Image processing device, image processing method, game device, and craft simulator

Abstract

To achieve a more realistic and richer shifting field, such as water surface over which a jet-ski or other object travels, thereby heightening the interest and ambiance of the game. An image processing device for processing image data for moving an object such as a watercraft over a water surface in three-dimensional space. Comprises means for cyclically shifting the height at given positions of the water surface over time (CPU 101 ) and means for moving the watercraft while contacting the water (CPU 101 ). Determination of contact between watercraft and water surface, watercraft tilt correction, boat wake drawing processing, and the like are performed by the CPU 101.

1 . In an image processing device for processing image data for moving an object over a field in three-dimensional virtual space, an image processing device comprising: 
 field shifting means for changing the height at given positions of the field surface over time; and    object moving means for moving the object over the field in an interactive manner.    
     
     
         2 . An image processing device as defined in    claim 1   , wherein the field shifting means changes over time in the height values of given positions above a two-dimensional plane serving as reference for the field, and the object moving means computes values for the height of the object corresponding to these height values.  
     
     
         3 . An image processing device as defined in    claim 1   , wherein the field is a water surface established in three-dimensional virtual space, and the object is a jet-ski, boat, or other watercraft which travels over this water surface.  
     
     
         4 . An image processing device as defined in    claim 1   , wherein the field shifting means comprises: 
 memory means for storing wave height values set above the two-dimensional plane serving as reference for the field; and    calculation means for calculating, on the basis of the wave height values, surface motion involving two-dimensional wave motion through sine wave-cosine wave synthesis for the wave height values.    
     
     
         5 . An image processing device as defined in    claim 1   , wherein the field shifting means comprises: 
 memory means for storing swell height data of a two-dimensional distribution pre-established in correlation with two-dimensional position above the two-dimensional plane serving as reference in the three-dimensional virtual space;    recognition means for recognizing at periodic intervals the current two-dimensional position of the object;    readout means for reading out from the memory means the swell height data corresponding to a recognized two-dimensional position; and    calculation means for calculating at periodic intervals, on the basis of the read-out swell height data, swell data for the water surface produced by two-dimensional wave motion over the two-dimensional plane.    
     
     
         6 . An image processing device as defined in    claim 4    wherein the memory means is set such that the swell height data is assigned to a plurality of blocks into which the reference plane has been divided, with the numerical values for the swell height data differing for at least two of these blocks.  
     
     
         7 . An image processing device as defined in    claim 4   , wherein the memory means is set such that the swell height data is assigned to a plurality of blocks into which the reference plane has been divided, with the wave height value set for each block.  
     
     
         8 . An image processing device as defined in    claim 4   , wherein the memory means has a memory with a multiple layer structure, and a different type of the swell height data is stored in each layer of this memory.  
     
     
         9 . An image processing device as defined in any of    claim 4   , wherein the calculation is a means for calculating periodically fluctuating swell data comprising a wave synthesized from a sine wave and a cosine wave.  
     
     
         10 . An image processing device as defined in    claim 9   , wherein the calculation means is a means for performing calculations of the synthesized wave for individual polygons corresponding to a plurality of grid positions.  
     
     
         11 . An image processing device as defined in    claim 10   , wherein the field shifting means comprises: 
 setting means for setting a plurality of display areas, with a plurality of the polygons constituting a single object; and    designation means for designating as display polygons the polygons lying within a visual field in the plurality of display areas.    
     
     
         12 . An image processing device as defined in    claim 4    wherein the calculation means comprises: 
 determination means for determining whether the swell height data corresponding to the current two-dimensional position of the object currently read out differs by a prescribed value or more from the previous swell height data; and  
 creation means for, in the event that this determination means has determined that there is a difference of prescribed value or more, creating swell height data through infinitesimal increase or decrease of the previous swell height data in accordance with the difference between the previous and current swell height data.  
 
     
     
         13 . An image processing device as defined in    claim 1   , further comprising: 
 interactive effect creation means for creating data for interactive effects which represent object interactivity on the field.    
     
     
         14 . An image processing device as defined in    claim 10   , wherein the field is a water surface established in the three-dimensional virtual space, the object is a jet-ski, boat, or other watercraft which travels over this water surface, and the interactive effect is a wake produced on the water surface by the watercraft.  
     
