JP2002282468A - Image display method for game machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To perform new information reporting in a three-dimensional display. SOLUTION: The direction of the rotary axis of a three-dimensional object and the number of images to be stuck to the three-dimensional object are variably set and the moving state of the three-dimensional object is displayed with an LCD display 105 to report various kinds of information.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for displaying an image of a gaming machine for displaying a game state by displaying an image on a display unit.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A gaming machine that performs three-dimensional display (hereinafter, may be abbreviated as 3D display) for a game is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 11-70229 and 9-140881.
Has been proposed.

[0003]

In the above proposal, a 3D object is rotated to notify a player that a lottery for a special prize is being performed.

[0004] However, the above proposal is only for notification that lottery is being performed, and there is only one type of notification information. Therefore, there is still room for improvement regarding the number and types of information to be notified.

In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide an image display method for a gaming machine capable of diversifying information that can be notified in connection with 3D display. .

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, a first aspect of the present invention is to move a three-dimensional object in a virtual space relative to a viewpoint of a camera, and display the moving state on a display device. In the image display method of a gaming machine to be displayed,
Data indicating a plurality of movement patterns of the three-dimensional object according to the gaming state of the gaming machine is stored in storage means in the gaming machine, and data of the movement pattern corresponding to the gaming state is read from the storage means. The type of game state is notified by moving and displaying the three-dimensional object based on the read data.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the image display method for a gaming machine according to the first aspect, the movement of the three-dimensional object is rotation about a rotation axis, and a plurality of rotation axes having different directions are previously set. The plurality of movement patterns are determined by selectively using a plurality of rotation axes.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the image display method for a gaming machine according to the first aspect, the plurality of movement patterns have a first rotation movement pattern and a second rotation movement pattern, and In the rotational movement pattern,
The rotation axis of the three-dimensional object is fixed, and in the second rotation movement pattern, the direction of the rotation axis of the three-dimensional object changes over time.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image display of a gaming machine in which a three-dimensional object in a virtual space having an image attached to its outer surface is relatively moved with respect to a camera viewpoint, and the moving state is displayed on a display device. In the method, data specifying a surface on which the image of the three-dimensional object is to be pasted is stored in a storage unit in the gaming machine according to a gaming state of the gaming machine, and data corresponding to the gaming state is read from the storage unit. By changing the number of images to be attached to the three-dimensional object based on the read data, the type of the game state is notified.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the image display method for a gaming machine according to the fourth aspect, a plurality of images to be pasted on the plane object are prepared, and a plurality of images are selected according to a lapse of time. It is characteristically used.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the image display method for a gaming machine according to the fourth aspect, the three-dimensional object is a plane object.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a gaming machine, in this case,
1 shows an example of a front view of a pachinko machine. Since the mechanical structure of the pachinko machine can be the same as that of a conventional example as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-319252,
The description is limited to the components related to the present invention.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1000 denotes a special symbol display device for variably displaying an image pattern.

Reference numeral 1001 denotes a variable prize device in which a winning opening is opened when an image pattern has a predetermined combination of specific numbers, that is, when a special prize state is established. Reference numeral 1002 denotes a specific area. When a game ball wins during the special prize state, the special prize state is continued.

Reference numeral 1003 denotes a normal symbol display device. When a game ball wins a specific winning opening, different numbers are displayed while changing.

FIG. 2 shows the internal structure of the special symbol display device 1000.

In FIG. 2, a CPU 101 performs image processing and image display control according to a program stored in a program ROM 106.

A display command signal receiving circuit 102 receives a command signal related to display from the main control unit (CPU) 50, in this example, an identification code indicating a pattern of a symbol to be displayed.

Reference numeral 103 denotes a character ROM, which is data relating to a three-dimensional object for synthesizing an image (combination pattern) for displaying a special symbol, ie, shape data (called an object) indicating the shape of the three-dimensional object, and Paste on the surface of 3D object (mapping)
An image to be processed (called a texture), and its position on the three-dimensional object and an identification code (identification number of a special symbol) corresponding to the image are stored.

