Electronic game device, electronic game processing method, and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing electronic game program

• US 9,174,132 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2013
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENA Company Limited
• Original Assignee: DENA Company Limited
• Inventors: Takano, Ayumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Milap
• Application Number:
  US14/044,707
• Publication Number:
  US 20140378228A1
• Time in Patent Office: 762 Days
• Field of Search: 463/36, 463/37, 463/43, 463/47, 715/700, 715/757, 715/764, 715/820, 715/833, 715/835, 715/863, 345/173, 345/902
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/2145 the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/25 Output arrangements for video game devices
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/533 for prompting the player, e.g. by displaying a game menu
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/822 Strategy games; Role-playing games A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence

Abstract

Image data including a plurality of consecutively arranged images each indicating an option that is selectable as an instruction specifying a next action in an electronic game is stored. An image area indicating part of the image data is displayed in a command selection area on the touch panel. A slide or a flick, input by a user, on the touch panel is detected. The image area is displayed by scrolling an image area displayed in the command selection area within the image data in response to detection of the input slide or flick.

Claims

1. An electronic game device having a touch panel, comprising:

storage means for storing image data comprising a plurality of consecutively arranged images for each of a plurality of characters, each of the plurality of consecutively arranged images indicative of an option that is selectable as an instruction to specify a next action for each of the plurality of characters in an electronic game, and for storing special process data comprising combinations of selected ones of the selectable options of the plurality of consecutively arranged images having an associated special process;

option display means for displaying, in each of a plurality of command selection areas, an image area indicating a portion of the image data for each of the plurality of characters, wherein each of the plurality of command selection areas is respectively provided on the touch panel for each of the plurality of characters;

input detecting means for detecting a slide input or a flick input by a user, on the touch panel, within the plurality of command selection areas to select the options for each of the plurality of characters;

processing means for, in response to selection of the options for each of the plurality of characters, executing a game command, wherein execution of the game command comprises comparing a combination of the selected options for each of the plurality of characters to the special process data, and executing the associated special process for the combination having the associated special process;

wherein the option display means scrolls and displays another image area in associated ones of the plurality of command selection areas in response to detection of the slide input or flick input by the input detecting means, the another image area associated with another portion of the image data.

2. The electronic game device according to claim 1, wherein the option display means disables selection of at least one of the options in accordance with progress of the electronic game.

3. The electronic game device according to claim 2, wherein the option display means disables selection of at least one of the options by setting only the image area indicating the portion of the image data as a selectable area in accordance with progress of the electronic game.

4. The electronic game device according to claim 1, wherein the image data is configured such that the consecutively arranged images are arranged in an order set by the user based on options selected by the user in advance.

5. The electronic game device according to claim 1, wherein the option display means displays the image area in the each command selection area as an initial image, the image area including an image from the plurality of consecutively arranged images indicative of either the option that is most frequently selected by the user in the image data or the option recommended using an Artificial Intelligence (AI) function.

6. An electronic game processing method using an electronic game device having a touch panel, the electronic game processing method causing a computer to perform a process comprising:

a storing step of storing image data comprising a plurality of consecutively arranged images for each of a plurality of characters, each of the plurality of consecutively arranged images indicative of an option that is selectable as an instruction to specify a next action for each of the plurality of characters in an electronic game, and for storing special process data comprising combinations of selected ones of the selectable options of the plurality of consecutively arranged images having an associated special process;

an option displaying step of displaying, in each a plurality of command selection areas, an image area comprising a portion of image data for each of the plurality of characters, wherein each of the plurality of command selection areas is displayed on the touch panel for each of the plurality of characters;

an input detecting step of detecting a slide input or a flick input by a user, on the touch panel, within the plurality of command selection areas to select the options for each of the plurality of characters;

a processing step for, in response to selection of the options for each of the plurality of characters, executing a game command, wherein execution of the game command comprises comparing a combination of the selected options for each of the plurality of characters to special process data, and executing the associated special process for the combination having the associated special process; and

a scrolling step of scrolling and displaying another image area associated ones of the plurality of command selection areas in response to detection of the slide input or flick input in the input detecting step, the another image area associated with another portion of the image data.

7. A non-transitory computer readable electronic game program that uses an electronic game device having a touch panel, the electronic game program causing a computer to execute:

a storing step of image data comprising a plurality of consecutively arranged images for each of a plurality of characters, each of the plurality of consecutively arranged images indicative of an option that is selectable as an instruction to specify a next action for the each of the plurality of characters in an electronic game, and for storing special process data comprising combinations of selected ones of the selectable options of the plurality of consecutively arranged images having an associated special process;

an option displaying step of displaying, in each of a plurality of command selection areas, an image area indicating a portion of the image data for each of a plurality of characters, wherein each of the plurality of command selection areas is respectively provided on the touch panel for the each of the plurality of characters;

a processing step for, in response to selection of the options for each of the plurality of characters, executing a game command, wherein execution of the game command comprises comparing a combination of the selected options for each of the plurality of characters to the special process data, and executing the associated special process for the combination having the associated special process;

an input detecting step of detecting a slide input or a flick input by a user, on the touch panel, within the plurality of command selection areas to select the options for each of the plurality of characters; and

a scrolling step of scrolling and displaying another image area in associated ones of the plurality of command selection areas in response to detection of the slide input or flick input in the input detecting step, the another image area associated with another portion of the image data.