Game apparatus and game program

• US 7,677,978 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2005
• Issued: 03/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Tawara, Masaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo; Peter DungBa
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hall; Arthur O.
• Application Number:
  US11/038,422
• Publication Number:
  US 20050159197A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,880 Days
• Field of Search: 463 2- 8, 463/20, 463/23, 463 46- 47, 463/50, 463/53, 463/56, 463 1- 5, 463 7- 9, 463 30- 34, 463 36- 39, 463 40- 43, 463 49- 57, 37524015-24016, 375/240.25, 348/14.15, 348/39, 348/42, 348 47- 52, 348/115, 348/117, 348/121, 348135-137, 348/141, 348/211.14, 348/576, 348588-589, 348/719, 348/721, 348/E13.004, 348E13064-E13067, 717168-178, 345 11- 13, 345 21- 23, 345 31- 34, 345/24, 345/419, 345467-469, 345/539, 345543-544, 345/625, 345/636, 345/638, 345653-656, 345664-666, 345682-683, 345/686, 345949-950, 345/FOR.139, 345/FOR.153, 434 37- 38, 434 43- 44, 434/69, 434/118, 434/240, 434256-257, 273/108.1, 273/108.3, 273/108.4, 273/317.1, 273/317.3, 273/317.4, 273/317.5, 273/317.6, 273/150, 273329-330, 273406-407, 273/127.R, 273/148.R, 273/148.B, 273/309, 273/340, 273/348, 273361-367, 273/461
• US Class Current: 463/37
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/2145 the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/26 having at least one additional display device, e.g. on the game controller or outside a game booth
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/426 involving on-screen location information, e.g. screen coordinates of an area at which the player is aiming with a light gun
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/812 Ball games, e.g. soccer or baseball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1075 using a touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/301 using an additional display connected to the game console, e.g. on the controller
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/308 Details of the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8011 Ball

Abstract

A game apparatus provided with a touch panel that a player can use to enter an instruction by touching a touch panel with a stick or a finger. A touch panel image, including multiple button switch images, is displayed on the touch panel, and the player can enter a desired instruction by touching a button switch image associated with the desired instruction. Thus, the player is able to provide an instruction concerning the action of a selected character with a simple operation.

Claims

1. A game apparatus for executing a game which allows a first player to control an action of a first game object and which allows a second player or a computer to control an action of a second game object, the game apparatus comprising:

a game image display;

a touch panel display provided with a touch panel;

a plurality of button switches;

second object action execution programmed logic circuitry that executes the action of the second game object regardless of whether the first game object is active;

first action execution programmed logic circuitry that detects that a button switch is singly operated and executing a first action of the first game object in accordance with a detection result;

second action execution programmed logic circuitry that detects whether button switches are simultaneously or sequentially operated or whether a button switch is repeatedly operated, and executes a second action of the first game object that is different from the first action in accordance with a detection result;

game progression control programmed logic circuitry that allows the game to progress in accordance with results of execution of the second object action execution programmed logic circuitry, the first action execution programmed logic circuitry, and the second action execution programmed logic circuitry, and displays a game situation on the game image display;

touch panel display control programmed logic circuitry that displays a touch panel image including at least one button switch image on the touch panel display;

association programmed logic circuitry that associates the second action with the button switch image; and

alternate second action execution programmed logic circuitry that, when the touch panel detects a contact with the button switch image displayed on the touch panel display instead of simultaneous and/or sequential operation of the button switches, executes the second action associated with the button switch image by the association programmed logic circuitry as if the second action execution programmed logic circuitry had detected that button switches were simultaneously or sequentially operated or that the button switch was repeatedly operated.

2. The game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a number of types of action of the first game object is greater than a number of button switches.

3. The game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the touch panel display control programmed logic circuitry displays on the touch panel display a touch panel image including a combination of button switch images which varies depending on the game situation.

4. The game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the touch panel display control programmed logic circuitry displays on the touch panel display a touch panel image including a button switch image which varies depending on an attribute value of the first game object.

5. The game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

a first one of the button switch images includes a second button switch image different from the first button switch image, and

the association programmed logic circuitry associates the first button switch image with a predetermined action, and associates the second button switch image with an action which is a subdivision within a category of the predetermined action.

6. The game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the button switch image includes an animated image which displays a second action associated with the button switch image.

7. The game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the association programmed logic circuitry assigns a part of the second action to a button switch image included in one of the touch panel images, and assigns none of other parts of the second action.

8. The game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the game is a team sport game using a ball, and

the touch panel display control programmed logic circuitry displays on the touch panel display a touch panel image including a button switch image which varies depending on whether the first game object'"'"'s team or the second game object'"'"'s team possesses the ball.

9. The game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the game is a team sport game using a ball, and

the touch panel display control programmed logic circuitry displays on the touch panel display a touch panel image including a button switch image which varies depending on an area in which the ball lies.

10. The game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the touch panel display and the plurality of button switches are co-located in a common housing.

