Amusement devices: games – Including means for processing electronic data – Perceptible output or display
Reexamination Certificate
1998-05-21
2001-03-06
Martin-Wallace, Valencia (Department: 2755)
Amusement devices: games
Including means for processing electronic data
Perceptible output or display
C463S030000, C463S031000, C463S032000, C463S033000, C463S034000, C463S037000, C463S038000, C434S030000, C434S033000, C434S034000, C434S035000, C434S038000, C434S043000, C434S044000, C434S069000, C273S14800B
Reexamination Certificate
active
06196919
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a shooting game apparatus for performing a shooting game in three-dimensional graphic images with a rear viewpoint, a method of performing such a shooting game, and a computer-readable recording medium which stores a control program of such a shooting game.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Some shooting game apparatus display a player's maneuverable object, such as a spaceship or the like, in flight in a long perspective image representing a flight confinement range such as a large tubular structure. While in a shooting game, other objects such as meteorites and enemy's spaceships appear in front of and attack the player's spaceship. The game player operates the shooting game to shoot a laser beam or a missile to destroy those other objects or targets. The shooting game is finished when the player's spaceship is hit a predetermined times by enemy's spaceships.
FIG. 8
of the accompanying drawings schematically shows a longitudinal section of a perspective image representing a flight confinement range, which is displayed on the display screen of a conventional shooting game apparatus.
FIG. 9
of the accompanying drawings shows the displayed perspective image as viewed at a sectional plane B—B of
FIG. 8
from a rear viewpoint. The perspective image shown in
FIG. 9
is displayed on the display screen in front of the game player.
As shown in
FIGS. 8 and 9
, while a player's spaceship
93
is in flight along a perceptive line
92
in a perspective image
91
representing a flight confinement range, the game player operates an analog joystick (not shown) to move the player's spaceship
93
vertically and horizontally to a desired position in the perspective image
91
. When the game player presses a shooting switch on the joystick, a laser beam or a missile is shot forward from the player's spaceship
93
.
When an enemy's spaceship
94
, which is a target to be shot at, appears in front of the player's spaceship
93
, the game player operates the joystick to move the player's spaceship
93
to a position in the sectional plane B—B which corresponds vertically or horizontally to a position in the perspective image
91
of the enemy's spaceship
94
in a sectional plane A—A of
FIG. 8
, and then presses the shooting switch to shoot a laser beam or a missile.
Since objects in the perspective image
91
look smaller farther into the perspective image
91
or the flight confinement range, if the enemy's spaceship
94
is spaced farther from the player's spaceship
93
, then the enemy's spaceship
94
becomes smaller and closer to the vanishing point at the center of the perspective image
91
. Therefore, the game player finds it more difficult to aim at the enemy's spaceship
94
. Furthermore, because the game player sees the player's spaceship
93
obliquely from behind it, it is difficult for the game player to align the player's spaceship
93
with the enemy's spaceship
94
in the distant position, and to hit the enemy's spaceship
94
with a laser beam or a missile.
An enemy's spaceship
94
may appear relatively closely to the player's spaceship
93
in a peripheral area of the perspective image
91
. If the game player needs to aim at the enemy's spaceship
94
in such a dogfight, then since the game player can only aim in a narrow range where a laser beam or a missile is shot toward the vanishing point, the game player finds it difficult to aim at the enemy's spaceship
94
that appears in the peripheral area of the perspective image
91
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a shooting game apparatus for performing a shooting game which allows the game player to aim easily at a target in a distant position, and to shoot in a wide range for realistic shooting game experiences.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of performing such a shooting game.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a computer-readable recording medium which stores a program of such a shooting game.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a shooting game apparatus for displaying a moving shooting object on a display screen and shooting from the moving shooting object in three-dimensional graphic images with a rear viewpoint. The shooting game apparatus comprises manual control means operable by a game player for entering a control signal, shooting object moving means for moving the shooting object forward on the projection display screen in response to a control signal from the manual control means, shooting processing means for shooting from the shooting object in response to a control signal from the manual control means, and controlling a shooting direction from the shooting object to have an angle toward outside of the display screen with respect to the direction in which the shooting object moves forward, shooting object orientation control means for controlling an orientation of the shooting object toward the shooting direction, and rear viewpoint position control means for controlling the rear viewpoint toward the shooting direction.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of performing a shooting game by displaying a moving shooting object on a display screen and shooting from the moving shooting object in three-dimensional graphic images with a rear viewpoint. The method comprises the steps of moving the shooting object forward on the projection display screen in response to a manual control signal, moving the rear viewpoint toward the shooting object, and controlling an orientation of the shooting object to move toward a shooting direction from the shooting object, and controlling the shooting direction to have an angle toward outside of the display screen with respect to the direction in which the shooting object moves forward.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer-readable recording medium storing a control program for performing a shooting game by displaying a moving shooting object on a display screen and shooting from the moving shooting object in three-dimensional graphic images with a rear viewpoint. The control program comprises the steps of moving the shooting object forward on the projection display screen in response to a manual control signal, moving the rear viewpoint toward the shooting object, controlling an orientation of the shooting object to move toward a shooting direction from the shooting object, and controlling the shooting direction to have an angle toward outside of the display screen with respect to the direction in which the shooting object moves forward.
The shooting direction is controlled to be parallel to a vertical direction of the display screen.
The orientation of the shooting object and a position to be reached by the rear viewpoint are established such that the direction in which the shooting object moves forward and the direction of the shooting object, the direction of the shooting object and the shooting direction, and the direction in which the shooting object moves forward and the shooting direction become close to each other.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5137450 (1992-08-01), Thomas
patent: 5190286 (1993-03-01), Watanabe et al.
patent: 5272652 (1993-12-01), Rosenshein et al.
patent: 5299810 (1994-04-01), Pierce et al.
patent: 5795224 (1998-08-01), Yoshida
patent: 5973704 (1999-10-01), Nishiumi et al.
patent: 0715280 (1996-06-01), None
patent: 0778548 (1997-06-01), None
patent: 08-257240 (1996-10-01), None
patent: 0700010 (1996-03-01), None
patent: WO96/37863 (1996-11-01), None
Sandler et al. “The Official Turbografx Game Encyclopedia” pp 98, 153, 1990.
Cherubin Yveste G
Jordan and Hamburg LLP
Konami Co. Ltd.
Martin-Wallace Valencia
LandOfFree
Shooting game apparatus, method of performing shooting game,... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Shooting game apparatus, method of performing shooting game,..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Shooting game apparatus, method of performing shooting game,... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2476571