U.S. patent application number 16/263638 was filed with the patent office on 2019-05-30 for game machine with touch panel display.
This patent application is currently assigned to KABUSHIKI KAISHA SQUARE ENIX (also trading as SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD.). The applicant listed for this patent is KABUSHIKI KAISHA SQUARE ENIX (also trading as SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD.). Invention is credited to Hidetoshi AOYAGI.
Application Number | 20190160374 16/263638 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42357675 |
Filed Date | 2019-05-30 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20190160374 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
AOYAGI; Hidetoshi |
May 30, 2019 |
GAME MACHINE WITH TOUCH PANEL DISPLAY
Abstract
A game machine with a display which serves as a touch panel type
input is provided. The game machine includes a character display
for displaying at least two characters on a screen of the display.
A finger contact detector detects a contact between a fingertip of
a player and the screen. A cursor movement controller locates a
cursor on the basis of a coordinate position of the fingertip when
the finger contact detector detects the contact. The cursor
movement controller controls movement of the cursor on the basis of
movement of the coordinate position. A character selector sets a
character, with which the cursor is contacted, to a selection
state. The character becomes a controlled object when a
predetermined selection fixed operation is received, and the
character selector keeps the selection state of the character when
the fingertip is released.
Inventors: |
AOYAGI; Hidetoshi;
(Shinjuku-ku, JP) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
KABUSHIKI KAISHA SQUARE ENIX (also trading as SQUARE ENIX CO.,
LTD.) |
Tokyo |
|
JP |
|
|
Assignee: |
KABUSHIKI KAISHA SQUARE ENIX (also
trading as SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD.)
Tokyo
JP
|
Family ID: |
42357675 |
Appl. No.: |
16/263638 |
Filed: |
January 31, 2019 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
14014949 |
Aug 30, 2013 |
|
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|
16263638 |
|
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|
13548331 |
Jul 13, 2012 |
8547357 |
|
|
14014949 |
|
|
|
|
12727293 |
Mar 19, 2010 |
8648817 |
|
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13548331 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 3/0488 20130101;
A63F 13/06 20130101; A63F 13/21 20140901; G06F 3/04842
20130101 |
International
Class: |
A63F 13/21 20140101
A63F013/21; G06F 3/0484 20130101 G06F003/0484; G06F 3/0488 20130101
G06F003/0488 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Mar 23, 2009 |
JP |
2009-069999 |
Claims
1. A game machine with a display, the display serving as a touch
panel type input, a player of the game machine being able to select
a specific character from at least two characters so as to control
movement of the selected specific character, the game machine
comprising: a character display for displaying the at least two
characters on a screen of the display so that the player can select
the specific character; a finger contact detector for detecting a
contact between a fingertip of the player and the screen of the
display; a cursor movement controller for locating a cursor on the
basis of a coordinate position of the fingertip on the screen when
the finger contact detector detects the contact, the cursor
movement controller controlling movement of the cursor on the basis
of movement of the coordinate position of the fingertip; and a
character selector for setting a character, with which the cursor
is contacted, to a selection state, the character becoming a
controlled object when a predetermined selection fixed operation is
received, the character selector keeping the selection state of the
character when the fingertip of the player is released from the
screen.
2. The game machine according to claim 1, wherein the character
selector displays a selection mark on an image of the character
that becomes the selection state.
3. The game machine according to claim 1, wherein the game machine
is a portable game machine.
4. The game machine according to claim 1, further comprising: a
finger position computer for computing the coordinate position of
the fingertip on the screen, wherein the cursor movement controller
detects a predetermined positional relation between the coordinate
position of the fingertip computed by the finger position computer
and a coordinate position of the character.
5. The game machine according to claim 1, further comprising: a
character controller for controlling the character, for which the
selection state is fixed, in accordance with an operation to
contact with the fingertip of the player on the display.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application is a continuation application of
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/014,949, filed Aug. 30, 2013,
which is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser.
