Computer-readable storage medium having stored therein display control program, display control apparatus, display control system, and display control method

Abstract

An image taken of a virtual space including a user-operable child object and user-inoperable furniture object is stereoscopically displayed on a screen of a stereoscopic image display device. On the other hand, an image taken, of the same virtual space, from the same direction is displayed in a planar manner on a screen of a planar image display device. On the screen of the planar image display device, a child object image, in which a silhouette of the child object displayed on the stereoscopic image display device is displayed. A user touches on the screen of the planar image display device, while seeing the child object displayed on the stereoscopic image display device, thereby operating the child object.

1 . A computer-readable storage medium having stored therein a display control program executed by a computer of a display control apparatus, the display control program causing the computer to function as:
 first display control means for displaying in a first display area a first image in which a predetermined display object is viewed from a predetermined direction;   second display control means for displaying in a second display area, which is different from the first display area, a second image in which the predetermined display object is viewed from substantially the same direction as the predetermined direction, while the predetermined display object is being displayed in the first display area; and   control means for controlling the predetermined display object included in the first image and the second image, based on a designated position detected by designated position detection means for detecting designation of a position, the designation being performed by a user on the second display area.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to  claim 1 , wherein the second image is an image taken of substantially the same imaging region as that of the first image. 
     
     
         3 . The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to  claim 1 , wherein the second image has substantially the same size as the first image. 
     
     
         4 . The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined display object included in the second image has substantially the same size as the predetermined display object included in the first image. 
     
     
         5 . The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to  claim 1 , wherein the second image is an image in which the predetermined display object is viewed from substantially the same position as that from which the first image is taken. 
     
     
         6 . The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to  claim 1 , wherein the second image is an image in which the predetermined display object is displayed in a simplified manner as compared to the first image. 
     
     
         7 . The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to  claim 6 , wherein
 the first image is an image in which the predetermined display object is displayed in multiple colors, and   the second image is an image in which the predetermined display object is displayed in fewer colors as compared to the first image.   
     
     
         8 . The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to  claim 7 , wherein the second image is an image in which the predetermined display object is displayed in monochrome. 
     
     
         9 . The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to  claim 1 , wherein the designated position detection means is provided on the second display area, and detects a position of contact on the second display area as the designated position. 
     
     
         10 . The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to  claim 1 , wherein the first display control means and the second display control means display in the first display area and the second display area the first image and the second image, respectively, in which the predetermined display object present in a virtual space is taken by a virtual camera. 
     
     
         11 . The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the first display control means displays as the first image an image in which a plurality of display objects present in a virtual space are viewed from the predetermined direction,   the display control program further causes the computer to function as display object selection means for selecting at least one of the plurality of display objects, which satisfies a predetermined condition, and   the second display control means displays, in the second display area, as the second image an image in which the display object selected by the display object selection means from among the plurality of display objects is displayed in a display mode different from that of the display object which is not selected by the display object selection means.   
     
     
         12 . The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the first display control means displays as the first image an image in which a plurality of display objects present in a virtual space are viewed from the predetermined direction,   the display control program further causes the computer to function as display object selection means for selecting at least one of the plurality of display objects, which satisfies a predetermined condition,   the second display control means displays as the second image an image in which only the at least one of the plurality of display objects selected by the display object selection means is viewed from substantially the same direction as the predetermined direction, and   the control means controls at least one of the plurality of display objects selected by the display object selection means, which are included in the first image and the second image, based on the designated position detected in the second display area by the designated position detection means.   
     
     
         13 . The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to  claim 12 , wherein the display object selection means selects only a user-operable display object from among the plurality of display objects present in the virtual space. 
     
     
         14 . The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to  claim 12 , wherein in a case where there is a plurality of display objects which are selected by the display object selection means, the second display control means displays the second image in the second display area so that the respective display modes of the selected plurality of display objects are different from one another. 
     
     
         15 . The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to  claim 12 , wherein, in a case where there is a plurality of display objects which are selected by the display object selection means, the second display control means displays the second image in the second display area so that the respective display modes of adjacent two of the selected plurality of display objects are different from each other. 
     
