GB2436966A

GB2436966A - Colour detection game apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2436966A
Application number: GB0706639A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Masato Kikuchi; Satoshi Fukumura; Toshinobu Ishii; Tomoyuki Kanda
Original assignee: Tomy Co Ltd
Current assignee: Tomy Co Ltd
Priority date: 2006-04-05
Filing date: 2007-04-05
Publication date: 2007-10-10
Also published as: GB0706639D0; JP2007275234A; GB2436966A8

Abstract

A game apparatus comprises a colour detecting unit 7 for detecting a colour, and means for controlling the course of a game according to the detected colour. The game control means may allow a character to be displayed which corresponds to the detected colour, with control of the game being provided by controlling an image of the displayed character. Alternatively, the game control means may cause a predetermined design to be displayed, with control of the game being provided by colouring the displayed design with the detected colour. The apparatus may include an integral display 3, or may utilise a separate display such as a television (not shown).

Description

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2436966

GAME APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a game apparatus which executes a game.

Description of the Related Art

A technique of generating different tones by discriminating hues is known (see JP56-137235A) . According to this technique disclosed in JP56-137235A, a color can be transformed into a tone and be transmitted.

However, an apparatus which controls a course of a game according to color detection is unknown.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to add a new interest to a game apparatus by making connection between color detection and the game.

In order to solve the above problem, in accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, a game apparatus comprises a color detecting unit for detecting a color and a game proceeding unit for controlling a course of a game according to the color detected by the color detecting unit.

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Varying the form (figure) of characters in the game according to the detected colors, varying tricks which are thrown out by the characters according to the detected colors, carrying out feng shui fortunetelling according to the detected colors, allowing a rare (uncommon) character to appear when a specific color is detected, and throwing out a special trick only when the detected color is a specific color are given as examples of the case of "controlling a course of a game according to the color".

According to the first aspect of the present invention, course of the game can be controlled according to colors which are detected by the color detecting unit. Therefore, a game which has new interest that the game proceeds according to the detected colors can be realized.

Preferably, the game proceeding unit allows a character which corresponds to the color detected by the color detecting unit to appear, and controls the course of the game by controlling a display of an image of the character. Virtual living matters, cars and other vehicles, buildings and other constructions or structures, animals, natural objects, and the like can be considered as examples of the characters.

In the present invention, a game which proceeds by appearing of characters corresponding to the colors detected by the color detecting unit is realized. For example, a virtual living matter of the color which corresponds to the detected color (for example, same color) or a virtual living matter which

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has an attribution according to the detected color is allowed to appear. As an example of latter case, a virtual living matter having attribution of fire (for example, a living matter which spews fire) is allowed to appear when the detected color is red or a virtual living matter having attribution of water (for example, an aquatic living matter) is allowed to appear when the detected color is light blue.

Preferably, the game proceeding unit controls a display of a predetermined design, and controls the course of the game by coloring the design of which the display is controlled in the color detected by the color detecting unit. In this case, the design is formed by lines, for example.

In the present invention, a game which proceeds by coloring the designs in the color which is detected by the color detecting unit is realized. For example, a region enclosed by lines or an outer region thereof can be colored.

According to the present invention, course of the game can be controlled according to the color which is detected by the color detecting unit. Therefore, a game having a new interest in which the game proceeds according to the detected color can be realized.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will become fully understood from the detailed description given hereinafter and the accompanying

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drawings given by way of illustration only, and thus are not intended as a definition of the limits of the present invention, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of an outer appearance of a game apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of functional construction of the game apparatus;

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of data construction of appearing characters;

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of data construction of color/attribution correspondence table; and

FIG. 5 is a flow chart for explaining a flow of game processing.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, a description is given for a game apparatus to which the present invention is applied with reference to drawings.

[Outer appearance]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of an outer appearance of a game apparatus 10. The game apparatus 10 comprises a display 3, operational buttons 5, a color sensor 7, and the like. The game apparatus 10 allows the character according to the color which is detected/recognized by the color sensor 7 to appear and controls so that the character is shown

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on the display 3. A player of the game apparatus 10 enjoys the game by bringing the color sensor 7 close to surrounding things so that the color of the thing is recognized by the color sensor 7 and by collecting the characters which appear. Walls, clothes, cards in different colors, colored books are examples of the surrounding things.

[Functional construction]

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional construction of the game apparatus 10. As shown in FIG. 2, the game apparatus 10 comprises an operation unit 100, a color detecting unit 200, a processing unit 300, a display unit 400, and a storage unit 500.

The operation unit 100 is for a player who operates the game apparatus 10 to input various kinds of game operations. The operation unit 100 is realized by, for example, a button switch, a lever, a dial, a key board, a mouse, various kinds of sensors, or the like. In FIG. 1, the operation buttons 5 correspond to the operation unit 100.

The color detecting unit 200 corresponds to the color sensor 7 in FIG. 1. The color detecting unit 200 detects a color by detecting the hue, the color saturation, and the color lightness of surface of an object which is brought in proximity, and outputs a color signal of the detected color to the processing unit 300.

The processing unit 300 comprises a CPU and the like, and controls the entire game apparatus 10 and carries out various

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types of processes such as giving instruction and transmitting data to each functional unit in the game apparatus 10, image processing, and the like based on an operation signal input from the operation unit 100, a color signal input from the color detecting unit 200, and program, data, and the like stored in the storage unit 500.