Reference numeral 104 denotes an image processing LSI (integrated circuit), which converts an image to be displayed on an LCD (liquid crystal) display 105 into a video RA according to a control procedure described later.
The image is synthesized on the M 108, and the synthesized image is read out from the video RAM 108 at regular intervals and output to the LCD display 105.

An LCD display 105 displays an image synthesized by the image processing LSI 104. 1
A program ROM 06 stores a program for image processing executed by the CPU 101. The program ROM 106 stores a display control program that defines the content of the display control performed by the CPU 101.

Reference numeral 107 denotes a RAM for temporarily storing data used for the arithmetic processing of the CPU 101. Reference numeral 108 denotes a video RAM for synthesizing an image to be displayed on the video RAM 108.

The three-dimensional image display method according to the present invention will be described first.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a display method for changing the rotation direction of the 3D object. In FIG.
A 3D object, in this example a cube, rotates about any axis of rotation passing through the center point of the cube. A plurality of axes are prepared in advance. Textures (for example, special design images) are pasted on all surfaces of the cube (object). The direction of the rotation axis changes over time.

The rotation axis does not need to be limited to the X, Y, and Z axes, but a change in the game state and various information are reported according to the direction of the rotation axis with respect to the XY plane, XZ plane, or YZ plane. be able to. For example, the direction of the rotation axis can be made different between a lottery with a high probability and a lottery with a normal low probability, which is called “probability change”. Further, the direction of the rotation axis can be changed to notify the progress of the lottery, such as the start of the lottery, during the lottery, or immediately before the end of the lottery.
The change (movement) pattern of the rotation axis is not limited to one type, and may be appropriately determined according to the type of the notification content of the information.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a display method for changing the number of textures.

Although the rotation axis of the cube rotates about an arbitrary axis, the number of textures mapped to the cube changes. For this purpose, the surface on which the texture is to be pasted is specified. Since the probability of winning in the “probable change” is high, the player can be notified that the display of the rotation of the cube is in the “probable” mode by reducing the number of textures to be mapped. In the normal lottery mode, the texture is mapped on the entire surface of the cube.

FIGS. 5 to 10 show various shapes and display forms of the three-dimensional object when the rotation axis is changed or the number of textured surfaces is changed. FIG. 5 shows an example in which a regular hexahedron is used as a three-dimensional object.

FIG. 6A shows a three-dimensional object in which a texture (for example, a special symbol image for a lottery) is pasted on the front and back surfaces of a plane (one surface) object. The three-dimensional object is rotated about an arbitrary axis in the virtual space, and an image indicating the rotation state is displayed.

FIG. 7 shows a form in which a texture is attached only to the surface of a planar object. In this embodiment, the plane object is rotated about the rotation axis, and the texture to be attached to the surface is appropriately changed according to the content of the game state. Information can be notified by switching between the two-screen display state in FIG. 6 and the one-screen display state in FIG.

FIG. 8A shows a form using a spherical polyhedron as a three-dimensional object. A state in which the three-dimensional object jumps in the virtual three-dimensional space while rotating in an arbitrary rotation direction is displayed as shown in FIG. For example, a lottery texture is selectively attached to an arbitrary surface of the three-dimensional object. The game state can be notified based on the type and number of the pasted textures. In addition, by giving a change to the direction and height of the three-dimensional object jumping, the winning probability of the lottery can be expressed.

FIG. 9A shows an embodiment using a drum (cylinder) as a three-dimensional object. The three-dimensional object rotates in various rotation directions as shown in FIG.

FIGS. 10A and 10B show an embodiment in which information is notified by changing the rotation axis (rotation direction) of a three-dimensional object. In FIG. 10A, a three-dimensional object rotates around the X axis to notify a normal lottery, and in the “probable change” mode, the direction of the rotation axis changes over time.

By using the above-described three-dimensional object and changing the type and number of textures to be attached to the three-dimensional object, and changing the direction of the rotation axis, it is possible to notify the contents of the game state. .

Next, image processing for displaying the above-described movement of a three-dimensional object in the virtual space on the LCD display 105 will be described.

