Amusement devices: games – Including means for processing electronic data – Perceptible output or display
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-05
2002-07-16
O'Neill, Michael (Department: 3713)
Amusement devices: games
Including means for processing electronic data
Perceptible output or display
C463S008000, C463S037000, C463S038000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06419580
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a game apparatus and an image processing device, and more particularly, to a game apparatus and image processing device, which simplify operator control, and, in a prescribed situation, cause a display object to move separate from operator control, thereby achieving more natural movement.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the field of image processing, various devices, including a joystick, and a mouse, have been known for some time as input devices for making a display object move. However, because the sword movements in fighting games, for example, constitute elements that require intricateness and precision in accordance with a scene, there are cases in which it is difficult, or even impossible, to operate these input devices so as to distinguish between each movement (offensive, defensive, and so forth).
Further, when each movement, respectively, is stored in advance, and simply reproduced in a prescribed situation, there are cases in which a movement is not synchronized with a subsequent movement. And when such stored movements are too numerous, extensive memory capacity becomes necessary. Conversely, there are also cases in which storing a series of movements beforehand constitutes more natural movement.
Further, in the field of image processing, there is a well-known technique, whereby reference images of display objects corresponding respectively to reference positions of a plurality of locations are determined, and interpolation based on these reference images is performed in order to generate images for when a display object is in a position other than reference positions of a plurality of locations thereof. Pursuant thereto, it is possible to change an image in accordance with a change in the position of a display object. However, when using this method, the position of the display object and the image of the display object correspond on a one-to-one basis, making it impossible to add variation to the display image. Therefore, there are cases in which, even though natural movement can be rendered in a certain scene (an attach scene, for example), the movement in another scene (a defensive scene, for example) looks unnatural.
Accordingly, in an image processing device for displaying on display means a movement of a display object based on the control of an operator, an object of the present invention is to achieve natural movement, and further, to provide variation to a movement either by adding change factors, which determine in advance a movement of a display object in a prescribed situation, or by causing a prescribed special movement to occur.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention is a game apparatus comprising cursor moving means for moving a cursor of a game space in accordance with the control of an operator; display object displaying means for displaying a display object in a display configuration corresponding to the cursor position; impact determining means for determining whether or not the cursor is in an impact determining area provided in the game space; and display configuration changing means for displaying the display object in a specific display configuration when it has been determined in accordance with the impact determining means that the cursor is in an impact determining area.
Further, the present invention is a game apparatus, wherein the specific display configuration is a display configuration for changing a display configuration corresponding to the cursor position without changing the display position.
Further, the present invention is a game apparatus, wherein the specific display configuration is a display configuration that is unrelated to the cursor position.
Further, the present invention is a game apparatus, wherein the cursor is not displayed on a screen.
Further, the present invention is a game apparatus, wherein the display configuration changing means changes a display configuration together with the passage of time.
Further, the present invention is an image processing device for making a display object move on the basis of operator control, and, in a prescribed situation, for performing a prescribed process on a display object movement based on operation control, and by which the prescribed process adds a change factor prepared beforehand to a movement based on operator control.
Further, the present invention is an image processing device for making a display object move on the basis of operator control, and, in a prescribed situation, for performing a prescribed process on a display object movement based on operator control, and by which the prescribed process carries out a movement prepared beforehand in place of a movement based on operator control.
Further, the present invention is an image processing device, which, with regard to a display object that can change shape while moving within a fixed range in a virtual space, determines the configuration of display objects corresponding respectively to reference positions of a plurality of locations in a virtual space, and, among the reference positions of a plurality of locations, seeks a configuration at an arbitrary point within the fixed range on the basis of configurations corresponding respectively to as plurality of reference positions, which are near this arbitrary point, and which surround same, and, in a prescribed situation, changes the configuration of a display object corresponding to a certain reference position.
Further, the present invention is an image processing device, wherein, in the prescribed situation, the configuration of a display object corresponding to a certain reference position changes together with the passage of time so as to gradually approach a configuration prepared beforehand.
Further, the present invention is an image processing device, wherein, in the prescribed situation, the configuration of a display object corresponding to a certain reference position changes together with the passage of time so as to gradually approach a configuration prepared beforehand.
Further, the present invention is an image processing method, comprising a cursor moving step for moving a cursor of a game space in accordance with the control of an operator; a display object displaying step for displaying a display object in a display configuration corresponding to the cursor position; an impact determining step for determining whether or not the cursor is in an impact determining area provided in a game space; and a display configuration changing step for displaying the display object in a specific display configuration when it is determined by the impact determining step that the cursor is in an impact determining area.
Further, the present invention is a medium for storing a program, which executes on a computer a cursor moving process for moving a cursor of a game space in accordance with the control of an operator; a display object displaying process for displaying a display object in a display configuration corresponding to the cursor position; an impact determining process for determining whether or not the cursor is in an impact determining area provided in a game space; and a display configuration changing process for displaying the display object in a specific display configuration when it is determined by the impact determining step that the cursor is in an impact determining area.
Furthermore, a storage medium stores information (mainly digital data, and programs) in accordance with physical means of some sort, and enables prescribed functions to be performed by a computer, dedicated processor, or other processing device. A storage medium can be anything that allows a computer to download a program, and execute a prescribed function using some means or other. For example, a storage medium comprises a flexible disk, fixed disk, magnetic tape, magneto-optic disk, CD, CD-ROM, CD-R, DVD-RAM, DVD-ROM, DVD-R, PD, MD, DCC, ROM cartridge, RAM memory cartridge with battery backup, flash memory cartridge, non-volatile RAM car
Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner L.L.P.
Kabushuki Kaisha Sega Enterprises
O'Neill Michael
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