JPS63127777A - Industrial three-dimensional image game apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a three-dimensional image game device for business use, particularly a three-dimensional image game device capable of displaying a desired object three-dimensionally on a screen and playing a game. Regarding.

[Prior Art] Humans are able to perceive objects in three dimensions because of binocular parallax, that is, a difference between the images captured by the right and left eyes. For example, when looking at a landscape, the image seen with the right eye and the image seen with the left eye are combined in the mind, and the landscape is understood as three-dimensional.

Three-dimensional image reproducing devices have been known for reproducing images three-dimensionally using the principles of the human eye.This device uses two cameras to replace the human eyes.
The images taken by these two cameras are alternately
By displaying images on RT and synchronizing with this, the images can be viewed alternately with the left and right eyes. The image is formed so that it can be visually viewed as a three-dimensional image.

FIG. 21 shows an example of such a conventional stereoscopic image reproduction device (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6O-107993), in which 10a and 10b are installed corresponding to the positions of the right and left eyes of a human being. There is a pair of right TV cameras, and both TV cameras 10a capture the subject S.

10b simultaneously shoots images and converts them into video signals, and a mixer circuit 12 mixes the left and right video signals alternately.

Then, the output of the mixer circuit 12 is amplified by the video amplification circuit 14, and the left image and stone image of the subject S are alternately displayed on the screen of the CRTlB in accordance with the synchronization signal output from the synchronization signal generator 18.

That is, the left image of the subject S is alternately displayed, for example, every odd field or frame, and the stone image is alternately displayed every even field or frame.

On the other hand, the synchronization signal output from the synchronization signal generator 18 is
The signal is separated by the synchronization signal separation circuit 20 and input to the shutter drive circuit 22 to control the opening and closing of the shutter 24.

Here, the shutter 24 is formed in the shape of glasses, and optical shutter portions 26a and 26b are provided at positions corresponding to the right and left eyes of the glasses, respectively.

Then, in response to the synchronization signal, the shutter 24 closes the light shutter section 26b for the left eye during the period when the stone image of the subject S is displayed, and closes the light shutter section 26b for the right eye during the period when the left image is displayed. Opening/closing control is performed to close the shutter portion 26a.

Therefore, in such a device, for example, P shown in FIG.
Assuming that there is a subject S as shown in FIG. 24(A) at the point, the right visual field image as shown in FIG. 24(B) is captured by the camera 10a for the right eye, and The TV camera 10b captures a left visual field image as shown in FIG. 24(C).

The right visual field image and left visual field image photographed in this manner are displayed alternately on the display screen 100 of the CRTlB, and the right parallax image shown in FIG. 24(B) is displayed as a stone image at the position R. , and the left parallax image shown in FIG. 24(C) is displayed as a left image at the position L on the screen 100.

Therefore, by viewing the left image and the stone image that are displayed alternately using the shutter 24, the human eye sees the three-dimensional image shown in FIG. It will be recognized as such.

On the contrary, if we assume that the subject S is at point P in front of the screen 100, as shown in FIG.
CRT16 display screen l.

On O, a left image at position L and a stone statue at position R are projected alternately, and by viewing this using the shutter 24, the subject S appears to the human eye at point P, which is far in front of the display screen 100. It will be recognized as if it has jumped out even further.

In this way, according to the stereoscopic image reproduction device, the CRT1
Various stereoscopic screens can be displayed on the display screen 100 of No. 6 by utilizing the afterimage effect of the eyes, thereby increasing the sense of realism.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] Therefore, if the stereoscopic image reproduction device can be applied to commercial video games, the sense of presence and reality of the game screen displayed on the screen will be enhanced, and the game will be more interesting. It is possible to do so.

However, unlike the stereoscopic image reproduction device, the screen 1
The game screen displayed on 00 changes in response to the player's manual input signals. For this reason, conventional commercial video game devices cannot project the game screen as a three-dimensional image on the screen 100.

That is, in the stereoscopic image reproducing apparatus, the screen to be projected on the screen 100 is projected in advance by the pair of left and right TV cameras 0a.
, 10b and then alternately replaying the images on the screen 100 of the CRT 16, it is possible to obtain a three-dimensional image.

On the other hand, in a commercial video game device, the game screen itself projected on the screen 100 must be calculated each time based on the player's input signal.
Since it is not possible to easily obtain a right visual field image and a left visual field image as in the stereoscopic image reproduction device, it is not possible to display both sides of the game as a stereoscopic image on the screen 100.

In particular, when attempting to obtain the right visual field image and left visual field image shown in Figures 24 (B) and (C) by calculation, it is difficult to perform this in a short time because the calculation process is complicated. It has not been possible to display a fast game screen as a three-dimensional image on the screen 100 in real time.

For this reason, conventional arcade video game devices are only capable of displaying pseudo-3D images obtained by simply perspectively projecting a 3D image into 2D. Even when the game is played, there is a problem in that the game screen lacks a sense of realism and reality, and the game is not very interesting.

In particular, in today's situation where three-dimensional video software is widely developed, commercial video game devices that can synthesize and output three-dimensional game screens using human binocular parallax are becoming increasingly popular. Development was strongly desired.

[Purpose of the Invention] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and its purpose is to display a three-dimensional game screen on the screen in real time using human binocular parallax, and to create a realistic To provide a three-dimensional image game device for business use that allows playing a game rich in sensation and reality.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above object, the device of the present invention includes a nude body memory in which image data of a target used in the game is registered as right visual field data and left visual field data; A game image is calculated according to the game program, and a right visual field game screen and a left visual field game screen for stereoscopic vision are alternately synthesized and output at a predetermined period based on the calculated data, and the synthesis of the right visual field game screen is performed based on the calculated data. The right visual field data of various specimens are read out from the memory, and the composition of the left visual field game screen is performed by an image processing circuit that reads the left visual field data of various specimens from the specimen memory, and this image processing circuit alternately performs the synthesis of the left visual field game screen. a display device that displays the game screen of the right visual field and the left visual field to be outputted on the screen; and a display device that displays the game screen of the right visual field and the left visual field on the screen; and a shutter for blocking the line of sight of the player's right eye during the left visual field game screen display period, and displaying the game screen to the player in three dimensions;
It is characterized by the ability to play games with a sense of realism.