The display unit 400 is a device for displaying a game screen based on an image signal which is input from the processing unit 300, and is realized by a display device such as LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), ELD (Electronic Luminescent Display) , or the like. In FIG. 1, the display 3 corresponds to the display unit 400. The display unit 400 may be integrated with the game apparatus 10, or may be realized by a television or other display devices separately from the game apparatus.

In the storage unit 500, system program for allowing the processing unit 300 to integrally control the game apparatus 10 and program and data needed for carrying out the game are stored. These functions of the storage unit 500 are realized by various kinds of IC memory such as ROM and RAM, hard disk which is integrated or connected with data communication terminal, information storing medium such as CD-ROM, DVD, IC card, magnetic disk, optical disk, and the like and their reading device, or the like.

Particularly, in order to realize the embodiment, game program 510 for carrying out the game process is stored in the processing unit 300.

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Further, appearing character data 520, a color/attribution correspondence table 530, and a collection list 540 are stored in the processing unit 300 as data.

In case where the color is detected by the color detecting unit 200, the appearing character data 520 stores a plurality of data according to characters which are allowed to appear. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of data construction of the appearing character data 520. This appearing character data 520 are prepared for each kind of character and sets character name 521, attribution 523, character setting data 525 for each character, respectively.

Attribution of the character is set in the attribution 523. This attribution is allotted to each character in advance and, for example, "normal", "electric", "water", "fire", "insect" or the like is arbitrarily set.

Modeling data, texture data, basic parameter, and the like for displaying the character are set in the character setting data 525.

The color/attribution correspondence table 530 stores a corresponding relationship between the color and the attribution of the character which is allowed to appear. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of data construction of the color/attribution correspondence table 530. When the color is detected by the color detecting unit 200, the processing unit 300 selects one character among characters which have attributions corresponding to the detected color and allows the

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character to appear. For example, in case where "yellow" is detected, a character having the attribution of "electric" is to appear.

The collection list 50 stores a list of characters which appeared in the past. The display 3 shows a list of the characters which are entered in the collection list 540 according to a predetermined operation of a player.

[Flow of the process]

FIG. 5 is a flow chart for explaining the flow of the game process. This is a process which is realized by the processing unit 300 reading out and executing the game program 510. The process starts when the power of the game apparatus 10 is turned on (ON) , and the process is executed repeatedly until the power is turned off (OFF).

In the game process, the processing unit 300 is on standby until the color signal is input from the color detecting unit 200. In this case, "standby" means waiting state for the color signal set by the game program 510 to be input. When the color signal is input from the color detecting unit 200 (step alO: YES), an attribution which corresponds to the input color is read out by referring to the color/attribution correspondence table 530 and the attribution of the character which is allowed to appear is determined (step a20). Subsequently, the processing unit 300, for example, randomly selects one appearing character data 520 among the appearing character data 520 to which an attribution determined by the attribution 523

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is set and determines the kind of a character which is allowed to appear (step a30). The processing unit 300 controls the display of the character of which the kind is determined by complying with the character setting data 525 on the display unit 400 (step a40) , and enters the character in the collection list 540 (step a50).

In the above description, the processing unit 300 remains in standby state (waiting state for the color signal set by the game program 510 to be input) , and the battery is wasted during the standby state. Therefore, in order to set a limit for the reading time of the color signal, the processing unit 300 may be constructed so that the processing unit 300 is in the state of waiting (standby state) for the input of the color signal based on the game program 510 only while, for example, switches and buttons which constitute the operating unit 100 are operated, or may be constructed so that the processing unit 300 is in a state of waiting (standby state) for the input of the color signal based on the game program 510 only during a given length of time after the switch or button is operated. By constructing the processing unit 300 in such way, life of batteries can be improved.

When the power of the game apparatus 10 is turned OFF (step a60: YES), the process is finished.

As described above, according to the embodiment, the kind of character which is allowed to appear according to the color detected by the color detecting unit 200 can be controlled, and

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the display of the character on the display unit 400 can be controlled. Therefore, a game having a new interest in which a character according to the detected color appears can be realized.

In the above described embodiment, different characters appear according to the color detected by the color detecting unit 200. However, a character in the color according to the detected color can appear or the color of one character can be changed according to the detected color. Further, a rare (uncommon) character can be allowed to appear only when a specific color is detected.

The game of the present invention can be applied to "coloring game" in which a sketched image is to be colored. In the sketched image, a predetermined design is drawn. In this case, the processing unit 300 executes the following processes . That is, first, the processing unit 300 allows the display unit 400 to show the sketched image, and selects a region to be colored by a user's operation. Subsequently, the processing unit 300 colors the selected region in the color which is detected by the color detecting unit 200 by carrying out the painting process.

The game of the present invention may be applied to feng shui for tune telling. For example, a virtual room is shown on the display unit, furniture of the room are colored by the detected colors, and feng shui fortunetelling is carried out based on the color coordination.

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In the above described embodiment, virtual living matters appear as example of characters. However, characters are not limited to this, and car and other vehicles, buildings and other constructions or structures, animals, natural matters, or the like can be applied as characters.

Alternatively, the game may be constructed so that a player can play a mini-gaune according to the color detected by the color detecting unit 200 during the game.

Claims

12 What is claimed is:

1. A game apparatus, comprising:

a color detecting unit for detecting a color, and a game proceeding unit for controlling a course of a game according to the color detected by the color detecting unit.

2. The game apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the game proceeding unit allows a character which corresponds to the color detected by the color detecting unit to appear, and controls the course of the game by controlling a display of an image of the character.

3. The game apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the game proceeding unit controls a display of a predetermined design, and controls the course of the game by coloring the design of which the display is controlled in the color detected by the color detecting unit.