JP2011189066A - Game device, control method for game device, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a game device, a control method for a game device, and a program, which are capable of dealing with displacement in position of a player during gameplay. <P>SOLUTION: A position acquiring unit 82 acquires, from a position information generating unit, three-dimensional position information relating to a position of a player 100 in a three-dimensional space, the position information generating unit generating the three-dimensional position information based on a photographed image acquired from a photographing unit for photographing the player 100 and depth information relating to a distance between a measurement reference position of a depth measuring unit and the player 100. A determination unit 84 determines whether or not the position of the player 100 in the three-dimensional space is contained in a determination subject space. A game processing execution unit 86 executes game processing based on a result of the determination made by the determination unit. A determination subject space changing unit 88 changes, in a case where it is determined that the position of the player 100 in the three-dimensional space is not contained in the determination subject space, a position of the determination subject space based on the position of the player 100 in the three-dimensional space. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a game device, a game device control method, and a program.

  A game using an image obtained by photographing a player with a camera is known. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a technique that allows a player to understand a motion to be performed in a game by synthesizing an image obtained by shooting the player and a pre-stored reference game image and displaying them on a monitor. Yes.

JP 2005-287830 A

  In recent years, games using distance information (for example, the distance between a player and an infrared sensor) obtained using an infrared sensor in addition to an image obtained by photographing a player have been studied. For example, the position and action of the player can be determined based on the image of the player and the distance information.

  In such a game, the player moves the body and plays the game, so the player's standing position may shift and the player may collide with surrounding obstacles. Therefore, it is conceivable to narrow the shooting range of the camera so that the player does not go out of the predetermined range. However, in this case, the player is likely to go out of the shooting range, which may hinder the player's game play.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a game device, a game device control method, and a program capable of coping with a position shift of a player during game play. Is to provide.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, a game device according to the present invention is based on a captured image obtained from a photographing unit that photographs a player, and depth information related to a distance between the measurement reference position of the depth measuring unit and the player. Position acquisition means for acquiring the three-dimensional position information from position information generation means for generating three-dimensional position information relating to the position of the player in the three-dimensional space; and the position of the player in the three-dimensional space within the determination target space. The determination target space includes a determination unit that determines whether or not it is included, a game process execution unit that executes a game process based on a determination result of the determination unit, and a position of the player in the three-dimensional space. If it is determined that there is no determination target space, the position of the determination target space is changed based on the position of the player in the three-dimensional space. Characterized in that it comprises a changing means.

  Further, the control method of the game apparatus according to the present invention is based on a captured image obtained from a photographing unit that photographs a player, and depth information related to a distance between the measurement reference position of the depth measuring unit and the player. A position acquisition step of acquiring the three-dimensional position information from position information generating means for generating three-dimensional position information relating to the position of the player in the space; and whether the position of the player in the three-dimensional space is included in the determination target space A determination step for determining whether or not, a game process execution step for executing a game process based on a determination result of the determination means, and a determination that the position of the player in the three-dimensional space is not included in the determination target space A determination target that changes the position of the determination target space based on the position of the player in the three-dimensional space. Characterized in that it comprises a during changing step.

  In addition, the program according to the present invention is based on a captured image obtained from a photographing unit that photographs a player, and depth information related to a distance between the measurement reference position of the depth measuring unit and the player, and the player in a three-dimensional space. A position acquisition unit that acquires the three-dimensional position information from a position information generation unit that generates three-dimensional position information relating to the position of the player, and determines whether the position of the player in the three-dimensional space is included in the determination target space Determining means, game processing executing means for executing a game process based on a determination result of the determining means, and determining that the position of the player in the three-dimensional space is not included in the determination target space; A determination target space changing means for changing a position of the determination target space based on the position of the player in the space; Causing a computer to function as.

  An information storage medium according to the present invention is a computer-readable information storage medium recording the above program.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, it becomes possible to cope with the position shift of the player during game play.

  In one aspect of the present invention, the determination target space changing means determines whether or not a state in which the position of the player in the three-dimensional space is not included in the determination target space has continued for a reference period. And means for changing the position of the determination target space when a state in which the position of the player in the three-dimensional space is not included in the determination target space continues for the reference period. To do.

  Moreover, in one aspect of the present invention, the display control unit includes a display control unit that causes a display unit to display a game screen including a game character and a region of interest set to be lighter than other regions. And means for controlling a positional relationship between the display position of the game character and the display position of the attention area based on the positional relationship between the position of the player and the determination target space in the three-dimensional space. To do.

  Further, according to an aspect of the present invention, the display control unit includes a display unit that causes a display unit to display a game screen including the first game character and the second game character, and the display control unit includes: And means for controlling a positional relationship between the display position and the display position of the second game character based on the positional relationship between the position of the player and the determination target space in the three-dimensional space. .

It is a figure which shows the positional relationship of a position detection apparatus, a game device, and a player. It is a figure which shows an example of the picked-up image produced | generated by a CCD camera. It is a figure for demonstrating the measuring method of the depth of the player by an infrared sensor. It is a figure which shows an example of the depth image obtained by an infrared sensor. It is a figure which shows an example of the three-dimensional position information produced | generated by a position detection apparatus. It is a figure which shows the position of the player specified by three-dimensional position information. It is a figure which shows the space image | photographed by a position detection apparatus. It is a figure which shows an example of the game screen displayed in a game device. It is a figure which shows an example of the game screen displayed in a game device, when a player goes out of determination object space. It is the figure which looked at the position detection apparatus and the player from the Xw-Zw plane. It is an example of the game screen displayed when a player leaves | separates from the determination object space. It is the figure which looked at the position detection apparatus and the player from the Xw-Yw plane. It is an example of the game screen displayed when a player leaves | separates from the determination object space. It is a figure which shows the hardware constitutions of a position detection apparatus. It is a figure which shows the hardware constitutions of a game device. It is a functional block diagram which shows the function group implement | achieved in a game device. It is a figure showing an example of standard operation information. It is a figure which shows an example of operation | movement determination reference | standard information. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the process performed in a game device. It is a figure which shows the changed determination object space. It is a figure which shows the case where the display position of the image contained in a game screen is changed. It is a figure which shows another example of a game screen. It is a figure which shows an example of a game screen. It is a figure which shows an example of a game screen. It is a figure which shows the case where the display position of the image contained in a game screen is changed.

[1. Embodiment 1]
Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings. The game device according to the embodiment of the present invention is realized by, for example, a home game machine (stationary game machine), a portable game machine, a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a personal computer, or the like. Here, a case where the game device according to the embodiment of the present invention is realized by a consumer game machine will be described.

[1-1. Overall overview]
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a positional relationship among the position detection device 1, the game device 20, and the player 100. As shown in FIG. 1, the player 100 is located in front of the position detection device 1, for example. The position detection device 1 and the game device 20 are connected so that data communication is possible. The player 100 plays a game in a living room where the furniture F is arranged, for example.

  The position detection device 1 generates information regarding the position of the player 100 based on an image obtained by photographing the player 100 and information regarding the distance between the position detection device 1 and the player 100. For example, the position detection device 1 detects three-dimensional coordinates corresponding to each of a plurality of parts (for example, a head and a shoulder) constituting the body of the player 100.

  The game apparatus 20 acquires information regarding the position of the player 100 from the position detection apparatus 1. For example, the game device 20 acquires three-dimensional coordinates indicating the standing position of the player 100 in the three-dimensional space from the position detection device 1. The game apparatus 20 controls the game based on the change in the three-dimensional coordinates.

  The change in the three-dimensional coordinates corresponding to the player 100 corresponds to the action of the player 100. For example, when the player 100 moves up the right hand, the three-dimensional coordinates corresponding to the right elbow and right hand of the player 100 mainly change.

[1-2. Operation of position detection device]
Next, a process in which the position detection device 1 generates information (three-dimensional position information) regarding the position of the player 100 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the position detection device 1 includes, for example, a CCD camera 2, an infrared sensor 3, a microphone 4 including a plurality of microphones, and the like. In the present embodiment, three-dimensional position information of the player 100 is generated based on information obtained from the CCD camera 2 and the infrared sensor 3.

  The CCD camera 2 is a known camera equipped with a CCD image sensor. The CCD camera 2 photographs the player 100. For example, the CCD camera 2 generates a still image (for example, an RGB digital image) obtained by capturing the player 100 at a predetermined time (for example, every 1/60 seconds). Hereinafter, a still image generated by the CCD camera 2 is referred to as a captured image. The captured image includes an object arranged in the field of view corresponding to the CCD camera 2.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a captured image generated by the CCD camera 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the photographed image includes, for example, a player 100. Although omitted in FIG. 2 for simplification of explanation, when the furniture F, the floor or wall of the living room are included in the field of view of the CCD camera 2, these are included in the captured image.

