Patent US6179874B1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
← Back to Patent Explorer
US5880709A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Image processing devices and methods

Assignee: Sega Corp
•
Filing: 1995-08-29
•
Granted: 1999-03-09
•
Expires: 2015-08-29
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract An image processor is composed of a game device body, an operation panel and a display. The game device body is composed of a data processor 11 and a memory 12. The data processor 11 realizes a hit determining circuit 111, an enemy control circuit 112, an enemy (object) set circuit 113, a cursor control circuit 114, an enemy retrieval circuit 115 and a camera control circuit 116 in accordance with corresponding programs used. When an object is displayed on the display, the cursor control circuit 114 displays a cursor in accordance with predetermined processing performed on the basis of data on the coordinates of the object. The camera control circuit 116 performs a zoom-in display process for the object when the object is displayed on the display.

Inventors

  • 👤 Katsunori Itai
  • 👤 Yu Suzuki

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-28 13:28
CPC Classifications
A; A63; A63F; A63F13/00; A63F13/50; A63F13/53; A63F13/537; A63F13/5372; A63F13/10; A63F13/45; A63F13/52; A63F13/525; A63F13/80; A63F13/837; G; G09; G09G; G09G5/00; G09G5/08; A63F2300/00; A63F2300/30; A63F2300/303; A63F2300/306; A63F2300/60; A63F2300/64; A63F2300/643; A63F2300/66; A63F2300/6661; A63F2300/80; A63F2300/8076