     
         16 . The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to  claim 1 , wherein the display control program further causes the computer to function as cursor display means for displaying a cursor indicative of a position designated by the user in the first display area at a position corresponding to the designated position detected in the second display area by the designated position detection means. 
     
     
         17 . The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to  claim 16 , wherein the cursor display means displays the cursor only in the first display area. 
     
     
         18 . The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to  claim 1 , wherein the second display area is a display area having a display type different from that of the first display area. 
     
     
         19 . The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the first display area is a display area configured to display a stereoscopically visible image,   the first display control means displays, in the first display area, a stereoscopic image, which is stereoscopically visible, as the first image, by displaying in the first display area a right-eye image and a left-eye image taken, of the predetermined display object within the virtual space, from the predetermined direction by using a virtual stereo camera, so that the right-eye image and the left-eye image are viewed by the use's right eye and the left eye, respectively, the second display area is a display area configured to display a planar image, and   the second display control means displays, in the second display area, as the   second image a planar image taken, of the predetermined display object, from substantially the same direction as the predetermined direction, while the predetermined display object is being displayed in the first display area.   
     
     
         20 . The display control program according to  claim 19 , wherein the display control program further causes the computer to function as:
 determination means for determining whether or not the designated position detected in the second display area by the designated position detection means is a position where the predetermined display object is displayed; and   cursor display means for stereoscopically displaying a cursor in the first display area at a position corresponding to the designated position, in a case where the determination result by the determination means is affirmative, so that the cursor is along on a surface of the predetermined display object displayed in the first display area.   
     
     
         21 . The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to  claim 20 , wherein, in a case where the determination result by the determination means is negative, the cursor display means displays the cursor in the first display area at a position corresponding to the designated position in a display mode different from that in the case where the determination result by the determination means is affirmative. 
     
     
         22 . The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to  claim 19 , wherein the second display control means displays, in the second display area, as the second image an image taken, of the predetermined display object, by using a second virtual camera set between virtual cameras at the left and at the right which are components of the virtual stereo camera. 
     
     
         23 . A computer-readable storage medium having stored therein a display control program executed by a computer of a display control apparatus, the display control program causing the computer to function as:
 first display control means for displaying a predetermined display object in a first display area;   second display control means for displaying in a second display area, which is different from the first display area, the predetermined display object in a display mode in a manner in which the display mode of the predetermined display object displayed in the first display area is simplified, while the predetermined display object is being displayed in the first display area; and   control means for controlling the predetermined display object displayed in the first display area and the second display area, based on a designated position detected by position designation detection means for detecting designation of a position, the designation being performed by a user on the second display area.   
     
     
         24 . A display control apparatus comprising:
 first display control means for displaying in a first display area a first image in which a predetermined display object is viewed from a predetermined direction;   second display control means for displaying in a second display area, which is different from the first display area, a second image in which the predetermined display object is viewed from substantially the same direction as the predetermined direction, while the predetermined display object is being displayed in the first display area; and   control means for controlling the predetermined display object included in the first image and the second image, based on a designated position detected by designated position detection means for detecting designation of a position, the designation being performed by a user on the second display area.   
     
     
         25 . A display control system comprising:
 a first display area;   a second display area which is different from the first display area;   first display control means for displaying in the first display area a first image in which a predetermined display object is viewed from a predetermined direction;   second display control means for displaying in the second display area a second image in which the predetermined display object is viewed from substantially the same direction as the predetermined direction, while the predetermined display object is being displayed in the first display area; and   control means for controlling the predetermined display object included in the first image and the second image, based on a designated position detected by designated position detection means for detecting designation of a position, the designation being performed by a user on the second display area.   
     
     
         26 . A display control method comprising steps of:
 displaying in a first display area a first image in which a predetermined display object is viewed from a predetermined direction;   displaying in a second display area, which is different from the first display area, a second image in which the predetermined display object is viewed from substantially the same direction as the predetermined direction, while the predetermined display object is being displayed in the first display area; and   controlling the predetermined display object included in the first image and the second image, based on a designated position detected by designated position detection means for detecting designation of a position, the designation being performed by a user on the second display area.