The device of the present invention also includes a specimen memory in which a plurality of image data having different inclination angles θ with respect to the horizontal direction are registered as nude body image data used in the game, and a game screen according to a predetermined game program. In addition, the inclinations θR and θL of the line of sight of the right and left eyes relative to the horizontal direction for each target are calculated based on the position data of each target used in this game screen, and the stereoscopic vision is calculated based on these calculated data. The right visual field game screen and the left visual field game screen are alternately synthesized and output at a predetermined period, and the right visual field game screen is synthesized by converting image data corresponding to the inclination angle θR of various objects from the object memory into right visual field data. The composition of the left visual field game screen is performed by an image processing circuit that reads image data corresponding to the tilt angle θR of each specimen from the specimen memory as left visual field data, and from this image processing circuit alternately. a display device that displays the output right visual field game screen and left visual field game screen on the screen; a shutter that blocks the line of sight and blocks the line of sight of the player's right eye during a left visual field game screen display period, and displays the game screen to the player in three dimensions;
It is characterized by the ability to play games with a sense of realism.

Further, the device of the present invention includes a nude body memory in which a plurality of image data having different inclination angles θ with respect to the horizontal direction is registered as image data of a specimen used in the game, and a game screen according to a predetermined game program. At the same time, the inclinations θ8 and θR of the line of sight of the right eye and left eye relative to the horizontal direction for each target are calculated based on the position data of each target used in this game screen, and the stereoscopic vision is calculated based on these calculated data. The right visual field game screen and the left visual field game screen are alternately synthesized and output at a predetermined period, and the right visual field game screen is synthesized by using image data corresponding to the inclination angle θR of various naked bodies from the object memory as right visual field data. Synthesis of the left visual field game screen is performed by an image processing circuit that reads image data corresponding to the tilt angle θR of each specimen as left visual field data from the specimen memory, and outputs alternately from this image processing circuit. a display device that displays game screens in the right visual field and left visual field on the screen; During the screen display period, the line of sight of the player's left eye is blocked,
1. A shutter detection circuit that detects attachment/detachment of the shutter to/from the game device main body and outputs a detection signal to an image processing circuit. , when the shutter is attached, the image processing circuit alternately synthesizes and outputs the game screen of the right visual field and the left visual field at a predetermined period, and when the shutter is not attached, a non-parallax screen in which there is no distinction between the right and left eyes is used as the game screen. It is characterized in that it is formed to perform a composite output, and the game can be played even when the shutter is not used.

Furthermore, the device of the present invention includes a target memory in which image data of a target used in the game is registered as right visual field data and left visual field data, and a target memory that performs calculations on the game image according to a predetermined game program, and stores the calculated data. A right visual field game screen and a left visual field game screen for stereoscopic vision are alternately synthesized and outputted at a predetermined period based on the above, and the synthesis of the right visual field game screen is performed by reading right visual field data of various specimens from a specimen memory, The left visual field game screen is synthesized by an image processing circuit that reads the left visual field data of various specimens from the specimen memory, and a game screen for the right visual field and left visual field that is alternately output from this image processing circuit on the screen. a display device configured to be detachably attached to the main body of the game device, and to block the line of sight of the player's left eye during the display period of the right visual field game screen in synchronization with the display cycle of the right visual field and left visual field game screen. ,
1. A shutter detection circuit that detects attachment/detachment of the shutter to/from the game device main body and outputs a detection signal to an image processing circuit. , when the shutter is installed, the image processing circuit alternately synthesizes and outputs the game screen of the right visual field and the left visual field at a predetermined period, and when the shutter is not installed, the game screen is a non-parallax screen that does not distinguish between right and left eyes. It is characterized in that the game is formed so as to be synthesized and output as, and the game can be played even when the shutter is not used.

(Margin below) [Example] Next, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

First Embodiment FIG. 3 shows an external view of a preferred example of the arcade video game device according to the present invention. The player 200 is configured to play the game while sitting on a seat and looking at the game screen.

FIG. 4 shows an example of a game screen displayed on the screen 100. In the game of the embodiment, a player controls a spaceship called My Ship 100b that flies in a flight space 100a, and It is programmed to increase points by flying while avoiding obstacles such as enemies and singing stones, or destroying them with missiles, etc.

FIG. 5 shows a display screen 10 in a housing 30.
An operation panel 32 provided below 0 is shown,
The game is started by inserting a predetermined coin into the coin slot 34 and operating the start button.

After the game starts, the player 200 uses the handle 36
By operating the button 38, the my ship 100b can be operated, and by operating the button 38, missiles, machine guns, etc. can be fired to destroy the enemy.

A characteristic feature of the present invention is that the game screen projected on the display screen 1001- is displayed three-dimensionally using the binocular parallax of the player 200, thereby further enhancing the sense of presence and reality of the game.

FIG. 1 shows an example of a three-dimensional image game device of the present invention that synthesizes and outputs such a game screen.

Generally, calculations on a game screen as shown in FIG. 4 are based on the background of the screen and various objects superimposed on this background.
The game screen is composed of 00C elements, and the game screen is synthesized by setting a background based on signals input by the player 200 and calculating the types and positions of various objects displayed on the background. That and t≠ru.

Therefore, the game device of the present invention includes a background memory 40 in which background image data of a game screen is registered, a specimen memory 42 in which image data of various specimens to be superimposed and displayed on the background is registered. has.

When the player 200 operates the handle 36 and button 38 provided on the operation panel 32, the operation signal is inputted to the image processing circuit 44 as an external signal.
The image processing circuit 44 calculates game data according to an input external signal and a game program registered in advance in the program memory 46, and temporarily writes and stores the data in a game data writing memory 48.