No. 13/548,331, filed on Jul. 13, 2012, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,547,357
issued Oct. 1, 2013, which is a divisional application of U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 12/727,293, filed on Mar. 19, 2010, now
U.S. Pat. No. 8,648,817 issued Feb. 11, 2014, which claims priority
under 35 U.S.C. .sctn. 119 of Japanese Pat. Appl. No. 2009-069999,
filed on Mar. 23, 2009. The disclosures of these documents,
including the specifications, drawings, and claims, are
incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] This invention relates to a portable game machine with a
touch panel display wherein a display screen is touch panel input
means.
BACKGROUND ART
[0003] In the specification, "a portable game machine" includes a
portable multifunction terminal having functions, such as a
portable phone terminal, and a portable music/image reproduction
terminal, through which a game can be also enjoyed, in addition to
a machine dedicated for games.
[0004] The portable game machine has such a strong inclination that
a touch panel type of input portion using a screen of the display
is used rather than a keyboard type in order to obtain the display
having the broadest display area. As a general instance of the
touch panel, the touch panel disclosed in a first prior art is
known.
PRIOR ART
[0005] Japanese patent application publication No. 2008-148860
Problems to be Solved by Invention
[0006] In such a case, the player selects an object shown on the
display, such as an icon and a command, by contacting a proper
position of a screen of the display through his finger so as to
input something in the portable game machine. A size of the display
of the portable game machine is not so big in comparison with the
size of the finger. If the player contacts the screen of the
display for selection of the object shown on the display, the
object that the player tries to select is hidden by his finger, and
does not know what is selected. When the object is displayed at a
position contacting the finger and the screen of the display, the
displayed object is hidden by the finger and the player is
difficult to know what is shown.
[0007] Even if the player tries to move the object to a proper
position on the display, the object is below his finger, and the
player does not know the correct position of the object on the
display. For this reason, the player should repeat such an
operation, and may lose an interest on the game thereby.
[0008] Then, the object of the invention to provide a portable game
machine with a touch panel type display, wherein the selection or
the display of the object is not hindered by the finger of the
player even in a small display having a touch panel type input
function, and it is possible to correctly move and position the
object.
Means for Solving Problems
[0009] A first aspect of the invention is a portable game machine
with a display which also serves as a touch panel input portion,
comprising:
[0010] finger contact detecting means, for detecting a contact
between a finger of a player and a screen of said display;
[0011] finger position computing means, for computing a coordinate
position of said finger on said screen;
[0012] object display position computing means, for computing and
determining a coordinate position where an object to be displayed
on said display is displayed relatively to said computed coordinate
position of said finger so as to separate a predetermined distance
from said coordinate position of said finger on said display and to
create a gap between said object displayed on said display and a
periphery of said finger contacted with said screen; and
[0013] object display means, for displaying said object at said
coordinate position on said display which has been computed and
determined.
[0014] A second aspect of the invention is the portable game
machine with the touch panel display, wherein said finger position
computing means repeatedly computes the coordinate position of said
finger on said screen at constant intervals, and said object
display position computing means computes and determines the
coordinate position of said object to be displayed according to a
change of said computed coordinate position of said finger position
so as to always keep said relative positional relation to the
coordinate position of said finger.
[0015] A third aspect of the invention is a portable game machine
with a display which also serves as a touch panel input portion,
comprising:
[0016] object selection means, for selecting and determining an
object to be moved on a field that is displayed on a display based
upon a contact operation with said display by a player;
[0017] finger contact detecting means, for detecting a contact
between a finger of said player and a screen of said display;
[0018] finger position computing means, for repeatedly computing a
coordinate position of said finger on said screen at constant
intervals;
[0019] relative position computing means, for computing a relative
positional relation between said computed coordinate position of
said finger and said object selected by said object selection
means;
[0020] display form change means, for changing a display form on
said display in order to easily recognize said position of said
object on said field selected by said object selection means;
[0021] object display position computing means, for computing and
determining the coordinate position of said selected object to be
displayed according to a change of said computed coordinate
position of said finger so as to always keep said relative
positional relation to the coordinate position of said finger;
and
[0022] object display means, for displaying said selected object at
said coordinate position on said display computed and determined,
changing a display form through said display form change means.
