Video game processing apparatus and video game processing program

• US 8,736,554 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2013
• Issued: 05/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Square Enix
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Square Enix
• Inventors: Tanzawa, Yuichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Suhol, Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): YEN, JASON TAHAI
• Application Number:
  US14/026,331
• Publication Number:
  US 20140018174A1
• Time in Patent Office: 256 Days
• Field of Search: 345/169, 345/173, 345/184, 345/473, 463/37
• US Class Current: 345/169
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/2145 the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/42 by mapping the input signals into game commands, e.g. mapping the displacement of a stylus on a touch screen to the steering angle of a virtual vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/95 Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges
• 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

Abstract

A video game processing apparatus for controlling progress of a video game by displaying an object on a display screen of a display device is provided. The video game processing apparatus includes a plurality of touch panels respectively provided on a plurality of surfaces of all of surfaces on a housing of the video game processing apparatus. The video game processing apparatus receives a touch operation for any one of the plurality of touch panels, and determines which surface of the housing contains the touch panel for which the touch operation is received. The video game processing apparatus carries out a predetermined representation against the object displayed on the display screen from a side of the determined surface. The predetermined representation includes a representation indicating an attack against the object from the side of the determined surface.

Claims

1. A video game processing apparatus for controlling progress of a video game while displaying an object on a display screen of a display device, the video game processing apparatus comprising:

a plurality of touch panels provided on a plurality of surfaces of a housing of the video game processing apparatus;

a touch operation receiver for receiving a touch operation for each of the plurality of touch panels;

a touch surface determiner for determining which surface of the plurality of surfaces of the housing contains a touch panel of the plurality of touch panels for which the touch operation receiver receives the touch operation; and

a representation executor for carrying out a predetermined representation against the object displayed on the display screen from a side of the surface determined by the touch surface determiner to contain the touch panel that receives the touch operation,

wherein the representation executor is configured to specify the predetermined representation according to the touch operation received by the touch operation receiver by referring to operation information, in which a position of the touch panel, operation content and content of each of a plurality of predetermined representations are associated with each other, and carry out the specified predetermined representation.

2. The video game processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an operation information memory for storing the operation information.

3. The video game processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of touch panels is configured to receive a plurality of different touch operations, and the representation executor is configured to carry out the plurality of predetermined representations against the object in accordance with the plurality of different touch operations.

4. The video game processing apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising:

a touch operation requester for requesting a player to carry out the touch operation to any one touch panel of the plurality of touch panels; and

a correspondence determiner for determining whether the touch panel for which the touch operation is requested by the touch operation requester is provided corresponds with the surface determined by the touch surface determiner,

wherein the representation executor carries out the predetermined representation when the correspondence determiner determines that the touch panel for which the touch operation is requested corresponds with the surface determined by the touch surface determiner.

5. The video game processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of predetermined representations includes a representation indicating an attack against the object from the side of the surface determined by the touch surface determiner on the display screen.

6. The video game processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the touch panels are provided in at least two surfaces of a front surface, a back surface, a right side surface, a left side surface, an upper surface and a lower surface of the housing.

7. The video game processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of predetermined representations that are to be carried out against the object displayed on the screen in accordance with the plurality of different touch operations is equivalent for each of the plurality of touch panels.

8. The video game processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of predetermined representations that are to be carried out against the object displayed on the screen in accordance with the plurality of different touch operations is different for each of the plurality of touch panels.

9. The video game processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of different touch operations comprise a tap operation and a tap with specific rhythm operation.

10. The video game processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the representation executor is configured to carry out a same predetermined representation against the object displayed on the display screen in accordance with a same touch operation being received by each of the plurality of touch panels.

11. The video game processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the representation executor is configured to carry out a different predetermined representation against the object displayed on the display screen in accordance with a same touch operation being received by different ones of the plurality of touch panels.

12. The video game processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of predetermined representations is predetermined by the video game for each of the plurality of touch panels.

13. The video game processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of predetermined representations is assignable to each of the plurality of touch panels during a touch operation request process of the video game.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including a video game processing program product for causing a video game processing apparatus to control an operation of the video game processing apparatus, the video game processing apparatus controlling progress of a video game while displaying an object on a display screen of a display device, the video game processing program product causing the video game processing apparatus to execute:

receiving a touch operation for a plurality of touch panels, the plurality of touch panels being provided on a plurality of surfaces of a housing of the video game processing apparatus;

determining which surface of the plurality of surfaces of the housing contains a touch panel of the plurality of touch panels from which the touch operation is received in the receiving of the touch operation; and

carrying out a predetermined representation against the object displayed on the display screen from a side of the surface determined in the determining of which surface of the housing contains the touch panel from which the touch operation is received,

wherein, when carrying out the predetermined representation against the object, the video game processing program product causes the video game processing apparatus to execute;

specifying the predetermined representation according to the touch operation received in the receiving of the touch operation by referring to operation information, in which a position of the touch panel, operation content and content of each of a plurality of predetermined representations are associated with each other; and

carrying out the specified predetermined representation.

15. A method for controlling progress of a video game while displaying an object on a display screen of a video game processing apparatus, the video game processing apparatus including a plurality of touch panels contained on a plurality of surfaces of a housing, the method comprising:

receiving a touch operation for the plurality of touch panels;

determining, with a processor of the video game processing apparatus, which surface of the plurality of surfaces of the housing contains a touch panel for which the touch operation is received; and

carrying out, with the processor, a predetermined representation against the object displayed on the display screen from a side of the surface of the housing from which the touch operation is determined to be received,

wherein the carrying out of the predetermined representation against the object includes;

specifying the predetermined representation according to the touch operation received in the receiving of the touch operation by referring to operation information, in which a position of the touch panel, operation content and content of each of a plurality of predetermined representations are associated with each other; and

carrying out the specified predetermined representation.