U.S. Pat. No. 7,695,356

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Selected embodiments of the present invention will now be explained with reference to the drawings. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that the following descriptions of the embodiments of the present invention are provided for illustration only and not for the purpose of limiting the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Construction of the Game Device

FIG. 1is an external view of a portable game unit (an example of a computer) that can use a game program according to the present invention. In addition,FIG. 2is one example of a control block diagram of the portable game unit.

As shown inFIG. 1, the portable game unit1primarily has a main case2, a liquid crystal monitor unit3, an input unit4, a cartridge mounting unit5, and a communication unit (not shown in the drawings). The main case2has an upper case2aand a lower case2b. The upper case2aand the lower case2bare connected to each other such that they can be opened and closed. The liquid crystal monitor unit3comprises an upper liquid crystal monitor3aprovided in the upper case2a, and a lower liquid crystal monitor3bprovided in the lower case2b. Here, for example, the upper liquid crystal monitor3ais a non-touch panel type monitor, and the lower liquid crystal monitor3bis a touch panel type monitor. The non-touch panel type monitor is comprised of a liquid crystal panel, and the touch panel type monitor is comprised of a liquid crystal panel and a touch panel. On the touch panel type monitor, the display surface of the liquid crystal panel and the data input surface of the touch panel are laminated together so as to be integral with each other. The input unit4comprises a cross-shaped directional command button4athat is arranged on the central portion of the left side of the lower case2b, a select button4band a start button4carranged from left to right on the upper portion of the left side of the lower case2b, command buttons4dthat are arranged in the central portion of the right side of the lower case2b, a power button4ethat is arranged on the upper portion of the right side of the lower case2b, and an L button4fand a R button4garranged on the left and right corners of the lower case2b. The cartridge mounting unit5is provided in the lower portion of the lower case2b. A game cartridge or the like can be mounted in the cartridge mounting unit5. The communication unit is built into the main case2, e.g., the lower case2a. A local wireless network function, internet connection via wireless LAN function, or the like are provided by the communication unit. Note that a sound volume adjustment button, an earphone jack, and the like are provided in the game unit1, but an explanation of these will be omitted.

As shown inFIG. 2, the portable game unit1has a control device10in the interior thereof. A CPU (Central Processing Unit)11which uses a microprocessor, a ROM (Read Only Memory)12as a main storage device, a RAM (Random Access Memory)13, an image processing circuit14, a sound processing circuit15, and a communication control circuit20of the control device10are connected to each other via a bus16.

The CPU11will interpret instructions from a game program, and will perform various types of data processing and control. The ROM12will store programs and the like needed for basic control of the game unit1(e.g., start-up control). The RAM13will maintain a working area for the CPU11. The image processing circuit14controls the liquid crystal monitor unit3in response to rendering commands from the CPU11, and displays predetermined images on at least one of the upper liquid crystal monitor3aand the lower liquid crystal monitor3b. In addition, a touch input detection circuit14ais included in the image processing circuit14. When a command means, e.g., a touch pen, a finger, or the like is brought into direct contact with the touch panel, coordinate date of the contact position will be supplied from the touch input detection circuit14ato the CPU11, and the contact position will be identified by the CPU11. In addition, when the command means is brought into direct contact with the touch panel at the position of a target object displayed on the liquid crystal panel, coordinate data of the target object will be supplied from the touch input detection circuit14ato the CPU11, and the target object will be identified by the CPU. The sound processing circuit15will produce analog audio signals in response to sound generation commands from the CPU11, and will output the same to a speaker22. The communication control circuit20is included in the communication unit, and is employed in order to wirelessly connect the game unit1to another game unit or the like. The communication control circuit20is connected to the CPU11via the bus16. In response to instructions from the CPU11, the communication control circuit20will control and dispatch connection signals for connecting the game unit1to the internet via a local wireless network or a wireless LAN.