  An Xs axis and a Ys axis that are orthogonal to each other are set in the captured image. For example, the upper left of the photographed image is the origin Os (0, 0). In addition, for example, the lower right corner of the captured image is set as coordinates Pmax (Xmax, Ymax). The position of each pixel corresponding to the captured image is specified by two-dimensional coordinates (Xs-Ys coordinates) assigned to each pixel.

  The infrared sensor 3 includes, for example, an infrared light emitting element and an infrared light receiving element (for example, an infrared diode). The infrared sensor 3 detects reflected light obtained by irradiating infrared light. The infrared sensor 3 measures the depth of the subject (for example, the player 100) based on the detection result of the reflected light.

  The depth of the subject is a distance interval between the measurement reference position (for example, the position of the infrared light receiving element of the infrared sensor 3) and the position of the subject. The measurement reference position is a position serving as a reference when measuring the depth (depth) of the position of the player 100. The measurement reference position may be a predetermined position associated with the position of the position detection device 1. The infrared sensor 3 measures the depth of the player 100 based on, for example, a flight time (TOF: Time of Flight) from when the infrared light is irradiated until the reflected light is received.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a method of measuring the depth of the player 100 by the infrared sensor 3. As shown in FIG. 3, pulsed infrared light is emitted from the infrared sensor 3 at a predetermined interval. Infrared light emitted from the infrared sensor 3 spreads in a spherical shape with the light emission position of the infrared sensor 3 as a center point.

  For example, the infrared light emitted from the infrared sensor 3 strikes the surface of the body of the player 100 or another object (for example, furniture F or a wall) disposed in the living room. Infrared light hitting these surfaces is reflected. The reflected infrared light is detected by the infrared light receiving element of the infrared sensor 3. That is, the infrared sensor 3 detects reflected light whose phase is inverted by 180 degrees with respect to the irradiated infrared ray.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 3, when the player 100 projects both hands forward, the projected both hands are closer to the infrared sensor 3 than the body of the player 100. That is, the flight time of the infrared light reflected by both hands of the player 100 is shorter than the flight time of the infrared light reflected by the player's 100 body.

  The value obtained by multiplying the time from when the infrared sensor 3 irradiates the infrared light to the time when the reflected light is detected (that is, the flight time) and the speed of the infrared rays and dividing the result by the half is the measurement reference position and the player 100. Is equivalent to the distance interval (ie, depth). In this way, the infrared sensor 3 can measure the depth of the player 100.

  The infrared sensor 3 can also detect the contour of the subject (player 100) by detecting the depth difference obtained from the reflected infrared light.

  Specifically, as described above, the fact that the infrared sensor 3 receives the reflected light of the infrared light means that an object is disposed at this place. If no other object is arranged behind this object, the depth difference between this object and the surroundings of this object will be large. That is, for example, the depth difference between the depth obtained by reflecting infrared light on the player 100 and the depth obtained by reflecting infrared light on the wall behind the player 100 is large, so the depth difference is larger than a predetermined value. It is possible to detect the contour of the object by connecting large portions.

  The method for detecting the contour of the object is not limited to the above example. In addition, for example, the contour may be detected based on the luminance of each pixel of the captured image obtained by the CCD camera 2. Also in this case, for example, the contour of the object can be detected by connecting portions having a large luminance difference between pixels.

  The light returning to the infrared sensor 3 may be subjected to a predetermined filtering process. That is, only the reflected light corresponding to the infrared light emitted from the infrared sensor 3 may be detected by the light detection sensor so that the noise is reduced.

  Information (depth information) relating to the depth of the player 100 detected as described above is expressed as a depth image, for example. In the present embodiment, an example will be described in which depth information is expressed as a grayscale depth image (for example, 256-bit grayscale image data).

  FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a depth image obtained by the infrared sensor 3. As shown in FIG. 4, for example, an object close to the infrared sensor 3 is expressed bright (high brightness), and a distant object is expressed dark (low brightness). For example, when the depth image is represented as 256-bit grayscale image data, the depth of the player 100 corresponds to the luminance (pixel value) of the depth image. That is, for example, every time the depth of the player 100 is different by 2 cm, the depth image is different by 1 bit. In this case, the infrared sensor 3 indicates that the depth of the subject can be detected in units of 2 cm.

  As shown in FIG. 3, when the player 100 projects both hands, the projected both hands are closer to the infrared sensor 3 than the body of the player 100. That is, the depth of both hands of the player 100 is smaller than that of the trunk. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, the pixels corresponding to both hands of the player 100 are expressed brighter (higher brightness) than the pixels corresponding to the torso.

  In the present embodiment, the infrared sensor 3 generates a depth image every predetermined time (for example, every 1/60 seconds) as in the CCD camera 2. Based on the captured image obtained by the CCD camera 2 and the depth image obtained by the infrared sensor 3, three-dimensional position information relating to the position of the player 100 is generated.

  For example, a composite image (RGBD data) in which depth information (D: Depth) indicated by the depth image is added to a captured image (RGB data) obtained by the CCD camera 2 is generated. That is, the composite image includes color information (RGB brightness) and depth information for each pixel.

  When a composite image is generated, at least one position of the captured image and the depth image is corrected based on the position interval between the CCD camera 2 and the infrared sensor 3. For example, when the CCD camera 2 and the infrared sensor 3 are separated from each other by 2 cm in the horizontal direction, the position is corrected by moving the coordinates of each pixel of the depth image by the number of pixels corresponding to 2 cm.

  Three-dimensional position information is generated based on this synthesized image. In the present embodiment, an example in which the three-dimensional position information is three-dimensional coordinates corresponding to each part of the body of the player 100 (for example, the head and the shoulder) will be described.

  Specifically, for example, the three-dimensional position information is generated as follows.

  First, as described above, pixels corresponding to the contour of the player 100 are specified based on the depth image. Pixels surrounded by the contour of the player 100 are pixels corresponding to the body of the player 100.

  Next, color information (RGB brightness) of pixels surrounded by the above-described outline in the captured image is referred to. Based on the color information of the captured image, pixels corresponding to each part of the body of the player 100 are specified. As this specifying method, for example, a known method such as a pattern matching method for extracting an object (that is, each part of the body of the player 100) from an image by comparison with a comparison image (teacher image) can be applied. is there.

  In addition, for example, a velocity vector of each part of the body is calculated from a change in color information of each pixel of the captured image, and each pixel is calculated based on an optical flow (for example, gradient method or filtering method) representing the motion of the object. A motion vector may be detected, and pixels corresponding to the position of the head of the player 100, the position of both elbows, and the like may be specified.

  Based on the pixel values (RGBD values) of the pixels specified as described above, three-dimensional coordinates such as the head and both elbows of the player 100 are calculated. For example, a three-dimensional coordinate is generated by performing a predetermined matrix conversion process on the pixel value. This line example conversion process is executed by, for example, line example calculation similar to the conversion process of two coordinate systems of world coordinates-screen coordinates in 3D graphics. That is, the RGB value indicating the color information of the pixel and the D value indicating the depth are substituted into a predetermined determinant, whereby the three-dimensional coordinates of the pixel are calculated. That is, the three-dimensional coordinates of each part of the player 100 are calculated.

  A known method can be applied to the method for calculating the three-dimensional coordinates corresponding to the pixel from the pixel value (RGBD value), and this calculation method is not limited to the above example. In addition, for example, coordinate conversion may be performed using a lookup table.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of three-dimensional position information generated by the position detection device 1. As shown in FIG. 5, the three-dimensional position information is stored in association with, for example, each part of the player 100 and three-dimensional coordinates.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the position of the player 100 specified by the three-dimensional position information. In the present embodiment, for example, a predetermined position (for example, a measurement reference position) corresponding to the position detection device 1 is set as the origin Ow. For example, the origin Ow is a three-dimensional coordinate corresponding to the measurement reference position of the infrared sensor 3. Note that the position of the origin Ow may be set anywhere in the three-dimensional space where the player 100 is located. For example, a three-dimensional coordinate corresponding to the origin Os of the captured image may be set as the origin Ow.

  As shown in FIG. 6, in this embodiment, for example, the head P1, neck P2, right shoulder P3, left shoulder P4, right elbow P5, left elbow P6, right hand P7, left hand P8, chest P9, waist P10 of the player 100, An example will be described in which three-dimensional coordinates corresponding to the right knee P11, the left knee P12, the right heel P13, the left heel P14, the right toe P15, and the left toe P16 are acquired as three-dimensional position information.