[0023] A fourth aspect of the invention is the portable game
machine with the touch panel display, wherein said display form
change means has object separation display means, and said object
separation display means divides said object into a cursor and an
object body if said finger contact detecting means detects a
contact between said finger and said screen, and locates said
cursor at said coordinate position where said object has been
located as it is, and locates said object body at a periphery of
said cursor and displays it.
[0024] A fifth aspect of the invention is the portable game machine
with the touch panel display, wherein said display form change
means displays said object in a semi-transparent state if said
finger contact detecting means detects a contact between said
finger and said screen.
Effects of Invention
[0025] According to the first aspect of the invention, at the time
of display of the object, the object is displayed separating from a
periphery of the finger that contacts with the screen of the
display through the gap (SP), so that there is no such a situation
that the player does not know what is shown due to a hindrance of
the object by the finger, and it is possible to provide the
portable game machine having a good visibility.
[0026] According to the second aspect of the invention, the object
is displayed, always keeping a constant relative position to the
finger even if the finger is slidably moved on the screen, so that
it is possible to provide the portable game machine having a good
visibility in connection with the object even if the finger is
moved. Besides, it is possible to correctly select the other
object, such as the character (CR), making use of the object, such
as the cursor (CS), with no hindrance by the finger.
[0027] According to the third aspect of the invention, if the
finger contacts with the display screen (3a), a display form of the
selected object is changed, so that it is possible to easily
recognize the position of the object on the field. Even if the
position of the finger is slidably moved on the screen, the object
is controlled to be moved, keeping the relative positional relation
between the finger and the object. For this reason, it is possible
to always keep the object at the position where the player can
easily recognize the object. Therefore, it is possible to correctly
move and position the object.
[0028] According to the fourth aspect of the invention, the object
is displayed, separating the cursor (CS) and the object body (PC)
from each other, so that the position of the cursor (CS) on the
field (FLD) can be correctly recognized with no hindrance by the
object body.
[0029] According to the fifth aspect of the invention, the object
is displayed in a semi-transparent state, so that the field (FLD)
can be recognized through the object and the position of the object
on the field (FLD) can be correctly recognized.
[0030] The number in parentheses shows the corresponding element in
the drawings for the sake of convenience, accordingly, the
descriptions are not restricted and bound by the descriptions on
the drawings. Besides, the scope of the invention is not restricted
by the descriptions of the drawings. The scope of the invention is
designated based upon technical ideas shown in the accompanying
claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0031] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a portable game machine to
which the invention is applied.
[0032] FIG. 2 is a typical view that shows an instance of a display
form in a display of the portable game machine.
[0033] FIG. 3 is a typical view that shows another instance of the
display form in the portable game machine.
[0034] FIG. 4 is a typical view that shows another alternate
instance of the display form in the portable game machine.
[0035] An embodiment of the invention is now explained, referring
to appended drawings.
[0036] FIG. 1 shows a portable game machine, as a game machine
comprising a computer. As shown in FIG. 2, the portable game
machine 1 has a main body 2, a portable housing, and the main body
2 is provided with a display 3. The display 3 also serves as a
touch panel input portion 5 also, and a player selects various
kinds of objects displayed on a screen 3a of the display 3, such as
a cursor, an icon and a character, by pushing the objects down with
his finger in order to get the portable game machine 1 to do
various kinds of processing corresponding to the objects. A method
of inputting of a touch panel type is not mentioned since it is
already known. In a case of the portable game machine 1, all data
is inputted by touching the screen 3a of the display 3 through a
finger.