An external storage device17that is separate from the control device11is connected to the bus16. For example, the external storage device17is a game cartridge that is removably mounted in the main case2, e.g., the lower case2b. A ROM18as a storage medium, and a memory19as a rewriteable user memory, are provided in the interior of the external storage device17. A game program that causes the game unit1to function as a computer, and various types of data needed in the execution of the game program, are stored in advance in the ROM18. The various types of data include various types of character image data, e.g., various types of panel image data, attribute image data, and the like. Rewriteable memory such as flash memory is used in the memory19. Saved game data or the like will be stored in the memory19in response to need. Note that the storage medium of the external storage device17is not limited to a semiconductor memory element, and various other types of storage media may be used, such as a magnetic storage medium, an optical storage medium, a magneto-optical storage medium, or the like. Note also that an interface circuit is interposed between the bus16and each element, but illustration of these will be omitted here.

With the game unit1constructed as described above, a player can play various game genres on the liquid crystal monitor unit3by loading a game program stored in the ROM18of the external storage device17, and executing the loaded game program with the CPU11. In addition, by connecting the game unit1with another game unit with a wireless network, or connecting the game unit1with another game unit via a communication cable or the like, data can be exchanged with another game unit or a competition type game can be played via the communication control circuit10. Summary of various types of processes in the game device

A game that can be executed in the present game unit1is, for example, a baseball game.FIG. 3is a function block diagram for explaining the functions that play an essential role in the present invention.

With the present game unit1, a moving object will be dispatched from a character displayed on a touch panel type of monitor. The game device1primarily comprises dispatch origin display means50, dispatch destination display means51, dispatch mode display means52, dispatch destination identification means53, dispatch mode identification means54, moving object dispatch means55, contact position identification means56, dispatch origin character movement means57, dispatch destination character movement means58, and character movement display means59.

The dispatch origin display means50is implemented by a function that will display a ball dispatch origin character on the monitor. With the dispatch destination display means50, the ball dispatch origin identified by the CPU11will be displayed on the monitor3, e.g., the lower monitor3b. More particularly, the ball dispatch origin character will be displayed on the touch panel liquid crystal panel of the lower monitor3b.

The dispatch destination display means51is implemented by a function that will display at least one character corresponding to a dispatch destination of the moving object on the monitor. With the dispatch destination display means51, at least one character corresponding to a ball dispatch destination stored in the ROM18will be displayed on the monitor3, e.g., the lower monitor3b. More particularly, characters corresponding to the ball dispatch destinations will be displayed on the touch panel liquid crystal panel of the lower monitor3b. Here, the characters corresponding to the ball dispatch destinations will be displayed on the monitor3, e.g., the liquid crystal panel used as a touch panel of the lower monitor3b, and near the ball dispatch origin character.

The dispatch mode display means52is implemented by a function that will display at least one character corresponding to the dispatch mode of the moving object stored in the ROM18on the monitor. With the dispatch mode display means52, at least one character corresponding to the dispatch mode of the moving object will be displayed on the monitor3, e.g., the lower monitor3b. More particularly, a character corresponding to the dispatch mode of the moving object will be displayed on the liquid crystal panel used as a touch panel on the lower monitor3b.

The dispatch destination identification means53is implemented by a function that will identify a dispatch destination character when the command means is placed into contact with a character corresponding to a dispatch destination. With the dispatch destination identification means53, if the command means, e.g., a touch pen, a finger, or the like, is placed into contact with the position of a character corresponding to a dispatch destination displayed on the liquid crystal panel, the coordinate data of the discharge destination character stored in the RAM13and read out from the ROM18will be referenced by the CPU11. Then, the coordinate data of the dispatch destination character in the RAM13will be identified by the CPU11, and the dispatch destination character will be identified by the CPU11.

