JP2014013609A - Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and game device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To effectively distinguish between an input operation to designate an arbitrary area on a display screen and an operation to designate one point such as a touch and a click and an operation to slide one point while continuing input of the one point so as to prevent an incorrect operation by a user.SOLUTION: Coordinates of a first intermediate point M1 are determined that are obtained from coordinates of initial two points (P1, P2) that are simultaneously input in a coordinate input unit on the basis of the coordinates of the initial two points, and coordinates of a second intermediate point M2 are determined that are obtained from coordinates of last two points (P3, P4) that have been detected immediately before the two points are no longer simultaneously input on the basis of the coordinates of the last two points. An area R on a display screen of a display unit is then determined on the basis of the coordinates of the first intermediate point M1 and the coordinates of the second intermediate point M2.

Description

  The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a game apparatus that can specify an area on a display screen. More specifically, the present invention relates to an information processing apparatus or the like that can perform a process of selecting one or a plurality of objects included in a specified area by specifying an area on a display screen, for example. .

  Conventionally, a technique for specifying a rectangular area by sliding an input position on a display screen using a pointing device such as a touch screen or a mouse pointer is well known. In this way, by specifying a rectangular area on the display screen, it is possible to select one or more objects included in the specified area, and to enlarge, cut, or edit an image in the specified area Become. In such a conventional technique, generally, a point on the display screen is touch-inputted (or click-inputted) with a pointing device, and the touch position is slid (swipe) while continuing to touch the screen, and then touched. By releasing the input, a rectangular area having a diagonal line connecting the first touch position and the last touch position is designated.

  As a technique for using a plurality of objects on a screen using a touch panel display, for example, one disclosed in Patent Document 1 is known. The technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 detects a touch state when a touch panel display arranged on a monitor capable of displaying a plurality of objects is touched, and detects objects according to the detected touch state. The size of the selection area that defines the selection range is determined, the selection area is set based on the touch position, and an object that at least partially overlaps the set selection area is set as a selection candidate.

JP 2010-20608 A

  Incidentally, in recent years, it has become possible to increase the size of touch panel displays, and their uses are also diversifying. For example, a game apparatus has been developed in which a game image is displayed on a touch panel display, and a user can perform an input operation related to the progress of the game by touching the touch panel with a finger. In particular, by mounting a large touch panel display on a game device and executing an action game, it is possible to provide a highly realistic game to the user.

  When an action game is provided by such a large touch panel display, the user needs to perform a touch operation without any trouble. As a touch operation method of the touch panel display, there are, for example, an operation of touching one point of the screen of the touch panel display, an operation of tracing the screen with a finger, and an operation of flipping the screen with a finger. Separate commands (instructions) are assigned to these operations, and the user advances the game by repeatedly inputting various commands while selecting these operation methods. In particular, in a game device in which a game progresses while selecting a plurality of objects displayed on the display screen, when selecting one object, the screen on which the object is displayed is selected. When one point on the top is touched and selection of a plurality of objects is desired, the screen on which each object is displayed may be touched.

  Here, when it is desired to select a large number of objects from the objects displayed on the screen, it is troublesome to touch the objects to be selected one by one, and the operability of the game Was detrimental. Therefore, as in the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, when a single touch state on the touch panel display continues, the selection area is determined based on the locus of the user's finger sliding on the screen, A technique for selecting an object included in a selection area has also been proposed.

  However, in the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, an operation for selecting one object and an operation for selecting a plurality of objects are basically performed based on the touch state of one finger. As described above, when the operation of selecting one object and the operation of selecting a plurality of objects are distinguished only by whether or not the touch state of one finger is continued, the user performs the touch operation. There was a problem that it was easy to make mistakes. In other words, when the user intends to select one object but the touch state on the touch panel display is mistakenly detected, another unintended object is selected. There's a problem. On the other hand, when the user intends to select a plurality of objects but the continuous touch state on the touch panel display is not detected by mistake, only one object is selected. There is. Further, when another command is assigned to an operation of tracing the screen of the touch panel display with one finger (sliding operation), the possibility of an erroneous operation by the user is further increased.

  Therefore, at present, by effectively distinguishing an input operation that specifies an arbitrary area on the display screen from a touch or click input operation that specifies a single point, or an operation that slides while continuing to input a single point, There is a demand for a technique for preventing an erroneous operation by a user. In particular, assuming a game device that needs to be touched without a large touch panel display, there is a need for a technique related to an input operation that can easily specify a wide range of an arbitrary area on a display screen with one hand.

Therefore, the inventor of the present invention has intensively studied the means for solving the above-described problems of the conventional invention, and as a result, the intermediate coordinates obtained from the coordinates of the two points initially input to the coordinate input unit, and the coordinate input. An input operation for designating an arbitrary area on the display screen is determined by determining a predetermined area on the display screen based on the intermediate coordinates obtained from the coordinates of the last two points simultaneously input to the part. The knowledge that it can distinguish effectively from the operation of specified touch or click input and the operation of sliding while continuing to input one point. In addition, according to the above operation method, it has been found that a wide range area on the display screen can be easily specified with one hand. The inventor has conceived that the problems of the prior art can be solved based on the above knowledge, and has completed the present invention.
Specifically, the present invention has the following configuration.

The first aspect of the present invention relates to an information processing apparatus.
The information processing apparatus of the present invention is based on a display unit 1 capable of displaying an image, a coordinate input unit 2 for inputting coordinates on the display screen of the display unit 1, and coordinates input to the coordinate input unit 2. And an area designating unit 3 for designating an area R on the display screen of the display unit 1.
The area designating unit 3 first determines the coordinates of the first intermediate point M1 obtained from the coordinates of the first two points based on the coordinates of the first two points simultaneously input to the coordinate input unit.
The area designating unit 3 determines the coordinates of the second intermediate point M2 obtained from the coordinates of the last two points based on the coordinates of the last two points detected immediately before the two coordinates are not input simultaneously. To do.
Then, the area designating unit 3 determines the area R on the display screen of the display unit 1 based on the coordinates of the first intermediate point M1 and the coordinates of the second intermediate point M2.

