Game machine, game device control method, information storage medium, game distribution device, and game distribution method

• US 6,695,694 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2001
• Issued: 02/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: KCE Tokyo Incorporated, Konami Sports Corp. (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: KCE Tokyo Incorporated, Konami Corporation, People Incorporated
• Inventors: Ishikawa, Hirotaka, Tamura, Akinori, Nishibori, Takashi, Yoshida, Yumi, Wada, Yoshiko, Nagaoka, Kei, Takase, Yasumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hughes, S. Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rada, II, Alex F. R. P.
• Application Number:
  US09/789,590
• Publication Number:
  US 20010016510A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,097 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463/4, 463/7, 463/8, 463/9, 463/36-38, 463/47, 482/1-8, 482/83-89, 482/51-53, 434/247, 434/258
• US Class Current: 463/7
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/214 for locating contacts on a surface, e.g. floor mats or touch pads
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/40 Processing input control signals of video game devices, e.g. signals generated by the player or derived from the environment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/814 Musical performances, e.g. by evaluating the player's ability to follow a notation
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1012 involving biosensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat, limb activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1068 being specially adapted to detect the point of contact of the player on a surface, e.g. floor mat, touch pad
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8005 Athletics
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8047 Music games
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/00 Details of electrophonic musical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/026 for games, e.g. videogames
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 482/902 Employing specific graphic or video display

Abstract

To evaluate a game playing performance from a new point of view, a control method for controlling a game machine allowing a player to enjoy stepping while listening to game music, comprises the steps of detecting whether or not the player puts their foot or feet on each of a plurality of step positions; judging, based on a detection result on the step position, according to which, of a plurality of pattern changes, a state of the player'"'"'s feet relative to the plurality of step positions has changed to; calculating, based on the determined pattern change, an energy consumption amount due to a change of the state of the player'"'"'s feet; calculating an accumulative energy consumption amount by accumulating an energy consumption amount calculated after a predetermined timing; and reporting the accumulative energy consumption amount calculated to the player.

Claims

1. A game machine allowing a player to enjoy stepping while listening to game music, comprising:

step detection means for detecting whether or not the player puts their foot or feet on each of a plurality of step positions;

change judgment means for judging, based on a detection result, which of a plurality of pattern changes a state of the player'"'"'s feet relative to the plurality of step positions has changed to, thereby determining a pattern change;

energy consumption amount calculation means for calculating, based on the determined pattern change, an energy consumption amount due to a change of the state of the player'"'"'s feet;

accumulative energy consumption amount calculation means for calculating an accumulative energy consumption amount by accumulating an energy consumption amount calculated after a predetermined timing; and

accumulative energy consumption amount reporting means for reporting the accumulative energy consumption amount calculated to the player.

2. A game machine according to claim 1, further comprising:

weight obtaining means for obtaining the player'"'"'s weight, wherein

the energy consumption amount calculation means calculates an energy consumption amount based on the player'"'"'s weight obtained by the weight determination means.

3. A game machine according to claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising:

tempo change obtaining means for obtaining a tempo change at which the state of the player'"'"'s feet relative to the plurality of step positions changes, wherein

the energy consumption amount calculation means calculates an energy consumption amount based also on the tempo change determined by the tempo change obtaining means.

4. A game machine according to any one of claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising;

objective setting means for setting the player'"'"'s objective in terms of an accumulative energy consumption amount; and

objective attainment reporting means for reporting a state of attainment of the objective to the player based on the accumulative energy consumption amount calculated by the accumulative energy consumption calculation means.

5. A game machine according to claim 4, wherein

the objective setting means sets the objective based on at least one of an intake of a predetermined food, an amount of predetermined exercise, an objective weight, and an objective weight loss.

6. A game machine according to claim 4, wherein the objective attainment reporting means estimates a play duration time necessary to attain the objective, based on an amount of energy consumed during past game playing performance, and reports the play duration time estimated to the player as a part of a report on the state of attainment of the objective.

7. A game machine as recited in claim 1, wherein said plurality of pattern changes comprise at least a first and second pattern change, and a different energy consumption amount is allocated to each of said first and second pattern change.

8. A control method for controlling a game machine allowing a player to enjoy stepping while listening to game music, the method comprising:

detecting whether or not the player puts their foot or feet on each of a plurality of step positions;

judging, based on a detection result, which of a plurality of pattern changes a state of the player'"'"'s feet relative to the plurality of step positions has changed to thereby determining a pattern change;

calculating, based on the determined pattern change, an energy consumption amount due to a change of the state of the player'"'"'s feet;

calculating an accumulative energy consumption amount by accumulating an energy consumption amount calculated after a predetermined timing; and

reporting the accumulative energy consumption amount calculated to the player.

9. A control method for controlling a game machine as recited in claim 8, wherein said plurality of pattern changes comprise at least a first and second pattern change, and a different energy consumption amount is allocated to each of said first and second pattern change.

