IP Library Granted Patent US 8,808,087
Granted Patent B2
US 8,808,087 · App. 12/528,150 · Granted Aug 19, 2014

Game device, game control method, and game control program

View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,808,087
App. No.
12/528,150
Granted
Aug 19, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

A game device is provided with an input reception unit that receives an operating input from a player, a control unit that controls a game in accordance with the timing of the operating input, and a screen generation unit that displays a screen of the game, wherein the screen generation unit generates and displays a screen of a player's character in the motion of making a shot, and a power determination unit and an impact determination unit determine the power or impact of a shot in accordance with the degree of the progress of the motion of making the shot at the point when the operating input is received.

Claims (42)

1. A game control program product embedded on a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium, comprising:

a module operative to receive first and second operating input from a player via an input device;

a module operative to control a game in which a player's character plays golf in accordance with the first and second operating input; and

a module operative to display a screen of the game on a display device, wherein

the module operative to display the screen generates a screen in which the player's character is in the backswing motion of making a shot, displays the screen as an indicator for the player to adjust his/her timing to provide the second operating input, and displays the trajectory or arrival position of a ball when the shot is made at the power at that moment in accordance with the degree of the progress of the motion of the backswing, upon receiving a first operating input from the input device to which a request to start making a shot is assigned, until receiving a second operating input from the input device to which a request to determine a power of the shot is assigned, and

the module operative to control the game determines the power of the shot in accordance with the degree of the progress of the motion of the backswing at the time of the receipt of the second operating input.

2. The game control program product according to claim 1 , wherein the module operative to control the game determines the power of the shot based on the ratio between the time required for the backswing motion to reach a full swing and the time it takes from the start of the backswing until the receipt of the second operating input.

3. The game control program product according to claim 1 , wherein the module operative to display the screen displays the player's character in the backswing motion at a higher frame rate than the other area.

4. The game control program product according to claim 1 , wherein

the module operative to display the screen generates and then displays a screen including a graphic that shrinks with time after the power of the shot is determined, and

the module operative to control the game determines an impact of the shot in accordance with the time difference between the point when a third operating input to which a request to determine the impact of the shot is assigned is received and the point when the graphic converges toward one point.

5. The game control program product according to claim 4 , wherein the module operative to display the screen displays the graphic that shrinks at a higher frame rate than the other area.

6. The game control program product according to claim 1 , wherein the module operative to display the screen changes the viewpoint position or the line of sight when generating the screen in accordance with an instruction input from a player.

7. The game control program product according to claim 1 , wherein the module operative to display the screen displays the trajectory or arrival position when the distance from the current position of a ball to a cup is shorter than a predetermined value.

8. The game control program product according to claim 1 , wherein the module operative to display the screen displays the trajectory or arrival position in a lighter color as the distance from the current position of a ball to the arrival position becomes longer.

9. The game control program product according to claim 1 , wherein the module operative to display the screen displays the trajectory or arrival position when the distance from the current position of a ball to the arrival position is shorter than a predetermined value.

10. The game control program product according to claim 1 further comprising a module operative, when the degree of the progress of the motion of making a shot reaches a predetermined value, to output a sound indicating accordingly.

11. The game control program product according to claim 10 , wherein the module operative to output the sound sets a plurality of predetermined values and outputs different sounds, respectively.

12. The game control program product according to claim 1 , wherein the module operative to control the game determines, when reaching the top of the swing without receiving the second operating input during backswing, the swing to be a practice swing and not to make a shot.

13. The game control program product according to claim 1 further comprising:

a module operative to display, when the player's character is hitting a ball, the condition of a ground at the contact point where the ball rests, wherein

the module operative to display the condition of the ground displays an object moving from the higher ground to the lower ground.

14. The game control program product according to claim 13 , wherein the module operative to display the condition of the ground displays the ground as square-cut at the contact point where the ball rests and displays the object moving on the sides of the square.

15. The game control program product according to claim 1 , wherein the module operative to display the screen displays an indicator that shows on the trajectory of the motion of making the shot the position when the degree of the progress of the motion of the shot reaches a predetermined value.

16. A game device comprising:

an input reception unit operative to receive first and second operating input from a player via an input device;

a game execution unit operative to control a game in which a player's character plays golf in accordance with the first and second operating input; and

a screen generation unit operative to generate a screen of the game and display the screen on a display device, wherein

the screen generation unit generates a screen in which the player's character is in the backswing motion of making a shot, displays the screen as an indicator for the player to adjust his/her timing to provide the second operating input, and displays the trajectory or arrival position of a ball when the shot is made at the power at that moment in accordance with the degree of the progress of the motion of the backswing, upon receiving a first operating input from the input device to which a request to start making a shot is assigned, until receiving a second operating input from the input device to which a request to determine a power of the shot is assigned, and

the game execution unit determines the power of the shot in accordance with the degree of the progress of the motion of the backswing at the time of the receipt of the second operating input.

17. A game control method comprising:

receiving first and second operating input from a player via an input device;

controlling a game in which a player's character plays golf in accordance with the first and second operating input; and

displaying a screen of the game on a display device, wherein

displaying the screen generates a screen in which the player's character is in the backswing motion of making a shot, displays the screen as an indicator for the player to adjust his/her timing to provide the second operating input, and displaying the trajectory or arrival position of a ball when the shot is made at the power at that moment in accordance with the degree of the progress of the motion of the backswing, upon receiving a first operating input from the input device to which a request to start making a shot is assigned, until receiving a second operating input from the input device to which a request to determine a power of the shot is assigned, and

controlling the game determines the power of the shot in accordance with the degree of the progress of the motion of the backswing at the time of the receipt of the second operating input.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having recorded therein a game control computer program product comprising:

a function of receiving first and second operating input from a player via an input device;

a function of controlling a game in which a player's character plays golf in accordance with the first and second operating input;

a function of displaying a screen of the game on a display device, wherein

the function of displaying the screen generates a screen in which the player's character is in the backswing motion of making a shot, displays the screen as an indicator for the player to adjust his/her timing to provide the second operating input, and displaying the trajectory or arrival position of a ball when the shot is made at the power at that moment in accordance with the degree of the progress of the motion of the backswing, upon receiving a first operating input from the input device to which a request to start making a shot is assigned, until receiving a second operating input from the input device to which a request to determine a power of the shot is assigned, and

the function of controlling the game determines the power of the shot in accordance with the degree of the progress of the motion of the backswing at the time of the receipt of the second operating input.

Assignments (6)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Sep 6, 2017
From: SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT INC.
To: SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT INC.
Reel/Frame 043761/0577 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 6, 2017
From: SONY CORPORATION
To: SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT INC.
Reel/Frame 043761/0975 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 21, 2014
From: SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT INC.
To: SONY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 032938/0671 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 27, 2011
From: SONY NETWORK ENTERTAINMENT PLATFORM INC.
To: SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT INC.
Reel/Frame 027449/0546 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Dec 26, 2011
From: SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT INC.
To: SONY NETWORK ENTERTAINMENT PLATFORM INC.
Reel/Frame 027448/0794 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 27, 2009
From: IKEJIRI, DAISAKU; MURAMORI, MASASHI; KUWABARA, TOSHIYUKI; NAKAZAWA, KENTAROU
To: SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT INC.
Reel/Frame 023430/0289 →