| Game device, golf game device shot result decision method -> Monitor Keywords |
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Game device, golf game device shot result decision methodRelated Patent Categories: Amusement Devices: Games, Including Means For Processing Electronic Data (e.g., Computer/video Game, Etc.), In A Game Including A Simulated Projectile (e.g., Bullet, Missile, Ball, Puck, Etc.), Paddle-type Game (e.g., Pinball, Tennis, Baseball, Golf, Hockey, Etc.)Game device, golf game device shot result decision method description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070184884, Game device, golf game device shot result decision method. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to a game apparatus that automatically determines and manually modifies settings for carrying on the game, and more specifically to a golf game apparatus that automatically determines a shot direction and a club to use, a method of determining a shot result for the game apparatus, and a program for implementing the method in a computer. BACKGROUND ART [0002] Some of publicly known game apparatuses are constructed to carry on the game by moving a movable object, such as a ball which is displayed on a screen, based on an input from an input device operated by a game player. Typical examples of such game apparatus include a golf game apparatus, a fishing game apparatus, and a baseball game apparatus. This kind of game apparatus determines, based on the input from the input device, whether or not the arrival point that the movable object such as a ball has reached is in a target area or is out of the target area. Automatic determination means automatically determines settings for carrying on the game at least including a moving direction of the movable object before the input has been made. It is possible to manually modify the automatically determined settings for carrying on the game. Japanese Patent Publication No. 2001-190836 discloses a typical example of a golf game apparatus of this kind. FIG. 6 of the publication shows an example flowchart of a program to be used with the golf game apparatus, in which selection of a club and determination of a shot direction are made during a process of shots. Further, a commercially available golf game apparatus for TV games automatically determines the shot direction toward a hole and the golf club to be used for each shot, and displays the determined shot direction and the selected club on a screen. In this apparatus, it is also possible to manually modify the shot direction and the golf club to be used. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION Problems to Be Solved by the Invention [0003] For example, the conventional golf game apparatus, which is a typical example of the game apparatus of this kind, is adapted to automatically determine the shot direction (the moving direction of the movable object) toward the hole and the golf club to be used, based on predetermined settings, and also to manually modify them for each shot, even though a shot has resulted in an out-of-bounds (OB) in which the ball has gone out of a course, or a water hazard (WH) in which the ball has fallen into a pond or the sea. However, when the game player is inexperienced or very young, such player often has to repeatedly hit the ball at the same shot position since the player cannot readily carry the ball onto a right course. Even in such a situation, with the conventional apparatus, the game player, who wants to modify the automatic settings, has to manually modify the settings for each shot. With an apparatus for a virtual or simulation golf game in which the player actually swings an imitated golf club, a body of the game apparatus, in which manually-operated switches are disposed, is placed at the foot of the player, and the player has to bend over to operate the switches for each time. The more the player has to manually operate the switches, the more the player gets tired. [0004] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a game apparatus and a golf game apparatus capable of reducing the number of times that the player has to perform unnecessary manual operations. [0005] Another object of the present invention is to provide a game apparatus and a golf game apparatus capable of alleviating a physical burden on the game player. [0006] Still another object of the present invention is to provide a golf game apparatus which can reduce the number of times that the player has to perform a manual operation in order that the player gets out of such situation as an out-of-bounds (OB) and water hazard. [0007] A further object of the present invention is to provide a shot result determination method for the golf game apparatus that can reduce the number of times the player has to perform a manual operation in the course of determining shot results, and a program for implementing the method. Means of Solving the Problems [0008] With a game apparatus of the present invention, a game is carried on by moving a movable object displayed on a screen based on an input from an input device operated by the game player. Accordingly, the game apparatus of the present invention comprises determination means, automatic determination means, manual modification means, and memory means. The determination means determines, based on the input from the input device, whether or not an arrival point that the movable object has reached is in a target area or is out of the target area. Here, in the golf game, the "target area" means an area where a hole is located or an interim target area on the course before arriving at the hole position (a place where an OB or water hazard is not caused). The "out-of-the-target area" means an area out of the target, where an OB and water hazard is typically caused. The automatic determination means automatically determines settings for carrying on the game at least including a moving direction of the movable object before the input has been made. The manual modification means allows the settings for carrying on the game automatically determined by the automatic determination means to be modified manually. The memory means stores settings for carrying on the game. Especially in the present invention, the automatic determination means determines the settings for carrying on the game for a previous play which have been stored in the memory means should be used as the settings for carrying on the game for a next play when the determination means determines that the arrival point determined for the previous play is out of the target area and that for the next play the movable object has to be moved from the same point as that for the previous play. [0009] According to the present invention, when the game player wants to make an input via the input device with the same settings for carrying on the game as those for the previous play in order to move again the movable object from the same position as that for the previous play, or when the player wants to change the settings for the previous play just a little bit, the automatic determination means determines the settings for carrying on the game for the previous play as those for the next play. Accordingly, the number of times that the player has to perform a manual operation can be reduced. Thus, the burden imposed on the game player, who otherwise manually modifies the settings for carrying on the game, can be alleviated. [0010] Especially, when the input device includes a game tool to be operated by the game player in a three dimensional space, and a body of the game apparatus, which includes therein at least the manual modification means, is disposed at the foot of the game player, and if the body of the game apparatus includes one or more switches to be operated by the game player to manually modify the settings for carrying on the game, the game player has to bend over each time the settings are manually modified. The present invention significantly eases the burden of the game player in such a case. [0011] More specifically, the