As described above, the information processing apparatus according to the present invention obtains one first intermediate coordinate from the coordinates of two points input at the same time at the beginning, and first one point from the coordinates of the two points input at the last time. By obtaining the two intermediate coordinates, an area on the display screen is determined based on the first intermediate coordinates and the second intermediate coordinates. As described above, according to the present invention, as an input operation for designating an area on the display screen, an operation for inputting the coordinates of two points at the same time to the coordinate input unit is required, so an arbitrary area on the display screen is designated. The input operation can be effectively distinguished from, for example, a touch or click input operation for designating one point and an operation for sliding while continuing to input one point. Therefore, according to the present invention, erroneous operation by the user can be prevented.
Further, in the case where a touch panel display is assumed, for example, the present invention obtains the first intermediate coordinate from the touch position of two fingers, and the second intermediate coordinate from the touch position released after the two fingers slide. And the area on the display screen is determined based on the first intermediate coordinates and the second intermediate coordinates. Therefore, the user can easily specify a wide range of arbitrary area on the display screen with one hand.
Thus, the present invention proposes a new operation method for an information processing apparatus including a display unit and a coordinate input unit. According to the present invention, the operability of the information processing apparatus can be improved.

  In the information processing apparatus of the present invention, the display unit 1 may be capable of displaying a plurality of objects O on the display screen. In this case, it is preferable that the information processing apparatus of the present invention further includes an object selection unit 4 that selects one or a plurality of objects O including at least part of the region R specified by the region specification unit 3.

  As in the above configuration, as an application of specifying an area on the display screen by the area specifying unit of the present invention, it is conceivable to select one or a plurality of objects included in the specified area. For example, when one object displayed on the screen is selected, a portion where the desired object is displayed may be touched or clicked with a pointing device as in the past. When a plurality of objects displayed on the screen are selected, a predetermined area is determined based on the first intermediate coordinates and the second intermediate coordinates in accordance with the operation method of the present invention, and the predetermined area is selected as desired. It is sufficient that the object is included. As a result, the user can easily distinguish between an operation for selecting one object and an operation for selecting a plurality of objects.

  In the information processing apparatus of the present invention, it is preferable that the display unit 1 and the coordinate input unit 2 form the touch panel display 10 by overlapping the coordinate input unit 2 on the front surface of the display unit 1. The touch panel display 10 is a device that detects, as coordinates on the screen of the display unit 1, a point where a user's finger or the like has contacted the coordinate input unit 2.

  As described above, the touch panel display is formed by the display unit and the coordinate input unit, so that the user can designate a predetermined area on the display screen by an intuitive operation.

  In the present invention, the above-described region R is, for example, a polygonal region having a line segment connecting the first intermediate point M1 and the second intermediate point M2 as a diagonal line, or the first intermediate point M1 and the second intermediate point M2. Can be a circular region having a diameter of a line segment connecting the two or a elliptical region having a long or short axis as a line segment connecting the first intermediate point M1 and the second intermediate point M2.

The second aspect of the present invention relates to an information processing method executed by the information processing apparatus according to the first aspect.
That is, the information processing method of the present invention designates an area on the display screen of the display unit 1 based on the coordinates detected by the coordinate input unit 2 for inputting coordinates on the display screen of the display unit 1.
In the information processing method of the present invention, first, based on the coordinates of the first two points inputted simultaneously to the coordinate input unit 2, the step of determining the coordinates of the first intermediate point M1 obtained from the coordinates of the first two points. I do.
Next, according to the information processing method of the present invention, the second intermediate point M2 obtained from the coordinates of the last two points based on the coordinates of the last two points detected immediately before the coordinates of the two points are not input simultaneously. A step of determining coordinates is performed.
And the information processing method of this invention performs the process of determining the area | region R on the display screen of the display part 1 based on the coordinate of the 1st intermediate point M1, and the coordinate of the 2nd intermediate point M2.

A third aspect of the present invention relates to a game device.
The game apparatus according to the present invention includes a touch panel display 100, a card reader 200, and a game main body 300 that displays information read by the card reader 200 on the touch panel display 100 and progresses the game. A display 110 capable of displaying an image and a touch screen 120 for inputting coordinates on a display screen superimposed on the front surface of the display 110 are provided.
The card reader 200 includes a panel 210 on which a card printed with a code having predetermined card information is placed, and an image sensor 230 that reads the code of the card placed on the panel 210 and detects the card information. Have.
In addition, the game main unit 300 includes a game information storage unit 380 that stores information related to the object O in association with card information, and a game information storage unit 380 that is based on the card information detected by the image sensor 230 of the card reader 200. It has an image processing unit 330 that performs control to read information on the object O and display an image of the read object O on the display 110 of the touch panel display 100, and a game processing unit 320.
Here, based on the coordinates of the first two points simultaneously input to the touch screen 120 of the touch panel display 100, the game processing unit 320 first determines the coordinates of the first intermediate point M1 obtained from the coordinates of the first two points. To decide. In addition, the game processing unit 320 determines the coordinates of the second intermediate point M2 obtained from the coordinates of the last two points based on the coordinates of the last two points detected immediately before the two coordinates are not input simultaneously. To do. In addition, the game processing unit 320 designates the region R on the display screen of the display 110 based on the coordinates of the first intermediate point M1 and the coordinates of the second intermediate point M2. Then, the game processing unit 320 selects one or a plurality of objects O on which images are displayed so that at least a part is included in the designated region R, and proceeds with the game.

  As described above, the game device of the present invention is equipped with a card reader and a touch panel display, and advances the game by combining these operations. For example, a game user operates a card placed on a card reader with one hand to display one or a plurality of objects on the touch panel display, and displays by touching the touch panel display with the other hand. The selected object is selected. As described above, in a game device in which an object must be selected by operating the touch panel display with one hand, the operability of the game can be improved by adopting the object selection operation described above.

  The present invention obtains a first intermediate coordinate of one point from the coordinates of two points inputted at the same time first, and obtains a second intermediate coordinate of one point from the coordinates of the two points inputted last at the same time. An area on the display screen is determined based on the intermediate coordinates and the second intermediate coordinates. As described above, according to the present invention, as an input operation for designating an area on the display screen, an operation for simultaneously inputting two coordinates to the coordinate input unit is obtained. Therefore, according to the present invention, an input operation for designating an area on the display screen is effectively distinguished from, for example, a touch or click input operation for designating a single point or an operation for sliding while continuing to input a single point. can do.

  Further, in the case where a touch panel display is assumed, for example, the present invention obtains the first intermediate coordinate from the touch position of two fingers, and the second intermediate coordinate from the touch position released after the two fingers slide. And the area on the display screen can be determined based on the first intermediate coordinates and the second intermediate coordinates. Therefore, according to the present invention, the user can easily specify a wide range area on the display screen with one hand.