  Note that the body part of the player 100 indicated by the three-dimensional position information may be a predetermined part of the player's skeleton. For example, this part may be any part of the body that can be specified by the pattern matching method described above.

  In the present embodiment, as described above, the three-dimensional position information is generated at predetermined intervals (for example, every 1/60 seconds) based on captured images and depth images generated at predetermined intervals. The generated three-dimensional position information is transmitted from the position detection device 1 to the game device 20 every predetermined time.

  The game device 20 receives the three-dimensional position information transmitted from the position detection device 1, and grasps the position of the body of the player 100 based on the three-dimensional position information. In other words, when the player 100 performs an action of dancing or kicking the ball, the three-dimensional position information changes so as to correspond to this action. Based on the change of the three-dimensional position information, the game apparatus 20 changes the movement of the player. To grasp. Although details will be described later, the game apparatus 20 grasps the movement of the player's body based on the three-dimensional position information and executes the game.

  Next, a space where the position detection device 1 can detect the player 100 (hereinafter referred to as a detectable space 60) will be described.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a space photographed by the position detection device 1. As shown in FIG. 7, the detectable space 60 (the space surrounded by the broken line in FIG. 7) is, for example, a predetermined space within the field of view of the CCD camera 2. The visual field of the CCD camera 2 is determined based on, for example, the viewing direction and the angle of view of the CCD camera 2.

  The detectable space 60 is a space in which the player 100 can be accurately captured in a space photographed by the position detection device 1 (that is, a space in the field of view).

  For example, when the distance between the position detection device 1 and the player 100 is too short (for example, within 1 meter), the position detection device 1 cannot capture the whole body of the player 100. In this case, if, for example, the head or foot of the player 100 is not included in the captured image (FIG. 2), the position detection device 1 cannot acquire accurate three-dimensional position information. Therefore, even if the space is in the field of view of the CCD camera 2, a space that is relatively close to the position detection device 1 is not included in the detectable space 60.

  In addition, for example, when the distance between the position detection device 1 and the player 100 is too long (for example, 5 meters or more), the position detection device 1 cannot detect reflected light because infrared rays are attenuated. In this case, the position detection device 1 cannot acquire accurate depth information. Therefore, even in the space within the field of view of the CCD camera 2, a space that is relatively far from the position detection device 1 is not included in the detectable space 60.

  Further, for example, when the standing position of the player 100 is shifted in the horizontal direction (for example, the Yw axis direction), the position detection device 1 cannot capture the whole body of the player 100. In this case, the right half and the left half of the player 100 are cut off from the captured image (FIG. 2), and the position detection device 1 cannot acquire accurate three-dimensional position information. Therefore, even if the space is in the field of view of the CCD camera 2, the space close to both ends in the horizontal direction is not included in the detectable space 60.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the detectable space 60 is, for example, a space obtained by removing each of the above spaces from the space in the field of view of the CCD camera 2. That is, the detectable space 60 is a space in which the position detection device 1 can generate accurate three-dimensional position information when the player 100 stands inside. The size (volume), shape, and position of the detectable space 60 may be determined in advance by the game creator, for example, or may be changed according to the situation of the room in which the position detection device 1 is installed. Also good.

  In the present embodiment, the determination target space 70 is set inside the detectable space 60. As shown in FIG. 7, for example, the determination target space 70 is set at a predetermined position inside the detectable space 60 corresponding to the position detection device 1. Further, the determination target space 70 includes a representative point 71 for specifying a position where the determination target space 70 is to be arranged.

  The determination target space 70 is for defining a space in which the player 100 should be. The width (volume) and shape of the determination target space 70 may be determined in advance by the game creator, for example. On the other hand, the position of the determination target space 70 is changed depending on the position of the player 100, for example, as will be described in detail later.

  Here, the significance of the determination target space 70 shown in FIG. 7 will be described. As described above, in the case where the player 100 is in the detectable space 60, the game apparatus 20 can detect the action of the player 100 in principle.

  However, the player 100 may not be able to move freely in the detectable space 60. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the player 100 plays a game in a living room at home or the like.

  As shown in FIG. 1, furniture F such as a desk and a chair, a wall of the living room, and the like are arranged in the living room. In addition, there may be other players 100 and people watching the game in the living room. That is, when the player 100 actually plays a game, various obstacles are often arranged in the detectable space 60. In such a case, the player can freely move in the detectable space 60. I can't move.

  In addition, when the player 100 is absorbed in game play, the player 100 may not be aware of the presence of surrounding obstacles. That is, there is a possibility that the player 100 moves his body despite the obstacle and hits the obstacle. Further, when a plurality of players 100 play at the same time, they move each other and play a game, so that these players 100 may collide with each other.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, the determination target space 70 is set inside the detectable space 60, and the game is played by the player in the determination target space 70. In other words, as long as the player 100 plays the game in the determination target space 70, the possibility that the player 100 hits another player 100 or an obstacle can be reduced. Therefore, the determination target space 70 plays a role of guiding the player 100 in a safe space with a low possibility of hitting an obstacle.

  The player 100 usually starts the game play after keeping the surrounding furniture F away from his standing position and confirming the safety of the surroundings. Therefore, the position of the determination target space 70 is determined based on, for example, the position of the player 100 at the start of the game (or immediately before or after the start of the game). For example, the position of the determination target space 70 is set so as to include a place where the player 100 is standing at the start of the game (or immediately before or after the start of the game).

  If the player 100 stays inside the determination target space 70 set in this way, there is a high possibility that there are no obstacles such as a desk or chair around, so the player 100 can play the game more safely. it can.

  The method for setting the position of the determination target space 70 is not limited to the above example. For example, the extension in the line-of-sight direction of the CCD camera 2 may be set as the initial position of the determination target space 70. In this case, the game can be played with the player 100 standing at a position facing the position detection device 1 (for example, a position near the center of the television).

  In the example described above, one player 100 is used, but there may be a plurality of players 100 who play the game. When there are a plurality of players 100, three-dimensional position information of each player 100 is generated by the same processing as described above. That is, based on the number of contours of the player 100, the position detection device 1 can grasp the number of players 100. By performing the same processing as described above on the pixels corresponding to each of the plurality of players 100, the three-dimensional position information of the plurality of players 100 can be generated.

  Further, when recognizing the player 100 from the photographed image photographed by the position detection device 1, an object having a predetermined height (for example, 1 meter) or less may be excluded. That is, if the player 100 is sitting on the floor and the sitting height is equal to or lower than a predetermined height, the player 100 may not be detected accurately. In this case, the player 100 is not detected. It may be.

  Thus, the game is executed based on the three-dimensional position information of the player 100 in the determination target space 70. Hereinafter, an example of this game will be described.

[1-3. Game executed on game device]
In the present embodiment, an example will be described in which the game apparatus 20 executes a dance game by grasping the standing position and motion of the player based on the three-dimensional position information.

  For example, the game apparatus 20 executes a game in which the player 100 dances in accordance with the movement of the game character included in the game screen 50. In this game, for example, the player 100 is desired to play the game without moving from a predetermined standing position. Therefore, according to the game screen 50 displayed in the present embodiment, it is possible to guide the player 100 to return to the determination target space 70 when the player 100 leaves the determination target space 70.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of the game screen 50 displayed on the game apparatus 20. As shown in FIG. 8, the game screen 50 includes, for example, a game character 51, a spotlight 52, a spotlight area 53 that is an area illuminated by the spotlight 52, and a message 54. In the game in the present embodiment, as a rule, the game character 51 dances standing in the spotlight region 53 (attention region).

  The brightness (brightness) of the spotlight region 53 is higher (brighter) than the brightness of other regions. On the other hand, the brightness of the area outside the spotlight area 53 is lower (darker) than the brightness of the spotlight area 53. That is, when the game character 51 moves out of the spotlight area 53, the game character 51 becomes difficult to see.

  The game character 51 moves each part of the body and plays a role of guiding a dance motion to be performed by the player 100. The player 100 dances in front of the position detection device 1 according to the movement of the body of the game character 51.

  For example, when the game character 51 steps forward with the right foot, the player 100 similarly steps forward with the right foot. Further, for example, when the game character 51 raises the left hand, the player 100 similarly raises the left hand. When the player 100 can move the body in accordance with the action of the game character 51, for example, a message 54 such as “GOOD” is displayed on the game screen 50.