Here, the game data written in the memory 48 includes background data of the game screen, three-dimensional coordinate data representing the types, postures, and display positions of various objects superimposed on the background, and other necessary data. Consists of data.

Then, based on the game data calculated in this way, the image processing circuit 44 sequentially reads out the corresponding data from the background memory 40 and the object memory 42, and synthesizes and outputs a game screen as shown in FIG. 4, for example. Display circuit 50
The game screen thus output is displayed on the screen 100 of the CRT 54.

Here, in order to display the game screen as a three-dimensional image on the screen 100 using human binocular parallax, first, three-dimensional coordinates (Xo, Yo , Zo) of the stone image and left image of the object on the screen 100; ) and (C), display these as the stone statue and left image at the R and L positions of the screen 100, and synthesize the right visual field game screen and the left visual field game screen. .

The stereoscopic image game device of the present invention satisfies the first and second conditions as described below, and synthesizes the right visual field game screen and the left visual field game screen.

Calculation of display positions R and L of stone statue and left image FIG. 6 shows the principle of perspective projection transformation for displaying pseudo three-dimensional images, which has been used in the past.
f In this perspective projection transformation method, human binocular disparity is ignored and the viewpoint is set at one point Q. Therefore, for example, the display position P of the object is (,
, Yo, Zo), the two-dimensional coordinates (Xv+y,) projected onto the screen 100 are given by the following equation.

X-j! Xo/ (Zo+ffl> ・(
1) Y −j! Y/(Zo+f) ・-(
2) However, the pseudo three-dimensional image obtained by such perspective projection transformation lacks the three-dimensional effect and reality of each displayed object, so it is necessary to make the game itself more interesting without the impact of the screen itself. I couldn't do it.

On the other hand, FIG. 7 shows the principle of perspective projection transformation that takes into account binocular parallax and is performed by the apparatus of the present invention.

The present invention sets the positions of the right eye and left eye to El and E2,
The distance between El and E2 is set equal to the distance between human eyes, 2V.

By doing this, when the coordinates of point P are perspectively projected onto the screen 100 using the right eye viewpoint El as a reference, its X coordinate position XVR can be determined by the following equation.

X −Jl (Xo−Vx)/ (Zo+jri −
(3) R In the same way, point P is perspectively projected onto the screen 100 using the left eye viewpoint E2 as a reference, and its X coordinate position xvL is obtained by the following equation.

X-J! (Xo+Vx)/(Zo-1)-(4
)L Also, P using these El and 22 points as viewpoints respectively
The Y coordinate Y when performing perspective projection transformation of a point onto the screen 100 is not affected by the binocular parallax of the human eye, so it is determined by the perspective projection transformation shown in FIG. 6, that is, the second equation above. It will be done.

Therefore, according to the apparatus of the present invention, it is understood that the coordinate positions R and L of the right edge and left image obtained by perspectively projecting the object existing at point P onto the screen 100 are given by the following equations.

R-(XXR, Yv) -...(5
)L-(XvL,Yv)-(6)
In this way, according to the device of the invention, El and 22
Using a point as a viewpoint, not only various objects but also their backgrounds are subjected to perspective projection transformation, right visual field and left visual field game screens are alternately synthesized at a predetermined period, and this is displayed on the screen 100.

In the embodiment, a right visual field game screen is synthesized for every even field or frame of the display screen of the CRT 54, and a left visual field game screen is displayed for every odd field or frame.

Then, in synchronization with the display cycle of the right visual field game screen and the left visual field game screen, the shutter sections 26a and 26b corresponding to the right and left eyes of the shutter 24 are controlled,
During the right visual field game screen display period, the line of sight of the left eye of the player 200 is blocked, and the line of sight of the right eye of the player 20G is blocked within the left visual field game screen display unit.

By doing so, according to the stereoscopic image game device of the present invention, the game screen can be displayed on the screen 100 as a stereoscopic image that takes into account human binocular parallax, and the game screen itself becomes extremely stereoscopic for the player. This makes the game rich in emotion and impact, and can enhance the fun of the game itself.

However, even if we ignore the difference in the visual fields of the right and left eyes and use the same object as the right edge and left image,
Each object displayed has a flat feeling with no sense of depth, giving the player 200 the extremely strange feeling that a thin, plate-shaped object is simply floating in space.
I end up giving it to.

For example, assuming that a game screen like the one shown in Figure 4 is displayed on the screen 10G, the spaceship displayed as My Ship 100b on this game screen has no depth in the front and rear directions for the player. It becomes an image. For example, assuming that my ship 100b is moving straight in two axes, the view of my ship 100b from directly behind is 1
A problem arises in that the two-dimensional drawings give the impression that they are floating within the game space on the screen, and the game screen itself lacks three-dimensional reality.

Particularly, such a problem appears conspicuously when an object moves slowly within the game screen, and causes a significant loss in the realism and interest of the game screen itself.

Right visual field image and left visual field image In order to solve such problems, the present invention uses the right visual field image and left visual field image when the same object is viewed with the right and left eyes as the right edge and left visual field image. It is characterized by compositing the game screen and the left visual field game screen.

Therefore, in the object memory 42 of the present invention, image data of each object used in the game is registered as right visual field image data and left visual field image data.

In the embodiment, the object memory 42 includes a right eye character generator 42a in which right visual field image data of each object is registered, and a left eye character generator 42b in which left visual field image data is registered.

Then, the image processing circuit 44 synthesizes the right visual field game screen by calling the right visual field image data of various objects from the right eye character generator 42a, and synthesizes the left visual field game screen from the left eye character generator 42b. This is done by reading the left visual field image data of various specimens.

For example, as shown in FIG. 4, if we take the image data of my ship 100b displayed on the screen 100]2, when this my ship 100b is moving straight ahead (Z-axis direction), 8(A) and (B)
) is used as right visual field image data and left visual field image data by each of the character generators 42a and 4.
2b, respectively.

Furthermore, taking as an example a state in which the My Ship 100b is flying at an angle of 25 degrees to the right in front of the screen 100, the data of the right visual field image and the left visual field image are shown in FIG. 9(A) and It is registered in each character generator 42a and 42b as a graphic pattern shown in (B).