FIG. 1 shows a functional block diagram of an information processing apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 2 shows a flow of processing executed by the information processing apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an outline of the object selection operation. FIG. 4 shows an example of a first intermediate point and a second intermediate point obtained from the coordinates of two points. FIG. 5 shows an example of a region obtained from the coordinates of the first intermediate point and the second intermediate point. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the game apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing an example of the appearance of the game apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 8 schematically shows a card reader on which a plurality of cards are placed. FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing an example of the appearance of the game apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining an example of a game executed by the game device according to the present invention. FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining an example of a game executed by the game device according to the present invention.

  Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below, but includes those appropriately modified by those skilled in the art from the following embodiments.

(1. Information processing apparatus and information processing method)
First, the basic configuration of the information processing apparatus according to the present invention will be described. The information processing apparatus according to the present invention can designate a predetermined area on the display screen, and can perform various types of information processing on the designated predetermined area. For example, the information processing apparatus of the present invention selects an arbitrary command for the selected object, such as selecting one or more objects included in a predetermined area on the designated display screen and moving the position of the selected object. It can be carried out. Further, for example, the information processing apparatus of the present invention specifies an image included in a predetermined area on the display screen, enlarges and displays the image in the area, and cuts out the image in the area. Can also be done. However, the use of the predetermined area specified by the present invention is not limited to these.
In the following, the information processing apparatus according to the present invention will be described by way of an example in which one or a plurality of objects included in a predetermined area on a designated display screen are selected.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a basic functional configuration of an information processing apparatus according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the information processing apparatus of the present invention includes a touch panel display 10, a control unit 20, and a storage unit 30.

The touch panel display 10 is configured to display various image data as images that can be visually recognized by the user and to detect coordinates at which the display screen is touched by the user. More specifically, the touch panel display 10 is formed by disposing a coordinate input unit 2 made of a transparent material on the front surface of the display unit 1 capable of displaying an image. The display unit 1 is, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an OELD (Organic Electro).
Luminescence Display (organic EL display). The display unit 1 outputs and displays various information necessary for the user to use the information processing apparatus as a still image or a moving image in accordance with an input signal from the control unit 20. The coordinate input unit 2 detects that the user's finger is touched by a known electrostatic capacity method, electromagnetic induction method, infrared scanning method, resistive film method, or ultrasonic surface acoustic wave method, and coordinates information thereof. Can be obtained. The positional relationship between the display unit 1 and the coordinate input unit 2 is linked to each other, and the coordinate input unit 2 can acquire coordinate information of the touch position on the display screen displayed on the display unit 1. Thereby, the coordinate input part 2 can detect that the user's finger | toe contacted, and can obtain the coordinate information on the screen of the display part 1 which the user's finger contacted. For example, the coordinate input unit 2 corresponds to so-called multi-touch in which coordinate information at a plurality of points can be acquired when the user touches a plurality of points.

  According to the operation method of the present invention, the user can easily specify a wide area on the display screen with one hand. For this reason, the information processing apparatus of the present invention can be equipped with a relatively large touch panel display 10. For example, the touch panel display 10 is preferably a display of 10 inches to 75 inches, 16 inches to 40 inches, or 20 inches to 38 inches.

  However, in this invention, the display part 1 and the coordinate input part 2 are not limited to what functions as a touch panel display in which both were comprised integrally. For example, the display unit 1 and the coordinate input unit 2 may function as separate hardware. In this case, a normal display device such as an LCD or an OELD may be used as the display unit 1. The coordinate input unit 2 may be a pointing device provided separately from the display unit 1 such as a mouse or a touch tablet.

  The control unit 20 reads and executes the control program stored in the storage unit 30 to control the operation of the entire information processing apparatus. The function of the control unit 20 is achieved by, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). The control unit 20 reads information including the image data of the object from the storage unit 30, generates an image of the object, and displays it on the touch panel display 10. Further, the control unit 20 causes the storage unit 30 to store coordinate information of the touch position detected by the touch panel display 10. Based on the coordinate information input to the touch panel display 10, the control unit 20 can perform an operation for designating a predetermined area on the display screen. Further, the control unit 20 can determine whether or not an object has been selected by analyzing the position information of the object displayed on the touch panel display 10 and the coordinate information input to the touch panel display 10.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the control unit 20 includes an area designation unit 3 and an object selection unit 4 from the functional viewpoint. The area designating unit 3 has a function of designating a selection area on the display screen of the touch panel display 10 according to a control program stored in the storage unit 30. Further, the object selection unit 4 selects the objects when the touch position detected by the touch panel display 10 overlaps with the object or when the objects are included in the selection area designated by the area designation unit 3. Has a function to select. Detailed description will be described later.

  The storage unit 30 stores various information including a control program required for processing by the information processing apparatus of the present invention. The storage unit 30 can be realized by a storage device such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) or a RAM (Random Access Memory). Examples of the RAM include VRAM (Video RAM), DRAM (Dynamic RAM), SRAM (Static RAM), and the like. The storage unit 30 includes an object storage unit 5 and a coordinate storage unit 6 from the functional viewpoint. The object storage unit 5 stores information including image data (such as vertex coordinates, vertex texture coordinates, or luminance data) of the object displayed on the touch panel display 10. The coordinate storage unit 6 stores the coordinate information acquired by the coordinate input unit 2 of the touch panel display 10. The coordinate storage unit 6 reads and writes coordinate information by the control unit 20, and is realized by a work area of a RAM, for example.

  Next, the flow of information processing executed by the information processing apparatus of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. That is, the control unit 20 of the information processing apparatus reads the control program stored in the storage unit 30 and executes the process shown in FIG. 2 according to the read control program. Here, the processing until the control unit 20 selects one or a plurality of objects among the objects displayed on the touch panel display 10 is specifically shown. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing object selection processing executed by the information processing apparatus.

  Step S <b> 1 is a touch input standby state in which no touch input is detected by the coordinate input unit 2 of the touch panel display 10. As shown in FIG. 3, at this stage, the display unit 1 of the touch panel display 10 displays a plurality of objects O (O1 to O5) read from the object storage unit 5. Of course, the plurality of objects O (O1 to O5) may be controlled by the control unit 20 and moving on the screen of the display unit 1, or may be stationary. In addition to the object O, a background image or the like may be displayed on the screen of the display unit 1.

  In step S <b> 2, a first touch input is detected by the coordinate input unit 2 of the touch panel display 10. As shown in FIG. 3, the first touch point P <b> 1 is a point where, for example, the user's index finger contacts the coordinate input unit 2. When the input of the first touch point P1 is detected by the coordinate input unit 2, the control unit 20 acquires the coordinate information of the first touch point P1, and stores the acquired coordinate information in the coordinate storage unit 6. Memorize temporarily.

