Image generation system, image generation method, and information storage medium

• US 8,854,304 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2011
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc. (BANDAI NAMCO Holdings Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Namco Bandai Games Inc.
• Inventors: Nishimoto, Yasuhiro, Kozasa, Chihiro, Sakakibara, Tadashi, Sekioka, Daisuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Lao, Lun Yi
• Assistant Examiner(s): KHAN, IBRAHIM A
• Application Number:
  US13/158,000
• Publication Number:
  US 20110304540A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,215 Days
• Field of Search: 463/36, 463/31, 715/706, 715/781, 715/856, 715/857, 715861-863
• US Class Current: 345/158
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/213 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells A63F13/219, A63F13/655 take precedence
• 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 13/533 for prompting the player, e.g. by displaying a game menu
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/573 using trajectories of game objects, e.g. of a golf ball according to the point of impact
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1093 using visible light
• 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 2300/6607 for animating game characters, e.g. skeleton kinematics
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6653 for altering the visibility of an object, e.g. preventing the occlusion of an object, partially hiding an object
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6692 using special effects, generally involving post-processing, e.g. blooming
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883

Abstract

An image generation system includes an image information acquisition section that acquires image information from an image sensor, a motion information acquisition section that acquires motion information about an operator based on the image information from the image sensor, an object control section that moves an object in a movement area based on the motion information about the operator, and an image generation section that generates an image displayed on a display section. The object control section limits movement of the object so that the object does not move beyond a movement limiting boundary set in the movement area even when it has been determined that the object has moved beyond the movement limiting boundary based on the motion information.

Claims

1. An image generation apparatus comprising:

an image information acquisition section that acquires image information from an image sensor;

a motion information acquisition section that acquires motion information about an operator based on the image information from the image sensor;

an object control section that moves an object based on the motion information about the operator, the object corresponding to at least one of a first object in a first movement area and a second object in a second movement area; and

an image generation section that generates an image displayed on a display section, the first movement area and the second movement area being displayed on a same display screen of the display section,

the object control section setting an in-screen movement limiting boundary that is set between the first movement area and the second movement area and that limits movement of the first object and the second object so that the first object and the second object do not move beyond the in-screen movement limiting boundary even when it has been determined that the first object or second object has moved beyond the in-screen movement limiting boundary based on the motion information,

the object control section setting an outside-edge movement limiting boundary outside the edge of the screen a distance less than a width of the first object and second object, the outside-edge movement limiting boundary limiting movement of the objects so that the objects do not move beyond the outside-edge movement limiting boundary, and

each of the boundaries limiting movement by preventing the first and second objects from moving beyond their respective areas regardless of the motion information of the operator.

2. The image generation apparatus as defined in claim 1,

the object control section limiting movement of the object so that the object does not move beyond the movement limiting boundary that is set corresponding to a plurality of contact target objects that are contact targets of the object.

3. The image generation apparatus as defined in claim 2,

the plurality of contact target objects being disposed in an object side area with respect to the movement limiting boundary;

and

the object control section limiting movement of the object so that the object does not move beyond the movement limiting boundary that is set to be circumscribed to the plurality of contact target objects.

4. The image generation apparatus as defined in claim 1,

the object control section controlling movement of the first object in the first movement area based on the motion information about a first part of the operator, and controlling movement of the second object in the second movement area based on the motion information about a second part of the operator.

5. The image generation apparatus as defined in claim 1,

the object control section limiting movement of the object so that the object does not move beyond a screen-edge movement limiting boundary provided corresponding to an edge of a screen of the display section.

6. The image generation apparatus as defined in claim 5,

the screen-edge movement limiting boundary being provided outside the edge of the screen.

7. The image generation apparatus as defined in claim 6,

a distance between the screen-edge movement limiting boundary and the edge of the screen being smaller than a width of the object.

8. The image generation apparatus as defined in claim 1,

the motion information acquisition section acquiring skeleton information that specifies a motion of the operator as the motion information;

and

the object control section moving the object in the movement area based on the skeleton information.

9. The image generation apparatus as defined in claim 8, further comprising:

a correction section that performs a correction process on position information about a bone of a skeleton indicated by the skeleton information,

the object control section controlling the object based on a result of the correction process.

10. The image generation apparatus as defined in claim 9,

the correction section performing the correction process on the position information about the bone of the skeleton to obtain corrected position information;

the object control section controlling the object based on the corrected position information; and

the image generation section generating an image so that the object is displayed at a display position on a screen corresponding to the corrected position information.

11. The image generation apparatus as defined in claim 9,

the correction section performing the correction process so that a display position of the object when a skeleton of a first operator is in a first state is identical with a display position of the object when a skeleton of a second operator is in the first state.

12. The image generation apparatus as defined in claim 9,

the correction section performing the correction process using physique information about the operator.

13. The image generation apparatus as defined in claim 8, further comprising:

a reliability information acquisition section that acquires reliability information that indicates reliability of the skeleton information,

the image generation section generating an image corresponding to the acquired reliability information as the image displayed on the display section.

14. The image generation apparatus as defined in claim 13,

the image generation section changing a display state of the image displayed on the display section based on the reliability information.

15. An image generation method comprising:

acquiring image information from an image sensor;

acquiring motion information about an operator based on the image information from the image sensor;

moving an object in a movement area based on the motion information about the operator, the object corresponding to at least one of a first object in a first movement area and a second object in a second movement area;

generating an image displayed on a display section, the first movement area and the second movement area being displayed on a same display screen of the display section;

setting an in-screen movement limiting boundary between the first movement area and the second movement area, the in-screen movement limiting boundary limiting movement of the first object and the second object so that the first object and the second object do not move beyond the in-screen movement limiting boundary even when it has been determined that the first object or second object has moved beyond the in-screen movement limiting boundary based on the motion information;

setting an outside-edge movement limiting boundary outside the edge of the screen a distance less than a width of the first object and second object, the outside-edge movement limiting boundary limiting movement of the objects so that the objects do not move beyond the outside-edge movement limiting boundary, each of the boundaries limiting movement by preventing the first and second objects from moving beyond their respective areas regardless of the motion information of the operator; and

controlling movement of the first object in the first movement area based on the motion information about a first part of the operator, and controlling movement of the second object in the second movement area based on the motion information about a second part of the operator.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable information storage medium storing a program that causes a computer to execute image generation steps, the program comprising instructions for:

acquiring image information from an image sensor;

acquiring motion information about an operator based on the image information from the image sensor;

moving an object in a movement area based on the motion information about the operator, the object corresponding to at least one of a first object in a first movement area and a second object in a second movement area;

generating an image displayed on a display section, the first movement area and the second movement area being displayed on a same display screen of the display section;

setting an in-screen movement limiting boundary between the first movement area and the second movement area, the in-screen movement limiting boundary limiting movement of the first object and the second object so that the first object and the second object do not move beyond the in-screen movement limiting boundary even when it has been determined that the first object or second object has moved beyond the in-screen movement limiting boundary based on the motion information;

setting an outside-edge movement limiting boundary outside the edge of the screen a distance less than a width of the first object and second objects, the outside-edge movement limiting boundary limiting movement of the objects so that the objects do not move beyond the outside-edge movement limiting boundary, each of the boundaries limiting movement by preventing the first and second objects from moving beyond their respective areas regardless of the motion information of the operator; and

controlling movement of the first object in the first movement area based on the motion information about a first part of the operator, and controlling movement of the second object in the second movement area based on the motion information about a second part of the operator.