It should be noted that image data of other inclinations or postures of this My Ship 100b are also sent to each character generator 42a and 42 as right visual field image data and left visual field image data as necessary.
In addition, image data of various states for other objects can also be registered in character generators 42a and 42b as right visual field image and left visual field image data.
All you have to do is register.

By the way, when the same object is displayed on the right side of the screen and when it is displayed on the left side, the right visual field image and the left visual field image are different.

Therefore, for a specimen whose display position in the X-axis direction of the screen changes randomly, multiple X-coordinate positions, for example, X■0. ±5. It is preferable to register the right visual field image and left visual field image of the target at the X coordinate position in advance in each of the character generators 42a and 42b every ±10... By doing this, the target It becomes possible to display the body in a more three-dimensional and realistic manner.

Furthermore, data other than the image patterns of each of these objects can also be registered in the object/memory 42 as needed, and is used as data when synthesizing various game screens.

As described above, according to the apparatus of the present invention, a right visual field game screen and a left visual field game screen based on human binocular parallax are alternately displayed on the screen 100 at a predetermined period. Therefore, by viewing this game screen through the shutter 24, the game screen becomes rich in three-dimensionality, and the various objects displayed have a sense of depth and are more realistic. Therefore, player 2
00 allows various games to be played in a three-dimensional game space with a rich three-dimensional effect and impact, making it possible to dramatically improve the fun of the game.

Specific Circuit Configuration FIG. 2 shows a specific configuration of the image processing circuit 44, and FIG. 10 shows a flowchart of its operation.

The image processing circuit 44 of the embodiment includes a game calculation circuit 60, a left and right screen determination circuit 62) a Z-axis sorting circuit 64, a data readout circuit 66, a scaling circuit 68, and a three-dimensional circuit 72.
It includes a dimension conversion circuit 70 and an image synthesis circuit 72.

Then, the game calculation circuit 60 calculates the game data in synchronization with the CRT screen scan based on the external signal and the game program registered in the program memory 46, and stores the calculated game data for one screen. It is written and stored in the memory 48.

Here, the game data for one screen that is calculated is:
In addition to the data displayed on the screen 100, data that is not displayed on the screen 100 (for example, data on a specimen protruding from the screen 100) is also included.

In the embodiment, the game calculation circuit 60 calculates the game data for one screen according to the flow 1000 shown in FIG.
It is carried out according to the procedure of (steps (a) to (d)).

At the same time as the game data for one screen is calculated and output, the game calculation circuit 60 outputs the game data for one screen to the screen determination circuit 62) Z-axis sorting circuit 64 and the three-dimensional/two-dimensional conversion circuit 70. Outputs a signal indicating completion.

Based on the signals input in this way, the left and right screen determination circuit 62 outputs a signal instructing the synthesis of the right visual field game screen and the left visual field game screen to the three-dimensional/two-dimensional conversion circuit 70 (step (e)).

In the embodiment, this screen determination circuit 62 is a CRT 54.
It instructs to synthesize the right field of view game screen every i number of fields or every even numbered frames, and instructs to synthesize the left field of view game screen every odd numbered field or every odd numbered frames.

At the same time, this screen determination circuit 62
The controller outputs a control signal to the shutter 24 connected to the shutter 24, and during the right field game display period, the shutter section 26b is used to block the line of sight of the left eye of the player 200, and during the left field game screen display period, the shutter section 26b is used to block the line of sight of the left eye of the player 200. Player 2 using 26a
Block the line of sight from 00's right eye.

In this embodiment, each shutter portion 2 of the shutter 24
6a and 26b are formed using liquid crystal shutters, and are configured to perform light blocking control using a high frequency control voltage output from the screen determining circuit 62.

Further, the Z-axis sorting circuit 64 outputs one screen worth of game data written in the game data writing memory 48 to the three-dimensional/two-dimensional conversion circuit 70 in descending order of Z coordinate.

Such Z-axis sorting processing may be performed when reading data from the memory 48 as in this embodiment, or may be performed when writing calculated data to the memory 48.

Then, the three-dimensional/two-dimensional conversion circuit 70 converts the three-dimensional coordinates (Xo, Yo, Zo) of the data read from the memory 48 while performing Z-axis sorting every time the calculation of one screen worth of game data is completed. Using the perspective projection transformation of the present invention shown in FIG. 7, two-dimensional coordinates (X,
Y) and output to the data read circuit 66.

Therefore, when composing the right visual field game screen, the three-dimensional coordinates (Xo, Yo, Zo) of each data read from the memory 48 are determined by the two-dimensional coordinates R-(XvR , Yv), and when composing the left visual field game screen, perspective projection transformation is performed to two-dimensional coordinates L = (X vt,, Y v) using the second and fourth equations. It turns out.

Then, each time the calculation of game data for one screen is completed, the data reading circuit 66 sends the 3D/2D conversion circuit 70
Based on the data outputted through the background memory 40 and the object memory 42, necessary data are sequentially read out from the background memory 40 and the object memory 42 in descending order of their Z coordinates and outputted to the enlarging/reducing circuit 68.

Here, the device of the present invention reads data from the right eye character generator 42a when the screen determination circuit 68 instructs synthesis of the right visual field game screen; If synthesis is instructed, data is read from the left-eye character generator 42b.

Then, the enlarging/reducing circuit 68 performs 3
Based on the dimensional coordinates (Xo, Yo, Zo), image data is enlarged/reduced so that objects displayed far away are displayed small and objects displayed nearby are displayed large, and this is processed by an image synthesis circuit. 72 is output.

Then, the image synthesis circuit 72 synthesizes the right visual field game screen and the left visual field game screen based on the respective data R and L that have been perspectively projected into two-dimensional coordinates in this manner, and outputs the result to the display device 50. .

