Patent · US Expired

Image generating system and information storage medium capable of changing angle of view of virtual camera based on object positional information

US6304267A · kind A · utility

94Cited by
6References
29Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateJun 10, 1998
Grant dateOct 16, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 10, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
  • CPC primaryA63F2300/8011
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An image generating system and information storage medium for generating an image preferable for a game in which a virtual camera follows a displayed object. The angle of view .theta. of the virtual camera is changed based on the coordinates of the player's game character and ball while causing the virtual camera to follow the player's game character. As the distance D between the player's game character and the ball decreases or increases, the angle of view .theta. is increased or decreased. Thus, the player can clearly grasp information about things around the ball. If the distance D becomes shorter than a threshold value D.sub.th, the angle of view .theta. is set at a fixed value .theta..sub.fix. This prevents an image from being distorted. The ball is always displayed on the screen in the central part thereof by directing the virtual camera in a direction from the player's game character toward the ball. The first and second displayed objects represent respectively a first and second game characters in a fighting game and a character and item in a role-playing game.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.