     
         15 . An image processing device as defined in    claim 14   , wherein the interactive effect creation means comprises: 
 data creation means for creating, as the interactive effect data, data for motion trail polygons which elongate in accordance with object position and angle of advance on the two-dimensional plane serving as reference in the three-dimensional virtual space.    
     
     
         16 . An image processing device as defined in    claim 15   , wherein the data creation means is a means for severing the motion trail polygon in accordance with the motion trail polygon length, elongation time, or the angle of advance.  
     
     
         17 . An image processing device as defined in    claim 16   , wherein the data creation means includes a means for suspending drawing of the motion trail polygon when the object rises to a prescribed distance above the reference plane.  
     
     
         18 . An image processing device as defined in    claim 16   , wherein the interactive effect creation means comprises: 
 instruction means for issuing instructions to continue to draw a motion trail polygon for a prescribed period of time when the motion trail polygon has been severed, and, after continuing drawing for this prescribed period of time, to draw the motion trail polygon while shrinking its the length.    
     
     
         19 . An image processing device as defined in    claim 1   , further comprising: 
 contact determination means for determining the mode of contact between the object and the field surface.    
     
     
         20 . An image processing device as defined in    claim 19   , further comprising: 
 correction means for correcting object position on the basis of the determination by the determination means.    
     
     
         21 . An image processing device as defined in    claim 20   , wherein the correction means corrects the object parameter pertaining to the height of the object in the perpendicular direction above the two-dimensional plane serving as reference in the three-dimensional virtual space on the basis of the determination by the determination means.  
     
     
         22 . An image processing device as defined in    claim 21   , wherein the correction means is a means for moving the object upward in the vertical direction in a manner corresponding to the displacement of the object when it has been determined by the determination means that the field surface is in a higher position than the object; and moving the object downward in the vertical direction by allowing the object to free-fall when it has been determined by the determination means that the field surface is in a lower position than the object.  
     
     
         23 . An image processing device as defined in    claim 21   , further comprising: 
 tilt correction means for correcting the tilt of the object in the three-dimensional virtual space in accordance with the slope of the field surface at a two-dimensional position on the two-dimensional plane.    
     
     
         24 . An image processing device as defined in    claim 23   , wherein the tilt correction means is a means for performing processing at prescribed time intervals to gradually cause the tilt of object to approximate the slope of the field surface.  
     
     
         25 . An image processing device as defined in any of claims  19  through  24 , wherein the field is a water surface established in the three-dimensional virtual space and the object is a jet-ski, boat, or other watercraft which travels over this water surface.  
     
     
         26 . In a drawing method for drawing a water surface established in a three-dimensional virtual space, a drawing method comprising the step of: 
 performing perspective processing for images of physical objects below the water surface, and drawing the images of the physical objects below the water surface in front of the water surface image on the display screen.    
     
     
         27 . An image processing device comprising: 
 first means for creating image data for representing a water surface established in a three-dimensional virtual space; and    second means for creating image data where the water submerged portions of physical objects at least partially submerged below this water surface are rendered in perspective from above the water surface.    
     
     
         28 . In an image processing method for processing image data for moving an object over a field in three-dimensional virtual space, an image processing method comprising the steps of: 
 varying the height of given positions on the surface of the field over time;    as the object is moved in an interactive manner over the field, determining the mode of contact between the object and the surface of the field; and    on the basis of this determination, correcting the object parameter pertaining to the height of the object in the perpendicular direction above the two-dimensional plane serving as reference in the three-dimensional virtual space.    
     
     
         29 . An image processing method as defined in    claim 28   , wherein the field is a water surface established in the three-dimensional virtual space and the object is a jet-ski, boat, or other watercraft which travels over this water surface.  
     
     
         30 . In a game device wherein a craft equipped with means for allowing a player to ride in real space and input control information and with a rockably supported cage is combined with an image processing device for creating image data whereby a character portraying the aforementioned craft is moved over a field in three-dimensional virtual space in response to the aforementioned control information, a game device comprising: 
 field shifting means for changing the height of given positions of the surface of the field over time; and    cage rocking means for rocking the cage of the craft in response to the changes in field surface height produced by this field shifting means.    
     
     
         31 . A game device as defined in    claim 30   , wherein the field is a water surface established in the three-dimensional virtual space and the object is a jet-ski, boat, or other watercraft which travels over this water surface.  
     
     
         32 . In an image processing device for processing image data for moving an object over a field in three-dimensional virtual space, an image processing device comprising: 
 object moving means for moving the object over the field in an interactive manner; and    interactive effect creation means for creating data for interactive effects which represent object interactivity on the field.    
     