In this way, in the apparatus of the embodiment, when the screen determining circuit 62 instructs to display the right visual field game screen, the flow 2000 shown in FIG.
(W)) When the right visual field game screen is synthesized and output, and the screen determination circuit 62 instructs to synthesize the left visual field game screen, the flow 3000 shown in FIG. The left visual field game screen is synthesized and output according to (w)).

Therefore, on the screen 100 of the CRT 54, the game screen of the right field of view and the left field of view are displayed alternately. For example, assuming that a game screen as shown in FIG. 4 is displayed on the screen 100, By playing with the shutter 24 formed in the shape of glasses, the player 200 can operate the my ship 100b with the feeling of actually flying within the three-dimensionally displayed flight space 100a. Furthermore, it feels like the enemy spaceship 100C is actually jumping out towards the player from the depths of the flight space 100a, which dramatically increases the fun of the game itself.

In particular, according to the present invention, the right visual field game screen and the left visual field game screen are synthesized using right visual field image data and left visual field image data, taking into account the difference between the visual field of the right eye and the left eye of the player. Therefore, each specimen 10 on the game screen
0b and 100c themselves are also displayed as images with three-dimensional depth, and the three-dimensionally displayed game screen itself does not feel unnatural, increasing the power of the game screen itself and making the game more enjoyable. It becomes possible to make itself more interesting.

In this embodiment, a case has been described in which right visual field data and left visual field data are registered as image data for all objects used in the game screen, but the present invention is not limited to this. However, right visual field data and left visual field data are registered as image data only for the main objects that make up the game, and for other objects there is no distinction between right visual field and left visual field. It is also possible to form the image data of different types to be registered.

In this case, as shown by broken lines in FIGS. 1 and 2,
Mono character generator 429 in the specimen memory 42
For example, taking the game screen shown in FIG. 4 as an example, only the right visual field data and left visual field data of a target such as My Ship 100b, which is always displayed on the screen, are stored in the character generators 42g and 42b. , and objects like the obstacle 100c that move quickly and do not always appear in the screen are registered in 1 with no distinction between the right and left visual fields.
Mono character generator 42c converts image data of
All you have to do is register.

By doing this, the reality of the game screen itself displayed on the screen 100 is somewhat reduced, but the memory capacity required for registering the graphic data of various objects can be reduced, and the game screen is particularly When many specimens appear, it is possible to significantly reduce the memory capacity used and reduce the cost of the entire apparatus.

Further, in this embodiment, the shutter 24 is formed in the shape of glasses, and is used in the same way as glasses while playing a game. For this reason, when such a stereoscopic image game device is actually used in a game, it is expected that a system will be adopted in which the shutter 24 is lent out each time a game is played, and the shutter 24 is returned each time the game ends. be done.

Therefore, when using the eyeglass-type shutter 24, it is preferable to form the shutter 24 freely with respect to the game device main body via the socket 74.

For this reason, the shutter 24 of the embodiment is provided with a removable bin 24a as shown in FIG. 4, and a shutter jack into which the bin 24a can be freely inserted is provided on the operation panel 32 shown in FIG. 24b is provided.

Therefore, when playing the game, the player 200 borrows the shutter 24 and opens the bin 24a with the jack-24b.
After the game is over, the bottle 24a can be removed from the jack 24b and the shutter 24 can be returned.

In this embodiment, the shutter 24 is formed in the shape of glasses. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the shutter 24 may be fixedly attached to the main body of the game device, and the player may It is also possible to play the game by looking into the screen 100.

(Margin below) Second Embodiment FIG. 11 shows a second preferred embodiment of the commercial stereoscopic image game device according to the present invention, and FIG. 12 shows the following:
A flowchart showing the operation of the apparatus of this embodiment is shown.

Incidentally, members corresponding to those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals and their explanations will be omitted.

A characteristic feature of the present invention is that a tilt character generator 42d is provided in the object memory 42, and the tilt character generator 42d
2, a plurality of image data having different inclinations θ with respect to the horizontal direction are registered as image data of the same specimen. Then, the position data of the target (X
o, Yo.

Zo), calculate the inclinations θR and θR of the line of sight of the player's right eye and left eye with respect to the horizontal direction with respect to the object, read out the image data corresponding to the inclination angle θR of the line of sight of the right eye as right visual field data, and The purpose is to read out image data corresponding to the inclination angle θR of the line of sight as left visual field data.

By doing this, it is not necessary to display the same object as images with different inclination angles to the horizontal direction, for example, θ degrees, ±5 degrees, ±10 degrees, ±15 degrees, etc. In some cases, compared to the case where the dedicated left visual field image and right visual field image are registered as a set in the character generators 42a and 42b as in the first embodiment, the memory capacity used may be smaller and the memory capacity may be smaller. Aim for efficient use of resources.

be able to.

In addition, (the game calculation circuit 60 of this embodiment calculates the tilt angles θ and θL with respect to the horizontal direction of the line of sight of the right eye and the left eye for each nude body used in the game screen, respectively, in accordance with the external signal and the game program. The angle θR.θR is written in the memory 48 together with other data as data specifying one screen worth of game images.

Then, the data reading circuit 66 of the embodiment reads the image data corresponding to the inclination angle θ3 of the line of sight of the right eye as right visual field data from the inclination character generator 42d, and reads the image data corresponding to the inclination angle θL of the line of sight of the left eye to the left. It is formed to be read out as visual field data.

FIG. 13 shows an example of the tilt angle θ of the object with respect to the horizontal direction. For example, if My Ship 1oob used in the game image of FIG.
As image data of 00b, θ-0. θ−
A plurality of image data having inclinations of ±5 degrees, θ-±10 degrees, etc. are registered.

For example, when using an image in which my ship 100b moves in the θ-0 direction, the tilt character generator 4
For example, image data having an inclination of θ-+5 degrees from 2d may be read out as right visual field data, and image data having an inclination of θ--5 degrees may be read out as left visual field data.

For example, if you want to display an image of My Ship with an inclination of 0125 degrees, you can read out the image data at θ-30 degrees as right field of view data, and read the image data at θ-20 degrees as left field of view data. .