[0037] As shown in FIG. 2, the portable game machine 1 has a main
control portion 6, and the main control portion 6 contacts with the
touch panel inputting portion 5, a display control portion 9, the
display 3, a cursor movement control portion 10, a character
selection judging portion 11, a character movement control portion
12, a game execution control portion 13, a finger movement
detecting portion 15 and a memory 16 through a bus line 6. All such
structural elements are provided at the main body 2, and carrying
of the main body 2 by a player means carrying of the portable game
machine 1. The block diagram of FIG. 1 exemplarily shows only
portions pertinent to the invention, and all structural elements of
the actual portable game machine 1 are not shown in the figure. In
this embodiment, the display control portion 9 comprises object
display means, and the cursor movement control portion 10 comprises
object display position computing means and object selection means
in attached claims. And, the character selection judging portion 11
comprises object selection means and relative position computing
means in the attached claims, and the character movement control
portion 12 comprises display form change means, object display
position computing means and object separation display means in the
attached claims. Furthermore, the finger movement detecting portion
15 comprises finger contact detecting means, finger position
computing means and object selection means in the attached
claims.
[0038] In the portable game machine 1 as shown in FIG. 2, actually,
a computer executes predetermined program read out of a memory (not
shown) storing the program therein, through which a CPU (not shown)
or a memory time-dividedly operates by a multi-task and executes
functions shown in respective blocks as shown in FIG. 1. But, the
portable game machine 1 may be comprised of hardware corresponding
to respective blocks, and each block may be controlled by a CPU or
a MPU that is separately provided for each block.
[0039] When a player plays a game with the portable game machine 1
having the above-mentioned structure, the player instructs to start
the game through operation of the touch panel input portion 5 as
shown in FIG. 1. Receiving such an instruction, the main control
portion 6 instructs the game execution control portion 13 to
execute the game, and the game execution control portion 13 reads
predetermined program GPR out of the memory 16 and execute such
program.
[0040] The game according to the game program GPR includes an
operation by a player of positioning the cursor CS that is
comprised of an object in the attached claims at a proper position
in a two-dimensional field FLO on the display, as shown in FIG. 2,
for instance. This operation is generally executed in such a way
that the player presses an optional position on the display 3 so
that the cursor CS can appear on the screen 3a, and drags the
finger as it is to a desired position on the screen 3a. A control
for moving and positioning the cursor CS of the portable game
machine 1 according to the invention is now mentioned.
[0041] In a case where a player selects a desired character CR from
one or more characters CR displayed on the display 3 and instructs
the game machine 1 to determine the selected character, the player
firstly puts his finger 19 on an optional position on the screen 3a
of the display 3, contacting his fingertip 19a with the screen 3a.
When the fingertip 19a is located on the screen 3a, the finger
movement detecting portion 15 detects a contact between the finger
19 and the screen 3a and informs the cursor movement control
portion 10 of the contact and its coordinate position P1. The
cursor movement control portion 10 asks the character selection
judging portion 11 whether or not the player presently selects a
specific character CR. In such a state, a specific character CR is
not yet selected, so that the character selection judging portion
11 informs the cursor movement control portion 10 of no selection
of the character CR by the player.
[0042] Receiving this notification, the cursor movement control
portion 10 computes and determines a coordinate position P2 that is
a predetermined distance L1 away from the fingertip 19a, on an
upper hand in FIG. 2 (In this case, "the upper hand" is not
necessary to be accurate +direction in X-axis direction of the
coordinate position P1 of the screen 3a of the display 3 where the
fingertip 19a is presently located, and instructs the display
control portion 9 to locate a semi-transparent cursor CS at the
coordinate position P2. Receiving this instruction, the display
control portion 9 displays the cursor CS at the coordinate position
P2 on the screen 3a of the display 3, as shown in FIG. 2. The
cursor CS is displayed a predetermined distance away from the
fingertip 19a of the player on the upper hand (+direction in X-axis
direction) on the screen 3a, so that there is no such situation
that the player does not easily know the position of the cursor CS
on the screen 3a since the cursor CS is displayed below his own
fingertip 19a. The distance L1 is a value that is set in advance in
a memory (not shown) in the cursor movement control portion 10, and
is set so as to perceive the top end of the fingertip 19a located
on the screen 3a and the cursor CS for the player, clearly
separating both from each other (for instance, so as to create 1 cm
or so of a gap SP on the screen 3a).
