Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Computer graphics processing – Animation
Reexamination Certificate
1998-02-09
2003-12-02
Bella, Matthew C. (Department: 2671)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Computer graphics processing
Animation
Reexamination Certificate
active
06657627
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention:
The present invention relates to a video simulation system, and more particularly to a method of and an apparatus for calculating the distance between characters displayed in a pseudo-three-dimensional space on a display monitor screen, a method of and an apparatus for applying a polygon to the plane of a polygon displayed in a pseudo-three-dimensional space on a display monitor screen, and a video simulator which incorporates such an apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art:
Various game apparatus which are capable of displaying a plurality of characters in a pseudo-three-dimensional space on a display monitor screen have been in widespread usage in recent years. In order to make video games played on such game apparatus attractive to game players, the game apparatus are required to have, among various functions, an ability to decide whether different displayed characters hit each other, e.g., whether a moving character such as a flight object flying in air contacts or hits a fixed character such as a mountain or ground. Heretofore, it has been customary to decide a character-to-character hit by roughly comparing the image data of a moving character and the image data of a fixed character with each other.
Recent years have seen requirements for higher-speed data processing and higher-resolution image display in game apparatus. To meet such requirements, recent game apparatus are capable of clearly displaying moving and fixed characters as they move closely to each other. The conventional rough data comparison process, however, is unable to keep up with the ability of the recent game apparatus to clearly display moving and fixed characters. Specifically, the rough data comparison process may decide that a moving character hits a fixed character though the moving character does not in fact contact or hit the fixed character, or, conversely, may decide that a moving character does not hit a fixed character though the moving character actually contacts or hits the fixed character. When such a wrong decision is made, the game player feels puzzled or embarrassed as the decision obviously differs from what is displayed on the display monitor screen.
Some simulation game apparatus capable of displaying a plurality of characters in a pseudo-three-dimensional space on a display monitor screen are equipped with structures which simulate a car, a ski, a surfboard, a motorboat, etc. Those simulation game apparatus which simulate a car or a motorboat have a driver's seat, a steering wheel, an accelerator pedal, and a brake pedal among others. Those simulation game apparatus which simulate a ski have boards for placing feet thereon and two sticks, and those simulation game apparatus which simulate a surfboard have boards for placing feet thereon. Game players who play video games on the simulation game apparatus operate those structural members to manipulate a character displayed on the display monitor screen in order to, e.g., pass a competitor in a foreground displayed on the display monitor screen and avoid obstacles (including cars or boats controlled by a computer) displayed on the display monitor screen.
Another simulation game apparatus, which has been proposed to arose a greater interest of game players than the above simulation game apparatus, displays a flight object in a pseudo-three-dimensional space on the display monitor screen and allows the game player to control the displayed flight object to fly in the pseudo-three-dimensional space. This simulation game apparatus can be made more attractive to game players if a shadow of the flight object is projected onto another displayed object such as a displayed land.
The problems and demands described above are applicable to simulators which include simulation game apparatus.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of calculating the distance between a moving character and a fixed character which are displayed in a pseudo-three-dimensional space on a display monitor screen for thereby accurately deciding whether the moving character hits the fixed character or not.
Another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for calculating the distance between a moving character and a fixed character which are displayed in a pseudo-three-dimensional space on a display monitor screen for thereby accurately deciding whether the moving character hits the fixed character or not.
Still another object of the present invention to provide a simulator which incorporate such a distance calculating apparatus.
A further object of the present invention to provide a method of applying polygons representative of a shadow of a flight object, for example, to polygons representative of a character such as a terrain shape.
A still further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for applying polygons representative of a shadow of a flight object, for example, to polygons representative of a character such as a terrain shape.
A yet still further object of the present invention to provide a simulator which incorporates such a polygon applying apparatus.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of calculating a distance between a moving character displayed in a pseudo-three-dimensional space on a display monitor screen and a fixed character composed of a plurality of polygons displayed in the pseudo-three-dimensional space on the display monitor screen. The method comprises the steps of identifying a polygon containing a point of planar coordinates representing the position of the moving character, and calculating a distance between the moving character and the polygon which has been identified. In the first step, a polygon containing a point of planar coordinates representing the position of the moving character is identified. In the second step, a distance between the moving character and the polygon which has been identified is calculated.
The polygon is of a triangular shape, and a polygon is identified which satisfies the conditions of s≧0, t≧0, and s+t≧1 in the equation: p=(s×a)+(t×b) where p represents a vector directed from a reference vertex of the polygon toward the point of planar coordinates contained in the polygon, a, b represent respective vectors directed from the reference vertex of the polygon toward respective other vertexes of the polygon, and s, t represent respective coefficients of the vectors a, b.
In the second step, a distance y between the moving character and the polygon which has been identified is calculated according to the equation:
y=n
x
(
P
x
−O
x
)+
n
y
(
P
y
−O
y
)+
n
z
(
P
z
−O
z
)
where n
x
, n
y
, n
z
represents components respectively along X-, Y-, and Z-axes of a vector n normal to the polygon, P
x
, P
y
, P
z
represent coordinates respectively along the X-, Y-, and Z-axes of the position of the moving character, and O
x
, O
y
, O
z
represent coordinates respectively along the X-, Y-, and Z-axes of a predetermined point O on a plane which contains the polygon. The predetermined point O comprises a reference vertex of the polygon.
The fixed character comprises a plurality of blocks arranged in vertical and horizontal arrays, each of the blocks comprising a plurality of polygons. Prior to the step of identifying a polygon, one of the blocks which confronts the moving character is identified.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for calculating a distance between a moving character displayed in a pseudo-three-dimensional space on a display monitor screen and a fixed character composed of a plurality of polygons displayed in the pseudo-three-dimensional space on the display monitor screen. The apparatus comprises first means for identifying a polygon containing a point of planar coordinates representing the position of the moving character, and second means for calculating a distance between the moving character and the polygon which ha
Sugano Kei
Wada Tetsuya
Bella Matthew C.
Cao Huedung X.
Jordan and Hamburg LLP
Konami Co. Ltd.
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