Image display control apparatus for displaying images corresponding to action of an object

• US 6,366,288 B1
• Filed: 03/22/2000
• Issued: 04/02/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: Naruki, Yukio, Okabe, Hiromi
• Primary Examiner(s): Chauhan, Ulka J.
• Application Number:
  US09/532,541
• Time in Patent Office: 741 Days
• Field of Search: 345/501, 345/503, 345/520, 345/522, 345/507, 345/509, 345/473, 345/545, 345/530, 463/1-5, 463/16, 463/23
• US Class Current: 345/503
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/213 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells A63F13/219, A63F13/655 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/215 comprising means for detecting acoustic signals, e.g. using a microphone
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/428 involving motion or position input signals, e.g. signals representing the rotation of an input controller or a player's arm motions sensed by accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/825 Fostering virtual characters
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/95 Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1012 involving biosensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat, limb activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1081 Input via voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/206 Game information storage, e.g. cartridges, CD ROM's, DVD's, smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8058 Virtual breeding, e.g. tamagotchi
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/807 Role playing or strategy games
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/025 adapted to a specific application
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/0283 for data storage and retrieval
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 3/006 based on simulated virtual individual or collective life forms, e.g. social simulations or particle swarm optimisation [PSO]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 345/96 Iterative display of preconfigured images

Abstract

In an image display device, a ROM contains a plurality of image data indicative of the actions of an animal character. A RAM includes a plurality of action level registers each stores for each of which image data the state of inputs given to select and display the image data. The user gives a command corresponding to a respective image of an animal character to select and display the action of the animal character optionally. When a random number corresponding to the command is generated, image data which does not correspond to the input command can be displayed. If the generated random number has a particular value, the value of an action level register for the image data corresponding to the command is updated. Such operation is iterated and thus the value of the action level register is updated. When the user instructs the device to display the image data for which the updated value of the action level register has reached the predetermined value, the corresponding image data is displayed, so that the user can interestingly feel as if the user actually kept a pet.

Claims

1. An image display control apparatus comprising:

storage means for storing a plurality of images each indicating a respective action of an object corresponding to an action of a user made to train the object;

detecting means for detecting a present action of the user made to train the object;

determining means for determining whether or not the present action of the user detected by said detecting means satisfies predetermined training conditions;

first display control means, responsive to said determining means determining that the detected action of the user does not satisfy predetermined training conditions, for reading out from said storage means an image which does not indicate an action of the object corresponding to the present action of the user, and for controlling the display device to display the read out image; and

second display control means, responsive to said determining means determining that the detected action of the user satisfies the predetermined training conditions, for reading out from said storage means an image indicating an action of the object corresponding to the present action of the user, and for controlling the display device to display the read out image.

2. The image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the action of the user made to train the object comprises one of a spoken and gestural command given by the user to the object;

the object comprises an electronic pet; and

the detecting means comprises means for recognizing the at least one of the spoken and gestural command given by the user.

3. The image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the action of the user made to train the object comprises an action made at least once by the user, and the predetermined training conditions comprise a number of actions required for training the object.

4. An image display control apparatus comprising:

a storage device that stores in corresponding relationship;

(i) a plurality of action images each indicating a respective one of a plurality of actions or gestures of an image of a living thing, and (ii) a plurality of training conditions each necessary to train the image of the living thing to make a corresponding action or gesture, wherein each training condition corresponds to a respective one of a plurality of gestural or voice commands which may be given by a user to the image of the living thing;

determining means, responsive to any particular one of the plurality of gestural or voice commands being repeatedly given by the user, for determining whether or not the repeatedly given particular gestural or voice command has satisfied the one of the plurality of training conditions which corresponds to the particular gestural or voice command; and

display control means, responsive to said determining means determining that the repeatedly given particular gestural or voice command has satisfied the corresponding one of the plurality of training conditions, for reading from said storage device the one of the plurality of action images corresponding to the satisfied training condition, and for causing the read action image to be displayed on a display device so that the image of the living thing performs a corresponding trained action or gesture on the display device;

wherein when said determining means determines that the repeatedly given particular gestural or voice command has failed to satisfy the corresponding one of the plurality of training conditions, said display control means reads from said storage device an action image different from the action image corresponding to the unsatisfied training condition, and causes the read action image to be displayed on the display device so that the image of the living thing performs a corresponding untrained action or gesture on the display device.

5. The image display control apparatus according to claim 4, wherein one of the plurality of action images represents a “

sit down”

action or gesture, and one of the plurality of gestural or voice commands comprises a “

sit down”

voice command.

6. The image display control apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of training conditions each comprise a number of times of repetition of a respective one of the gestural or voice commands.

7. An image display control method comprising:

determining, in response to any particular one of a plurality of gestural or voice commands being repeatedly given by a user, whether or not the repeatedly given particular gestural or voice command has satisfied one of a plurality of training conditions which corresponds to the particular gestural or voice command;

reading from a storage device, when it is determined that the repeatedly given particular gestural or voice command has satisfied the corresponding one of the plurality of training conditions, one of a plurality of action images corresponding to the satisfied training condition;

causing the read action image to be displayed on a display device so that an image of a living thing performs a corresponding trained action or gesture on the display device;

reading from the storage device, when it is determined that the repeatedly given particular gestural or voice command has failed to satisfy the corresponding one of the plurality of training conditions, an action image different from the action image corresponding to the unsatisfied training condition; and

causing the read action image to be displayed on the display device so that the image of the living thing performs a corresponding untrained action or gesture on the display device;

wherein said storage device has stored therein in corresponding relationship;

(i) the plurality of action images each indicating a respective one of a plurality of actions or gestures of the image of the living thing, and (ii) the plurality of training conditions which are each necessary to train the image of the living thing to make a corresponding action or gesture; and

wherein each training condition corresponds to a respective one of a plurality of gestural or voice commands which may be given by the user to the image of the living thing.

8. The image display control method according to claim 7, wherein one of the plurality of action images represents a “

sit down”

action or gesture, and one of the plurality of gestural or voice commands comprises a “

sit down”

voice command.

9. The image display control method according to claim 7, wherein the plurality of training conditions each comprise a number of times of repetition of a respective one of the gestural or voice commands.