  In step S <b> 3, the control unit 20 determines whether or not the first point touch input is continued based on the information detected by the coordinate input unit 2. If it is determined that the first point touch input is continued, the process proceeds to step S4. If it is determined that the first point touch input is not continued, the process proceeds to step S17.

  In step S4, based on the information detected by the coordinate input unit 2, the control unit 20 determines whether or not the second point touch input has been performed while the first point touch input is continued. to decide. As shown in FIG. 3, the second touch point P <b> 2 is a point where, for example, the user's thumb touches the coordinate input unit 2. When the input of the second touch point P2 is detected by the coordinate input unit 2, the control unit 20 acquires the coordinate information of the second touch point P2, and stores the acquired coordinate information in the coordinate storage unit 6. Memorize temporarily. When it is determined that the second point touch input is performed while the first point touch input is continued, the process proceeds to step S5, and it is determined that the second point touch input is not performed. In this case, the process proceeds to step S17. In the touch input standby state (step S1), when the first point touch input and the second point touch input are detected at the same time, the processes from step S2 to step S4 are performed simultaneously to perform step S5. You can also go to.

  In step S5, the control unit 20 reads the coordinate information of the first touch point P1 and the second touch point P2 from the coordinate storage unit 6, and based on these coordinate information, the first intermediate point M1 is read. Calculate the coordinates. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the first intermediate point M1 is set at a position just between the first touch point P1 and the second touch point P2. That is, the first intermediate point M1 is located on a line segment connecting the first touch point P1 and the second touch point P2, and the first touch point P1 and the second touch point P2. Is set to a position where the distances between and are equal. However, the position where the first intermediate point M1 is set is not limited to the above, and may be a position that can be set based on the coordinate information of the first touch point P1 and the second touch point P2. Any position may be used. For example, the first intermediate point M1 is the first point touch point P1 and the second point touch point P2 on the line segment connecting the first point touch point P1 and the second point touch point P2. May be set at a position such that the distance to is 6: 4. The ratio of the distance between the first touch point P1 and the second touch point P2 can be arbitrarily set. In addition, the coordinates of the first intermediate point can be set based on the coordinate information of the first touch point P1 and the second touch point P2 according to various conditions.

  FIG. 4 shows an example of the first intermediate point M1 set under different conditions. In the example of FIG. 4, the first intermediate point M1 is provided at the apex angle of an isosceles triangle in which the first touch point P1 and the second touch point P2 are located at the base angle. That is, as shown in FIG. 4, the first intermediate point M1 is separated from the line connecting the first point touch point P1 and the second point touch point P2 by the height h of the isosceles triangle. Set to the specified position. In this way, by setting the first intermediate point M1 at a position separated by a predetermined distance h from the line segment connecting the first touch point P1 and the second touch point P2, the user can touch the touch panel display. There is an advantage that the position of the first intermediate point M1 displayed at 10 can be easily seen. That is, when the first intermediate point M1 is set on a line segment connecting the first touch point P1 and the second touch point P2, the first intermediate point M1 may be placed on the user's hand depending on the viewing angle. There is a problem that it is hidden and difficult to see. In this regard, by setting the first intermediate point M1 at the position shown in FIG. 4, the first intermediate point M1 can be prevented from being hidden by the user's hand, and the user can easily grasp the position of the first intermediate point M1. Become.

  The coordinates of the first intermediate point M1 calculated in step S5 are temporarily stored in the coordinate storage unit 6. When the calculation of the coordinates of the first intermediate point M1 is completed, the process proceeds to step S6.

  In step S <b> 6, the control unit 20 determines whether or not the first point touch input and the second point touch input are continued based on the information detected by the coordinate input unit 2. If it is determined that the touch input of the first point and the second point is continued, the process proceeds to step S7, and both or one of the touch inputs of the first point and the second point is continued. If it is determined that it is not, the process proceeds to step S17.

  In step S <b> 7, the control unit 20 determines whether or not the touch input at the two points has been slid while the touch input at the first and second points is continued. The touch input slide means that the coordinates detected by the touch input are continuously displaced. In short, in step S7, it is determined whether or not the user's two fingers (for example, the index finger and the thumb) have moved so as to trace on the screen while in contact with the coordinate input unit 2 of the touch panel display 10. Based on the coordinate information continuously detected by the coordinate input unit 2, the control unit 20 can determine that two touch inputs have been slid. Coordinate information continuously detected by sliding two touch inputs is stored in the coordinate information storage unit 6 as needed. If it is determined that the touch input of two points has been slid, the process proceeds to step S8, and if it is determined that one or both of the touch inputs of the first point and the second point are not slid, step is performed. Proceed to S17.

In step S8, the control unit 20 reads the coordinate information continuously detected by the sliding of the two touch inputs from the coordinate information storage unit 6, and based on the coordinate information of the two touch points, the second intermediate The coordinates of point candidates are calculated as needed.
The “second intermediate point” is a point obtained from the coordinates of the last two points based on the coordinates of the last two points detected immediately before the coordinates of the two points are not input simultaneously. The “second intermediate point candidate” is a point that can be the second intermediate point.
In FIG. 3, reference numeral P <b> 3 indicates the third touch point (index finger release point) detected by the coordinate input unit 6 immediately before the slide input continued from the first touch point P <b> 1 is released. Reference numeral P4 indicates a fourth touch point (thumb release point) detected by the coordinate input unit 6 immediately before the slide input continued from the second touch point P2 is released. Yes. The coordinates of the “second intermediate point M2” can be obtained from the coordinates of the third point touch point and the coordinates of the fourth point touch point. The conditions for calculating the coordinates of the second intermediate point M2 may be the same as the conditions for calculating the coordinates of the first intermediate point M1.
On the other hand, in FIG. 3, the symbol P3 ′ indicates a point in the middle of the slide input from the first touch point P1, and the symbol P4 ′ indicates a slide from the second touch point P2. The point where the input is continuing is shown. There are a plurality of these intermediate points (P3 ′, P4 ′), and by continuing the slide input, the coordinates of the intermediate points (P3 ′, P4 ′) are continuously stored in the coordinate information storage unit 6. Yes. Based on the intermediate points (P3 ′, P4 ′), the coordinates of the “second intermediate point candidate M2 ′” are continuously calculated. The conditions for calculating the coordinates of the second intermediate point candidate M2 ′ are the same as the conditions for calculating the coordinates of the second intermediate point M2. The calculated coordinates of the second intermediate point candidate M2 ′ are stored in the coordinate storage unit 6 as needed. When the coordinates of the second intermediate point candidate M2 ′ are calculated, the process proceeds to step S9.