[0043] The above-mentioned case refers to such a case that the
object, such as the cursor CS, is displayed at the position a
predetermined distance away from the fingertip of the player in
+direction in X-axis (upper hand of the screen 3a of the display),
that is, so as to form a gap SP between the top end of the
fingertip 19a of the player and an image of the object. But, the
relative position of the object to the fingertip 19a is not always
on upper hand of the screen 3a of the display, but may be in any
direction around the fingertip 19a as long as the gap SP is formed
between a periphery of the finger 19 and the object and the player
can perceive the position of the object without being interrupted
by the fingertip 19.
[0044] After thus displaying the cursor CS on the display 20a, the
player moves his fingertip 19a on the screen 3a for a coordinate
position P3 where the character CR that he wishes to select is
displayed while the fingertip 3a being contacted with the screen
3a. The finger movement detecting portion 15 repeatedly computes
the coordinate position P1 where the fingertip 19a contacts with
the display 20a at predetermined intervals, watching a contact
state between the fingertip 19a and the screen 3a, and outputs the
computed to the cursor movement control portion 10 at predetermined
intervals. The cursor movement control portion 10 computes and
determines the display position P2 of the cursor CS based upon a
change of the coordinate position P1 of the fingertip 19a outputted
from the finger movement detecting portion 15 so that the cursor CS
can always be the distance L1 away from the coordinate position P1
in +direction in X-axis, and instructs the display control portion
9 to display the cursor CS at the display position P2.
[0045] By doing so, the display control portion 9 always displays
the cursor CS at the position P2 a predetermined distance away from
the fingertip 19a of the player in the upper hand. As the player
moves his fingertip 19a on the screen 3a for the coordinate
position P3 where the character CR is displayed, the cursor is
moved and displayed in the direction of the coordinate position P3,
keeping a direction parallel to the movement direction of the
fingertip 19a so as to synchronize with such a movement of the
fingertip. Then, the cursor CS is moved, always being displayed on
the upper hand from the top end of the fingertip 19a of the player
through a gap SP, so that the player can correctly recognize the
present position of the cursor CS, regardless of the movement of
his fingertip 19a.
[0046] The cursor movement control portion 10 computes and
determines the coordinate position P2 of the cursor CS, keeping a
constant positional relation with respect to the coordinate
position P1 of the present fingertip on the display, that is,
maintaining the relative position on a X-Y coordinate. Therefore,
even if in some setting, the cursor CS is not in +X-axis direction
of the fingertip 19a (for instance, in such a setting that the
cursor CS is on a side in + or - Y-axis direction of the fingertip
19a), the cursor CS is controlled to be displayed following
slidable movement of the fingertip 19a on the screen 3a through the
gap SP.
[0047] When the player thus moves his fingertip 19a in the
direction of the character CR to be selected, in the left lower
direction of FIG. 2 on the screen 3a, the cursor CS is displayed,
also being moved close to the character CR in the left lower
direction of FIG. 2 together with the movement of his fingertip.
FIG. 2 shows only one body of the character CR for easy
understanding, but one or more different characters CR are actually
displayed on the display 20a. The player moves his fingertip 19a on
the screen 3a, confirming the position of the cursor CS for making
the cursor CS gradually close to the character CR that he wishes to
select. Finally, the cursor CS is contacted with the image of the
character CR displayed on the display 20a.
[0048] Then, the cursor movement control portion 10 detects a
contact between some character CR displayed on the display 20a and
the cursor CS, and informs the character selection judging portion
11. Receiving this notification, the character selection judging
portion 11 specifies the character CR contacted with the cursor CS.
Name of the character CR that is located by the game execution
control portion 13 on the display 20a and its coordinate position
are notified from the game execution control portion 13 to the
cursor movement control portion 10 and the character selection
judging portion 11. For this reason, it is possible for the cursor
movement control portion 10 to easily detect the contact between
the cursor CS and the character CR and for the character selection
judging portion 11 to easily specify the character CR contacted
with the cursor CS.