  When the player 100 protrudes from the determination target space 70, a message 54 indicating that is displayed on the game screen 50.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of the game screen 50 displayed on the game device 20 when the player 100 protrudes from the determination target space 70. As shown in FIG. 9, for example, a message 54 such as “CAUTION” is displayed on the game screen 50. That is, since the player 100 has gone out of the relatively safe determination target space 70, the message 54 that calls attention is displayed.

  At this time, the display position of the spotlight region 53 may correspond to the determination target space 70 of the position detection device 1. Hereinafter, this example will be described. That is, when the player 100 is inside the determination target space 70, the game character 51 is placed at a position with high brightness. That is, in this case, the game character 51 is placed on the spotlight region 53.

  On the other hand, when the player 100 protrudes from the determination target space 70, the game character 51 is placed at a low lightness position. That is, in this case, the game character 51 is arranged on an area outside the spotlight area 53.

  FIG. 10 is a diagram of the position detection device 1 and the player 100 viewed from the Xw-Zw plane (that is, from the side). FIG. 10 shows a case where the player 100 moves backward while dancing. As shown in FIG. 10, the player 100 has moved out of the determination target space 70 due to the backward movement.

  If the player 100 plays the game without noticing it as it is, there is a possibility of hitting furniture such as a sofa behind the player 100. Therefore, a game screen 50 that guides the player 100 to move forward and return to the inside of the determination target space 70 is displayed.

  FIG. 11 is an example of the game screen 50 that is displayed when the player 100 leaves the determination target space 70. The game screen 50 of FIG. 11 is displayed when the player 100 is standing at the position of FIG. As shown in FIG. 11, the game character 51 is displayed in an area outside the spotlight area 53 (for example, a predetermined position at the rear). As described above, the brightness outside the spotlight area 53 is set low.

  That is, since the game character 51 is displayed in a relatively dark region, the player 100 is difficult to see the game character 51. In such a case, it is conceivable that the player 100 moves forward so as to move the game character 51 to the bright and easy-to-see spotlight region 53. That is, when the player 100 moves out of the determination target space 70 as viewed from the position detection device 1, the player 100 is moved toward the determination target space 70 by moving the position of the game character 51 out of the spotlight region 53. Can be guided to move.

  FIG. 12 is a view of the position detection device 1 and the player 100 viewed from the Xw-Yw plane (that is, from above). FIG. 12 shows a case where the player 100 dances and moves in the horizontal direction (for example, the Yw axis direction). As shown in FIG. 12, for example, the player 100 is displaced in the horizontal direction and is out of the determination target space 70.

  FIG. 13 is an example of the game screen 50 that is displayed when the player 100 leaves the determination target space 70. The game screen 50 shown in FIG. 13 is displayed when the player 100 is standing at the position shown in FIG.

  That is, since the game character 51 is displayed in a relatively dark region, the player 100 is difficult to see the game character 51. The player 100 moves the game character 51 to the left side so as to move it to a bright and easy-to-see spotlight region 53. That is, when the player 100 moves behind the determination target space 70, the player 100 can be guided to move toward the determination target space 70.

  As described above, for example, in a dance game in which the player 100 dances in accordance with the movement of the game character 51, the standing position of the player 100 may gradually change during game play. That is, even if the player 100 confirms the safety of the surroundings at the start of the game, the player 100 may approach an obstacle if he / she is enthusiastic about the game. Therefore, the game apparatus 20 can guide the standing position to the player 100 by setting the determination target space 70 for guiding the standing position of the player 100.

  By the way, when the player 100 goes out of the determination target space 70, as shown in FIG. 11 or FIG. 13, if the position of the game character 51 is moved out of the spotlight area 53, the game character 51 becomes difficult to see. It is true that the player 100 can be guided to a safe position, but in reality, there are cases where no obstacle is arranged in an area outside the determination target space 70. That is, by fixing the determination target space 70 at the initial position, there is a possibility that the player 100 becomes difficult to play the game. In the following, detailed processing for a technique that also solves this inconvenience will be described.

  First, the configuration of the position detection device 1 and the game device 20 will be described in detail.

[1-4. Configuration of position detection device]
FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the position detection device 1. As illustrated in FIG. 14, the position detection device 1 includes a microprocessor 10, a storage unit 11, a photographing unit 12, a depth measurement unit 13, a sound processing unit 14, and a communication interface unit 15. Each component of the position detection apparatus 1 is connected by a bus 16 so that data can be transmitted and received.

  The microprocessor 10 controls each unit of the position detection device 1 based on an operating system and various programs stored in the storage unit 11.

  The storage unit 11 stores an operating system, a shooting unit 12, a program for operating the depth measurement unit 13, and various parameters. In addition, the storage unit 11 stores a program for generating three-dimensional position information based on the captured image and the depth image.

  The photographing unit 12 includes a CCD camera 2 and the like. The imaging unit 12 generates a captured image of the player 100, for example.

  The depth measurement unit 13 includes the infrared sensor 3 and the like. For example, the depth measurement unit 13 generates a depth image based on the flight time obtained by the infrared sensor 3.

  As described above, the microprocessor 10 generates the three-dimensional position information based on the captured image generated by the imaging unit 12 and the depth image generated by the depth measurement unit 13. The microprocessor 10 specifies the position of the pixel corresponding to each part (for example, the head P1 to the left toe P16) of the player 100 based on the captured image.

  Next, the microprocessor 10 calculates a three-dimensional coordinate by executing a coordinate conversion process based on the RGBD value of the specified pixel. This coordinate conversion process is a process based on a matrix operation as described above. Through a series of these processes, the three-dimensional position information (FIG. 5) is generated every predetermined time (for example, every 1/60 seconds).

  The audio processing unit 14 includes a microphone 4 and the like. For example, the sound processing unit 14 can specify the position where the player 100 has made a sound based on the sound shift time detected based on a plurality of microphones (for example, three). Further, as the microphone 4 of the audio processing unit 14, a unidirectional microphone that detects sound from a sound source in the line-of-sight direction of the CCD camera 2 can be applied.

  The communication interface unit 15 is an interface for transmitting various data such as three-dimensional position information to the game apparatus 20.

[1-5. Configuration of game device]
FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the game apparatus 20. As shown in FIG. 15, the game device 20 according to the present embodiment includes a consumer game machine 21, a display unit 40, an audio output unit 41, an optical disc 42, and a memory card 43. The display unit 40 and the audio output unit 41 are connected to the consumer game machine 21. For example, a home television receiver is used as the display unit 40. For example, a speaker built in a home television receiver is used as the audio output unit 41.

  The optical disk 42 and the memory card 43 are information storage media and are attached to the consumer game machine 21.

  The home game machine 21 is a known computer game system. As shown in FIG. 15, the consumer game machine 21 includes a bus 22, a microprocessor 23, a main memory 24, an image processing unit 25, an audio processing unit 26, an optical disk reproducing unit 27, a memory card slot 28, a communication interface (I / I). F) 29, a controller interface (I / F) 30, and a controller 31. Components other than the controller 31 are accommodated in the housing of the consumer game machine 21.

  The bus 22 is used for exchanging addresses and data among the units constituting the consumer game machine 21. That is, the microprocessor 23, the main memory 24, the image processing unit 25, the audio processing unit 26, the optical disk reproducing unit 27, the memory card slot 28, the communication interface 29, and the controller interface 30 are connected to each other via the bus 22 so that mutual data communication is possible. The

  The microprocessor 23 executes various types of information processing based on an operating system stored in a ROM (not shown) and a program read from the optical disk 42 or the memory card 43.

  The main memory 24 includes a RAM, for example. A program and data read from the optical disk 42 or the memory card 43 are written in the main memory 24 as necessary. The main memory 24 is also used for work of the microprocessor 23.

  The main memory 24 stores three-dimensional position information received from the position detection device 1 every predetermined time. The microprocessor 23 controls the game based on the three-dimensional position information stored in the main memory 24.

  The image processing unit 25 includes a VRAM. The image processing unit 25 draws the game screen 50 on the VRAM based on the image data transmitted from the microprocessor 23. The image processing unit 25 converts the game screen 50 into a video signal and outputs it to the display unit 40 at a predetermined timing.

  The audio processing unit 26 includes a sound buffer. The audio processing unit 26 outputs various audio data (game music, game sound effects, messages, etc.) read from the optical disc 42 to the sound buffer from the audio output unit 41.

  The optical disc playback unit 27 reads programs and data recorded on the optical disc 42. In the present embodiment, an example in which the optical disk 42 is used to supply programs and data to the consumer game machine 21 will be described. However, for example, other information storage media (for example, a memory card 43) are used. You may make it use. Further, a program or data may be supplied to the consumer game machine 21 via a data communication network such as the Internet.

