Image processing device, image processing method, and game device and storage medium using the same

Abstract

An object of this invention is to provide an image processing device which does not interrupt the flow of a game. The processing board in the main game device attaches information required by the player at the completion of each stage to a map and provides it to the player by displaying it on the display in the following way. The front edge of the truck 20 is displayed (FIG. 5(a)), and camera work is conducted showing the game characters 24, 25 riding in the truck 20 (FIG. 5(b)). In order that the relationship between the characters 24, 25 and the truck 20 can be appreciated, a bird's-eye view is shown on the display 1a (FIG. 5(c)), and the camera work is moved again to diagonally above the characters 24, 25, and an enlarged display of the characters 24, 25 is shown (FIG. 5(d)). The map 26 is displayed such that it can be viewed from between the characters 24, 25 (FIG. 5(e)), and finally, the map 26 is displayed as an enlarged image (FIG. 5(f)).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to an image processing device, an image processing method and a game device using the same. More particularly, it relates to an image processing device, and the like, for a game machine, or the like, using computer graphics. Furthermore, it also relates to a storage medium whereby these processing steps are stored. BACKGROUND ART [0002] With the progress of computer graphics technology in recent years, data processing devices, such as game devices or simulation devices, have come into wide, general use. Game devices, for example, are provided with peripherals, such as a joystick (operating lever), buttons, a monitor, and the like, a main game device which conducts data communications with these peripherals, as well as image processing, sound processing, and the like, and a display which displays image signals produced by this main device. The image processing in such game devices is of particularly great importance in raising prod...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

This patent describes an image processing device and method that generates viewpoint images of a moving object in three-dimensional space. The device includes an information representing object that represents information about the moving object. The device also has a viewpoint moving means that moves the viewpoint to display both the moving object and the information representing object in a gradual and smooth manner. The device can also display the information representing object in a folded state and enlarge it gradually for the player to look at it. The device can also determine the viewaxis direction based on the position of the moving object and the observation point. The invention allows for smooth game development and provides an impression of reality. The device can also smoothly change the line of sight centred on the viewpoint in response to the path of the moving object. The technical effects of this invention include improved image processing for games and more realistic viewpoint images.

Problems solved by technology

However, by this means, it is not possible to change the viewpoint and represent the characters three-dimensionally.

Incidentally,.according to the first prior art described above, there has been a drawback in that the flow of the game is interrupted because a map created separately from the game environment is introduced into the game environment.

In other words, there has been a drawback in that, since the viewpoint is usually from within the game, if separate contents are suddenly displayed, this completely disrupts the flow of the game and confuses the player.

Furthermore, according to the second prior art described above, there has been a drawback in that, as shown in FIG. 22 and FIG. 24, at each point q.n (where n is an integer), the camera orientation F is determined by reading the coordinates of the next point, q.n+1, in advance, and hence the viewpoint swings by a large amount because the direction is switched at individual points, and it is hard to create an awareness of the surrounding circumstances.

Moreover, according to the third prior art described above, when texture coordinates are projected onto the polygons in the image shown in FIG. 25, the projected surfaces are texture-mapped at a uniform density, but there has been a drawback in that, even if the texture coordinates are moved, they all move in a single direction only, and therefore it is not possible to represent a winding river, for example.

Furthermore, in the image shown in FIG. 26, although the texture is made to correspond to the polygons and therefore it can be represented as flowing in a direction corresponding to the shape of the polygons and it can represent the flow of a winding river, there has been a drawback in that the texture density is represented in an altered (compressed) state at changes in the river width, sharp curves, or the like.

Yet further, according to the fifth prior art described above, the total number of polygons on the whole screen is limited.

Therefore, in order to represent the enemies, the number of polygons for the background is restricted, and in some cases, a part of the background image is lost (so-called polygon error).

This loss of the background image causes a marked impairment in the quality of the game image.

In short, there has been the problem that effective image processing cannot be achieved in conventional image processing devices, such as game devices of this type.

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