11. A computer-readable storage medium having stored therein a game program which causes a computer of a game apparatus to execute a game which allows a first player to control an action of a first game object and which allows a second player or a computer to control an action of a second game object, the game apparatus comprising a game image display, a touch panel display provided with a touch panel, and a plurality of button switches,

wherein the game program causes the computer to act as:

second object action execution programmed logic circuitry that executes the action of the second game object regardless of whether the first game object is active;

first action execution programmed logic circuitry that detects that a button switch is singly operated and executes a first action of the first game object in accordance with a detection result;

second action execution programmed logic circuitry that detects whether button switches are simultaneously or sequentially operated or whether a button switch is repeatedly operated, and executes a second action of the first game object that is different from the first action in accordance with a detection result;

game progression control programmed logic circuitry that allows the game to progress in accordance with results of execution of the second object action execution programmed logic circuitry, the first action execution programmed logic circuitry, and the second action execution programmed logic circuitry, and displays a game situation on the game image display;

touch panel display control programmed logic circuitry that displays a touch panel image including at least one button switch image on the touch panel display;

association programmed logic circuitry that associates the second action with the button switch image; and

alternate second action execution programmed logic circuitry that, when the touch panel detects a contact with the button switch image displayed on the touch panel display instead of simultaneous and/or sequential operation of the button switches, executes the second action associated with the button switch image by the association programmed logic circuitry as if the second action execution programmed logic circuitry had detected that button switches were simultaneously or sequentially operated or that button switch was repeatedly operated.

12. The storage medium according to claim 11, wherein a number of types of action of the first game object is greater than a number of button switches.

13. The storage medium according to claim 11, wherein the touch panel display control programmed logic circuitry displays on the touch panel display a touch panel image including a combination of button switch images which varies depending on the game situation.

14. The storage medium according to claim 11, wherein the touch panel display control displays on the touch panel display a touch panel image including a button switch image which varies depending on an attribute value of the first game object.

15. The storage medium according to claim 11, wherein

a first one of the button switch images includes a second button switch image different from the first button switch image, and

the association programmed logic circuitry associates the first button switch image with a predetermined action, and associates the second button switch image with an action which is a subdivision within a category of the predetermined action.

16. The storage medium according to claim 11, wherein the button switch image includes an animated image which displays a second action associated with the button switch image.

17. The storage medium according to claim 11, wherein the association programmed logic circuitry assigns a part of the second action to a button switch image included in one of the touch panel images, and assigns none of other parts of the second action.

18. The storage medium according to claim 11, wherein

the game is a team sport game using a ball, and

the touch panel display control programmed logic circuitry displays on the touch panel display a touch panel image including a button switch image which varies depending on whether the first game object'"'"'s team or the second game object'"'"'s team possesses the ball.

19. The storage medium according to claim 11, wherein

the game is a team sport game using a ball, and

the touch panel display control programmed logic circuitry displays on the touch panel display a touch panel image including a button switch image which varies depending on an area in which the ball lies.

20. The storage medium according to claim 11, wherein the touch panel display and the plurality of button switches are co-located in a common housing of the game apparatus.

21. A method of controlling a game object, displayed on a game apparatus provided with at least a touch screen and a plurality of button switches, comprising:

(a) displaying at least a first digital button on the touch screen;

(b) associating a game object control command with said first displayed digital button, wherein said game control command corresponds to a command instructable by pressing the plurality of button switches simultaneously, the command instructable by pressing the plurality of button switches simultaneously being different than a command instructed by pressing either of button switches individually;

(c) detecting contact with the first displayed digital button; and

(d) causing a game object to act in accordance with the control command associated with the first displayed digital button when contact is detected with the first displayed digital button instead of simultaneous pressing of the plurality of button switches.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

(e) varying, based on an attribute of a game object, the type of the first displayed digital button.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

(e) varying, based on an attribute of a game object, the size of the first displayed digital button.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the touch screen and the plurality of button switches are co-located in a common housing of the game apparatus.

25. A method of controlling a game object, displayed on a game apparatus provided with at least a display, a touch screen and a plurality of button switches, comprising:

(a) displaying at least one digital button, wherein the digital button display includes an animation, and wherein the coordinates within the displayed digital button correspond to game coordinates of a game displayed on the display;

(b) associating a game object control command with said at least one displayed digital button and also with simultaneous and/or sequential operation of the button switches,

(c) detecting contact with the displayed digital button;

(d) determining the coordinates, within the displayed digital button, where said contact occurred; and

(e) causing a game object to act in accordance with the control command associated with the displayed digital button when contact is detected instead of the simultaneous and/or sequential operation of the button switches, wherein the result of the game object'"'"'s action is at least partially determined by the determined coordinates so that first determined coordinates within the displayed digital button results in a first action by the game object and second determined coordinates within the displayed digital button results in a second action by the game object, the first determined coordinates within the displayed digital button being different than the second determined coordinates within the displayed digital button and the first action being different than the second action.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the touch screen and the plurality of button switches are co-located in a common housing of the game apparatus.