[0049] When name of the character CR contacted with the cursor CS
and its coordinate position P3 are thus specified, the character
selection judging portion 11 displays through the display control
portion 9 on an image of the character CR, selected by contacting
through the player, a circular selection mark SM which center is
the semi-transparent cursor CS which is located under the image of
the character CR. By such a selection mark SM, the player can
recognize the selection of the character CR that is contacted with
the cursor CS by his own on the screen of the display 20a. When the
character CR being selected, the player removes his fingertip 19a
from the screen 3a, but such a selection state is maintained and
display of the selection mark SM continues. The cursor movement
control portion 10 and the character movement control portion 12 is
notified of the character CR that was judged to have been selected
by the character selection judging portion 11.
[0050] Even if the cursor movement control portion 10 detects the
contact between the cursor CS and the image of the character CR
displayed on the display 20a and the selection mark SM is displayed
on the image of the character CR, the selection of the character CR
is not immediately determined. This is because the cursor CS may be
inadvertently contacted with the image of the character CR
displayed on the screen that the player does not intend to select
while moving the cursor CS by the player when the images of two or
more characters CR are displayed on the display 20a.
[0051] Whenever the contact between the cursor CS and the image of
the character CR displayed on the display 20a is detected, the
character selection judging portion 11 displays the selection mark
SM for the image of the character the contact of which was
detected, but, the selection of the character CR is not fixed as
long as the player does not remove his fingertip 19a from the
screen 3a during displaying of the selection mark SM for the
character CR. In other words, the character selection judging
portion 11 keeps the character CR in a provisional selection
state.
[0052] In a case where the player further moves his fingertip 19a
on the screen 3a without removing from the screen 3a and with such
a movement, the cursor CS is away from the image of the character
CR with which the cursor CS has contacted, the cursor movement
control portion 10 detects a release of the contact between the
cursor CS and the character CR, and informs the character selection
judging portion 11 of such a detection. Receiving such a
notification, the character selection judging portion 11 releases
display of the selection mark SM which has been displayed on a
periphery of the character CR, and releases the provisional
selection state of the character CR for changing into a
pre-selection state.
[0053] A condition for fixing the selection of the character CR by
the player through the character selection judging portion 11 is
that the fingertip 19a of the player is removed from the screen 3a
in a state the selection mark SM is displayed for the character CR.
If the fingertip 19a of the player is removed from the screen 3a,
the finger movement detecting portion 15 detects remove from the
fingertip 19a from the screen 3a and the character selection
judging portion 11 fixes the selection of the character CR on which
the selection mark SM is displayed on such a point of time as the
character CR selected by the player and informs the character
movement control portion 12 of the character CR as the character
the selection of which was fixed by the player, that is, as the
character CR that is a subject for movement control by the
character movement control portion 12.
[0054] Even in such a case where the cursor CS is moved for the
character CR to be selected when selecting the character CR, it is
possible to move the cursor CS to the position where the desired
character CR is displayed, watching the cursor CS displayed on the
upper hand from the top end of the fingertip 19a of the player
through the gap SP, and the cursor CS can be accurately contacted
with the desired character CR thereby. This is especially effective
if two or more other characters CR are located in groups at a
periphery of the desired character CR and it is necessary to move
the cursor CS to the position where the desired character CR is
displayed by moving the cursor CS on the screen 3a avoiding these
characters CR.
[0055] When the player thus selected the character CR and moves the
character selected by his own from the position P3 as shown in FIG.
3 to a position P3' on the field FLO, synchronizing with the
movement of his fingertip 19a (Such a movement is referred to as
"drag movement" hereinafter), the player contacts his fingertip 19a
with a proper position on the screen 3a of the display 20a. On such
an occasion, the player considers the position P3 where the
character CR is presently displayed and the position P3' to which
the character CR should be moved from now on so as to select the
position where it is possible to observe both positions P3 and P3'
and the field FLO between both positions P3 and P3', such as
position P4 of FIG. 3, and the fingertip 19a is contacted with the
position P4.
