauge and displays the advice image on the display depending on the judging data.

20. A video game apparatus comprising:

a display;

game operating means operated by a player;

game computing means for computing a game in accordance with an operation signal from said game operating means and a predetermined game program to display a game image on said display; and

advice data computing means which automatically computes and outputs advice data for the player depending on a state of the game, wherein said advice data computing means limits displaying of identical advice images to a given number of times.