By doing so, the three-dimensional image game device of this embodiment can also synthesize and output a three-dimensional game image in the same manner as the device of the first embodiment.

Furthermore, the apparatus of this embodiment can be used, for example, by θ+5 degrees for a target whose inclination angle with respect to the horizontal direction hardly changes, such as the obstacle 100c used in the game image shown in FIG. A set of image data with an inclination of θ--5 degrees is registered, and the image data with an inclination of θ-+5 degrees is used as right visual field data, and a set of image data with an inclination of θ--5 degrees is registered. Image data may be used as left visual field data.

Further, in the apparatus of the above-mentioned embodiment, the case where a plurality of image data having different inclinations θ in the horizontal direction is registered for all specimens has been explained as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. Mono character generator 4 is used for objects whose shape does not change when viewed from the direction or objects of low importance.
It is also possible to register only one type of image data with a fixed tilt angle θ within 2c, and by doing so, the three-dimensional effect of the resulting game image will be somewhat reduced, but memory usage efficiency will be further improved. be able to.

Further, the device of this embodiment is formed by adding only some improvements to a conventional game device for displaying pseudo three-dimensional images. For example, in a conventional game device that displays a game screen as a pseudo three-dimensional image as shown in FIG. θ■±5
It is registered as a plurality of image data having an inclination of degrees θ−±10 degrees.

In such a conventional device, for example, when displaying a My Ship with an inclination of 0125 degrees, the image data of 0125 degrees is read out from the object memory 42 as it is, and this is subjected to the perspective projection transformation shown in FIG. The game screen was then displayed as a pseudo three-dimensional image by converting it into a two-dimensional image.

The present invention makes some improvements to such a conventional device. For example, when displaying My Ship 1ooob with an inclination of 0125 degrees, the game calculation circuit 60
The horizontal tilt angles θ and θR of the line of sight of the right and left eyes are calculated for My Ship 100b at 0125 degrees, and the data reading circuit 66 is used to read out the image data of the tilt corresponding to the tilt angle θR as right visual field data. Improved so that image data with a tilt corresponding to the left field of view is read out as left visual field data.

In addition to this, the conventional device is provided with a screen determining circuit 62, and a three-dimensional/two-dimensional conversion circuit 70 converts three-dimensional coordinate data into two-dimensional coordinate data by perspective projection conversion shown in FIG. It can be improved to do so.

As described above, according to the present invention, a game screen can be displayed as a three-dimensional screen by simply making improvements to a conventional game device used for displaying pseudo-three-dimensional images. It becomes possible to continue to effectively utilize the game device itself.

(Left below) Third Embodiment Next, a third preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Incidentally, members corresponding to those in the first and second embodiments are designated by the same reference numerals, and their explanations will be omitted.

FIG. 14 shows a third preferred embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 15 shows a flowchart showing an example of its operation.

In the present invention, the shutter 24 is formed in the shape of a pair of glasses, and is detachably attached to the main body of the game device.

In this embodiment, similar to the first embodiment, the shutter 24 can be easily used for image processing by inserting the pin 24a formed as shown in FIG. 4 into the jack 24b of the operation panel 32 shown in FIG. It is formed to be connected to the circuit 44.

By the way, in a device such as the present invention in which a right visual field game screen and a left visual field game screen are alternately displayed on the screen 100, if the screen 100 is viewed without the shutter 24, the screen itself will shake from side to side. Unable to play games.

For this reason, it is preferable for such a game device to be devised so that the game can be played even when the shutter 24 is not used. Especially in a game device for arcade use, the shutter 24 itself may malfunction or become unusable due to other reasons. It is necessary to take measures in case it goes missing.

A characteristic feature of the present invention is that the detection unit 76 detects whether or not the shutter 24 is attached to the device main body, and when the shutter is attached, the right visual field and left visual field game screens are displayed on the screen 100 at a predetermined period. The game screen is displayed alternately, and when the shutter is not attached, the game screen is displayed on the screen 100 as a non-parallax screen that does not distinguish between the right field of view and the left field of view.

With the above configuration, according to the present invention, when the shutter 24 is not used, the game screen is displayed on the screen 100 as a non-parallax screen that does not shake from side to side. You can enjoy games in the same way as with conventional devices.

In the present invention, the detection section 76 may be formed in any way as long as it can detect whether or not the shutter 24 is attached.Hereinafter, the case where the detection is performed electrically, mechanically, or optically will be described as an example. Explain briefly.

FIG. 16 shows an example of a circuit for driving the shutter 24, and when the shutter parts 26a and 26b are formed using liquid crystal shutters, each of the shutter parts 26a and 26b is an electric circuit. can be replaced with a capacitor.

FIG. 17 shows a timing chart of this drive circuit, in which the drive circuit alternately switches the switch 80 according to the switching command, and transmits the high frequency AC signal output from the oscillator 82 to the right shutter section 26a and the left shutter section 26a. Part 26b
The shutter portions 26a and 26b are controlled to be shut off by being alternately supplied to the shutter portions 26a and 26b.

Therefore, if a high-impedance resistor R is provided between the output side of the oscillator 82 and the ground, the voltage V across the high-impedance resistor R will vary depending on whether the shutter 24 is attached to the game body or not. Because it changes,
By constantly measuring the voltage V between both ends using the detection unit 76, it becomes possible to electrically and accurately detect the attachment and detachment of the shutter 24.

Further, FIG. 18 shows an example of mechanically detecting the attachment and detachment of the shutter 24. In the embodiment, the jack 24b into which the pin 24a is inserted is formed by separating a cylindrical pipe into two upper and lower parts. A contact 27a for the right shirt is formed protruding from the inner surface of the upper pipe piece 25a, and a contact 27b for the left shutter is formed protruding from the lower pipe piece 25b.

Further, a pair of contacts 84a and 84b are provided at the tips of the upper and lower pipe pieces 25a and 25b.

When formed in this way, for example, as shown in FIG.
When the pin 24a is not inserted into the jack 24b, the detection contacts 84a and 84b are connected as shown in FIG.
It is turned on as shown in A).