  The memory card slot 28 is an interface for mounting the memory card 43. The memory card 43 includes a nonvolatile memory (for example, an EEPROM). The memory card 43 stores various game data such as save data, for example.

  The communication interface 29 is an interface for communication connection to a communication network such as the Internet.

  The controller interface 30 is an interface for wireless connection or wired connection with the controller 31. As the controller interface 30, for example, an interface conforming to the Bluetooth (registered trademark) interface standard is applied. The controller interface 30 may be an interface for connecting the controller 31 by wire.

[1-6. Functions realized with game devices]
FIG. 16 is a functional block diagram showing a functional group realized in the game apparatus 20. As shown in FIG. 16, in the game apparatus 20, a game data storage unit 80, a position acquisition unit 82, a determination unit 84, a game process execution unit 86, a determination target space change unit 88, and a display control unit 90 are realized. These functions are realized by the microprocessor 23 operating in accordance with a program read from the optical disc 42.

[1-6-1. Game data storage unit]
The game data storage unit 80 is realized mainly using the main memory 24 and the memory card 43. The game data storage unit 80 stores information necessary for executing the game. For example, the game data storage unit 80 stores animation information indicating how the game character 51 moves its body.

  Further, for example, the game data storage unit 80 stores reference action information for identifying an action to be performed by the player 100.

FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating an example of the reference motion information. As shown in FIG. 17, the reference motion information stores time information indicating the timing at which an action should be performed and information for identifying an action to be performed by the player 100. The time information indicates, for example, an elapsed time since the game was started. In the data storage example shown in FIG. 17, for example, at time t _1, it is indicated that the player 100 should move the right foot forward.

As described above, the game character 51, so serve to guide the operation to the player 100 performs, when the time t ₁ visits, the game character 51 performs an operation such as out before the right leg. The animation information is created so as to correspond to the reference motion information shown in FIG. That is, every time the time indicated by the time information stored in the reference action information arrives, the game character 51 performs a predetermined animation action based on the animation information.

  Further, for example, the game data storage unit 80 stores motion determination reference information that is a condition for determining the motion of the player based on the three-dimensional position information.

  FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating an example of the operation determination criterion information. As illustrated in FIG. 18, for example, information for identifying the movement of the body of the player 100 and a determination criterion to be satisfied by the three-dimensional position information are stored in the motion determination reference information in association with each other. The determination criterion is, for example, the change amount, change direction, change speed, etc. of the three-dimensional coordinates of each part of the player 100. That is, for example, the determination criterion is a condition that the motion vector (three-dimensional vector) of each part of the player 100 should satisfy.

  When the movement of the body stored in the motion determination reference information is “pull out the right foot”, for example, conditions corresponding to the change amount, change direction, and change speed of the three-dimensional coordinates of the right heel P13 and the right toe P15 Is associated with this body movement. In this case, if the change amount, change direction, and change speed of the three-dimensional coordinates of the right heel P13 and the right toe P15 satisfy the conditions stored in the action determination reference information, it is determined that the player 100 has moved the right foot forward. Is done.

  Similarly for other actions of the player 100 (for example, punching with the right hand), the player 100 is based on whether or not the three-dimensional coordinates indicated by the three-dimensional position information satisfy the conditions stored in the action determination reference information. Is determined. In other words, in the present embodiment, the determination criterion information stores information for determining the dance of the player 100. Note that the determination criterion information may be stored in a ROM or the like (not shown) of the game apparatus 20.

  The game data storage unit 80 stores determination target space information for specifying the determination target space 70, for example. For example, when the shape of the determination target space 70 is a square frustum as shown in FIG. 7, information indicating the length of each side of the determination target space 70 and the position of the representative point 71 is stored. That is, the position of the determination target space 70 is specified based on these pieces of information. Further, the length of each side of the determination target space 70 may be a predetermined value.

  For example, when the player 100 starts the game, the initial position of the representative point 71 is determined. For example, the position of the determination target space 70 is determined so as to include the position of the player 100 when the game is started. That is, for example, the representative point 71 is determined so as to correspond to the standing position of the player 100 at the start of the game. In addition, for example, the representative point 71 may be a point on the line of sight of the CCD camera 2.

  The information that can be the determination target space information is not limited to the above example. The determination target space information may be information that can specify the position and size of the determination target space 70. For example, when the shape of the determination target space 70 is a square pyramid, the determination target space information includes information indicating the upper left vertex and the lower right vertex of the upper surface of the determination target space 70, and the upper left vertex and the lower right vertex of the lower surface, Information indicating the representative point 71 may also be used.

  Further, the game data storage unit 80 stores information for specifying the detectable space 60. This information may be any information that can specify the position and size of the detectable space 60 as in the determination target space information.

[1-6-2. Position acquisition unit]
The position acquisition unit 82 is realized mainly by the microprocessor 23. The position acquisition unit 82 is a captured image obtained from a position detection device (imaging unit 12) that captures the player 100, depth information regarding a distance between the measurement reference position of the depth measurement unit (depth measurement unit 13) and the player 100, and 3D position information (FIG. 5) is acquired from position information generating means (microprocessor 10) that generates 3D position information related to the position of the player 100 in the 3D space.

  In the present embodiment, the position acquisition unit 82 acquires three-dimensional position information generated by the microprocessor 10 (position information generation means) of the position detection device 1.

[1-6-3. Judgment unit]
The determination unit 84 is realized mainly by the microprocessor 23. The determination unit 84 determines whether or not the position of the player 100 in the three-dimensional space is included in the determination target space 70. For example, when any one of the three-dimensional coordinates included in the three-dimensional position information is not included in the determination target space 70, the position of the player corresponding to the three-dimensional position information is determined by the position detection device 1. It is determined that it is not included in the space 70.

  In addition, the determination method by the determination part 84 should just be a method based on the three-dimensional position information and the determination object space 70, and the determination method of the determination part 84 is not restricted to this. For example, when three-dimensional coordinates corresponding to a plurality (for example, three) of a plurality of parts (for example, sixteen) of the player 100 indicated by the three-dimensional position information are outside the determination target space 70, the player It may be determined that 100 positions are not included in the determination target space 70.

[1-6-4. Game processing execution unit]
The game process execution unit 86 is realized mainly by the microprocessor 23. The game process execution unit 86 executes the game process based on the determination result of the determination unit 84. Details of the operation of the game process execution unit 86 will be described later (see S105, S106, and S108 in FIG. 19).

[1-6-5. Judgment target space change part]
The determination target space changing unit 88 is realized mainly by the microprocessor 23. When it is determined that the position of the player 100 in the three-dimensional space is not included in the determination target space 70, the determination target space changing unit 88 determines the position of the determination target space 70 based on the position of the player 100 in the three-dimensional space. To change. Details of the operation of the determination target space changing unit 88 will be described later (see S108 and S109 in FIG. 19).

[1-6-6. Display control unit]
The display control unit 90 is realized mainly by the microprocessor 23. The display control unit 90 displays the game screen 50 on the display unit 40. In the present embodiment, the display control unit 90 displays a game screen 50 including the game character 51 and a region of interest (spotlight region 53) set to a higher brightness than other regions. ).

  Further, the display control unit 90 controls means for controlling the positional relationship between the display position of the game character 51 and the display position of the attention area based on the positional relationship between the position of the player 100 and the determination target space 70 in the three-dimensional space. Including. Details of the operation of the display control unit 90 will be described later (see S102 in FIG. 19).

[1-7. Processing executed in game device]
FIG. 19 is a flowchart showing an example of processing executed in the game apparatus 20. The processing in FIG. 19 is executed by the microprocessor 23 operating according to a program read from the optical disc 42. The process in FIG. 19 is executed, for example, every predetermined time (for example, every 1/60 seconds).

  As shown in FIG. 19, first, the microprocessor 23 (position acquisition unit 82) acquires the three-dimensional position information of the player 100 (S101).

  The microprocessor 23 (display control unit 90) changes the position of the game character 51 displayed on the game screen 50 (S102). In S102, for example, the display position of the game character 51 is changed based on the positional relationship between the three-dimensional position information of the player 100 and the representative point 71. For example, the positional relationship between the three-dimensional coordinates of the waist P10 included in the three-dimensional position information of the player 100 and the representative point 71 is determined. Specifically, the direction D and the distance L (FIG. 7) from the representative point 71 of the determination target space 70 to the three-dimensional coordinates of the player's waist P10 are acquired.