The dispatch mode identification means54is implemented by a function that will identify the dispatch mode when the command means is placed into contact with a character corresponding to the dispatch mode of the moving object. With the dispatch mode identification means54, if the command means, e.g., a touch pen, a finger, or the like, is placed into contact with the position of the character corresponding to the dispatch mode displayed on the liquid crystal panel, the dispatch mode data of the moving object stored in the RAM13and read out from the ROM18will be referenced by the CPU11. Then, the dispatch mode data of the moving object in the RAM13will be identified by the CPU11.

The moving object dispatch means55is implemented by a function that will dispatch the moving object from the ball dispatch origin character to the ball dispatch destination character identified by the ball dispatch destination identification function53. In addition, the moving object dispatch means55is implemented by a function that will dispatch the moving object from the ball dispatch origin character to the ball dispatch destination character identified by the ball dispatch destination identification function53based upon the dispatch mode. With the moving object dispatch means55, command signals for causing the ball character to be dispatched from the dispatch origin character identified by the CPU11to the discharge destination character identified by the discharge destination identification means53will be issued from the CPU11to the image processing circuit14. At this point, based upon the discharge mode data identified by the CPU11, command signals for causing the ball character to be dispatched from the dispatch origin character to the discharge destination character identified by the discharge mode identification function will be issued from the CPU11to the image processing circuit14.

The contact position identification means56is implemented by a function that will identify the contact position of the command means when the command means is placed into contact with an area of the monitor in which the characters corresponding to the discharge destinations are not displayed. With the contact position identification means56, if the command means, e.g., a touch pen, a finger, or the like, is brought into contact with the liquid crystal panel used as a touch panel on a portion of the touch panel in which the characters corresponding to the dispatch destinations are not displayed, the coordinate data of the contact position of the command means will be supplied from the touch input detection circuit14ato the CPU11, and the contact position of the command means will be identified by the CPU11.

The dispatch origin character movement means57is implemented by a function that will cause the dispatch origin character to move toward the contact position. With the dispatch origin character movement means57, command signals that will cause the dispatch origin character to move will be issued from the CPU11to the image processing circuit14.

The dispatch destination character movement means58is implemented by a function that will cause the characters corresponding to the dispatch destinations to move together with the moving dispatch origin character. With the dispatch destination character movement means58, command signals for causing the characters corresponding to the dispatch destinations displayed on the monitor, e.g., the liquid crystal panel used as a touch panel, to move together with the dispatch origin character displayed on the liquid crystal panel used as a touch panel will be issued from the CPU11to the image processing circuit14.

The character movement display means59is implemented by a function that will display the movement state of each of the aforementioned characters on the monitor. With the character movement display means59, the movement state of each of the aforementioned characters will be displayed on the monitor3, e.g., the lower monitor3b, by the image processing circuit14. More particularly, the movement state of each character will be displayed on the liquid crystal panel used as a touch panel on the lower monitor3b.

The moving object display means60is implemented by a function that will display the movement state of the dispatched ball character on the monitor. With the moving object display means60, the movement state of the dispatched ball character will be displayed on the monitor3, e.g., the lower monitor3b, by the image processing circuit14. More particularly, the moving state of the dispatched ball character will be displayed on the liquid crystal panel used as a touch panel on the lower monitor3b.

Summary of the Baseball Game

Next, the specific content of the baseball game of the present embodiment will be explained.

This baseball game primarily comprises a batting system that issues commands with regard to batting to a batter character, a defense system that issues commands with regard to catching and throwing to a fielder character, a pitching system that issues commands with regard to pitching to a pitcher character, and a base running system that issues commands with regard to base running to a base running character. Each of these systems is realized by a game program stored in the ROM18, for example, and is executed in the game unit1.

A summary of the pitching system that plays an essential role in the present invention will be explained below.

The defense system allows a defense operation to be performed by commanding a fielder character to dispatch the ball with the command means, e.g., a touch pen, a finger, or the like.