Also, when pin 24a is inserted into jack 24b, pin 2
4a pushes and spreads the upper and lower pipe pieces 25a and 25b by the amount of protrusion of the protruding contacts 27a and 27b, and the detection contact 8
4a and 84b are turned off as shown in FIG. 19(B).

Therefore, using the detection unit 76, the detection contacts 84a and 8
4b, the shutter 24 is
It becomes possible to accurately detect attachment/detachment of the game device to/from the game device main body.

Furthermore, it is also possible to detect whether the shutter 24 is attached or detached by arranging a pair of photo couplers facing each other in the -jack 24b and optically detecting the presence or absence of the pin 24a.

Further, in the present invention, when the shutter 24 is not attached to the game device main body, the screen 10 uses a non-parallax screen that has no distinction between the right visual field and the left visual field as the game screen.
0 is displayed above.

In this embodiment, such a non-parallax screen is displayed on the first screen.
This is carried out according to the flowchart shown in FIG.

That is, the screen setting circuit 62 of the embodiment
When a detection signal indicating that the device is not attached is output from the detection unit 76, as shown in step (2') in FIG. The signal is output to the dimension conversion circuit 70.

Then, the three-dimensional/two-dimensional conversion circuit 7o converts the three-dimensional
The dimensional data is converted into two-dimensional data using the conventional perspective projection transformation method for displaying pseudo-three-dimensional images shown in FIG. 6, and is output to the data reading circuit 66.

The data reading circuit 66 then starts reading data from the background memory 40 and the specimen memory 42 based on the input data.

Here, the reading of data from the specimen memory 42, particularly the reading of specimen image data from the tilt character generator 42d, is carried out using conventional perspective projection transformation.
This is done in the same way as when dimensional images are combined.

For example, taking the game screen shown in FIG. 4 as an example, if the tilt angle of My Ship 100b with respect to the horizontal direction is θ-0, the data of θ-0 itself is transmitted from the tilt character generator 42d as graphic data of My Ship 100b. Read out.

In addition, when displaying figure data with a tilt angle of θ-25 degrees, the tilt character generator 42d
Read the degree graphic data itself.

The data thus read out is then input to the image synthesis circuit 72 via the enlargement/reduction circuit 68.

Therefore, according to this embodiment, when the shutter 24 is not attached to the game device main body, the same pseudo three-dimensional image as the conventional game device is displayed on the screen 100 as a game screen, and the player 200 can see that the shutter 24 is not attached to the game device main body. Even if you do not have one, you can still enjoy the game in the same way as with conventional devices.

Of course, in the device of the present invention, when the shutter 24 is attached to the game device main body, the right visual field game image and the left visual field game image are alternately displayed as in the first and second embodiments, and the game image is displayed alternately. The screen can be displayed as a 3D image.

Note that in this embodiment, regardless of whether or not the shutter 24 is attached, θR1 in the flow 1000
θL is calculated, but when the shutter is not installed, θR
It can also be formed so that the calculation of 9θL is not performed.

Further, in this embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to the second embodiment having the tilted character generator 42d has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the right eye character generator 42a and Needless to say, the present invention is also applicable to the first embodiment using the left-eye character generator 42b.

In this case, for example, if the detection unit 76 detects that the shutter 24 is not attached, only the right visual field game screen may be continuously displayed as a non-parallax screen, as shown in the flowchart of FIG. , or conversely, only the left visual field game screen may be displayed continuously.

(Hereinafter in the margin) C Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the present invention, the right visual field game screen and the left visual field game screen for stereoscopic vision are alternately synthesized and output at a predetermined period, and the right visual field game screen is Synthesis is performed using data for the right visual field of various specimens, and composition of the left visual field game screen is performed using data for the left visual field of various specimens, so the screen has a rich three-dimensional effect and realism. Da 3
Both sides of the dimensional game can be displayed. Therefore, the player can perform various plays within the three-dimensional game space displayed on the screen, thereby dramatically increasing the fun of the game itself.

Further, according to the present invention, when the shutter is formed into a glasses shape and is detachably attached to the game device main body, it is possible to detect whether or not the shutter is attached to the game device main body, and when the shutter is not attached. Since the game screen displays a non-parallax screen with no distinction between right and left visual fields, even if the shutter cannot be used for some reason, the player can still view the game screen while looking at the game screen projected on the screen. Games can be played.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 and 2 are block diagrams showing a preferred first embodiment of the commercial stereoscopic image game device according to the present invention, FIG. 3 is an external perspective view of the game device main body used in this embodiment, and FIG. The figure is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the game screen displayed on the screen and the shutter used to view the screen in this embodiment, and FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the appearance of the player operation part of the game device shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of conventional perspective projection transformation; FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of perspective projection transformation used in the present invention; FIGS. 8 and 9 are diagrams showing an example of perspective projection transformation used in the present invention; FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. 11 is a block diagram showing a second preferred embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the operation of the embodiment shown in FIG. 11, and FIG. 13 is an inclination angle of the specimen with respect to the horizontal direction. FIG. 14 is a block diagram showing a preferred third embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the third embodiment shown in FIG. 14; FIG. - Fig. 19 is an explanatory diagram of a device for detecting attachment/detachment of the shutter 24 to the game main body and its detection principle; Fig. 20 is a flowchart showing other operations of the third embodiment shown in Fig. 14; Fig. 21 is a block diagram showing an example of a conventional stereoscopic image reproduction device; TS22 and FIG. 23 are explanatory diagrams showing the principle of displaying a stereoscopic image; and FIG. 24 shows visual field images when a predetermined subject is viewed with the right and left eyes. It is an explanatory diagram. 24... Shutters 26a, 26b... Optical shutter section 40...
Background memory 42 ... Specimen memory 42a ... Right eye character generator 42
b... Left eye character generator 42c
... Mono character generator 42d ・
... Tilt character generator 100 ... Display screen 100m ... Flight space 100b ... My ship 100C ... Obstacle 20G ... Player

Claims (6)