game apparatus of the present invention includes a game tool to be operated by the player in a three dimensional space, a body of the game apparatus that includes one or more switches for settings and that is provided separately from the game tool, and a control unit that is disposed inside the body of the game apparatus and includes image display means for controlling how the movable object is displayed on the screen. The game is carried on stage by stage, namely, one stage of the game is executed with each operation of the game tool. In this case, the control unit comprises motion signal generation means, the automatic determination means, the manual modification means, the memory means, and the determination means. The motion signal generation means detects a motion of the game tool and outputs a motion signal in accordance with the detected motion. The automatic determination means automatically determines, for each stage, the settings for carrying on the game, at least including a moving direction of the movable object moving on the screen according to the motion signal. The manual modification means allows the settings for carrying on the game automatically determined by the automatic determination means to be modified manually. The memory means stores the settings for carrying on the game at the time that the motion signal is outputted. The determination means determines, at least based on the motion signal and settings for carrying on the game, whether the arrival point that the movable object has reached is in the target area or is out of the target area. In this case, the automatic determination means determines the settings for carrying on the game for a previous play which have been stored in the memory means should be used as the settings for carrying on the game for a next play when the determination means determines that the arrival point determined for the previous play is out of the target area and that for the next play the movable object has to be moved from the same point as that for the previous play. [0012] The present invention is effective in setting a direction of a shot in a golf game apparatus, a direction of casting of a fly into an area where a large number of fish are supposed to be in a fishing game apparatus, a direction of an initial stroke (which satisfies the requirement that the ball should pass through the initial gate without fail) in a gate-ball-simulated game apparatus, and a direction of a serve in a tennis game apparatus. [0013] Especially when the present invention is applied to a golf game apparatus, the golf game apparatus comprises an input device, automatic determination means, manual modification means, motion signal generation means, shot result determination means and image display means. The input device is operated by the game player in order to input a shot motion of a golf club. This input device may be a controller for games which has an ordinary screen to be operated by pressing a plurality of switches, or it may be a controller for games which does not have a screen. Further, it may be a combination of a game tool which imitates a golf club and a device inside the body of the game apparatus. [0014] The automatic determination means determines an optimal club for each shot (which is one of the settings for carrying on the game for one stage) in accordance with a shot direction toward a hole and a distance to the hole for each shot. The determination of the shot direction and the optimal club as describe above is one of the settings for carrying on the game for the game. The shot direction towards the hole basically represents the shortest distance from the shot position to the hole. What have been determined may be usually or temporarily displayed on the screen. Or the screen image may be turned in the shot direction so that the player can recognize the shot direction toward the hole. Or a player character may be indicated on the screen so that the player can recognize the shot direction toward the hole, judging from the way the player character faces. Further, what kind of a club has been selected may be indicated on the screen with a character or a picture. Or, it may be indicated by changing an image of the club that the player holds so that the player can recognize the selected club. Further, it may be announced by voice. [0015] The manual modification means allows the shot direction and the club determined by the automatic determination means to be modified manually. The switches arranged on the input device and so on can be used as a manual control portion for manual operation. When the input device is constituted by the combination of the golf club for games (game tool) and the body of the game apparatus, what is necessary is just to dispose the manual control portion on the golf club for games, and/or the body of the game apparatus. [0016] The motion signal generation means outputs the motion signal in accordance with the shot motion of the golf club inputted with the input device. The motion signal includes information on timing, velocity and/or acceleration of the shot motion. When the golf club for games (game tool) operated by the player in the three dimensional space is used as the input device, the motion signal further includes information on any one of the shot motions such as a swing direction and an angle. [0017] The shot result determination means determines an arrival point that a ball has reached and a shot result based on the motion signal (information on the shot that is included in this signal). The shot result determination means determines the arrival point that the ball has reached and the shot result (hole-in, green-on, course-on, course-out such as OB or water hazard, etc.) in view of the course conditions and predetermined settings (such as a direction of winds). In short, the shot result determination means constitutes the above-mentioned determination means of the present invention, namely, determines whether the arrival point that the ball has reached is in the target area (hole-in, green-on, course-on) or is out of the target area (course-out such as OB and water hazard etc.). [0018] The image display means has various kinds of functions for displaying on a screen how the game is being carried on. For example, the image display means has a function of displaying on the screen an image of the golf course, the shot direction and the club determined by the automatic determination means or the manual modification means, and a scene in which the ball is moving to the arrival point that has been determined by the shot result determination means and so on. [0019] The golf game apparatus of the present invention further comprises memory means for storing the shot direction and the club at the time that the previous shot motion was made, and shot position determination means for determining whether or not the shot motion should be made at the same position. The memory means may store at least the shot direction and club that were determined before the shot motion was made for the previous play. The shot position determination means determines whether or not a next shot position should be made at the same position as that for the previous play based on the result determined by the shot result determination means. For example, if the determined result is that an OB has been caused, a next shot motion is made at the same position as that for the previous play. If the determined result is that a water hazard has been caused twice continuously, the shot position after the second water hazard has been caused is determined as the same position as that for the previous play. Continue reading about Game device, golf game device shot result decision method... Full patent description for Game device, golf game device shot result decision method Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Game device, golf game device shot result decision method patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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