[0056] If the character CR to be moved is not already selected,
that is, if the selection mark SM is not located on the character
CR, the selection mark SM may be located and displayed on the image
of the character CR through the display control portion 9 in such a
way that the player directly touches the image of the character CR
displayed on the screen 3a so as to detect the coordinate position
of the touched fingertip 19a through the finger movement detecting
portion 15, and the character selection judging portion 11 detects
a correspondence between the detected coordinate position of the
fingertip 19a and the coordinate position of the character CR
displayed on the screen 3a so as to judge the selection of the
character CR by the player, as another method rather than the
method by moving the cursor CS so as to contact the character
CR.
[0057] When the fingertip 19a of the player is contacted with the
screen 3a, the finger movement detecting portion 15 detects the
contact between the fingertip 19a of the player and the screen 3a.
If the contact between the fingertip 19a and the screen 3a
continues over a constant time, such as 0.1 second, the drag
movement of the character CR is judged to be instructed, and such a
judgment is informed to the character movement control portion 12.
Receiving this notification, the character movement control portion
12 displays the image of the character CR by separating the
semi-transparent cursor CS and the image of the character body (the
object body) PC from each other for the character CR (on which the
selection mark SM is shown) which was selected by the player and
which selection was determined by the character selection judging
portion 11, as shown in FIG. 3. In other words, the cursor CS that
shows the position P3 of the selected character CR is displayed at
the coordinate position P3 where the character CR is originally
located as it is, and the image PC of the character body (the
object body) is displayed at the coordinate position P5 on upper
hand of the cursor CS, that is, predetermined distance L2 away from
the cursor in the +X-axis direction so as to separate both from
each other. The image PC of the character body is not always
located on the upper hand of the cursor CS, but may be located at
any position of the periphery of the cursor CS as long as such a
position corresponds to the cursor CS.
[0058] Then, the character CR selected by the player is displayed
on the field FLO through the gap SP so that the image PC of the
character body rises on the cursor CS. The character CR in the
selection state is displayed, separating the cursor CS that shows
the position of the character CR and the image PC of the character
body that shows the character CR itself from each other, so that
the player can easily recognize the correct position of the
character CR on the field FLO by the semi-transparent cursor CS. In
such a case, in order for the player to easily recognize the
correct position of the character CR on the field FLO through the
cursor CS, the character CR is displayed, separating the cursor CS
and the image PC of the character body from each other. For this
reason, it is not always to display the character CR separating the
cursor CS and the image PC of the character body as long as the
player can easily recognize the position of the character CR on the
field FLO. For instance, when contacting the fingertip 19a of the
player on the screen 3a, the character body movement control
portion 12 can increase the transparency in the display of the
character CR for making it semi-transparent so as to recognize the
position of the field FLO displayed beneath thereof, looking
through the image of the character CR.
[0059] After thus selected character CR is displayed, separating
the cursor C and the character body image PC, the fingertip 19a of
the player is moved for the position P4', sliding on the screen 3a.
In such a case, the finger movement detecting portion 15 always
computes and detects the coordinate position of the fingertip 19a
on the screen 3a, and informs the cursor movement control portion
10 and the character body movement control portion 12 of the
computed result. And, the cursor movement control portion 10
computes and stores a relative positional relation of the
coordinate position P3 of the character CR to the coordinate
position P4 at the time when the fingertip 19a of the player
firstly contacts the screen 3a as a distance on X-Y coordinate X,
Y=(L4, L3). By moving the fingertip 19a on the screen 3a, the
coordinate of the cursor CS to be displayed is determined such that
the relative positional relation between the fingertip 19a and the
character CR can always be the distance X, Y=(L4, L3), and is
displayed through the display control portion 9.
[0060] On the other hand, the character movement control portion 12
computes and determines the position of the character body image PC
so as to position it at a position a predetermined distance L2 in
the upper hand of FIG. 3 away from the cursor CS that moves keeping
a constant distance X, Y=(L4, L3) on the screen 3a and the display
control portion 9 displays the computed position. By doing so, the
character body image PC is displayed on the display 3 rising on the
upper hand of the cursor CS through the gap SP.
