Breeding simulation apparatus for virtual creatures

• US 6,832,955 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2003
• Issued: 12/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Bandai, Kabushiki Kaisha WiZ
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Bandai, Kabushiki Kaisha WiZ
• Inventors: Yokoi, Akihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KIM T
• Application Number:
  US10/440,563
• Publication Number:
  US 20030216160A1
• Time in Patent Office: 585 Days
• Field of Search: 463/2, 463/7, 463/8, 463/30-32, 463/37, 463/40-43, 273/461, 345/952
• US Class Current: 463/7
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/44 involving timing of operations, e.g. performing an action within a time slot
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/58 by computing conditions of game characters, e.g. stamina, strength, motivation or energy level
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/825 Fostering virtual characters
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/833 Hand-to-hand fighting, e.g. martial arts competition A63F13/837 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/638 according to the timing of operation or a time limit
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/65 for computing the condition of a game character
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8029 Fighting without shooting
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8058 Virtual breeding, e.g. tamagotchi
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 20/00 Machine learning
• 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: G09B 5/065 Combinations of audio and video presentations, e.g. videotapes, videodiscs, television systems

Abstract

It is a purpose of this invention to provide a simulation for breeding a virtual creature for growing the virtual creature while disciplining or training the virtual creature by treatments in respect of breeding applied by a player to the virtual creature in a screen. The apparatus is provided with mark display units 17 and 19 individually displaying a plurality of kinds of the treatments in respect of breeding the virtual creature individually by marks 17a, 17b, 17c . . . , 19a, 19b, 19c, . . . and is provided with key switches SW1, SW2 and SW3 for inputting a corresponding one of the treatments by selecting a specific mark from the plurality of marks. It has a storing unit for storing control data in respect of breeding the virtual creature and a control unit whereby when one of the treatments for breeding the virtual creature is inputted by operating the key switches SW1, SW2 and SW3, the control data in correspondence therewith is read from the storing unit and a control processing in respect of breeding the virtual creature is conducted based on the read control data, and a virtual creature display unit for displaying the fostered virtual creature.

Claims

1. A simulation apparatus for breeding a virtual creature comprising;

inputting means for inputting treatments in respect of breeding a virtual creature;

a storing unit for storing a control data in respect of breeding the virtual creature;

a control unit whereby when one of the treatments in respect of breeding the virtual creature is inputted from the inputting means, the control data corresponding to the one of the treatments is read from the storing unit and a control processing in respect of breeding the virtual creature is conducted based on the read control data;

a virtual creature display unit for displaying the fostered virtual creature;

wherein the control unit is provided with setting means for setting one or more of growth stages in accordance with growing the virtual creature;

wherein the storing units stores a plurality of kinds of virtual creatures having at least different appearances at each of the growth stages;

wherein the control unit is provided with determining means for determining contents of the treatments in respect of breeding the virtual creature in a growth procedure until then when the virtual creature reaches one of the growth stages;

wherein the control unit is provided with selecting means for selecting one of the virtual creatures from the stored plurality of kinds of virtual creatures based on a result of a determination by the determining means;

wherein the control unit is provided with changing means for changing the virtual creature which has reached one of the growth stages into the selected one of the virtual creatures and further comprising;

connecting means for electrically connecting the simulation apparatus for breeding the virtual creature to another simulation apparatus for breeding a virtual creature;

wherein the control unit is provided with warring means for making a war based on battle data from the other simulation apparatus for breeding the virtual creature inputted via the connecting means and a battle data of the simulation apparatus for breeding a virtual creature; and

wherein the control unit is provided with win or lose determining means for determining win or lose the war.

2. The simulation apparatus for breeding a virtual creature according to claim 1,

wherein the storing unit stores a plurality of kinds of virtual creatures having different appearances and powers at each of the growth stages;

wherein the inputting means includes a means for taking care of the virtual creature with the content necessary for growing the virtual creature and a means for conducting a training with the content necessary for promoting the power; and

wherein the determining means determines a degree of the care and a degree of the training.

3. The simulation apparatus for breeding a virtual creature according to claim 1 wherein the storing unit stores a plurality of appearances at least one of the respective growth stages.

4. A virtual creature breeding simulation apparatus comprising:

image storage circuit storing plural images of the virtual creature, including images of the virtual creature in at least one growth stage;

treatment input signal circuit that generates a treatment input signal;

control data storage circuit;

control processor circuit selecting control data from among control data in the control data storage circuit based on the treatment input signal and conducting a control processing in respect of the virtual creature based on the selected control data;

a virtual creature display unit displaying at least one image of the virtual creature from the image storage circuit based on the control processing based on the selected control data; and

a connector for electrically connecting the virtual creature breeding simulation apparatus to another virtual creature breeding simulation apparatus;

communications apparatus creating a data connection between the virtual creature breeding simulation apparatus and another virtual creature breeding simulation apparatus;

wherein the control processor circuit includes a warring circuit enabling a battle simulation based on data from the other virtual creature breeding simulation apparatus received via the communications apparatus; and

wherein the control processor circuit includes a win/lose determining circuit.

5. The virtual creature breeding simulation apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the communications apparatus includes a data line electrically connecting the virtual creature breeding simulation apparatus and the other virtual creature breeding simulation apparatus.