10. A game machine, comprising:

a controller for inputting an operation signal representing a pattern change;

change judgment means for judging which, of a plurality of pattern changes, the operation signal input from the controller has changed to, thereby determining a pattern change;

energy consumption amount calculation means for calculating, based on the determined pattern change, the player'"'"'s energy consumption amount corresponding to a change of the operation signal input from the controller;

accumulative energy consumption amount calculation means for calculating an accumulative energy consumption amount by accumulating an energy consumption amount calculated after a predetermined timing; and

accumulative energy consumption amount reporting means for reporting the accumulative energy consumption amount calculated to the player.

11. A game machine as recited in claim 10, wherein said plurality of pattern changes comprise at least a first and second pattern change, and a different energy consumption amount is allocated to each of said first and second pattern change.

12. An information storage medium storing a program for having a computer having a controller for inputting an operation signal representing a pattern change, to function as a game machine having:

change judgment means for judging which, of a plurality of pattern changes, the operation signal input from the controller has changed to, thereby determining a pattern change;

energy consumption amount calculation means for calculating, based on the determined pattern change, the player'"'"'s energy consumption amount corresponding to a change of the operation signal input from the controller;

accumulative energy consumption amount calculation means for calculating an accumulative energy consumption amount by accumulating an energy consumption amount calculated after a predetermined timing; and

accumulative energy consumption amount reporting means for reporting the accumulative energy consumption amount calculated to the player.

13. An information storage medium as recited in said claim 12, wherein said plurality of pattern changes comprise at least a first and second pattern change, and a different energy consumption amount is allocated to each of said first and second pattern change.

14. A game machine allowing a player to enjoy stepping while listening to game music, comprising:

step detection means for detecting whether or not the player puts their foot or feet on each of a plurality of step positions;

energy consumption amount calculation means for calculating, based on a detection result on the step position, an energy consumption amount due to a change of the state of the player'"'"'s feet;

accumulative energy consumption amount calculation means for calculating an accumulative energy consumption amount by accumulating an energy consumption amount calculated after a predetermined timing;

accumulative energy consumption amount reporting means for reporting the accumulative energy consumption amount calculated to the player;

objective setting means for setting an objective for the player in terms of an accumulative energy consumption amount, based on at least one of an intake of a predetermined food, an amount of predetermined exercise, an objective, and an objective weight loss; and

objective attainment reporting means for reporting to the player a state of attainment of the objective based on the accumulative energy consumption amount calculated by the accumulative energy consumption amount calculation means.

15. A game machine allowing a player to enjoy stepping while listening to game music, comprising:

a plurality of step detectors for detecting whether or not the player puts their foot or feet on each of a plurality of step positions;

a change judgment portion for judging, based on a detection result, which of a plurality of pattern changes, a state of the player'"'"'s feet relative to the plurality of step positions has changed to, thereby determining a pattern change;

an energy consumption amount calculation portion for calculating, based on the determined pattern change, an energy consumption amount due to a change of the state of the player'"'"'s feet;

an accumulative energy consumption amount calculation portion for calculating an accumulative energy consumption amount by accumulating an energy consumption amount calculated after a predetermined timing; and

an accumulative energy consumption amount reporting portion for reporting the accumulative energy consumption amount calculated to the player.

16. A game machine as recited in claim 15, wherein said plurality of pattern changes comprise at least a first and second pattern change, and a different energy consumption amount is allocated to each of said first and second pattern change.

17. A game machine, comprising:

a controller for inputting an operation signal representing a pattern change;

a change judgment portion which judges which of a plurality of pattern changes the operation signal input from the controller has changed to, thereby determining a pattern change;

an energy consumption amount calculation portion which calculates, based on the determined pattern change, the player'"'"'s energy consumption amount corresponding to a change of the operation signal input from the controller;

an accumulative energy consumption amount calculation portion which calculates an accumulative energy consumption amount by accumulating an energy consumption amount calculated after predetermined timing; and

an accumulative energy consumption amount reporting portion for reporting the accumulative energy consumption amount calculated to the player.

18. A game machine as recited in claim 17, wherein said plurality of pattern changes comprise at least a first and second pattern change, and a different energy consumption amount is allocated to each of said first and second pattern change.

19. A computer readable medium with a program code for having a computer having a controller for inputting an operation signal representing a pattern change, to function as a game machine comprising:

a change judgment portion for judging which of a plurality of pattern changes the operation signal input from the controller has changed to, thereby determining a pattern change;

an energy consumption amount calculation portion for calculating, based on the determined pattern change, the player'"'"'s energy consumption amount corresponding to a change of the operation signal input from the controller;

an accumulative energy consumption amount calculation portion for calculating an accumulative energy consumption amount by accumulating an energy consumption amount calculated after predetermined timing; and

an accumulative energy consumption amount reporting portion for reporting the accumulative energy consumption amount calculated to the player.

20. A computer readable medium with a program code for having a computer function as a game machine as recited in claim 19, wherein said plurality of pattern changes comprise at least a first and second pattern change, and a different energy consumption amount is allocated to each of said first and second pattern change.