A program for performing 3D display is mounted on the image processing LSI 104. The program itself is a commercially available 3D computer graphic (CG)
Although a program or an animation display program can be used, in this embodiment, the movement of the three-dimensional object is defined on the program, and the texture to be pasted and / or the rotation direction and the movement position are determined in the form of parameters. Things.

The character ROM 103 previously stores an object (frame) defining the shape of the three-dimensional object and a texture to be pasted (mapped) on the three-dimensional object. Furthermore, a table describing the texture to be pasted and the value of the parameter for designating the surface on the three-dimensional object, and the value of the parameter indicating the rotation direction or the position in the three-dimensional space are described in correspondence with the type of the game state. This table is provided on the character ROM 103.

FIG. 11 shows a basic processing procedure of the image processing LSI 104. The game state of the pachinko machine is determined on the main control unit 50 side, and is notified to the special symbol display device 100. In the present embodiment, 3D display according to a normal lottery mode and a “probable change” mode will be described. The image processing LSI 104 receives a game state via the display command signal receiving circuit 102 and the CPU 101, that is, an instruction of a normal mode or a “probable change” mode (step S10).

For example, when the instruction for the normal mode is received, the image processing LSI refers to the table on the character ROM, and determines the parameters corresponding to the normal mode, for example, the texture to be used and the pasting surface of the texture. The value is read, and the read value (selected value) is transferred to the 3D display program (step S2).
0). In some cases, the character ROM 103
The parameters to be passed to the 3D display program may be determined by calculation using the values of the above parameters.

In the 3D display program, the character R
The position of the three-dimensional object when the three-dimensional object is rotated in the three-dimensional space is calculated using the object data and the texture specified by the above parameters from the OM 103, and the position on the video RAM 108 is calculated based on the calculation result. Then, an image for display is created (step S30). Display control processing such as rotation of a three-dimensional object in accordance with the passage of time is well known in the art, and detailed description thereof will not be required.
The display image on the video RAM 108 is sent to the LCD display 105 and is visually displayed. Main control unit 50
The above process is repeated while the normal mode is instructed from.

When the "probable change" mode is instructed from the main control unit 50, the same processing as described above is performed except that the values of the parameters read from the character ROM 103 are different.

Conventionally, the display for the lottery is the same in the normal mode and the "probable change" mode, so that only the player can know which mode is set. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, it is possible to know whether the game state is the normal mode or the “probable change” mode just by looking at the 3D display. Can be.

The following embodiment can be implemented in addition to the above-described embodiment. 1) In the above embodiment, the 3D display performed by the special symbol display device 100 has been described as an example. However, the present invention may be applied to the 3D display of another display device installed in a pachinko machine. . 2) In the above-described embodiment, an example is described in which 3D display is performed for a special lottery, but the present invention can be applied to notify other game states. For example, in a pachinko machine that variably sets the lottery probability in the normal mode, the type of the set lottery probability may be reported by the present invention, or an error state or error content of the pachinko machine may be reported. Further, when it is detected that the player has committed fraud, that fact may be notified. 3) In the above-described embodiment, the position of the three-dimensional object in the three-dimensional space according to the passage of time is calculated, and an image obtained by viewing the three-dimensional object at each position from the viewpoint of the camera at the specific position is displayed on the LCD display 105. Display. Fix a three-dimensional object,
By rotating the viewpoint of the camera, the LCD display 105 can display a state in which the three-dimensional object rotates. In any case, the three-dimensional object is moved relatively to the camera viewpoint. 4) In the above-described embodiment, the position of the three-dimensional object is calculated every time. However, when the animation technique is used, data for displaying an animation corresponding to a game state is prepared on the character ROM 103 in advance. In addition, data for animation display may be appropriately selected according to the game state. Since software for creating a 3D animation is commercially available, animation data is created using commercially available software and is mounted on the character ROM 103. A program for displaying animation data is mounted on an image processing LSI. 5) It goes without saying that a single texture may be attached to a plurality of surfaces of the three-dimensional object. Further, the same texture may be attached to each of a plurality of surfaces. 6) In the above embodiment, a special design is taken as an example, but it goes without saying that the present invention may be applied to a normal design, other designs, characters, backgrounds and the like.