With the present baseball game, as shown inFIG. 4, if a player is to operate the defense characters, defense characters70, a batter character71, base characters72, a ball character73, characters74corresponding to ball dispatch destinations, and a character75corresponding to the ball dispatch mode, can be displayed on the monitor3. Here, the defense characters70include, for example, a pitcher character, a catcher character, and a plurality of fielder characters. In addition, characters corresponding to ball dispatch destinations include, for example, a character74acorresponding to home base, a character74bthat corresponds to first base, a character74ccorresponding to second base, and a character74dcorresponding to third base. Furthermore, a character corresponding to the ball dispatch mode includes, for example, a character75acorresponding to a relay command.

For example, in the event that a player causes the ball character73to be dispatched from the pitcher character and the opposing player or an AI (Artificial Intelligence) player causes a batter character71to move, then if the ball character73hit by the batter character71flies to one of the fielder characters of the defense characters70, the ball character73will be caught by one of the fielder characters of the defense characters70. When this occurs, the one fielder character of the defense characters70will be displayed on the lower touch panel type of monitor3b. Then, the characters corresponding to the dispatch destinations and the character corresponding to the discharge mode will be displayed near, e.g., around the perimeter of, the one fielder character of the defense characters70.

If the player places the touch pen into contact with a character corresponding to a dispatch destination when the ball character73is caught by the one fielder character of the defense characters70, the dispatch destination character will be selected. When this occurs, the ball character73will be dispatched from the dispatch origin character to the dispatch destination character.

For example, as shown inFIG. 4, in the event that the ball character73hit by the batter character71is caught by the fielder character at shortstop, if the player places the touch pen into contact with the character74bthat corresponds to first base, the first base character will be selected, and the ball character73will be dispatched from the fielder character70aat shortstop to the first base character. This corresponds to a state in a baseball game when the shortstop that caught the ball dispatches the ball to first base.

In addition, when one of the fielder characters of the defense characters70has caught the ball character73, the ball dispatch mode will be set if the player places the touch pen into contact with the character corresponding to the ball discharge mode of the fielder character. Then, if the touch pen is placed into contact with a character corresponding to a dispatch destination, the ball character73will be dispatched from the dispatch origin character to the dispatch destination character based upon the ball discharge mode.

For example, as shown inFIG. 5, in the event that the ball character73hit by the batter character71is caught by the fielder character70bat center field, the fielder character70bat center field will be placed into a state in which it will receive a relay command if the player places the touch pen into contact with the character75athat corresponds to the relay command. Then, if the touch pen is placed into contact with the character74acorresponding to home base, the home base character will be selected. Then, the ball character73will be dispatched from the fielder character70bat center field to the home base character, via a fielder character positioned between the fielder character at center field and the home base character, e.g., the fielder character70cat second base. This corresponds to a state in which the center fielder that caught the ball dispatches the ball to the second baseman, and the second baseman dispatches the ball to home base. In other words, this corresponds to a situation in which the center fielder dispatches the ball to home base via the second baseman.

Furthermore, when the ball character73has been caught by one of the fielder characters of the defense characters70, the contact position of the touch pen will be identified if the player places the touch pen into contact with an area of the monitor in which the character corresponding to the dispatch destination is not displayed. When this occurs, the dispatch origin character will move toward the contact position. At this point, both the characters corresponding to the dispatch destinations and the dispatch origin character will move in the direction of the contact position.

For example, as shown inFIG. 6, in the event that the ball character73hit by the batter character71has been caught by the fielder character in right field, the contact position of the touch pen will be identified when the player places the touch pen between the character corresponding to first base and the character corresponding to second base. When this occurs, the fielder character70din right field will move toward the contact position after having caught the ball. At this point, the character74acorresponding to home base, the characters74b,74c,74dcorresponding to first to third bases, and the character75acorresponding to the relay command displayed around the right field character70dwill move toward the contact position together with the right field character70d.