  In step S9, the region designating unit 3 of the control unit 20 calculates a selection region candidate A ′ based on the coordinates of the first intermediate point M1 and the coordinates of the second intermediate point candidate M2 ′ described above. The selection area candidate A ′ is an area that can become a selection area A described later. The selection area candidate R ′ is, for example, a rectangular area having a diagonal line connecting the first intermediate point M1 and the second intermediate point candidate M2 ′. The selection area candidate R ′ changes its shape and area as the touch input of two points slides and the coordinates of the second intermediate point candidate M2 ′ change. For this reason, the selection region candidate R ′ is continuously calculated according to the change in the coordinates of the second intermediate point candidate M2 ′. When the selection area candidate R ′ is calculated, the process proceeds to step S10.

  In step S10, the control unit 20 displays the selection area candidate R ′ calculated in step S9 on the touch panel display 10. As described above, since the selection area candidate R ′ is continuously calculated, the selection area candidate R ′ is displayed on the touch panel display 10 each time the selection area candidate R ′ is calculated. Accordingly, the user can confirm the selection area candidate R ′ by displaying on the touch panel display 10, and thus can adjust the touch position so that the object desired to be selected is included in the selection area candidate R ′. When the selection area candidate R ′ is displayed, the process proceeds to step S11.

  In step S11, the control unit 20 determines whether or not the slide input continued from the first touch point P1 and the second touch point P2 has been released. That is, the control unit 20 releases the slide input when the coordinate input unit 2 no longer detects the touch input continued from the first touch point P1 and the second touch point P2. It can be judged that If it is determined that the slide input has been released, the process proceeds to step S12. On the other hand, if it is determined that the slide input continues without being released, the processes of steps S8 to S10 are repeated until the release of the slide input is detected.

  In step S12, the control unit 20 determines the coordinates of the second intermediate point M2. That is, first, as shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 20 detects the points detected by the coordinate input unit 2 immediately before the slide input is released in step S11 as the third touch point P3 and the fourth touch point P3. The touch point P4 is recognized. Note that the third touch point P3 is a touch point detected by the coordinate input unit 6 immediately before the slide input continued from the first touch point P1 is released. Further, the fourth touch point P4 is a touch point detected by the coordinate input unit 6 immediately before the slide input continued from the second touch point P2 is released. Then, the control unit 20 calculates the coordinates of the second intermediate point M2 based on the coordinates of the third touch point P3 and the coordinates of the fourth touch point P4. The conditions for calculating the coordinates of the second intermediate point M2 may be the same as the conditions for calculating the coordinates of the first intermediate point M1. The coordinates of the second intermediate point M2 are stored in the coordinate storage unit 6. When the coordinates of the second intermediate point M2 are obtained, the process proceeds to step S13.

  In step S13, the region designating unit 3 of the control unit 20 determines the selection region R on the display screen of the touch panel display 10 based on the coordinates of the first intermediate point M1 and the coordinates of the second intermediate point M2 described above. . In the example shown in FIG. 3, the selection region R includes two sides parallel to the Y axis of the display screen, with the line segment D connecting the coordinates of the first intermediate point M1 and the second intermediate point M2 as diagonal lines. It is a rectangular (quadrangle) area delimited by two sides parallel to the X axis. When the selection area R is designated, the coordinates of each vertex of the shape forming the selection area R are stored in the storage unit 30.

However, the shape of the selection region R is not limited to the above, and may be any shape that can be determined based on the coordinates of the two points of the first intermediate point M1 and the second intermediate point M2. FIG. 5 shows an example of the shape of the selection region R that can be determined based on the coordinates of the two points of the first intermediate point M1 and the second intermediate point M2.
In the example shown in FIG. 5A, the selection area R is a polygonal area having a line segment D connecting the coordinates of the first intermediate point M1 and the second intermediate point M2 as a diagonal line. More specifically, in the example of FIG. 5A, the selection area A has a line segment D connecting the coordinates of the first intermediate point M1 and the second intermediate point M2 as a diagonal line, and from the first intermediate point M1. The side extending in the X-axis direction and the side extending in the X-axis direction from the second intermediate point M2 are parallel hexagons.
In the example shown in FIG. 5B, the selection region R is a regular circular region having a diameter of a line segment D connecting the coordinates of the first intermediate point M1 and the second intermediate point M2.
Further, in the example shown in FIG. 5C, the selection region R is an elliptical region having a major axis of a line segment D connecting the coordinates of the first intermediate point M1 and the second intermediate point M2. In this case, the length of the minor axis of the elliptical region may be a constant value or a value proportional to the major axis. Although not shown in the figure, the selection region R may be an elliptical region having a minor axis of a line segment D connecting the coordinates of the first intermediate point M1 and the second intermediate point M2.
Thus, the shape of the selection region R can be set as appropriate according to the application.

  In step S <b> 14, the control unit 20 displays the determined selection region R on the touch panel display 10. Thereby, the user can confirm the selection region R by displaying on the touch panel display 10.

In step S15, the object selection unit 4 of the control unit 20 determines whether an object exists in the selection region R on the display screen. The position where the plurality of objects O displayed on the screen are present is grasped by the control unit 20. Therefore, it can be determined whether or not the object O is included in the selection region R by referring to each vertex coordinate of the shape forming the selection region R on the display screen and the coordinates where the object O exists. In the example shown in FIG. 3, objects O1 to O5 are displayed on the screen of the touch panel display 10. Among these, all or part of the objects O1 to 03 are included in the selection region R. On the other hand, the objects O4 and 05 are entirely located outside the selection region R. For this reason, the object selection unit 4 of the control unit 20 determines that the objects O1 to 03 are included in the selection region R among the plurality of objects O1 to O5. If an object exists in the selection area R on the display screen, the process proceeds to step S16.
On the other hand, if any object is not included in the selection region R, the process returns to step S1 and again enters the touch input standby state.

  In step S <b> 16, the object selection unit 4 of the control unit 20 selects one or more objects determined to be included in the selection region R. Information about the selected object (such as the identification number of each object) is temporarily stored in the work area of the storage unit 30.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, while the touch input at the first point is continued, the touch input at the second point has not been performed, or the touch input at the second point has been performed. If the slide input is not performed at the same time, the process proceeds to step S17. In this case, in step S17, it is determined whether or not an object on the display screen is located at the first touch point P1 as in the conventional case. Here, the coordinates of the first touch point P1 and the coordinates where the object exists on the display screen are referred to, and if both the coordinates match, the process proceeds to step S16.
In step S16, the object selection unit 4 of the control unit 20 selects one object whose coordinates coincide with the first touch point P1. Information about the selected object is temporarily stored in the work area of the storage unit 30.