[0044]

As described above, according to the present invention, a plurality of movement patterns whose movement direction is determined by a rotation axis or the like are prepared, and these movement patterns are associated with the notification of the game state. Thereby, it is possible to report various kinds of information that have not been seen before, and it is possible to report information without interrupting the game.

Further, by selectively using a movement pattern for fixing the direction of the rotation axis and a movement pattern for changing the rotation axis with the passage of time, it is possible to clearly inform the player of the information.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide information that has not been available by changing the type and number of images to be attached to the outer surface of a three-dimensional object.
The three-dimensional object may be a polyhedral object or a planar object, and has the effect of improving the playability of the game by performing a moving display according to the shape of the three-dimensional object.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing the appearance of the front of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of a special symbol display device 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the shape and movement contents of a three-dimensional object.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a shape and a moving content of a three-dimensional object.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the shape and movement contents of a three-dimensional object.

FIGS. 6A and 6B are explanatory diagrams showing a shape and a moving content of a three-dimensional object.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the shape and movement details of a three-dimensional object.

FIGS. 8A and 8B are explanatory diagrams showing the shape and movement of a three-dimensional object.

FIGS. 9A and 9B are explanatory views showing the shape and movement contents of a three-dimensional object.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the shape and movement details of a three-dimensional object.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure of an image processing LSI.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1000 Special symbol display device 1001 Variable winning device 1002 Specific area 1003 Ordinary symbol display device 104 Image processing LSI 105 LCD display

Continued on the front page. (72) Inventor Kenichi Takano 2-3014-8 Hirosawacho, Kiryu-shi, Gunma 8 Heiwanai Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Mitsuo Nakajima 2-3014 Hirosawacho, Kiryu-shi, Gunma 8 Heiwauchi, Inc. (72) Inventor Takeaki Sueoka 8-3014 Hirosawa-cho, Kiryu-shi, Gunma 8 Heiwanai Co., Ltd. Person Yuki Matsumoto 2-3014, Hirosawa-cho, Kiryu-shi, Gunma 8 Heiwanai F-term (reference) 2C088 AA35

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A method of displaying an image of a gaming machine, in which a three-dimensional object in a virtual space is relatively moved with respect to a camera viewpoint, and the moving state is displayed on a display device. Data indicating a plurality of movement patterns of the three-dimensional object is stored in storage means in the gaming machine, and data of a movement pattern corresponding to a game state is read from the storage means, and based on the read data, the three-dimensional object is read. A game machine image display method characterized in that a game state is notified by moving and displaying a game state. 2. The image display method for a gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein the movement of the three-dimensional object is rotation about a rotation axis, wherein a plurality of rotation axes having different directions are predetermined, and An image display method for a gaming machine, wherein the plurality of movement patterns are determined by selectively using a rotation axis. 3. The image display method for a gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of movement patterns include a first rotation movement pattern and a second rotation movement pattern. The rotation axis of the three-dimensional object is fixed,
In the second rotation movement pattern, an image display method for a gaming machine, wherein a direction of a rotation axis of the three-dimensional object changes as time passes. 4. A method for displaying an image of a gaming machine, wherein a three-dimensional object in a virtual space having an image attached to an outer surface thereof is relatively moved with respect to a camera viewpoint, and the moving state is displayed on a display device. The data designating the surface on which the image of the three-dimensional object is to be pasted is stored in the storage means in the gaming machine in accordance with the gaming state of the machine, and the data corresponding to the gaming state is read from the storage means. An image display method for a gaming machine, wherein the type of a game state is notified by changing the number of images to be attached to the three-dimensional object based on data. 5. The image display method for a gaming machine according to claim 4, wherein a plurality of images to be pasted on said plane object are prepared, and said plurality of images are selectively used as time passes. An image display method for a gaming machine, comprising: 6. The image display method for a gaming machine according to claim 4, wherein said three-dimensional object is a planar object.