  Next, the positional relationship between the display position of the game character 51 and the guidance position 55 of the spotlight region 53 corresponds to the positional relationship between the three-dimensional coordinates of the player's waist P10 and the representative point 71 of the determination target space 70. The display position of the game character 51 is changed so that the positional relationship is established.

  For example, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 13, the game character 51 moves to a position 57 moved from the guidance position 55 of the spotlight region 53 in the direction Ds corresponding to the direction D by the distance Ls corresponding to the distance L. The display position of is changed. The direction Ds and the distance Ls are calculated based on the direction D or the distance L and a predetermined mathematical formula, for example. The predetermined mathematical expression may be, for example, a predetermined row example (for example, a projection matrix) for converting a three-dimensional vector into two dimensions.

  The guidance position 55 is a position for guiding the game character 51 and is a position corresponding to the representative point 71. For example, the guide position 55 is a position a predetermined distance above the center point of the spotlight region 53.

  The display position of the game character 51 is controlled by the process in S102. That is, the player 100 refers to the positional relationship between the game character 51 and the spotlight area 53 displayed on the game screen 50 to determine whether or not the body position of the player 100 protrudes from the determination target space 70. become able to.

  As a result, the player can correct his / her standing position. In addition, when the game character 51 moves outside the spotlight area 53, the game character 51 becomes difficult to see. Therefore, the player is unaware of his / her standing position so that the game character 51 is located within the spotlight area 53. It is conceivable to correct it later. By controlling the display position of the game character 51 in this manner, it is possible to allow the player to unintentionally correct his / her standing position.

  Returning to FIG. 19, the microprocessor 23 (display control unit 90) updates the posture of the game character 51 displayed on the game screen 50 based on the animation data (S103).

  The microprocessor 23 (determination unit 84) determines whether or not at least one position of the body of the player 100 indicated by the three-dimensional position information is outside the determination target space 70 (S104). The determination in S104 is performed, for example, by comparing the three-dimensional position information with the determination target space information. That is, for example, the determination is made based on whether or not the three-dimensional coordinates (FIG. 5) included in the three-dimensional position information are inside the determination target space 70 (FIG. 7).

  When the position of the player is not outside the determination target space 70 (S104; N), that is, when all the positions corresponding to the player 100 are within the determination target space 70, the microprocessor 23 (game processing execution unit 86) It is determined whether or not the player 100 has moved the body in accordance with the movement of the character 51 (S105).

  In S105, it is determined whether or not the player 100 has performed a motion similar to the motion (body motion) performed by the game character 51. This determination is performed based on, for example, three-dimensional position information, reference motion information (FIG. 17), and determination reference information (FIG. 18).

When the reference motion information is the data storage example shown in FIG. 17, for example, it indicates that the game character 51 steps the right foot forward at time t ₁ . In this case, at the timing when the game character 51 steps forward on the right foot (hereinafter referred to as “reference timing”), it is determined whether or not the player has stepped forward on the right foot. The reference timing is, for example, a timing within a predetermined period including a time (for example, time t ₁ ) stored in the reference operation information.

  Here, the “predetermined period” is, for example, a period from the start timing before a predetermined time of the reference timing to the end timing after the predetermined time from the reference timing. When the player 100 steps forward with the right foot within the predetermined period, it is determined that the player has moved the foot in accordance with the movement of the foot of the game character 51. That is, it is determined that the player 100 has moved in accordance with the movement of the game character 51. As described above, whether or not the player 100 has stepped on the right foot is determined based on the determination criterion information (FIG. 18).

  When it is determined that the player 100 has moved in accordance with the movement of the game character 51 (S105; Y), the microprocessor 23 (game processing execution unit 86) displays a message 54 such as “GOOD” on the game screen 50, for example. (S106).

  On the other hand, when it is not determined that the player 100 has moved in accordance with the movement of the game character 51 (S105; N), the microprocessor 23 ends the process without displaying the message as in S106.

  On the other hand, when at least one position of the player's body is outside the determination target space 70 (S104; Y), the microprocessor 23 (game processing execution unit 86) displays a message 54 such as “CAUTION” on the game screen 50, for example. It is displayed (S107).

  The microprocessor 23 (determination target space changing unit 88) determines whether or not the state where at least one position of the player's body is outside the determination target space 70 has continued for a reference period (eg, 3 seconds) (S108). .

  When the state where at least one position of the player's body is outside the determination target space 70 continues for the reference period (S108; Y), the microprocessor 23 (determination target space changing unit 88) determines the position of the determination target space 70. Change (S109).

  In S109, for example, the three-dimensional coordinates of the waist P10 of the three-dimensional position information are referred to. Next, the position of the determination target space 70 is changed so that the representative point 71 of the determination target space 70 coincides with the three-dimensional coordinates corresponding to the player's waist P10.

  FIG. 20 is a diagram showing the changed determination target space 70. As shown in FIG. 20, the position of the determination target space 70 is changed so that the position of the waist P <b> 10 of the player 100 matches the representative point 71.

  Note that the method of changing the position of the determination target space 70 in S109 may be such that the position of the player 100 is included in the determination target space 70 based on the position of the player 100 indicated by the three-dimensional position information. Is not limited to the above example. In addition, for example, the position of the determination target space 70 may be changed so that the average value of the three-dimensional coordinates included in the three-dimensional position information matches the representative point 71.

  For example, when the player 100 approaches an obstacle, it is conceivable that the player 100 notices within a predetermined time and returns to the original position. That is, as described above, when the state where the player 100 protrudes from the determination target space 70 before the change continues for a predetermined time, it is highly likely that there is no obstacle around the current standing position of the player 100. . That is, in this case, the position of the determination target space 70 is changed so that the position of the player's body is included in the determination target space 70 as shown in FIG. 19 so that the player 100 can continue the game play. Is done.

  On the other hand, when the state where at least one position of the player's body is outside the determination target space 70 does not continue for the reference period (S108; N), the microprocessor 23 ends the process. That is, in this case, the microprocessor 23 does not perform a process of displaying the message 54 such as “GOOD” based on the movement of the player 100. That is, since the player 100 does not react even if the player performs a dance action, the player 100 can be made to understand that it is not in the determination target space 70.

[1-8. Summary of Embodiment]
In the game device 20 described above, based on whether or not the player 100 is in the determination target space 70, the game process is executed without displaying the message 54 such as “CAUTION” or detecting the action of the player 100. To do. Further, since the position of the determination target space 70 is changed based on the position of the player 100 in the three-dimensional space, the player 100 can continue the game play while guiding the player 100 to be in the determination target space 70. The determination target space 70 can be changed.

  As described above, at the start of the game (or immediately before or after the start of the game), it is considered that the player 100 confirms the safety of the surroundings. The possibility of hitting an object or another player 100 can be reduced. Therefore, the player 100 can play safely even in a game that moves the body.

  Further, the positional relationship between the display position of the game character 51 and the display position of the spotlight region 53 is controlled based on the positional relationship between the position of the body of the player 100 and the position of the determination target space 70. For example, when the position of the body of the player 100 is out of the determination target space 70, the game character 51 is positioned outside the spotlight region 53 (see FIGS. 11 and 13).

  According to the game device 20, the player 100 refers to the positional relationship between the game character 51 and the spotlight area 53 displayed on the game screen 50, so that the position of the body of the player 100 deviates from the determination target space 70. It becomes possible to grasp whether or not. As a result, when the standing position of the player 100 is changed during the game play, the player 100 can know that the standing position has changed. That is, the player 100 can correct his / her standing position.

  Further, when the game character 51 moves outside the spotlight region 53, the game character 51 becomes difficult to see. That is, it is conceivable that the player 100 unintentionally corrects his / her standing position so that the game character 51 is positioned within the spotlight region 53. Thus, according to the game device 20, it is possible for the player 100 to attempt to modify his / her standing position unconsciously.

  Further, in the game apparatus 20, when the state where at least one position of the body of the player 100 is outside the determination target space 70 continues for a reference period (for example, 3 seconds), the position of the body of the player 100 is within the determination target space 70. So that the position of the determination target space 70 is changed (see FIG. 20).

  According to the above processing of the game apparatus 20, the player 100 temporarily changes in a state where the standing position of the player 100 is changed during game play and the position of at least one part of the body of the player 100 is outside the determination target space 70. The game can be advanced without correcting the standing position. As described above, when the state where the player 100 is outside the determination target space 70 continues for the reference period, there is a high possibility that there is no obstacle around the standing position of the player 100. Even if it is changed, the safety of the player 100 can be ensured.