  As described above, the control unit 20 performs a process of selecting one or more objects among the objects displayed on the touch panel display 10. When an object is selected by the control unit 20, for example, by performing a drag operation in a state where the object is selected, various known information processing such as moving the position of the object on the display screen is performed. be able to.

(2. Game device)
Next, the game device according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described. The game device of the present invention basically includes a touch panel display. And a game device can advance a game by selecting one or a plurality of objects displayed on a touch panel display by the above-mentioned method, and giving various commands to the selected objects.

[Configuration example of game device]
FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of the game device. The embodiment represented by this block diagram can be suitably used particularly as an arcade game device. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing an example of the external appearance of the housing of the game device.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the game apparatus includes a touch panel display 100, a card reader 200, and a game main body 300. The touch panel display 100 has a configuration capable of displaying various image data as an image that can be visually recognized by the user and detecting coordinates at which the display screen is touched by the user. Further, the card reader 200 has a configuration capable of acquiring card information unique to a card by reading the identification code recorded on the card when a card on which a predetermined identification code is printed is placed. ing. The game main unit 300 controls the functions of the entire game device. In particular, the game main unit 300 displays an object on the touch panel display 100 based on information read by the card reader 200, and advances the game based on a card operation on the card reader 200 and a touch operation on the touch panel display 100. be able to.

As shown in FIG. 6, the touch panel display 100 includes a display 110 and a touch screen 120. The touch panel display 100 is formed by disposing a touch screen 120 made of a transparent material on the front surface of the display 100 that can display an image. The display 110 is, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an OELD (Organic Electro).
Luminescence Display (organic EL display). The display 110 outputs and displays various information necessary for the user to use the information processing apparatus as a still image or a moving image in accordance with an input signal from the game main body 300. The touch screen 120 detects that the user's finger has touched by a known capacitance method, electromagnetic induction method, infrared scanning method, resistive film method, or ultrasonic surface acoustic wave method, and detects the touch position. Coordinate information can be obtained. The positional relationship between the display 110 and the touch screen 120 is linked to each other, and the touch screen 120 can acquire coordinate information of the touch position on the display screen displayed on the display 110. Thereby, the touch screen 120 can detect that the user's finger has touched and can obtain coordinate information on the screen of the display 110 on which the user's finger has touched. The coordinate information acquired by the touch screen 120 is stored in the temporary storage unit 370 of the game main body unit 300. The touch screen 120 is compatible with so-called multi-touch, in which coordinate information at a plurality of points can be acquired when the user touches a plurality of points. Moreover, it is preferable that the game apparatus of the present invention is equipped with a relatively large touch panel display 100. For example, the touch panel display 100 is preferably a display of 10 inches to 75 inches, 16 inches to 40 inches, or 20 inches to 38 inches.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the card reader 200 is a device that can capture an image of the identification code recorded on the card C, and includes a panel 210, a light source 220, and an image sensor 230. For example, an illustration of an object used in a game is printed on the front surface of the card C, and an identification code for identifying the object printed on the front surface is recorded on the back surface of the card C. Further, an identification code is printed on the back surface of the card C using, for example, ink that is not visible with visible light, and when printed with specific invisible light, a pattern printed in white and black appears. The identification code is printed with special ink that absorbs invisible light such as infrared rays. When the back surface of the card C is irradiated with infrared rays, the invisible light irradiated on the portion other than the black portion of the identification code is reflected. It has become. For example, at least information regarding the identification number of the object drawn on the card, the card orientation, etc. is recorded in the identification code of the card C.

  A panel 210 is provided on the upper surface of the card reader 200, and a plurality of cards C can be placed on the panel 210. Further, inside the game device casing, for example, a light source 220 that irradiates infrared rays (invisible light) to the back surface of the card C placed on the panel 210 and a card C placed on the panel 210. An image sensor 230 is provided that captures the pattern of card data recorded on the card C by acquiring infrared rays reflected from the back surface. An example of the light source 220 is a light emitting diode (LED) that emits invisible light that cannot be seen with the naked eye, such as infrared rays and ultraviolet rays. An example of the image sensor 230 is an image sensor that captures an identification code with infrared rays that are reflected from the back surface of the card C and incident on the card reader 200. The card reader 200 can acquire card information unique to the card C by analyzing the identification code. The card information acquired by the card reader 200 is transmitted to the processing unit 310 of the game main body unit 300 and stored in the temporary storage unit 270.

  In the identification code of the card C, at least information regarding the identification number of the object drawn on the card, the card orientation, and the like is recorded. For this reason, the processing unit 310 of the game main body unit 300 refers to the object table stored in the game information storage unit 380 or the temporary storage unit 270 based on the card information obtained from the card reader 200, whereby the card C It is possible to grasp the status of the object, the type, the name, the attribute, and the object characteristics according to the direction and position of the card C. An example of the object is a game character. Further, the processing unit 310 of the game main body unit 300 detects the position where the infrared light is reflected by the back surface of the card C by the image sensor 230 of the card reader 200, so that the card C is placed on the panel 210. The position can be obtained as coordinate information. Further, by continuously detecting the reflection position of the infrared light by the image sensor 230, it is possible to obtain information that the card C placed on the panel 210 has moved from one position to another position.

  Further, the card reader 200 is preferably divided into a plurality of areas on the panel 210 as shown in FIG. The number of sections on the panel 210 can be 2-10, for example. In the example shown in FIG. 8, the panel 210 of the card reader 200 is divided into two parts, an offense area A1 (first area) and a defensive area A2 (second area). This area is divided according to the coordinates of the panel, and each card C can slide in the offense area A1 and the defensive area A2. The processing unit 310 of the game main body unit 300 determines whether each card C is in a position belonging to the offense area A1 or the defensive area A2 by acquiring the position of each card C on the panel 210 as coordinate information. can do.

  Also, as shown in FIG. 8, a rectangular card C can be placed vertically or horizontally on the panel 210 of the card reader 200, and the processing unit 310 of the game main unit 300 is Based on the detection information from the card reader 200, it is possible to determine whether the placed card C is vertically or horizontally. For example, an identification code is printed on the back surface of the card C. This identification code includes information on the card orientation. For this reason, the processing unit 310 of the game main body unit 300 reads the identification code by the card reader 200 and analyzes the orientation of the card C based on the read identification code, so that the card C is in the portrait or landscape orientation. Can be determined.

  The game main unit 300 includes a processing unit 310, reads out and executes a game program, and controls the operation of the entire game device according to the game program. As shown in FIG. 6, the game main unit 300 has the following configuration.

