Amusement devices: games – Including means for processing electronic data – Perceptible output or display
Reexamination Certificate
1997-03-26
2003-02-04
Cheng, Joe H. (Department: 3714)
Amusement devices: games
Including means for processing electronic data
Perceptible output or display
C345S474000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06514142
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a picture processing device. Particularly, this invention relates to a picture processing device used for a game device. More particularly, this invention relates to a game device for an air battle game which imitates battle techniques of a plurality of aircraft.
BACKGROUND ART
With the progress of computer graphics technology in recent years, picture processing devices, such as game devices and simulation devices, have become widely popular in general. A game device comprises, for example, peripherals such as joysticks (operation sticks), switch buttons a and monitor, and a main game device for conducting data communication with the peripherals or for executing picture processing or sound processing. Since the picture processing of this game device weighs very heavily in enhancing the product value, the technique of animation reproduction has become precise in these days.
In this type of game device, the main game device has a computer device built-in for executing previously stored game programs and is designed to give operation signals, which command the movement of characters, background and objects, etc. expressed in a game, from the peripherals to the computer device. The game device also comprises a display for displaying picture in accordance with game developments as a game program is executed by the computer device, and a sound device for generating sounds in accordance with game developments.
As one field of the game device having such structure, there is a game device which performs a game of air battle between a player's aircraft and opponents' aircraft. This air battle game simulates a situation in which a game player controls the joystick (or operation stick) to move the player's aircraft toward behind the opponent's aircraft to attack the opponent's aircraft.
In this type of air battle game, aircraft appear which can move in free directions in a three-dimensional space. Accordingly, aircraft and background are composed of a plurality of polygons in a three-dimensional coordinate space, and picture processing means of the main game device executes picture processing to generate an image, as seen from a predetermined viewpoint, of the aircraft, background, etc. in this coordinate space.
However, when controlling the player's aircraft in the three-dimensional space, a very high skill is required to control the course and direction of the player's aircraft at the aimed route, and it is very difficult to adjust the player's aircraft at the moving direction of the opponent's aircraft and to make the player's aircraft positioned behind the opponent's aircraft. Therefore, an air battle game device is provided which is designed to move the player's aircraft and the opponent's aircraft in almost the same direction to make the player's aircraft easily positioned behind the opponent's aircraft (for example, as provided in a game device named “WING WAR (Trademark)” manufactured by SEGA ENTERPRISES LTD.).
However, with this type of game device, a moving course of the opponent's aircraft is programmed so as to be associated with or follows a moving course of the player's aircraft and the moving directions of these aircraft are forced to be controlled in the same direction and, therefore, a viewpoint tends to be fixed. As a result, this makes an image displayed on the screen monotonous, causing a problem that attractiveness and interest given to the player or operator is diminished.
Moreover, there is a problem that a player cannot deal with a picture processing state where the player's aircraft and the opponent's aircraft oppose to each other, for example, by passing by each other, because such processing state should pass by instantly with high relative speeds between the aircraft in a game programmed so as to give these aircraft moving speeds in a three-dimensional space in a manner in accordance with the conventional simulation program technique. Such conventional programming technique should hinder from providing a game device which enables easy operation of objects and realizes superior attractiveness and interest.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a picture processing device which will not diminish attractiveness or interest to be given to the player even if the moving directions of a plurality of objects are controlled to be almost the same direction.
Another object of this invention is to provide a picture processing device which enables the player or operator to sufficiently deal with the state in which a plurality of objects oppose to each other by, for example, passing by each other.
A further object of this invention is to provide a game device with a picture processing device which will achieve the above-described objects of this invention.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
In order to achieve the first object, this invention is characterized in that it comprises picture processing means for executing picture processing to display an image, as seen from a predetermined viewpoint, of a plurality of objects existing in a three-dimensional coordinate space onto displaying means, that this picture processing means executes picture processing to move the objects in the coordinate space in accordance with operation signals from operating means for operating the objects, and that the picture processing means comprises: moving direction controlling means for moving a plurality of objects in the same direction; and moving direction control releasing means for releasing the moving direction control at a certain point during the picture processing.
Moreover, this invention is characterized in that the moving direction controlling means comprises:
moving direction detecting means for detecting the moving direction of a first object; and
moving direction setting means for setting the moving direction of a second object at the moving direction of a first object on the basis of the detection results.
This invention is characterized in that the picture processing means further comprises moving direction re-controlling means for moving the objects along another course after the moving direction control is released by the moving direction control releasing means.
This invention is characterized in that the moving direction controlling means further comprises moving range regulating means for regulating the range within which the first object can move in the coordinate system on the basis of the operation signals.
This invention is characterized in that the moving direction regulating means regulates the moving range of the first object in an absolute coordinate system and outputs a command to the moving direction setting means to set the moving direction of the second object at the moving direction of the first object in a relative coordinate system.
This invention is characterized in that the moving direction re-controlling means moves the object along a course to fly around a specific object when the picture processing is executed to display the specific object on the displaying means.
In order to realize an image as seen from a viewpoint which moves diversely, this invention is characterized in that it comprises picture processing means for executing picture processing to display an image, as seen from a predetermined viewpoint, of a plurality of objects existing in a three-dimensional coordinate space onto displaying means, that the picture processing means executes picture processing to move the objects in the coordinate space in accordance with operation signals from operating means for operating the objects, and that the picture processing means comprises object movement controlling means for moving a first object along a course to fly around a second object.
This invention is characterized in that the operating means outputs operation signals to move the objects in a predetermined direction in the three-dimensional coordinate system.
In order to achieve the second object, this invention is characterized in th
Hattori Takanori
Watanabe Tatsuya
Cheng Joe H.
Lackenbach & Siegel LLP
Nguyen Kim T.
Sega Enterprises Ltd.
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