Here, if the touch pen is placed into contact with any one of the character74acorresponding to home base and the characters74b,74c,74dcorresponding to first to third bases when the fielder character70in right field is moving, the dispatch destination character (the home base character, the first base character, the second base character, or the third base character) will be selected. For example, if the touch pen is placed into contact with the character74acorresponding to home base, the home base character will be selected. When this occurs, the ball character73will be dispatched from the moving right field character70dto the home base character. In addition, if the touch pen is placed into contact with the character75acorresponding to the relay command, and the touch pen is placed into contact with the character74acorresponding to home base, when the fielder character70din right field is moving, the ball character73will be dispatched from the fielder character70din right field to the home base character, via a fielder character positioned between the fielder character70din right field and the home base character, e.g., the fielder character70eat first base.

Each Process Flow During Execution of the Defense System

The flowchart shown inFIG. 7will be used to explain the defense system in the baseball game of the present embodiment.

In the event that a player is to operate the defense characters, the defense characters70, the batter character71, the base characters72, and the ball character73will be displayed on the lower touch panel type of monitor (S1). Then, the ball character73will be dispatched from the pitcher character (S2), and the ball character73will be hit by the batter character71(S3). Then, the ball character73will be caught by one of the fielder characters of the defense characters70(S4). When this occurs, the characters corresponding to the dispatch destinations and the character corresponding to the discharge mode will be displayed near, e.g., around, the perimeter of, the one fielder character of the defense characters70(S5).

It will be determined whether or not the touch pen is in contact with the character corresponding to the ball relay mode (S6). If it is determined that the touch pen is not in contact with the character corresponding to the ball dispatch mode (S6is no), it will be determined whether or not the touch pen is in contact with a character corresponding to a dispatch destination (S7). If it is determined that the touch pen is in contact with a character corresponding to a dispatch destination (S7is yes), the dispatch destination character will be identified (S8). Then, the ball character73will be dispatched from the ball dispatch origin character to the ball dispatch destination character (S9).

If it is determined that the touch pen is not in contact with a character corresponding to a dispatch destination (S7is no), it will be determined whether or not the touch pen is in contact with an area of the monitor in which a character corresponding to a dispatch destination is not displayed (S10). If it is determined that the touch pen is in contact with an area on the monitor in which a character corresponding to a dispatch destination is not displayed (S10is yes), the contact position of the touch pen will be identified (S11). When this occurs, the dispatch origin character and the characters corresponding to dispatch destinations will move toward the contact position (S12). Then, it will again be determined whether or not the touch pen is in contact with the character corresponding to the ball relay mode (S6). If it is determined that the touch pen is not in contact with an area on the monitor in which a character corresponding to a dispatch destination is not displayed (S10is no), the state in which the dispatch origin character is holding the ball will be maintained (S14).

If it is determined that the touch pen is in contact with the character corresponding to a dispatch mode (S6is yes), the dispatch mode will be identified (S13). Then, it will be determined whether or not the touch pen is in contact with a character corresponding to a dispatch destination (S7). Then, steps S7to S12will be executed as noted above.

Other Embodiments

(a) With the aforementioned embodiment, an example was illustrated in which the portable game unit1was used as an example of a computer that can utilize the game program, however the game device is not limited to the aforementioned embodiment, and can also utilize in the same way a game device formed separately from a monitor, a game device for commercial use that is formed integrally with a monitor, and a personal computer, a workstation, or the like that functions as a game device by executing a game program.

(b) The present invention also includes a program and method for executing the game described above, and a computer readable storage medium on which the program is stored. Other than the cartridge, examples of recording media include computer readable flexible disks, semiconductor memory, CD-ROM, DVD, MO, ROM cassettes, and the like.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

With this game program, a dispatch destination character will be identified when a command means is placed into contact with a character corresponding to a dispatch destination. At this point, the moving object will be dispatched from the dispatch origin character to an identified dispatch destination character. In this way, a player can dispatch a moving object from the dispatch origin character to the dispatch destination character with a simple operation in which the command means is placed into contact with a character corresponding to a dispatch destination. In this way, a player can accurately and easily input commands that cause a moving object to be dispatched to a character.