  Further, for example, if the position of the determination target space 70 is changed even when the position of any of the player's bodies instantaneously falls outside the determination target space 70, the player may be confused. In this regard, the game apparatus 20 can prevent the player from feeling such a puzzle.

[2. Modified example]
The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above.

[2-1. First Modification]
In S102 of FIG. 19, the positional relationship between the display position of the game character 51 and the guidance position 55 of the spotlight region 53 is the position of the player 100 (for example, the three-dimensional coordinates of the waist P10) and the representative point of the determination target space 70. The display position of the spotlight region 53 (and the spotlight 52) may be changed so as to be in a positional relationship corresponding to the positional relationship with 71. That is, the spotlight region 53 may be moved without moving the game character 51.

  Alternatively, the positional relationship between the display position of the game character 51 and the guidance position 55 of the spotlight region 53 is determined by the position of the player 100 (for example, the three-dimensional coordinates of the waist P10) and the representative point 71 of the determination target space 70. The display positions of both the game character 51 and the spotlight region 53 (and the spotlight 52) may be changed so as to have a positional relationship corresponding to the positional relationship.

  Further, the display position of the game character 51 may be moved to the right side or the left side of the game screen 50 without changing the relative positions of the game character 51 and the spotlight region 53 and the like. That is, for example, when the game screen 50 is a screen showing the virtual game space viewed from the virtual camera, the display position of the game character 51 is changed as described above by changing the position of the virtual camera. .

  FIG. 21 is a diagram illustrating a case where the display position of the image included in the game screen 50 is changed. A game screen 50 shown in FIG. 21 is displayed, for example, when the player 100 moves to the right side of the determination target space 70 with respect to the position detection device 1. By changing the position of the virtual camera to the left side, for example, the game character 51 located near the center of the game screen 50 moves to the right side when viewed from the center point of the game screen 50.

  Further, for example, the vicinity of the left end portion of the game screen 50 is displayed in black as in the region 50a. The width and position of the region 50a are determined based on, for example, the distance L and the direction D between the representative point 71 and the waist P10 of the player 100. The player 100 appears to display nothing in the area 50 a near the left end of the game screen 50. In this case, it is conceivable that the player 100 moves to the left in order to return the display position of the game character 51 to the original position. That is, according to this game screen 50, the player 100 can be guided inside the determination target space 70.

  By controlling the display of the game screen 50 in this way, the standing position is shifted from the player 100 without changing the relative positions of the images (game character 51 and the like) included in the game screen 50. Can be guided. Although the case where the position of the virtual camera is changed has been described above, the standing position of the player 100 may be guided by changing the viewing direction and the angle of view of the virtual camera.

[2-2. Second Modification]
Further, the game screen 50 may be such that the positional relationship between the standing position of the player 100 and the display position of the representative point 71 of the determination target space 70 is guided, and the example of the game screen 50 is an example of this embodiment. It is not limited to examples.

  FIG. 22 is a diagram illustrating another example of the game screen 50. On the game screen 50 shown in FIG. 22, a player character 51a (first game character) corresponding to the player 100 and an instructor character 51b (second game character) are displayed.

  In this case, for example, the player 100 moves the body in accordance with the movement of the instructor character 51b. Then, the player character 51a moves based on the movement of the player 100. As in the embodiment, when the player 100 performs well, a message 54 such as “GOOD” is displayed.

  Note that the player character 51a and the instructor character 51b may perform the same movement, and the player 100 may move the body in accordance with the movement of the player character 51a and the instructor character 51b.

  In the second modification, the positional relationship between the player character 51 a and the instructor character 51 b is changed based on the positional relationship between the position of the player 100 and the determination target space 70. For example, when the position of the player 100 is included in the determination target space 70, as shown in FIG. 22, the player character 51a is displayed substantially in front of the instructor character 51b.

  On the other hand, for example, when the position of the player 100 is out of the determination target space 70 as shown in FIG. 10, for example, as shown in FIG. 23, the player character 51a is displayed at a position shifted far from the instructor character 51b. Is done. In addition, a message 54 such as “CAUTION” is displayed.

  Also, for example, when the position of the player 100 is out of the determination target space 70 as shown in FIG. 12, for example, as shown in FIG. 24, the player character 51a is displayed at a position greatly deviated from the instructor character 51b. Is done.

  In the second modification, for example, a process similar to the process of S102 of FIG. 17 is executed. That is, the positional relationship between the display position of the player character 51 a and the display position of the instructor character 51 b is a positional relationship corresponding to the positional relationship between the position of the player 100 and the representative point 71 of the determination target space 70. The display position of at least one of the player character 51a and the instructor character 51b is changed.

  For example, first, the three-dimensional coordinates of the waist P10 of the player 100 are referred to. Next, the positional relationship between the three-dimensional coordinates of the waist P10 of the player 100 and the representative point 71 of the determination target space 70 is determined. For example, the difference between the three-dimensional coordinates of the waist P10 of the player 100 and the representative point 71 of the determination target space 70 is acquired. Specifically, the direction D and the distance L from the representative point 71 of the determination target space 70 to the three-dimensional coordinates of the waist P10 of the player 100 are acquired.

  Thereafter, the positional relationship between the display position of the player character 51a and the display position of the instructor character 51b corresponds to the positional relationship between the three-dimensional coordinates of the waist P10 of the player 100 and the representative point 71 of the determination target space 70. Thus, the display position of the player character 51a is changed. For example, as shown in FIG. 23 and FIG. 24, from a basic position 56 set in front of the instructor character 51b to a position 57 moved by a distance Ls corresponding to the distance L in a direction Ds corresponding to the direction D. The display position of the player character 51a is changed.

  According to the second modification, the player 100 can grasp whether or not the position of the body of the player 100 is out of the determination target space 70 by referring to the positional relationship between the player character 51 a and the instructor character 51 b. become. As a result, when the standing position of the player 100 is changed during the game play, the player 100 can know that the standing position has changed, and the player 100 corrects his / her standing position. become able to. That is, the player 100 can play the game at a relatively safe place in the determination target space 70.

  When the position of the player character 51a is deviated from the front of the instructor character 51b or far away, the player 100 generally tries to make the position of the player character 51a be in front of the instructor character 51b. It is possible to do.

  That is, when the position of the player character 51a is deviated from the front of the instructor character 51b or far away from the instructor character 51b, the player 100 is unlikely to imitate the movement of the instructor character 51b. That is, it is considered that the player 100 unconsciously corrects his standing position so that the position of the player character 51a is in front of the instructor character 51b.

  As described above, by controlling the positional relationship between the player character 51a and the instructor character 51b, it is possible for the player 100 to attempt to modify his / her standing position unconsciously.

  Also in the second modification, display control as shown in FIG. 21 may be performed. In other words, the display positions of the player character 51a and the instructor character 51b may be moved to the right side or the left side of the game screen 50 without changing the relative positions of the player character 51a and the instructor character 51b. Also in this case, as in the case shown in FIG. 21, for example, the display positions of the player character 51a and the instructor character 51b are changed as described above by changing the position of the virtual camera.

  FIG. 25 is a diagram illustrating a case where the display position of the image included in the game screen 50 is changed. The game screen 50 shown in FIG. 25 is displayed, for example, when the player 100 moves to the right side of the determination target space 70 with respect to the position detection device 1. By changing the position of the virtual camera to the left side, for example, the player character 51 a and the instructor character 51 b that are located near the center of the game screen 50 move to the right side when viewed from the center point of the game screen 50.

  Further, for example, the area 50a is displayed as in FIG. In this case, it is conceivable that the player 100 moves to the left side in an attempt to restore the display positions of the player character 51a and the instructor character 51b. That is, according to this game screen 50, the player 100 can be guided inside the determination target space 70.

[2-3. Other variations]
Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and modifications, and can be appropriately changed without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

  (1) For example, the three-dimensional position information indicating the position of the player 100 has been described with reference to the data storage example illustrated in FIG. 5, but the three-dimensional position information transmitted from the position detection device 1 is the position (for example, The information storage example is not limited to the example of FIG. 5. In addition, for example, information indicating the distance and direction from a reference point (for example, a point corresponding to the head) of the player 100 to each part of the body may be used.

  (2) For example, in the above description, the position detection device 1 includes the position information generation unit that generates the three-dimensional position information based on the captured image and the depth information (depth image). The information generation means may be the game device 20. That is, the game apparatus 20 may receive the captured image and the depth image from the position detection apparatus 1 and generate the three-dimensional position information based on these.