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim 149 words
An image processor for performing image processing to display a character representing an object in a video game on a display, comprising: mark displaying means for displaying a mark to indicate the character that is a present object on the display; means for controlling a virtual camera that faces the character position in a game space; mark moving means for moving the mark so as to indicate the character that is a next object; and mark display state changing means for changing a displayed state of the mark depending on the advancement of the image processing state for the character, wherein said advancement corresponds to progress made in said video game and wherein said mark display state changing means comprises mark display scale factor changing means for changing stepwise the display scale factor of the mark which indicates the character in correspondence to the displayed state of the character.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 149 words
An image processor for performing image processing to display a character representing an object in a video game on a display, comprising: mark displaying means for displaying a mark to indicate the character that is a present object on the display; means for controlling a virtual camera that faces the character position in a game space; mark moving means for moving the mark so as to indicate the character that is a next object; and mark display state changing means for changing a displayed state of the mark depending on the advancement of the image processing state for the character, wherein said advancement corresponds to progress made in said video game and wherein said mark display state changing means comprises mark display scale factor changing means for changing stepwise the display scale factor of the mark which indicates the character in correspondence to the displayed state of the character.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 25 words
An image processor according to claim 1, wherein said mark displaying means displays the mark in the form of a frame which surrounds the character.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 36 words
An image processor according to claim 1, wherein said mark moving means comprises character coordinate reading means for reading a coordinate position of the character to move the mark to near the coordinate of that position.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 33 words
An image processor according to claim 1, comprising character display scale factor changing means for changing a display scale factor of the character stepwise in correspondence to the displayed state of the character.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 32 words
An image processor according to claim 1, wherein said display scale factor changing means changes the display scale factor of the mark in correspondence to the display scale factor of the character.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 39 words
An image processor according to claim 1, wherein said display scale factor changing means comprises display scale factor enlarging means for stepwise enlarging the display scale factor of the mark when a predetermined character is displayed as the character.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 39 words
An image processor according to claim 1, wherein said display scale factor changing means comprises display scale factor reducing means for stepwise reducing the display scale factor of the mark when a predetermined character is displayed as the character.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 51 words
An image processor according to claim 1, wherein said display scale factor changing means stepwise enlarges the display scale factor of the mark when a first character is displayed as the character, and stepwise reduces the display scale factor of the mark when a second character is displayed as the character.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 26 words
An image processor according to claim 1, wherein said mark display state changing means comprises color changing means for changing the displayed color of the mark.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 28 words
An image processor according to claim 1, comprising a display for displaying the states of processing performed by said respective mark displaying, moving and display state changing means.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 147 words
An image processor for performing image processing to display a character representing an object in a video game on a display, comprising: mark displaying means for displaying a mark to indicate the character that is a present object on the display; means for controlling a virtual camera that faces the character position in a game space; mark moving means for moving the mark so as to indicate the character that is a next object; and mark display state changing means for changing a displayed state of the mark depending on the advancement of the image processing state for the character, wherein said advancement corresponds to progress made in said video game and wherein said mark display state changing means comprises pointer position changing means for displaying a pointer along with the mark and changing the displayed position of the pointer relative to the position of the mark.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 147 words
An image processor for performing image processing to display a character representing an object in a video game on a display, comprising: mark displaying means for displaying a mark to indicate the character that is a present object on the display; means for controlling a virtual camera that faces the character position in a game space; mark moving means for moving the mark so as to indicate the character that is a next object; and mark display state changing means for changing a displayed state of the mark depending on the advancement of the image processing state for the character, wherein said advancement corresponds to progress made in said video game and wherein said mark display state changing means comprises pointer position changing means for displaying a pointer along with the mark and changing the displayed position of the pointer relative to the position of the mark.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 147 words
An image processor for performing image processing to display a character representing an object in a video game on a display, comprising: mark displaying means for displaying a mark to indicate the character that is a present object on the display; means for controlling a virtual camera that faces the character position in a game space; mark moving means for moving the mark so as to indicate the character that is a next object; pointer position changing means for displaying the mark along with a pointer and changing the displayed position of the pointer relative to the mark, wherein the change in the displayed pointer position corresponds to progress made in said video game; and color changing means for changing the displayed color of the mark in correspondence to a change in the displayed position of the pointer which is changed by said pointer position changing means.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 147 words
An image processor for performing image processing to display a character representing an object in a video game on a display, comprising: mark displaying means for displaying a mark to indicate the character that is a present object on the display; means for controlling a virtual camera that faces the character position in a game space; mark moving means for moving the mark so as to indicate the character that is a next object; pointer position changing means for displaying the mark along with a pointer and changing the displayed position of the pointer relative to the mark, wherein the change in the displayed pointer position corresponds to progress made in said video game; and color changing means for changing the displayed color of the mark in correspondence to a change in the displayed position of the pointer which is changed by said pointer position changing means.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 45 words
An image processor according to claim 11 or 12, wherein said pointer position changing means includes means for displaying a plurality of pointers along with the mark at different positions, and means for changing the respective displayed positions of the pointers relative to the mark.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 53 words
An image processor according to claim 13, comprising character changing means for changing the display of the character which the mark indicates from a first character to a second character when the displayed positions of the respective pointers relative to the mark are caused to coincide substantially by said pointer position changing means.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 131 words
An image processor for performing image processing to display a character representing an object in a video game on a display, comprising: mark displaying means for displaying a mark to indicate the character that is a present object on the display; means for controlling a virtual camera that faces the character position in a game space; and mark display state changing means for changing a displayed state of the mark depending on the advancement of the image processing state for the character, wherein said advancement corresponds to progress made in said video game and wherein said mark display state changing means comprises mark display scale factor changing means for changing stepwise the display scale factor of the mark which indicates the character in correspondence to the displayed state of the character.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 131 words
An image processor for performing image processing to display a character representing an object in a video game on a display, comprising: mark displaying means for displaying a mark to indicate the character that is a present object on the display; means for controlling a virtual camera that faces the character position in a game space; and mark display state changing means for changing a displayed state of the mark depending on the advancement of the image processing state for the character, wherein said advancement corresponds to progress made in said video game and wherein said mark display state changing means comprises mark display scale factor changing means for changing stepwise the display scale factor of the mark which indicates the character in correspondence to the displayed state of the character.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4668947A Cited
US4831556A Cited
WO1989006030A1 Cited
US4978303A Cited
US5162779A Cited
US5310192A Cited
US5351966A Cited
US5401025A Cited
US5456157A Cited
US5465982A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 2002-03-08 2002-09-07 2003-03-09 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2006-03-08 2006-09-07 2007-03-09 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2010-03-08 2010-09-07 2011-03-09 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag