U.S. patent application number 15/939486 was filed with the patent office on 2018-12-13 for game system.
The applicant listed for this patent is BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc.. Invention is credited to Hirohide FURUKAWA, Masanobu ITOH, Chihiro KOZASA, Kenta MASAGAKI, Takeshi NISHIKATA, Mai YAMADA.
Application Number | 20180353844 15/939486 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 62068017 |
Filed Date | 2018-12-13 |
United States Patent
Application |
20180353844 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
YAMADA; Mai ; et
al. |
December 13, 2018 |
GAME SYSTEM
Abstract
A game system includes: a balloon; an air supply source; an air
supply pipe that connects the balloon with the air supply source;
and a control device that executes a game, and when the game is not
cleared within a predetermined time limit, performs control for
producing a game effect of bursting the balloon having been
inflated.
Inventors: |
YAMADA; Mai; (Tokyo, JP)
; MASAGAKI; Kenta; (Tokyo, JP) ; KOZASA;
Chihiro; (Tokyo, JP) ; NISHIKATA; Takeshi;
(Tokyo, JP) ; ITOH; Masanobu; (Tokyo, JP) ;
FURUKAWA; Hirohide; (Tokyo, JP) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc. |
Tokyo |
|
JP |
|
|
Family ID: |
62068017 |
Appl. No.: |
15/939486 |
Filed: |
March 29, 2018 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63F 13/00 20130101;
A63F 13/847 20140902; A63F 13/90 20140902; A63F 2009/2435 20130101;
A63F 13/213 20140902; A63F 2009/247 20130101; A63F 9/0612 20130101;
A63F 2009/2463 20130101; A63F 9/0079 20130101; A63F 2009/0084
20130101; A63F 2009/241 20130101; A63F 13/80 20140902; A63F 9/24
20130101; A63F 13/44 20140902; A63F 2250/1078 20130101 |
International
Class: |
A63F 9/00 20060101
A63F009/00; A63F 9/06 20060101 A63F009/06 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jun 12, 2017 |
JP |
2017-115054 |
Claims
1. A game system comprising: a balloon; an air supply source; an
air supply pipe that connects the balloon with the air supply
source; and a control device that executes a game, and when the
game is not cleared within a predetermined time limit, performs
control for producing a game effect of bursting the balloon having
been inflated.
2. The game system according to claim 1, further comprising a
balloon bursting mechanism for bursting the balloon, wherein the
air supply pipe branches into two systems including a first air
supply pipe connected to the balloon, and a second air supply pipe
open to the atmosphere; and wherein the control device performs
control for supplying air from the air supply source to the balloon
via the first air supply pipe until a predetermined period of time
elapses, and when the predetermined period of time has elapsed,
performs control for causing air from the air supply source to be
discharged from the second air supply pipe, and for operating the
balloon bursting mechanism to produce the game effect.
3. The game system according to claim 2, wherein the control device
performs control for operating the balloon bursting mechanism
according to an operation by a player when the game is cleared.
4. The game system according to claim 1, wherein a playing field of
a player is enclosed by four wall bodies; and wherein the balloon
is disposed on one of the four wall bodies and a screen for
displaying a game screen is disposed on at least one of the three
remaining wall bodies.
Description
[0001] Japanese Patent Application No. 2017-115054, filed on Jun.
12, 2017, is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to a game system.
[0003] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-007050
discloses a game machine which produces an effect in which a
balloon body inflates or contracts in response to a playing
state.
[0004] While conventional game machines include those which
produces an effect of inflating and contracting a balloon body,
there is no conventional game machine which produces an effect of
bursting an inflated balloon body.
SUMMARY
[0005] The invention can provide a game system capable of producing
a nonconventional and new effect.
[0006] According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided
a game system including:
[0007] a balloon;
[0008] an air supply source;
[0009] an air supply pipe that connects the balloon with the air
supply source; and
[0010] a control device that executes a game, and when the game is
not cleared within a predetermined time limit, performs control for
producing a game effect of bursting the balloon having been
inflated.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING
[0011] FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a
configuration of a game system according to one embodiment of the
invention.
[0012] FIG. 2 is a side view schematically illustrating a
configuration of a game system according to one embodiment of the
invention.
[0013] FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically illustrating a detailed
configuration of an air supply pipe.
[0014] FIG. 4 is a partially sectional side view illustrating a
detailed configuration of an air supply pipe and a balloon bursting
mechanism.
[0015] FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 4.
[0016] FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram illustrating an example
of a game system according to one embodiment of the invention.
[0017] FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating a flow of processes of a
control device.
[0018] FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining a modification.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT
[0019] (1) According to one embodiment of the invention, there is
provided a game system including:
[0020] a balloon;
[0021] an air supply source;
[0022] an air supply pipe that connects the balloon with the air
supply source; and
[0023] a control device that executes a game and, when the game is
not cleared within a predetermined time limit, performs control for
producing a game effect of bursting the balloon having been
inflated.
[0024] According to the embodiment described above, there can be
provided a game system which is capable of producing a
nonconventional and new effect of bursting an inflated balloon when
the game is not cleared within a predetermined time limit.
[0025] (2) The game system described above may further comprise a
balloon bursting mechanism for bursting the balloon,
[0026] wherein the air supply pipe may branch into two systems
including a first air supply pipe connected to the balloon, and a
second air supply pipe open to the atmosphere, and
[0027] wherein the control device may performs control for
supplying air from the air supply source to the balloon via the
first air supply pipe until a predetermined period of time elapses,
and when the predetermined period of time has elapsed, perform
control for causing air from the air supply source to be discharged
from the second air supply pipe, and for operating the balloon
bursting mechanism to produce the game effect.
[0028] According to the game system described above, by inflating
the balloon until a predetermined period of time elapses, and when
the predetermined period of time has elapsed, by stopping the
supply of air to the balloon through the first air supply pipe and
discharging air through the second air supply pipe, a sensation as
if the balloon continues to be inflated can be imparted to a player
even after inflation of the balloon is stopped, due to the sound of
air discharged from the second air supply pipe, and an effective
effect can be produced while preventing the balloon from bursting
at an unintended timing.
[0029] (3) In the game system described above, the control device
may perform control for operating the balloon bursting mechanism
according to an operation by a player when the game is cleared.
[0030] According to the game system described above, even when a
game effect is not produced due to the game being cleared within a
time limit, the player can experience a game effect of bursting a
balloon.
[0031] (4) In the game system described above, a playing field of a
player may be enclosed by four wall bodies, the balloon may be
disposed on one of the four wall bodies, and a screen for
displaying a game screen may be disposed on at least one of the
three remaining wall bodies.
[0032] According to the game system described above, the game
effect of bursting an inflated balloon can be enhanced.
[0033] Hereinafter, embodiments of the invention will be described.
Note that the embodiment described below do not unduly limit
contents of the invention described in the claims. Note also that
all of the elements described in connection with the following
embodiments should not necessarily be taken as essential elements
of the invention.
1. Configuration
[0034] FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a
configuration of a game system (an effect systems according to one
embodiment of the invention, and FIG. 2 is a side view thereof. A
game system 1 includes a rubber balloon 10 which inflates when air
is supplied thereto, projectors 20 (20a and 20b), a touch module
30, a camera 40, a speaker 50, a control box 60, an air supply pipe
70, a guide member 80, and a balloon bursting mechanism 90. Note
that the touch module 30, the camera 40, the speaker 50, the
control box 60, the air supply pipe 70, the guide member 80, and
the balloon bursting mechanism 90 are not illustrated in FIG.
1.
[0035] A playing field PF in which a player P carries out a game is
constituted by an approximately rectangular parallelepiped space
enclosed by four wall bodies 2 (2a, 2b, 2c, and 2d), and the
playing field. PF is opened upward. Screens 3 (3a and 3b) are
respectively disposed on the wall bodies 2a and 2b, the balloon 10
is disposed on the wall body 2c, and a door 4 (an entrance to the
playing field PF) is provided on the wall body 2d. The projector
20a projects a game screen on the screen 3a of the wall body 2a,
and the projector 20b projects a game screen on the screen 3b of
the wall body 2b. The touch module 30 is an infrared touch sensor
for detecting a touch operation by the player P on the screens 3a
and 3b (game screens) and is mounted above each of the screens 3a
and 3b (the wall bodies 2a and 2b). The camera provided in the
projectors 20a and 20b images the screens 3a and 3b, and based on a
detected signal from the touch module 30 and a captured image of
the camera provided in the projectors 20a and 20b, a touch position
of the player P on the screens 3a and 3b can be detected. The
camera 40 is a wide-angle video camera for imaging (and recording)
the player P and the balloon 10 in the playing field. PF and is
mounted in an upper part of the playing field PF.
[0036] The control box 60 is disposed outside of the playing field
PF and stores a control device (a control PC), an air supply source
(an air pump), a power source, and the like. The air supply pipe 70
(a first air supply pipe branched from the air supply pipe 70)
connects the air supply source with the balloon 10 and feeds air
from the air supply source into the balloon 10.
[0037] The guide member 80 is a member which is fitted into the
wall body 2c and which supports the balloon 10 in an inflated
state. The balloon bursting mechanism 90 is a mechanism for braking
(puncturing) the inflated balloon 10. In order to enhance an
effect, the balloon bursting mechanism 90 is disposed at a position
hardly visible from the playing field PF and is mounted inside the
guide member 80 in a vicinity of an aperture (a blowhole) of the
balloon 10.
[0038] FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically illustrating a detailed
configuration of the air supply pipe 70. The air supply pipe 70
connected to an air supply source 61 branches into two systems,
namely, an air supply pipe 71 (the first air supply pipe) and an
air supply pipe 72 (the second air supply pipe), the air supply
pipe 71 is connected to the balloon 10 (an opening-side tip portion
thereof is inserted into the aperture of the balloon 10), and the
air supply pipe 72 is opened to the atmosphere (an opening thereof
is exposed in the atmosphere). A solenoid valve 73 (a first
solenoid valve) is provided in the air supply pipe 71 and a
solenoid valve 74 (a second solenoid valve) is provided in the air
supply pipe 72. When inflating the balloon 10, the control device
performs control so as to place the solenoid valve 73 in an open
state and the solenoid valve 74 in a closed state (so that air from
the air supply source 61 is supplied to the balloon 10 via the air
supply pipe 71) and, when stopping inflation of the balloon 10, the
control device performs control so as to place the solenoid valve
73 in a closed state and the solenoid valve 74 in an open state (so
that air from the air supply source 61 is discharged from the air
supply pipe 72). When the solenoid valve 74 is placed in an open
state, air is discharged from the opening of the air supply pipe 72
and an air discharge sound is generated. The opening (an
atmospheric release opening) of the air supply pipe 72 may be
provided outside the playing field PF or provided inside the
playing field PF, and need only be provided at a position where the
player P can sense the air discharge sound from the atmospheric
release opening.
[0039] FIG. 4 is a partially sectional side view illustrating a
detailed configuration of the air supply pipe 71 and the balloon
bursting mechanism 90. A portion inserted inside the balloon 10 of
the air supply pipe 71 has a bent shape. In the example in FIG. 4,
the air supply pipe 71 extending in a horizontal direction from an
aperture 11 of the balloon toward a center of the balloon 10 is
bent downward at a bent portion 75.
[0040] A hole 77 is formed on a wall surface on a tip side (a side
of an opening 76) of the bent portion 75 of the air supply pipe 71.
The balloon bursting mechanism 90 is provided below the hole 77 and
includes a needle 91 for bursting the balloon 10 and a cylinder 92
which houses (guides) the needle 91 so as to be reciprocable
(movable upward and downward). A tip of the cylinder 92 is disposed
in proximity of the hole 77. The hole 77 of the air supply pipe 71
functions as a receiving portion which receives the needle 91 of
the balloon bursting mechanism 90. The needle 91 of the balloon
bursting mechanism 90 is moved upward and downward by an actuator
93 (a solenoid). As illustrated in FIG. 5, when bursting the
balloon 10, the needle 91 moves in a direction (an upward
direction) in which the needle 91 protrudes from the tip of the
cylinder 92, and a tip of the needle 91 operates so as to pierce a
wall (a peripheral surface) of the balloon 10 and enter the hole 77
(the receiving portion).
[0041] As illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, by disposing the tip of the
cylinder 92 in proximity of the receiving portion, an operator or
the player P can be prevented from inadvertently touching the
needle 91 protruding from the tip of the cylinder 92. In addition,
by providing the receiving portion on a tip side of the air supply
pipe 71, since the needle 91 can be stuck into the wall of the
balloon 10 at a position reasonably separated from the aperture 11
of the balloon 10, the balloon 10 can be reliably punctured.
Furthermore, by bending the air supply pipe 71 (the portion
inserted into the aperture 11) and providing the receiving portion
on a wall surface on a tip side of the bent portion 75, a distance
between the wall surface of the air supply pipe 71 (the wall
surface in a periphery of the receiving portion) and the wall of
the balloon 10 (the wall at a position opposing the receiving
portion) can be reduced and the wall of the balloon 10 can be made
to conform to the wall surface of the air supply pipe 71.
Accordingly, since the wall of the balloon 10 can be prevented from
deflecting when the needle 91 penetrates the wall of the balloon 10
and the needle 91 can be stuck in a state where the wall of the
balloon 10 is stretched along the wall surface of the air supply
pipe 71, the balloon 10 can be more reliably punctured. In
addition, by bending the air supply pipe 71, the tip of the
cylinder 92 can be readily disposed at a position which is more
separated from the aperture 11 of the balloon 10 and which is in
proximity of the receiving portion of the air supply pipe 71 while
preventing the tip of the cylinder 92 from interfering with the
balloon 10 in an inflated state.
[0042] Furthermore, a protective member 78 formed so as to hide,
from a side of the opening 76, the needle 91 having entered the
hole 77 is provided inside the air supply pipe 71. Due to the
protective member 78, an intruding object (for example, a finger of
the operator or the player P) having intruded from the opening 76
can be prevented from coming into contact with the needle 91 having
entered the hole 77, and the operator or the player P can be
prevented from inserting a finger into the opening 76 and
inadvertently touching the needle 91.
[0043] In addition, the guide member 80 includes a recessed portion
to be fitted into the wall body 2c. The air supply pipe 71 is
provided so as to protrude from a bottom surface of the recessed
portion. The guide member 80 supports a portion (a portion
including the aperture 11) of the inflated balloon 10 so that the
portion is housed in an internal space (an approximately
rectangular parallelepiped space) of the recessed portion.
Accordingly, the balloon 10 in an inflated state can be stably
supported and the manner of inflation of the balloon 10 can be
stabilized.
2. Functional Blocks
[0044] FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram illustrating an example
of a game system (an effect system) according to one embodiment of
the invention. The control device includes a processing unit 100 (a
processor) and a storage unit 140 (a memory).
[0045] The storage unit 140 stores programs and various data which
enable a computer to functions as the respective units of the
processing unit 100 and functions as a work area of the processing
unit 100, and the functions of the storage unit 140 can be realized
by a hard disk, a RAM, and the like.
[0046] The processing unit 100 performs processes such as a game
process, a process for producing a game effect of bursting the
balloon 10, an image generating process, and a sound generation
process based on input information (information on coordinates of a
touch position of the player P on the screen 3) from a detected
signal from the touch module 30 and a captured image of the camera
provided in the projector 20, programs, and the like. Functions of
the processing unit 100 can be realized by hardware such as various
processors (a CPU, DSP, or the like), an ASIC (a gate array or the
like), and programs. The processing unit 100 includes a game
processing unit 110, a solenoid valve control unit 112, a balloon
burst control unit 114, an image generating unit 120, and a sound
generating unit 130.
[0047] The game processing unit 110 executes a game based on input
information. For example, the game processing unit 110 may execute
a puzzle-solving game in which a hint regarding a puzzle to be
solved in a game story is presented to the player P and the player
P solves the puzzle. The game processing unit 110 determines that
the game has been cleared when a game result satisfies
predetermined conditions (for example, when the player P has solved
a puzzle) within a predetermined time limit.
[0048] The solenoid valve control unit 112 transmits a control
signal to a driver which causes the solenoid valves 73 and 74 to
operate, and controls operations (opening and closing) of the
solenoid valves 73 and 74. Until a predetermined period of time
(which may be the same as or may differ from the predetermined time
limit) elapses from the start of the game, the solenoid valve
control unit 112 performs control so that the solenoid valve 73 is
placed in an open state and the solenoid valve 74 is placed in a
closed state, and when the predetermined period of time has
elapsed, the solenoid valve control unit 112 performs control so
that the solenoid valve 73 is placed in a closed state and the
solenoid valve 74 is placed in an open state.
[0049] The balloon burst control unit 114 transmits a control
signal to a driver of the actuator 93 and controls an operation
(upward and downward movement) of the needle 91 of the balloon
bursting mechanism 90. When the game is not cleared within a
predetermined time limit, the balloon burst control unit 114
performs control for moving the needle 91 from an initial position
(refer to FIG. 4) to a position where the needle 91 penetrates the
wall of the balloon 10 (refer to FIG. 5) (control for producing a
game effect of bursting the balloon 10) after a predetermined
period of time has elapsed (after the predetermined time limit has
expired). In addition, when the game is cleared within the
predetermined time limit, the balloon burst control unit 114
performs control for moving the needle 91 from the initial position
to the position where the needle 91 penetrates the wall of the
balloon 10 based on an operation by the player P which instructs
bursting of the balloon 10 (a touch operation on the screen 3 or an
operation on another input unit such as a button).
[0050] The image generating unit 120 performs an image drawing
process based on results of various processes performed by the
processing unit 100 and, accordingly, generates a game image (a
game screen) and outputs the game image (the game screen) to the
projectors 20 (20a and 20b). The sound generating unit 130 performs
sound processing based on results of various processes performed by
the processing unit 100, generates game sounds including a BGM,
sound effects, and voices, and outputs the game sounds to the
speaker 50 an amplifier connected to the speaker 50). In addition,
the processing unit 100 controls operations of the air supply
source 61. Furthermore, the processing unit 100 controls operations
of the camera 40 and acquires moving images photographed by the
camera 40.
3. Processes
[0051] FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating a flow of processes of
the control device (the processing unit 100). Before starting the
game, the operator mounts and fixes the balloon 10 in a deflated
state to the air supply pipe 71.
[0052] First, the solenoid valve control unit 112 performs control
for placing the solenoid valve 73 (the first solenoid valve) in an
open state and the solenoid valve 74 (the second solenoid valve) in
a closed state (step S10). Next, the processing unit 100 performs
control for starting an operation of the air supply source 61 (step
S12).
[0053] Next, the game processing unit 110 executes a game based on
input information (step S14), and determines whether or not a
predetermined time limit has expired from start of the game (step
S16). When the time limit has expired (Y in step S16), the solenoid
valve control unit 112 performs control for placing the solenoid
valve 73 in a closed state and the solenoid valve 74 in an open
state (step S18), and the game processing unit 110 determines
whether or not the game has been cleared (step S20). When the game
has been cleared (Yin step S20), the game processing unit 110
determines whether or not an input for instructing bursting of the
balloon 10 has been made (step S22). When the input has not been
made (N in step S22), the processing unit 100 performs control for
stopping the operation of the air supply source 61 (step S23).