  (3) Also, for example, in the above, as a method of analyzing the action of the player 100 based on the three-dimensional position information, the action determination reference information shown in FIG. 18 and the change amount and change direction of the three-dimensional coordinates of each part of the player 100 An example of comparing the speed of change and the like has been described. The analysis method of the action of the player 100 only needs to be based on the three-dimensional position information, and this analysis method is not limited to the above example. In addition, for example, the action of the player 100 may be analyzed based on a value obtained by substituting three-dimensional coordinates included in the three-dimensional position information into a predetermined mathematical expression.

  (4) For example, when a plurality of players 100 play a game, the determination target spaces 70 corresponding to the players 100 may be controlled so as not to overlap each other. For example, when two players 100 play a game, the three-dimensional position information includes three-dimensional coordinates for two players. When the determination target space 70 is changed so that the representative point 71 moves to the three-dimensional coordinates of the waist P10 of one player 100, the changed determination target space 70 and the determination target space 70 of the other player 100 are superimposed. Since they may collide with each other, it may be controlled not to make this change.

  That is, when a game executed by the game apparatus 20 is played by a plurality of players 100, the determination target space changing unit 88 changes the position of the determination target space 70 corresponding to one player 100 to the other player 100. When superimposing on the corresponding determination target space 70, a means for limiting the change may be included.

  (5) In the first and second modified examples, the reference points of the positional relationship between the position of the player 100 and the determination target space 70 that are referred to when the display control unit 90 controls the display position are respectively set. The three-dimensional coordinates of the waist P10 and the representative point 71 are used. The display control unit 90 may determine whether or not to control the display position based on the three-dimensional position information corresponding to the player 100 and information for identifying the position of the determination target space 70, and is compared. The information is not limited to the above example. For example, the average value of the three-dimensional coordinates included in the three-dimensional position information may be compared with an arbitrary point inside the determination target space 70.

  (6) In the present embodiment, the method of measuring the depth of the player 100 has been described by way of an example of calculating based on the flight time of infrared light. However, this measurement method is an example of the present embodiment. Not limited. In addition, for example, a method of performing triangulation, a method of performing three-dimensional laser scanning, or the like can be applied. Moreover, although the example which acquires depth information as a depth image was given and demonstrated, depth information is not restricted to this. The depth information may be information that identifies the depth of the player 100. For example, the depth information may be a value indicating a flight time.

  (7) Moreover, although the determination target space 70 has been described by taking the shape as shown in FIG. 7 as an example, the shape of the determination target space 70 is not limited to this. The determination target space 70 only needs to have a shape that can identify the position where the player 100 should be. For example, the determination target space 70 may be spherical. In this case, the game data storage unit 80 stores information that identifies the representative point 71 (for example, the center point of the sphere) of the determination target space 70 and the radius of the sphere.

  (8) In the present embodiment, the determination target space 70 is left unchanged, and only the position is changed. However, the determination target space 70 is changed by changing the width of the determination target space 70. The position 70 may be changed. That is, when the state where the player 100 protrudes from the determination target space 70 continues for a predetermined time, the determination target space 70 is expanded in the protruding direction so that the position of the determination target space 70 is changed. Also good.

  (9) For example, in the present embodiment, the game apparatus 20 determines the action of the player 100 based on the three-dimensional position information, but the position detection apparatus 1 determines the action of the player 100. It may be. In this case, determination criterion information (FIG. 18) is stored in the position detection device 1. That is, the movement of the player 100 is determined by the position detection device 1, and only information indicating the determination result is transmitted to the game device 20.

  (10) When the player 100 protrudes from the determination target space 70, the display control process performed by the display control unit 90 is performed in the present embodiment or a modified example (FIGS. 11, 13, 21, 23, 24, It is not limited to FIG. Display control may be performed so that the player 100 can be notified that the player 100 has protruded from the determination target space 70. For example, the entire determination target space 70 may correspond to the entire display area of the game screen 50. That is, when the player 100 protrudes from the determination target space 70, the game character 51 may not be visible from the game screen 50.

  (11) In addition, for example, when the player 100 is not in the determination target space 70, the display control unit 90 may perform predetermined image processing on an image included in the game screen 50. That is, for example, noise processing may be performed on the game character 51 that is the target of the player 100 to make it difficult to see.

  (12) In the present embodiment, the dance game is described as an example of the game executed by the game apparatus 20. The game executed by the game apparatus 20 may be any game as long as the game process is executed by detecting the action of the player 100, and the type of game to be executed is not limited to this. In addition, for example, a sports game such as a soccer game or a fighting game may be used.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Position detection apparatus, 2 CCD camera, 3 Infrared sensor, 4 Microphone, 10 Microprocessor, 11 Memory | storage part, 12 Imaging | photography part, 13 Depth measurement part, 14 Voice processing part, 15 Communication interface part, 16, 22 Bus | bath, 20 game Device, 21 Consumer game machine, 23 Microprocessor, 24 Main memory, 25 Image processing unit, 26 Audio processing unit, 27 Optical disk playback unit, 28 Memory card slot, 29 Communication interface, 30 Controller interface, 31 Controller, 40 Display unit 41 sound output unit 42 optical disk 43 memory card 50 game screen 50a area 51 game character 51a player character 51b instructor character 52 spotlight 53 spotlight area 4 message, 55 guide position, 56 base position, 57 position, 60 detectable space, 70 determination target space, 71 representative point, 80 game data storage unit, 82 position acquisition unit, 84 determination unit, 86 game process execution unit, 88 Judgment space changing unit, 90 display control unit, 100 player, P1 head, P2 neck, P3 right shoulder, P4 left shoulder, P5 right elbow, P6 left elbow, P7 right hand, P8 left hand, P9 chest, P10 waist, P11 right knee , P12 left knee, P13 right heel, P14 left heel, P15 right toe, P16 left toe, F furniture, Ow, Os origin, Pmax coordinates, D, Ds direction, L, Ls distance.

Claims (6)

Three-dimensional position information relating to the position of the player in a three-dimensional space is generated based on a photographed image obtained from the photographing means for photographing the player, and a depth reference information relating to a distance between the measurement reference position of the depth measuring means and the player. Position acquisition means for acquiring the three-dimensional position information from the position information generation means for performing;
Determination means for determining whether or not the position of the player in the three-dimensional space is included in the determination target space;
Game process execution means for executing game processing based on the determination result of the determination means;
A determination target space that changes the position of the determination target space based on the position of the player in the three-dimensional space when it is determined that the position of the player in the three-dimensional space is not included in the determination target space. Change means,
A game apparatus comprising: The determination target space changing means includes
Means for determining whether or not a state in which the position of the player in the three-dimensional space is not included in the determination target space has continued for a reference period;
Means for changing the position of the determination target space when a state in which the position of the player in the three-dimensional space is not included in the determination target space continues for the reference period.
The game device according to claim 1. Display control means for displaying on the display means a game screen including a game character and an attention area set to a higher brightness than other areas;
The display control means is means for controlling the positional relationship between the display position of the game character and the display position of the attention area based on the positional relationship between the position of the player and the determination target space in the three-dimensional space. Including,
The game device according to claim 1, wherein the game device is a game device. Including display control means for displaying a game screen including the first game character and the second game character on the display means;
The display control means changes the positional relationship between the display position of the first game character and the display position of the second game character to the positional relationship between the position of the player and the determination target space in the three-dimensional space. Including means for controlling based on,
The game device according to claim 1, wherein the game device is a game device. Three-dimensional position information relating to the position of the player in a three-dimensional space is generated based on a photographed image obtained from the photographing means for photographing the player, and a depth reference information relating to a distance between the measurement reference position of the depth measuring means and the player. A position acquisition step of acquiring the three-dimensional position information from the position information generation means
A determination step of determining whether or not the position of the player in the three-dimensional space is included in the determination target space;
A game process execution step for executing a game process based on a determination result of the determination means;
A determination target space that changes the position of the determination target space based on the position of the player in the three-dimensional space when it is determined that the position of the player in the three-dimensional space is not included in the determination target space. Change steps,
A method for controlling a game device, comprising: Three-dimensional position information relating to the position of the player in a three-dimensional space is generated based on a photographed image obtained from the photographing means for photographing the player, and a depth reference information relating to a distance between the measurement reference position of the depth measuring means and the player. Position acquisition means for acquiring the three-dimensional position information from the position information generation means
Determination means for determining whether or not the position of the player in the three-dimensional space is included in the determination target space;
Game process execution means for executing game processing based on the determination result of the determination means;
A determination target space that changes the position of the determination target space based on the position of the player in the three-dimensional space when it is determined that the position of the player in the three-dimensional space is not included in the determination target space. Change means,
A program for causing a computer to function as a game device including:

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