[0061] If the player slidably moves his fingertip 19a for the
position P4' on the screen 3a in the afore-mentioned state, the
character CR is displayed such that the cursor CS of the character
CR and the character body image PC moves on the field FLO, parallel
to movement trace TR of the fingertip 19a, as shown in FIG. 3. And,
the cursor CS is always displayed separated from the fingertip 19a
of the player a predetermined distance X, Y=(L3, L3). For this
reason, the character CR is displayed, separating the cursor CS
that shows the present position of the character CR and the
character body image PC displayed thereon (+direction in X-axis),
and the position of the character CR on the field FLO that is
moving can be clearly recognized by the cursor CS with no
interference from the character body image PC, so that the
character CR can be correctly moved and positioned at the
coordinate position P3'.
[0062] When the character CR reaches the coordinate position P3',
the fingertip 19a of the player is away from the screen 3a. Then,
the finger movement detecting portion 15 detects separation of the
fingertip 19a of the player from the screen 3a, and informs the
character movement control portion 12 of such a separation.
Receiving this notification, the character movement control portion
12 returns the character body image PC that has been displayed
floating over the cursor CS onto the cursor CS. Then, the image of
the character CR returns to the image similar to a normal image of
the character CR in the position P3 of FIG. 2 where the cursor CS
and the character body image PC are united with each other.
[0063] When the player touches a determination button (not shown)
that is shown at a proper position on the screen 3a of the display
3, the position of the character CR located at the position P3' is
fixed to be determined, and the game execution control portion 13
recognizes that the character CR was located at the coordinate
position P3' which was fixed to be determined by a dragging
movement and advances the game on the basis of this recognition. If
the determination button is touched, the selection state of the
character CR that has been in the selection state by the player is
released and the character selection judging portion 11 stops
displaying the selection mark SM which has enclosed the character
CR.
[0064] If the character CR that is enclosed by the selection mark
SM and is in the selection state is promptly moved from the
coordinate position P3 to a position near the coordinate position
P6, for instance, as show in FIG. 4, the fingertip 19a of the
player is momentarily contacted on the screen 3a of the coordinate
position P7 rather lower than the coordinate position P6 to which
the character CR should be moved. Then, the finger movement
detecting portion 15 detects the contact of the fingertip 19a of
the player with the screen 3a, and at the same time, judges that
the contact of the fingertip 19a on the screen 3a is shorter than a
predetermined time, such as 0.1 second. Then, the fingertip
movement detecting portion 15 judges that a momentary movement of
the character CR is instructed, and informs the character movement
control portion 12 of this judgment.
[0065] Receiving this notification, the character movement control
portion 12 computes and determines the display position of the
object of the character CR that has been displayed at the
coordinate position P3 (the cursor CS and the image PC of the
character body) as the coordinate position P6 on the upper hand of
the coordinate position P7 of the fingertip 19a in FIG. 4, that is,
a distance L4 away in +X-axis direction, and instructs the display
control portion 9 to move the character CR to such a position and
display it. Receiving this instruction, the display control portion
9 moves the image of the character CR that has been displayed at
the coordinate position P3 to the coordinate position P6 and
displays it at such a position. In this case, the image of the
character CR is momentarily moved. For this reason, the player
feels no stress due to the movement of the character CR.
[0066] Besides, the image of the character CR at the time of
momentary movement is displayed in +X-axis direction of the
fingertip 19a of the player, that is, on the upper hand of the
screen 3a through the gap SP on the field FLD, and the position of
the character CR after the movement can be easily recognized with
no hindrance from the position of the fingertip 19a of the player
thereby.
[0067] If the player touches the determination button (not shown)
which is displayed at a proper position on the screen 3a of the
display 3 in the afore-mentioned state, the position of the
character CR located at the position P6 is fixed to be determined,
and the game execution control portion 13 understands that the
character CR was located at the determined coordinate position P6
by the momentary movement and advances the game thereafter. When
touching the determination button, the selection state of the
character CR that has been in the selection state by the player is
released, and the character selection judging portion 11 stops
displaying the selection mark SM that has enclosed the character
CR.
* * * * *