[Claims] (1) A target memory in which the image data of the target used in the game is registered as right visual field data and left visual field data, and a target memory that performs calculations on the game image according to a predetermined game program, and uses the computer for stereoscopic viewing based on the calculated data. The right visual field game screen and the left visual field game screen are alternately synthesized and output at a predetermined period, and the synthesis of the right visual field game screen is performed by reading the right visual field data of various specimens from the specimen memory, and the left visual field game screen is The synthesis is performed by an image processing circuit that reads the left visual field data of various specimens from the specimen memory, and a display device that displays on the screen the game screen of the right visual field and the left visual field that are alternately output from this image processing circuit. and, in synchronization with the display cycle of the right visual field and left visual field game screens, the line of sight of the player's left eye is blocked during the right visual field game screen display period, and the line of sight of the player's right eye is blocked during the left visual field game screen display period. a shutter that displays the game screen to the player in three dimensions;
A stereoscopic image game device for commercial use that is characterized by the ability to play games with a sense of realism. (2) In the apparatus according to claim (1), the object memory stores a plurality of sets of right visual field data and left visual field data regarding the same specimen, corresponding to the display position or orientation of the specimen. is registered as image data, and the image processing circuit extracts the right visual field and left visual field of the corresponding set from the image data of each specimen registered in the specimen memory, based on the position or orientation of the specimen to be displayed on the game screen. A stereoscopic image game device for business use, characterized in that it reads visual field data and outputs a composite output of a right visual field game screen and a left visual field game screen. (3) In the device according to any one of claims (1) and (2), right visual field data and left visual field data are registered in the target memory with respect to main targets constituting the game. 3. A stereoscopic image game device for business use, characterized in that for other objects, one type of image data is registered without distinction between right visual field and left visual field. (4) Calculations for the game screen are performed according to a target memory in which multiple image data having different tilt angles θ with respect to the horizontal direction are registered as image data of the target used in the game, and a predetermined game program. Also, based on the position data of each object used in this game screen, the inclination θ_ of the line of sight of the right eye and left eye with respect to the horizontal direction with respect to each object is determined.
R and θ_L are calculated, and based on these calculation data, a right visual field game screen and a left visual field game screen for stereoscopic viewing are alternately synthesized and output at a predetermined period, and the synthesis of the right visual field game screen is performed from the specimen memory. The image data corresponding to the inclination angle θ_R of various objects is read out as right visual field data, and the synthesis of the left visual field game screen is performed by reading out the image data corresponding to the inclination angle θ_L of each object from the object memory as left visual field data. an image processing circuit that reads and performs reading as a display device; a display device that displays on a screen game screens of the right visual field and left visual field that are alternately output from the image processing circuit; and a display device that is synchronized with the display cycle of the right visual field and left visual field game screens. a shutter that blocks the line of sight of the player's left visual field while the right visual field game screen is displayed, and blocks the visual line of the player's right eye while the left visual field game screen is displayed; Display three-dimensionally,
A stereoscopic image game device for commercial use that is characterized by the ability to play games with a sense of realism. (5) Calculations for the game screen are performed according to a target memory in which multiple image data with different tilt angles θ relative to the horizontal direction are registered as image data of the target used in the game, and a predetermined game program. Also, based on the position data of each object used in this game screen, the inclination θ_ of the line of sight of the right eye and left eye with respect to the horizontal direction with respect to each object is determined.
R and θ_L are calculated, and based on these calculation data, a right visual field game screen and a left visual field game screen for stereoscopic viewing are alternately synthesized and output at a predetermined period, and the synthesis of the right visual field game screen is performed from the specimen memory. The image data corresponding to the inclination angle θ_R of various objects is read out as right visual field data, and the synthesis of the left visual field game screen is performed by reading out the image data corresponding to the inclination angle θ_L of each object from the object memory as left visual field data. an image processing circuit that reads and performs image processing; a display device that displays on a screen the game screens of the right visual field and the left visual field that are alternately output from the image processing circuit; Glasses type that synchronizes with the display cycle of the visual field and left visual field game screen, and blocks the line of sight of the player's left visual field during the right visual field game screen display period, and blocks the player's right visual line of sight during the left visual field game screen display period. a shutter, and a shutter detection circuit that detects attachment/detachment of the shutter to/from the game device main body and outputs a detection signal to an image processing circuit, and the image processing circuit detects the right visual field and the left visual field when the shutter is attached. The game screen is alternately synthesized and output at a predetermined period, and when the shutter is not attached, a non-parallax screen with no distinction between the right and left eyes is synthesized and output as the game screen, making it possible to play the game even when the shutter is not used. A three-dimensional image game device for commercial use, which is characterized by being able to play. (6) A target memory in which the image data of the target used in the game is registered as right visual field data and left visual field data, and a target memory that performs calculations on the game image according to a predetermined game program, and uses the computer for stereoscopic viewing based on the calculated data. The right visual field game screen and the left visual field game screen are alternately synthesized and output at a predetermined period, and the synthesis of the right visual field game screen is performed by reading the right visual field data of various specimens from the specimen memory, and the left visual field game screen is The synthesis is performed by an image processing circuit that reads the left visual field data of various specimens from the specimen memory, and a display device that displays on the screen the game screen of the right visual field and the left visual field that are alternately output from this image processing circuit. and is formed to be detachably attached to the game device main body, and blocks the line of sight of the player's left eye during the right visual field game screen display period in synchronization with the display cycle of the right visual field and left visual field game screen,
A glasses-shaped shutter that blocks the line of sight of the player's right eye during a left visual field game screen display period, and a shutter detection circuit that detects attachment/detachment of the shutter to/from the game device main body and outputs a detection signal to an image processing circuit. , when the shutter is attached, the image processing circuit alternately synthesizes and outputs the game screen of the right visual field and the left visual field at a predetermined period, and when the shutter is not attached, a non-parallax screen in which there is no distinction between the right and left eyes is used as the game screen. A three-dimensional image game device for commercial use, characterized in that it is configured to perform composite output and can play a game even when a shutter is not used.