Entertainment system, entertainment apparatus, recording medium, and program

• US 6,699,123 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2001
• Issued: 03/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Belmonte, John, Matsuura, Masaya
• Primary Examiner(s): HOTALING, JOHN M
• Application Number:
  US09/863,121
• Publication Number:
  US 20010051541A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,015 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463/30-33
• US Class Current: 463/31
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• 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 13/52 involving aspects of the displayed game scene
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6063 for sound processing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/66 for rendering three dimensional images

Abstract

An entertainment system for a game in which novel three-dimensional line drawing images are displayed on a display screen is disclosed. By pressing a predetermined control button of a manual controller at predetermined timing, a character object line drawing image can clear a virtual road object line drawing image having obstacle object line drawing images which move from the further right side of the screen toward the front left side of the screen.

Claims

1. An entertainment system comprising:

an entertainment apparatus for executing various programs;

a manual controller for inputting a manual control request of a user to said entertainment apparatus; and

a display monitor for displaying an image outputted from said entertainment apparatus,

wherein said entertainment apparatus comprises;

means for analyzing an audio signal;

means for generating at least one substantially linear line drawing image;

means for inserting a non-linear line drawing portion based on an result of an analysis of said audio signal into said substantially linear line drawing image to generate a modified substantially linear line drawing image having said non-linear line drawing portion; and

means for generating a line drawing image of a character object;

wherein said line drawing image of said character object is displayed on said modified substantially linear line drawing image having said non-linear line drawing portion on said display monitor.

2. An entertainment system according to claim 1, wherein said entertainment apparatus further comprises means for moving said line drawing image of said character object relative to said modified substantially linear line drawing image having said non-linear line drawing portion.

3. An entertainment system according to claim 2, wherein said entertainment apparatus further comprises means for changing said line drawing image of said character object into a line drawing image of a different character object depending on how said line drawing image of said character object moves on said modified substantially linear line drawing image having said non-linear line drawing portion.

4. An entertainment system according to claim 1, wherein said entertainment apparatus further comprises means for imparting vibrations to said modified substantially linear line drawing image having said non-linear line drawing portion and said line drawing image of said character object.

5. An entertainment system according to claim 1, wherein each of said line drawing images comprises a three-dimensional line drawing image.

6. An entertainment system according to claim 1, wherein said audio signal comprises an audio signal which is supplied to said entertainment apparatus from a recording medium or which is downloaded to said entertainment apparatus via communication.

7. An entertainment apparatus for executing various programs, said entertainment apparatus being connectable to a manual controller for inputting a manual control request of a user to said entertainment apparatus, and connectable to a display monitor for displaying an image outputted from said entertainment apparatus,

wherein said entertainment apparatus comprises:

means for analyzing an audio signal;

means for generating at least one substantially linear line drawing image;

means for inserting a non-linear line drawing portion based on a result of an analysis of said audio signal into said substantially linear line drawing image to generate a modified substantially linear line drawing image having said non-linear line drawing portion; and

means for generating a line drawing image of a character object;

wherein said line drawing image of said character object is displayed on said modified substantially linear line drawing image having said non-linear line drawing portion on said display monitor.

8. A recording medium for storing a program comprising the steps of:

analyzing an audio signal;

generating at least one substantially linear line drawing image;

inserting a non-linear line drawing portion based on a result of an analysis of said audio signal into said substantially linear line drawing image to generate a modified substantially linear line drawing image having said non-linear line drawing portion; and

generating a line drawing image of a character object on said modified substantially linear line drawing image having said non-linear line drawing portion.

9. A recording medium according to claim 8, wherein said program further comprises the step of moving said line drawing image of said character object relative to said modified substantially linear line drawing image having said non-linear line drawing portion.

10. A recording medium according to claim 9, wherein said program further comprises the step of changing said line drawing image of the character object into a line drawing image of a different character object depending on how said line drawing image of said character object moves on said modified substantially linear line drawing image having said non-linear line drawing portion.

11. A recording medium according to claim 8, wherein said program further comprises the step of imparting vibrations to said modified substantially linear line drawing image having said non-linear line drawing image portion and said line drawing image of said character object.

12. A recording medium according to claim 8, wherein each of said line drawing images comprises a three-dimensional line drawing image.

13. A recording medium for recording programs and data used for an entertainment system comprising:

an entertainment apparatus for executing various programs;

a manual controller for inputting a manual control request of a user to said entertainment apparatus; and

a display monitor for displaying an image outputted from said entertainment apparatus,

wherein said program comprises the steps of;

analyzing an audio signal;

generating at least one substantially linear line drawing image;

inserting a non-linear line drawing portion based on a result of an analysis of said audio signal into said substantially linear line drawing image to generate a modified substantially linear line drawing image having said non-linear line drawing portion; and

generating a line drawing image of a character object on said modified substantially linear line drawing image having said non-linear line drawing portion.

14. A program comprising the steps of:

analyzing an audio signal;

generating a substantially linear line drawing image;

inserting a non-linear line drawing portion based on a result of an analysis of said audio signal into said substantially linear line drawing image to generate a modified substantially linear line drawing image having said non-linear line drawing portion; and

generating a line drawing image of a character object on said modified substantially linear line drawing image having said non-linear line drawing portion.

15. A program for use of an entertainment system comprising:

an entertainment apparatus for executing various programs;

a manual controller for inputting a manual control request of a user to said entertainment apparatus; and

a display monitor for displaying an image outputted from said entertainment apparatus;

wherein said program comprises the steps of;

analyzing an audio signal;

generating at least one substantially linear line drawing image;

inserting a non-linear line drawing portion based on a result of an analysis of said audio signal into said substantially linear line drawing image to generate a modified substantially linear line drawing image having said non-linear line drawing portion; and

generating a line drawing image of a character object on said modified substantially linear line drawing image having said non-linear line drawing portion.