     
         33 . An image processing device as defined in    claim 32   , further comprising: 
 contact determination means for determining the mode of contact between the object and the field surface,    and constituted such that the interactive effect creation means creates data for interactive effects in accordance with this determination.    
     
     
         34 . An image processing device as defined in    claim 33   , wherein the field is a water surface established in the three-dimensional virtual space, the object is a jet-ski, boat, or other watercraft which travels over this water surface, and the interactive effect is a wake produced on the water surface by the watercraft.  
     
     
         35 . An image processing device as defined in    claim 32   , wherein the interactive effect creation means comprises: 
 data creation means for creating, as the interactive effect data, data for motion trail polygons which are elongated in accordance with object position and angle of advance on the two-dimensional plane serving as reference in the three-dimensional virtual space.    
     
     
         36 . An image processing device as defined in    claim 35   , wherein the data creation means includes a means for truncating the motion trail polygon in accordance with the motion trail polygon length, elongation time, or the angle of advance.  
     
     
         37 . An image processing device as defined in    claim 36   , wherein the data creation means includes a means for suspending drawing of the motion trail polygon when the object rises to a prescribed distance above the reference plane.  
     
     
         38 . An image processing device as defined in    claim 36   , wherein the interactive effect creation means comprises: 
 instruction means for issuing instructions to continue to draw a motion trail polygon for a prescribed period of time when the motion trail polygon has been truncated, and, after continuing drawing for this prescribed period of time, to draw the motion trail polygon while shrinking its length.    
     
     
         39 . A craft simulator comprising: 
 a rocking component which is ridden by the player;    steering means provided to the rocking component;    steering angle sensor means for sensing the steering angle of the steering means;    support means for tiltably supporting the rocking component;    left and right tilt cylinders for maintaining left and right tilt equilibrium for the rocking component;    pressure control means for controlling the pressure applied to the left and right tilt cylinders on the basis of sensor signals from the steering angle sensor means; and    control means for exchanging prescribed control signals with the image processing device defined in    claim 1   .    
     
     
         40 . A craft simulator as defined in    claim 39   , wherein the left and right tilt cylinders comprise two cylinders connected in series, with the rocking component being held in horizontal attitude when one cylinder is extended and the other cylinder is retracted; and wherein the pressure control means selects one of the two cylinders on the basis of the sensed steering angle direction from the steering angle sensor means and reduces the pressure acting on the selected cylinder in accordance with the sensed steering angle.  
     
     
         41 . A craft simulator as defined in    claim 39   , further comprising: 
 tilt angle sensing means for sensing the left and right tilt angle of the rocking component; and    turning radius determination means for determining the turn radius in the game on the basis of the tilt angle sensed by the tilt angle sensing means and the steering angle sensed by the steering angle sensor means.    
     
     
         42 . A craft simulator as defined in    claim 39   , further comprising: 
 acceleration control means provided to the rocking component; and    acceleration control sensor means for sensing the control status of the acceleration control means;    wherein the turning radius determination means determines the turn radius in the game on the basis of the tilt angle sensed by the tilt angle sensing means, the steering angle sensed by the steering angle sensor means, and the acceleration control status sensed by the acceleration control sensor.    
     
     
         43 . A craft simulator as defined in    claim 39   , further comprising: 
 a forward/backward tilt cylinder for tilting the rocking component forward and backward;    thereby making it possible for the rocking component to tilt forward and backward as well as to the left and right.    
     
     
         44 . A craft simulator as defined in    claim 39   , wherein a moving image display means is disposed in front of the rocking component, which is operated by the player riding on the rocking component while viewing the moving images displayed on the moving image display means.  
     
     
         45 . A game device for displaying images as seen from a prescribed viewpoint in a virtual space, comprising: 
 drawing means for drawing motion tracks for moving objects which move through the virtual space; and    erasing means for erasing the motion trails over time.    
     
     
         46 . A game device for displaying moving objects which move through a virtual game space, comprising: 
 drawing means for drawing motion tracks left in the virtual space by the moving objects; and    area reducing means for gradually reducing the display area of the motion trails over time.    
     
     
         47 . A game device as defined in    claim 45    or    46   , further comprising: 
 readout means for reading out the current position of a moving object;  
 wherein the drawing means draws motion tracks for the moving object within a prescribed range from the current position.