IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,496,525
Granted Patent B2
US 12,496,525 · App. 18/302,336 · Granted Dec 16, 2025

Systems and methods of producing assembled objects within a virtual space

Inventors: Naoki Fukada (Kyoto, JP); Tadashi Sakamoto (Kyoto, JP); Haruki Sato (Kyoto, JP); Yuya Sato (Kyoto, JP)
Assignee: NINTENDO CO., LTD.
A63F13/63A63F13/50A63F13/55
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,496,525
App. No.
18/302,336
Granted
Dec 16, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A region is set in a virtual space, based on a user's operation. A material object is moved in the virtual space, based on the user's operation. A product relating to a plurality of the material objects is caused to appear with at least a portion of the product included in the region, using at least the material objects having at least a portion included in the region.

Claims (68)

1 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein a game program executable by a computer included in an information processing apparatus, wherein the game program is configured to cause the computer to perform operations comprising:

setting a region in a virtual space, based on a user's operation;

displaying a graphical indication of where the region is located within the virtual space;

moving a material object in the virtual space, based on the user's operation; and

causing a product relating to a plurality of the material objects to appear with at least a portion of the product included in the region, using at least the material objects having at least a portion included in the region.

2 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein

the product is an assembled object obtained by putting the plurality of material objects together.

3 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 2 , wherein

the operations further comprise:

producing the assembled object by putting the plurality of material objects together, based on the user's operation.

4 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 3 , wherein

the operations further comprise:

setting the produced assembled object as the product allowed to appear.

5 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 4 , wherein

the assembled object is automatically set as the product.

6 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 5 , wherein

a first number of the products are allowed to be set, and when the produced assembled object is automatically newly set as the product, then if the first number is exceeded, a relatively early set one of the products already set is automatically deleted.

7 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 6 , wherein

one from the products already set is allowed to be set as a particular product, based on the user's operation, and when the product is newly set, then even if the first number is exceeded, the particular product continues to be set.

8 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 2 , wherein

when the user obtains an item in a game, a product relating to the item is set as the product allowed to appear.

9 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 4 , wherein

the produced assembled object, when designated by the user, is set as the product allowed to appear.

10 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 2 , wherein

of objects included in the region, the material object that is used to cause the product to appear is displayed in a manner such that the material object is distinguishable.

11 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 2 , wherein

an image showing the product to be caused to appear obtained by putting a plurality of material objects together is displayed in the region.

12 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 11 , wherein

of the plurality of material objects constituting the displayed product to be caused to appear, a missing material object for the displayed product to be caused to appear is displayed in a manner such that the missing material object is distinguishable.

13 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 2 , wherein

when there are not enough material objects to constitute the product to be caused to appear, the product to be caused to appear is caused to appear with the material objects of the product to be caused to appear excluding a missing material object, put together in a same manner as when all the material objects of the product to be caused to appear are put together.

14 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein

the material objects include a storable object that a player character operated by the user is allowed to temporarily store as a stored object, and a non-storable object that the player character is not allowed to temporarily store as the stored object.

15 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein

the product is caused to appear using the material object having at least a portion included in the region and a stored object temporarily stored by a player character operated by the user.

16 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 15 , wherein

when a same object is present both among the material objects having at least a portion included in the region and among the stored objects, the product is caused to appear using the same object that is among the material objects having at least a portion included in the region with higher priority.

17 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 2 , wherein

a player character operated by the user is disposed in the virtual space,

the material object is moved in the virtual space, based on the user's operation performed on the player character, and

wherein operations further comprise:

producing the assembled object by putting the plurality of material objects together, based on the movement.

18 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein

when a player character operated by the user is disposed on a ground, the region is set on the ground in front of the player character,

when the player character is disposed on the ground, the product is caused to appear in the region in front of the player character, and

when the player character is disposed in the air, the product is caused to appear below the player character.

19 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the region is set within the virtual space based on a position of player character within the virtual space.

20 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19 , wherein the operations further comprise:

moving the region within the virtual space based on movement of the player character within the virtual space.

21 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the region is settable to an arbitrary region within the virtual space based on the user's operation.

22 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the region defines a volume of the virtual space that includes at least a height and a width.

23 . A game apparatus comprising:

a computer configured to execute:

setting a region in a virtual space, based on a user's operation;

displaying a graphical indication of where the region is located within the virtual space;

moving a material object in the virtual space, based on the user's operation; and

causing a product relating to a plurality of the material objects to appear with at least a portion of the product included in the region, using at least the material objects having at least a portion included in the region.

24 . A game system comprising:

a computer configured to execute:

setting a region in a virtual space, based on a user's operation;

displaying a graphical indication of where the region is located within the virtual space;

moving a material object in the virtual space, based on the user's operation; and

causing a product relating to a plurality of the material objects to appear with at least a portion of the product included in the region, using at least the material objects having at least a portion included in the region.

25 . A game processing method comprising:

setting a region in a virtual space, based on a user's operation;

displaying a graphical indication of where the region is located within the virtual space;

moving a material object in the virtual space, based on the user's operation; and

causing a product relating to a plurality of the material objects to appear with at least a portion of the product included in the region, using at least the material objects having at least a portion included in the region.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 23, 2023
From: FUKADA, NAOKI; SAKAMOTO, TADASHI; SATO, HARUKI; SATO, YUYA
To: NINTENDO CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 063731/0586 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 18, 2023
From: FUKADA, NAOKI; SAKAMOTO, TADASHI; SATO, HARUKI; SATO, YUYA
To: NINTENDO CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 063359/0568 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTJP2022009229 · Mar 3, 2022
Related Publication 20230277940A1 · Sep 7, 2023
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