Amusement devices: games – Including means for processing electronic data – In a game requiring an element of a participants physical...
Reexamination Certificate
1997-12-03
2001-04-17
Martin-Wallace, Valencia (Department: 3713)
Amusement devices: games
Including means for processing electronic data
In a game requiring an element of a participants physical...
C463S008000, C463S031000, C463S037000, C463S043000, C463S050000, C463S051000, C463S056000, C345S419000, C345S427000, C434S027000, C434S044000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06217446
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to picture processing devices, and particularly to game machines.
2. Related Art
In recent years, numerous picture images processing devices of the type called three-dimensional game machines are being proposed. These picture processing devices define various characters within a virtual space formed by a computer, and at the same time, realize picture processing such as moving characters by taking in operational information from the game player via peripheral equipment such as joysticks.
The results of this picture processing are shown to the player via a television monitor as an image seen from a viewpoint called a virtual camera, which is arranged inside a three-dimensional virtual space.
One example of this type of picture processing device is a game device which competes in who is superior in shooting down characters indicated on a screen (for example, “Virtua Cop” by Sega Enterprises, Ltd.). This game device is structured so that while a virtual camera moves along a predetermined course inside a three-dimensional space, specific characters are shown in zoom, or identification marks are placed around a character to enable the game player to more easily recognize the character to be attacked.
In this game device, a game player pulls the trigger of a model gun pointed toward the screen, and an integrated sensor unit of the model gun detects the scan lines of the screen. By calculating the time up to the detection of the scan lines, it is judged whether any character has been hit.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
However, this kind of picture processing device has the following problems.
First, the course within the virtual space along which the virtual camera moves is predetermined, and no consideration is made to diversify the courses of movement of the virtual camera. On the other hand, there are also game devices which indicate vehicles and the like on the screen to let the player select courses as appropriate to cause the virtual camera to proceed along this course (e.g., “Rail Chase 2” by Sega Enterprises, Ltd.), but this game device is dependent on the player's will, and no consideration is made for reflecting the game score, such as the superiority in shooting (or attacking) characters, in the selection of the course.
Second, conventional game devices take no consideration for effecting a dramatic appearance and movements of the characters to the player when moving a large number of characters (to be shot) toward the player. When trying to raise the quality or degree of amusement of the game and therefor make many characters merely appear or move within the virtual space, the difficulty grade of the game rises and thus becomes difficult to realize an amusing game.
Third, conventional game devices give no consideration to setting the virtual camera's viewpoint such that the characters are indicated in their most effective way when indicating a large umber of characters. Failing this effective setting of the viewpoint, the player will be provided with no dramatic image when making a plurality of characters appear and making these characters move.
In order to achieve the purposes above, the game device relating to the present invention is a game device for playing a game under movement of the viewpoint arranged in a three-dimensional virtual space, comprising storing means for storing a plurality of movement courses of the viewpoint which branch off from a certain scene in said three-dimensional virtual space, together with the conditions for such branch-off; picture processing means for performing data processing to form pictures by implementing the game algorithms corresponding to the operation signals from an operating means, and for performing picture conversion to form the image viewed from said viewpoint, and course selecting means for selecting a movement course corresponding to the game scores from among said plurality of viewpoint movement courses, and for moving said viewpoint along the selected movement course.
Through this structure, it is possible to proceed the game corresponding to the player's level of technique.
Furthermore, the device is characterized in that the above picture processing means implements a game algorithm which simulates a fight between a plurality of characters defined within the three-dimensional virtual space and the player, and the course selecting means determines the next movement course to advance to depending upon whether the player has won the fight with a certain character among the plurality of characters. Thereby, the game becomes amusing because the game proceeding is selected corresponding to the level (i.e. the strength or type) of the opponent in the fight.
By arranging the plurality of characters among multiple zones and defining the attacking ability for each character in the zone for each zone, it is possible to make the player enjoy the game by adjusting the game's difficulty grade.
Furthermore, by causing characters appear with preference in zones further away from the viewpoint among the multiple zones, it is possible to prevent the game from becoming difficult due to enemies suddenly appearing near the camera.
By limiting the number of characters to be arranged inside each zone, it is possible to prevent the difficulty grade of the fight from being high.
The picture processing device according to the present invention moves a virtual camera inside a three-dimensional virtual space wherein a plurality of movable enemy characters have been arranged. It provides the playing of a game in which the player and said enemy characters fight on a picture from said virtual camera. The area in which said player and said plurality of enemy characters fight is divided in multiple zones, and the number of enemy characters which may exist inside the zone nearest said virtual camera is limited.
Through this structure, it is possible to limit the number of enemy characters that attack, and to suppress an increase in the calculation of the picture processing. It is also possible to prevent the difficulty grade of the game from becoming high in a shooting game device.
The picture processing device according to the present invention is a picture processing device in which a virtual camera is directed towards a plurality of characters arranged inside a three-dimensional virtual space. The gaze point of said virtual camera is preferentially gazed on the character nearer to the virtual camera, and if a plurality of characters exist with the same preference, the gaze point is set to an intermediate position between these characters.
This structure is preferable in that a screen can be obtained in which the characters are easily viewable. Especially in the screen of fighting games, it is preferable because the opponent can be seen well.
The picture processing device according to the present invention is a picture processing device which controls the gaze point movement of the virtual camera in corresponding with the angle of deviation between the current position of the character arranged inside the three-dimensional virtual space and the target position to which the character is to move. The next movement position of said gaze point is set in corresponding with the value of said deviation angle.
This structure is preferable in that the camera gaze point can move smoothly in spite of sudden movements of the character.
Further, as the succeeding distance of movement of said gaze point is determined by a function having said angle of deviation as its variable, it is possible to set the way of movement of the gaze point according thereto, which is preferable.
The above succeeding distance of movement of said gaze point is preferably determined as the minimum value if the deviation angle value is in a low range, as the maximum value if the deviation angle is in a high range, and as the value proportional to the deviation angle if the deviation angle is in a range between these two ranges. Thereby, a certain degree of movement range can be
Oda Takashi
Ohto Kouji
Sanbongi Kazutomo
Fish & Richardson PC
Kabushi Kaisha Sega Enterprises
Martin-Wallace Valencia
Nguyen Binh-An D.
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