  The processing unit 310 performs various processes such as control of the entire system, instruction instruction to each block in the system, game processing, image processing, and sound processing. The function of the processing unit 310 can be realized by hardware such as various processors (CPU, DSP, etc.) or ASIC (gate array, etc.), or a given program (game program).

  Examples of the processing unit 310 include a game processing unit 320, an image processing unit 330, and a sound processing unit 350. Specific examples include a main processor, a coprocessor, a geometry processor, a drawing processor, a data processor, four arithmetic operation circuits, or a general-purpose operation circuit. These are appropriately connected by a bus or the like so that signals can be exchanged. In addition, a data expansion processor for expanding compressed information may be provided.

  Here, the game processing unit 320 performs processing for displaying an object on the display 110 based on the card information acquired by the card reader 200, a viewpoint position (virtual camera position) and a line-of-sight angle (virtual camera rotation angle) on the display 110. ) Scrolling, processing to place objects such as map objects in the object space, processing to select objects, processing to move objects (motion processing), position and rotation angle of objects (rotation around X, Y or Z axis) Angle) processing, coin (price) receiving processing, various mode setting processing, game progress processing, selection screen setting processing, hit check processing, processing of game results (results, results), multiple players For playing in a common game space Various game processes such as physical process or game over process are applied to the touch screen 120, the card reader 200, the input data from the operation unit 360, the personal data from the portable information storage device 392, the stored data, and the game program. Based on.

  The image processing unit 330 performs various types of image processing in accordance with instructions from the game processing unit 320 and the like. The game processing unit 320 reads the image information of the object and the game space from the game information storage unit 380 based on the information on the viewpoint position and the line-of-sight angle, and writes the read image information in the temporary storage unit 370. The game processing unit 320 supplies scroll data for moving the viewpoint to the image processing unit 330. The image processing unit 330 reads image information for each frame from the temporary storage unit 370 based on the given scroll data, and causes the display 110 to display an image of an object or a game space according to the read image information. Thereby, the object and the game space are displayed on the display 110 based on the viewpoint. Further, the image processing unit 330 moves the viewpoint in the game space according to the input coordinates on the touch screen 120. Then, the image processing unit 330 reads the frame from the temporary storage unit 370 based on the moving viewpoint information, and displays the read image on the display 110. In this way, the display screen changes by scrolling the viewpoint of the game space.

  Further, the image processing unit 330 reads the card information acquired by the card reader 200 from the temporary storage unit 370 and refers to the object table stored in the game information storage unit 380 based on the card information. Then, based on the link information stored in the object table, the image data of the object associated with the card information is read from the temporary storage unit 370 or the game information storage unit 380. Then, the image processing unit 330 generates an object in the game space according to the read image data of the object, and displays the object on the display 110.

  The game processing unit 320 is based on the coordinate information input to the touch screen 120, the direction and position of the card placed on the card reader 200, and other operation information from the operation unit 260 (lever, button, or controller). And control the behavior of the objects that appear in the game space. For example, the game processing unit 320 refers to the coordinate information of the object displayed on the display 110 and the coordinate information input to the display 110, and determines whether or not the object has been touched by the user. That is, the game processing unit 320 determines that the object is touch-selected when the position information input to the touch screen 120 matches the position information of the object. When an operation or command is given to the selected object, processing according to the game program is performed according to the operation or command.

  In addition, when the game processing unit 320 selects an object displayed on the display 110 of the touch panel display 100, the game processing unit 320 preferably performs the above-described selection process unique to the present invention. That is, the game processing unit 320 determines the coordinates of the first intermediate point obtained from the coordinates of the first two points based on the coordinates of the first two points that are simultaneously input to the touch screen 120 of the touch panel display 100. In addition, the game processing unit 320 determines the coordinates of the second intermediate point obtained from the coordinates of the last two points based on the coordinates of the last two points detected immediately before the coordinates of the two points are not input simultaneously. . Then, the game processing unit 320 designates an area on the display screen of the display 110 based on the coordinates of the first intermediate point and the coordinates of the second intermediate point, so that at least a part of the designated area is included. One or a plurality of objects on which images are displayed are selected. In addition, when an operation or command is given to the selected object, the game processing unit 320 performs processing according to the game program according to the operation or command. For example, when one or more objects are selected by an input operation on the touch screen 120 and different coordinate information is input to the touch screen 120 again, the game processing unit 320 selects the one or more selected objects. Is moved to the input coordinate information again. Thus, it is preferable that the game processing unit 320 advances the game by linking the card information acquired by the card reader 120 and the coordinate information input to the touch screen 110.

  The sound processing unit 250 emits various sounds according to instructions from the game processing unit 220 and the like.

All of the functions of the game processing unit 320, the image processing unit 330, and the sound processing unit 350 may be realized by hardware, or all of them may be realized by a program. Alternatively, it may be realized by both hardware and a program.
As illustrated in FIG. 6, for example, the image processing unit 330 includes a geometry processing unit 332 (three-dimensional coordinate calculation unit) and a drawing unit 340 (rendering unit).

  The geometry processing unit 332 performs various geometry operations (three-dimensional coordinate operations) such as coordinate conversion, clipping processing, perspective conversion, or light source calculation. The object data (after the perspective transformation) after the geometry processing (object vertex coordinates, vertex texture coordinates, luminance data, etc.) is stored in the main memory 372 of the temporary storage unit 370 and saved, for example.

  The drawing unit 340 draws an object in the frame buffer 374 based on the object data after the geometry calculation (after perspective transformation), the texture stored in the texture storage unit 376, and the like. Examples of the drawing unit 340 include a texture mapping unit 342 and a shading processing unit 344. Specifically, it can be implemented by a drawing processor. The drawing processor is connected to a texture storage unit, various tables, a frame buffer, a VRAM, and the like via a bus and further connected to a display.

  The texture mapping unit 242 reads the environment texture from the texture storage unit 276 and maps the read environment texture to the object.

  The shading processing unit 344 performs shading processing on the object. For example, the geometry processing unit 332 performs light source calculation, and obtains the luminance (RGB) of each vertex of the object based on the light source information for shading processing, the illumination model, the normal vector of each vertex of the object, and the like. Based on the luminance of each vertex, the shading processing unit 344 obtains the luminance of each dot on the primitive surface (polygon, curved surface) by, for example, phone shading or goo shading.

  An example of the geometry processing unit 332 includes a normal vector processing unit 334. The normal vector processing unit 334 may perform a process of rotating the normal vector of each vertex of the object (in a broad sense, the normal vector of the surface of the object) using a rotation matrix from the local coordinate system to the world coordinate system. .

