System, program, and method for generating image of virtual space

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9180377-B2
Application number	US-201314080633-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 14, 2013
Priority date	Oct 24, 2013
Publication date	Nov 10, 2015
Grant date	Nov 10, 2015

Abstract

A computer program according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a grouping module configured to group the plurality of objects into a plurality of groups; a reference point determination module configured to determine a reference point and a group fixation point in the virtual space for each of the plurality of groups; a viewpoint control module configured to control positions of the viewpoint and the fixation point in the virtual space; and a display control module configured to display, on the display device, the view of the virtual space as viewed from the viewpoint toward the fixation point. While events are generated in the particular group among the plurality of groups, the viewpoint control module according to an embodiment of the present invention fixes the viewpoint at the reference point of the particular group and the fixation point at a group fixation point of the particular group.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for generating a view of a virtual space comprising:
one or more memories storing a computer program; and
one or more processors for executing the computer program stored on the one or more memories,
wherein the computer program comprises instructions for:
selecting a plurality of event generation objects from a plurality of objects placed in the virtual space, each of the plurality of event generation objects is configured to generate an event to interact with one or more other objects in the virtual space defined by a predetermined event generation condition;
grouping the plurality of objects placed in the virtual space into a plurality of groups;
determining a reference point and a group fixation point in the virtual space for each of the plurality of groups;
configuring positions of a viewpoint and a fixation point in the virtual space; and
displaying, on the display device, the view of the virtual space as viewed from the viewpoint toward the fixation point,
wherein each of the plurality of event generation objects are grouped in a same group with one or more other objects and each of the plurality of event generation objects interacts with one or more other objects within the same group, and
configuring the positions of the viewpoint and the fixation point in the virtual space further includes
determining whether at least one event generation object in a first group generates one or more first events; and
if it is determined that at least one event generation object in the first group generates one or more first events, configuring the viewpoint at the reference point of the first group and the fixation point at the group fixation point of the first group.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the computer program-further comprises instructions for:
generating one or more second events when the viewpoint is configured at the reference point of the first group and/or when the fixation point is configured at the group fixation point of the first group.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the computer program further comprises instructions for:
generating the one or more first events and the one or more second events in an order determined based on a characteristic assigned to each of the one or more event generation objects included in the first group.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the computer program further comprises instructions for:
setting the group fixation point of each of the plurality of groups at a centroid of the objects included in the each of the plurality of groups.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the computer program further comprises instructions for:
determining whether all event generation objects in the first group have generated events; and
if it is determined that all event generation objects in the first group have generated events, configuring the viewpoint to the reference point of a second group different from the first group and the fixation point to the group fixation point of the second group.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein
the virtual space is a game space related to a battle game performing battles between the plurality of objects; and
the events are related to the battle game.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined event generation condition includes a preset range within which the each of the plurality of event generation objections generates the event to interact with the one or more other objects.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program for causing a display device to display a view of a virtual space including a plurality of objects placed in the virtual space,
the computer program causing one or more computer processors to function as:
an object selection unit configured to select a plurality of event generation objects from a plurality of objects, each of the plurality of event generation objects is configured to generate an event to interact with one or more other objects in the virtual space defined by a predetermined event generation condition;
a grouping unit configured to group the plurality of objects placed in the virtual space into a plurality of groups;
a reference point determination unit configured to determine a reference point and a group fixation point in the virtual space for each of the plurality of groups;
a viewpoint control unit configured to configure positions of a viewpoint and a fixation point in the virtual space; and
a display control unit configured to display, on the display device, the view of the virtual space as viewed from the viewpoint toward the fixation point,
wherein the grouping unit is configured to group the plurality of objects such that each of the plurality of event generation objects are grouped in a same group with the one or more other objects and each of the plurality of event generation objects interacts with one or more other objects within the same group, and
the viewpoint control module is further configured to
determine whether at least one event generation object in a first group generates one or more first events; and
if it is determined that at least one event generation object in the first group generates one or more first events, configure the viewpoint at the reference point of the first group and the fixation point at the group fixation point of the first group.

9. A method using one or more processors for causing a display device to display a view of a virtual space including a plurality of objects placed in the virtual space, the method comprising the steps of:
selecting a plurality of event generation objects from the plurality of objects, each of the plurality of event generation objects is configured to generate an event to interact with one or more other objects in the virtual space defined by a predetermined event generation condition;
grouping the plurality of objects placed in the virtual space into a plurality of groups;
determining a reference point and a group fixation point in the virtual space for each of the plurality of groups;
configuring positions of a viewpoint and a fixation point in the virtual space by the one or more processors; and
displaying, on the display device, the view of the virtual space as viewed from the viewpoint toward the fixation point,
wherein, in the step of grouping, the plurality of objects are grouped such that each of the plurality of event generation objects are grouped in a same group with the one or more other objects and each of the plurality of event generation objects interacts with one or more other objects within the same group, and
the step of configuring the positions of the viewpoint and the fixation point in the virtual space further includes
determining whether at least one event generation object in a first group generates one or more first events; and
if it is determined that at least one event generation object in the first group generates one or more first events, configuring the viewpoint at the reference point of the first group and the fixation point at the group fixation point of the first group.

Assignees

• Dena Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ikeda Ryuji

Classifications

• A63F13/55 Primary

  Controlling game characters or game objects based on the game progress · CPC title

• A63F13/5372 Primary

  for tagging characters, objects or locations in the game scene, e.g. displaying a circle under the character controlled by the player · CPC title

• A63F13/5258

  by dynamically adapting the position of the virtual camera to keep a game object or game character in its viewing frustum, e.g. for tracking a character or a ball · CPC title