[0054] When the game has not been cleared (N in step S20) but an
input for instructing bursting of the balloon 10 has been made (Y
in step S22), the processing unit 100 performs control for starting
photography of a moving image by the camera 40 (step S24) and
performs control for causing the screen 3 to display a countdown of
a remaining time until the balloon 10 bursts. Next, the balloon
burst control unit 114 produces an effect of moving the needle 91
of the balloon bursting mechanism 90 to burst the balloon 10 (step
S26) and, at the same time, the processing unit 100 performs
control for stopping the operation of the air supply source 61
(step S28). Next, the processing unit 100 performs control for
stopping photography of a moving image by the camera 40 and
acquires the photographed moving image (a moving image capturing a
state before and after the production of the effect of bursting the
balloon 10) (step S30). The moving image acquired in step S30 is
uploaded to a server and a two-dimensional barcode for downloading
the moving image from the server is displayed on, for example, an
operator terminal (a tablet terminal). The player P can acquire the
moving image by reading the two-dimensional barcode with a smart
phone or the like.
[0055] As described above, there can be provided a game system
which is capable of producing a nonconventional and new effect in
which, when a game is not cleared within a predetermined time
limit, the inflated balloon 10 is broken. In addition, according to
the above embodiments, by inflating the balloon 10 until a
predetermined period of time elapses, and when the predetermined
period of time has elapsed, by stopping the supply of air to the
balloon 10 through the air supply pipe 71, discharging air from the
air supply pipe 72, and generating an air discharge sound, a
sensation as if the balloon 10 continues to be inflated can be
imparted to a player with the air discharge sound, even after
inflation of the balloon 10 is stopped, and an effective effect can
be produced while preventing the balloon 10 from bursting at an
unintended timing. Furthermore, even when an effect of bursting a
balloon is not produced due to the game being cleared within a time
limit, the player can experience the effect by performing a
predetermined operation.
[0056] The invention is not limited to the embodiments described
above and thus it can be implemented in many various ways. For
example, any term cited with a different term having a broader
meaning or the same meaning in the description or the drawings may
be replaced by the different term in any place in the description
and the drawings.
[0057] For example, while a mechanism provided with a needle has
been explained as an example of a balloon bursting mechanism in the
embodiments described above, a configuration of the balloon
bursting mechanism is not limited thereto. For example, as the
balloon bursting mechanism, a mechanism provided with a member for
scratching a wall (a peripheral surface) of the balloon to puncture
the balloon may be used.
[0058] In addition, while a configuration in which a balloon is
broken using a balloon bursting mechanism has been explained in the
embodiments described above, a configuration may be adopted in
which the balloon is broken by continuously supplying air to the
balloon. In this configuration, control may be performed so that,
when the game is not cleared within the predetermined time limit,
air supply to the balloon is continued until the balloon punctures,
but when the game is cleared within the predetermined time limit,
air supply to the balloon is stopped before a time when the balloon
is expected to puncture.
[0059] Furthermore, while a case where the first solenoid valve is
provided in the first air supply pipe and the second solenoid valve
is provided in the second air supply pipe has been explained in the
embodiments described above, a configuration may be adopted in
which a three-way solenoid valve is provided at a branching point
of the air supply pipe instead of respectively providing the first
air supply pipe and the second air supply pipe with a solenoid
valve (a two-way solenoid valve). In other words, as illustrated in
FIG. 8, a three-way solenoid valve 79 which makes one flow path
among the air supply pipe 71 and the air supply pipe 72 conductive
may be provided at a position where the air supply pipe 70 branches
into the air supply pipe 71 and the air supply pipe 72. In this
case, the control device performs control for making the air supply
pipe 71 conductive when inflating the balloon 10 and performs
control for making the air supply pipe 72 conductive when stopping
inflation of the balloon 10.
[0060] Some embodiments of the invention have been described in
detail above, but a person skilled in the art will readily
appreciate that a large number of modifications are possible in the
embodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings
and effects of the invention. Accordingly, all such modifications
are assumed to be included in the scope of the invention.
* * * * *