Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Computer graphics processing – Three-dimension
Reexamination Certificate
1998-03-09
2001-07-03
Zimmerman, Mark (Department: 2671)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Computer graphics processing
Three-dimension
C345S426000, C345S427000, C345S440000, C345S473000, C463S003000, C463S006000, C463S033000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06256040
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to a three-dimensional game machine and an information storage medium that enable the synthesizing of a field-of-view image from a given viewpoint and line-of-sight direction within an object space.
BACKGROUND ART
A game machine that is known in the art displays a game image on a screen to enable the playing of a game such as Mah-Jongg or a puzzle. This type of game machine necessitates various contrivances to encourage the player to replay it. One such contrivance that could be considered is a method of displaying a two-dimensional picture to please the eyes of the player if one game-clear condition among a plurality of game-clear conditions has been satisfied (for example, if a game of Mah-Jongg has been won or one game stage of a puzzle game has been cleared), as a game-clear reward. This method ensures that the player keeps on playing the game in order to see the two-dimensional pictures, enabling a huge increase in the enjoyment of the game.
However, the picture displayed as a game-clear reward by the above described method is a two-dimensional image, which causes problems in that the impact on a player weakens and is likely to become baring. A particular technical problem with a two-dimensional picture is the way in which there is no variation in the image seen by the player, regardless of the position of the viewpoint thereof, making it lacking in realism.
Another game machine that is known in the art displays a game image on a screen to create a chase game between an enemy character and the player's own vehicle which is operated by the player on a given game field. The objective of this game machine is to satisfy a given game-clear condition within a time limit, while trying not to be caught by the enemy character, and the sense of speed thereof makes such games popular.
However, this game machine has a technical problem in that the game field through which the player's own vehicle and the enemy character move is a two-dimensional field, and thus there is a lack of visual effect on the player and no dramatic impact during the playing of the game. There is also nothing to encourage the player to replay the game and the player is likely to become bored with it.
This invention was devised in order to solve the above described technical problems and has as an objective thereof the provision of a three-dimensional game machine and an information storage medium with outstanding visual effects that make it possible to encourage the player to continue playing the game.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
In order to solve the above described technical problems, there is provided a three-dimensional game machine of this invention. According to a first aspect of this invention, there is provided a three-dimensional game machine comprising:
means for setting the dispositions within an object space of at least one three-dimensional object and a covering object that is provided in such a manner as to cover that at least one three-dimensional object;
image information changing means for sequentially switching the display
on-display state of at least one polygon or at least one curved surface configuring the covering object every time one game-clear condition among a plurality of given game-clear conditions is satisfied; and
means for synthesizing a field-of-view image as seen from a given viewpoint within the object space.
With this aspect of the invention, the display
on-display state of a polygon or curved surface is switched every time a game-clear condition is satisfied. If a polygon or the like of the covering object is set to non-display, an image of a three-dimensional object can be gradually made visible in a portion that was hidden by this and other polygons, which makes it possible to achieve an outstanding visual effect. Note that the position or number of polygons or curved surfaces that are set to display or non-display could be changed based on the degree of difficulty or type of the game-clear condition, for example.
According to a second aspect of this invention, there is provided a three-dimensional game machine comprising:
means for setting the dispositions within an object space of at least one three-dimensional object and a covering object that is provided in such a manner as to cover that at least one three-dimensional object;
image information changing means for sequentially switching the transparent
on-transparent state of at least a part of the covering object, or for sequentially changing the transparency of at least a part of the covering object, every time one game-clear condition among a plurality of given game-clear conditions is satisfied; and
means for synthesizing a field-of-view image as seen from a given viewpoint within the object space.
With this aspect of the invention, at least a part of a covering object (for example, a polygon or curved surface thereof) is switched from being non-transparent to being transparent, or the translucency thereof is changed, every time a game-clear condition is satisfied. If the polygons or the like of the covering object become transparent in sequence or the translucency thereof changes, an image of a three-dimensional object will gradually become visible in a portion that was hidden by those polygons, making it possible to achieve an outstanding visual effect. In particular, if the translucency is changed in a step-wise manner, the visual effect can be even further improved. Note that the position or number of polygons or curved surfaces that are set to display or non-display could be changed based on the degree of difficulty or type of the game-clear condition, for example.
According to a third aspect of this invention, there is provided a three-dimensional game machine comprising:
means for setting the disposition of at least one three-dimensional object within an object space;
image information changing means for sequentially changing a texture that is mapped over at least a part of the three-dimensional object, every time one game-clear condition among a plurality of given game-clear conditions is satisfied; and
means for synthesizing a field-of-view image as seen from a given viewpoint within the object space.
This aspect of the invention makes it possible to achieve a visual effect that is similar to that of the method of non-displaying polygons of a covering object that covers a three-dimensional object, by, for example, changing the texture of the mapping. Note that this change of texture could be achieved by changing the texture coordinates that specify the texture, or by redrawing the texture itself. Note also that the range of texture to be changed could be changed based on the degree of difficulty or type of the game-clear condition, for example.
The game-clear condition may be at least one of: clearing at least one game stage of a plurality of game stages, clearing at least one mini-game of a plurality of mini-games, and specifying at least one region among a plurality of regions. This makes it possible to gradually reveal or change an image of a three-dimensional object as a game-clear reward for the player, every time a game stage is cleared, every time a mini-game is cleared, or every time a region is specified. This encourages the player to play the next game stage, play the next mini-game, or specify the next region, making it possible to encourage the player to continue playing the game.
Note that the setting of the viewpoint and line-of-sight direction could be set on the basis of operating information that the player inputs through an operating means. This makes it possible to obtain a field-of-view image from a viewpoint and line-of-sight direction as desired by the player, enabling a further increase in the enjoyment of the game.
According to a fourth aspect of this invention, there is provided a three-dimensional game machine comprising:
moving body computation means for performing computations to cause a moving body to move over a covering object that is provided in such a manner as to cover at least one three-dimensional object that is disposed
Komoriya Yuichiro
Tanaka Kyota
Umeda Masateru
Yamaguchi Koji
Namco Ltd.
Nguyen Kimbinh T.
Oliff & Berridge PLC.
Zimmerman Mark
LandOfFree
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