  The operation unit 360 is for a player to input operation data. The function of the operation unit 360 can be realized by, for example, a controller including a lever, a button, and hardware. Processing information from the operation unit 360 is transmitted to a main processor or the like via a serial interface (I / F) or a bus.

  The game information storage unit 380 stores information on game programs, objects displayed on the display 110, and game space image data. The game information storage unit 380 is a ROM, for example, and can be realized by a nonvolatile memory such as an optical disk (CD, DVD), a magneto-optical disk (MO), a magnetic disk, a hard disk, or a magnetic tape. The processing unit 310 performs various processes based on information stored in the game information storage unit 380. The game information storage unit 380 stores information (program or program and data) for executing the means of the present invention (this embodiment) (particularly, the blocks included in the processing unit 310). Part or all of the information stored in the game information storage unit 380 may be written into the temporary storage unit 370 when the system is powered on, for example.

  As information stored in the game information storage unit 380, program code for performing a predetermined process, image data, sound data, display object shape data, table data, list data, information for instructing the process of the present invention , Information including at least two pieces of information for performing processing in accordance with the instruction. For example, the table data includes data of an object table that stores object characteristics in accordance with an object status, type, name, attribute, card orientation and position in association with the object identification number.

  The object status is information in which moving speed, hit points, attack power, defense power, and the like are stored as numerical values. The game processing unit 320 can determine the superiority or inferiority of the moving speed, hit points, attack power, etc. for each object by referring to the status stored in the object table. Further, the game processing unit 320 can perform various calculations for proceeding with the game based on the numerical values related to the status. For example, the numerical values of the moving speeds of the respective objects can be compared, and by referring to the object table, it can be understood which one of the objects and the other object has the higher moving speed. In addition, by performing predetermined calculation processing based on the numerical value of the moving speed of each object, it is possible to calculate the time required for the object to move from one point in the game space to another point.

The characteristic of the object according to the card orientation is data that changes according to the orientation placed on the panel 210 of the card reader 200. For example, in the object table, different information is stored for an object related to a card depending on whether the card is in portrait orientation or landscape orientation. For example, the status of the object may change depending on whether the card is in portrait orientation or landscape orientation.
The characteristic of the object according to the card position is data that changes according to the position placed on the panel 210 of the card reader 200. For example, the object table stores different information for an object related to a certain card depending on whether the card is located in the offense area A1 (first area) or the defensive area A2 (second area). Yes. For example, the status of the object may change depending on whether the card is located in the offense area A1 or the defensive area A2.

  The game information storage unit 380 stores data related to the game space. The game space means the world of the game in the game device of the present invention, also called the world. The data relating to the game space includes position information of the displayed object, information related to the type of the displayed object, and image data of the displayed object. Examples of displayed objects are backgrounds, buildings, landscapes, plants, and objects that appear in the game. This image data is preferably stored as polygon data. Polygon data includes, for example, vertex coordinate data, color data, texture data, and transparency data. The game information storage unit 380 classifies and stores the displayed objects according to, for example, the orientation, position, and area of the player character's viewpoint.

  The sound output unit 390 outputs sound. The function of the sound output unit 390 can be realized by hardware such as a speaker. The sound output is processed by a sound processor connected to the main processor or the like via a bus, for example, and output from a sound output unit such as a speaker.

  The portable information storage device 392 stores player personal data, save data, and the like. Examples of the portable information storage device 392 include a memory card and a portable game device. The functions of the portable information storage device 392 can be achieved by known storage means such as a memory card, flash memory, hard disk, USB memory and the like. However, the portable information storage device 392 is not necessarily required, and may be installed when it is necessary to identify the player.

  The communication unit 394 is an arbitrary unit that performs various controls for communicating with the outside (for example, a host server or another game device). By connecting the game device to a host server on the network or another game device via the communication unit 394, it is possible to perform game battle play and cooperative play. The function of the communication unit 394 can be realized by various processors, hardware such as a communication ASIC, a program, or the like. The program or data for executing the game device may be distributed from the information storage medium of the host device (server) to the game information storage unit 380 via the network and communication unit 394.

[Operation example of game device]
Subsequently, an operation example of the game apparatus having the above-described configuration will be described with reference to FIGS. Here, an example of a game system executed by the game device will be described. For example, the game device of the present invention can play a battle game using communication such as the Internet. In this battle game, each game user plays a battle by making a plurality of objects (game characters) appear in one game space. In the example of the game described here, the user performs command operations such as appearance, movement, attack, and defense of each object via the touch panel display 100, the card reader 200, etc. It aims to suppress towers and destroy stones.

  FIG. 9 conceptually shows the state of the touch panel display 100 and the card reader 200 when actually playing a game using the game apparatus according to the present invention. The user places desired cards C1 to C7 on the card reader 200. An identification code is printed on the back surface of each of the cards C1 to C7. When the card reader 200 reads the identification codes of the cards C1 to C7, the card reader 200 analyzes the card information based on the identification codes and transmits the card information to the processing unit 310 of the game device. Further, the card reader 200 can grasp the direction and position of each of the cards C1 to C7. In the example shown in FIG. 9, on the card reader 200, the cards C1, C2, C5, and C6 are vertically oriented, and the cards C3, C4, and C7 are horizontally oriented. In the example shown in FIG. 9, on the card reader 200, the cards C1, C4, and C6 are located in the offense area A1, and the cards C2, C3, C5, and C7 are located in the defensive area A2. Information detected by the card reader 200 is transmitted to the processing unit 310. The processing unit 310, based on information such as card information, card orientation, card position, etc., stores the game information storage unit 380 (or temporary storage unit). 370), the object information (image data, status, etc.) associated with the card information is read out by referring to the object table stored in 370). The processing unit 310 displays an image on the touch panel display 100 based on the read image data. For example, on the touch panel display 100, an image of a card is displayed in the lower area. The card image displayed on the touch panel display 100 corresponds to the arrangement order of the cards C1 to C7 placed on the card reader 200 and the direction of the cards C1 to C7. In this way, by displaying the images of the cards C1 to C7 placed on the card reader 200 on a part of the touch panel display 100, the user does not have to look at the card reader 200 to touch the touch panel display 100. It is possible to grasp the arrangement and orientation of the cards C1 to C7 simply by looking at. Note that the touch panel display 100 can also display information on the position of each of the cards C1 to C7 placed on the card reader 200 (for example, in which of the offense area A1 and the defensive area A2).

  In the example shown in FIG. 9, on the display screen of the touch panel display 100, objects (game characters) O1 to O6 corresponding to the cards C1 to C6 are displayed. Each object has its own status, type, name, attribute, and object characteristics according to the card orientation and position. The object status is information in which moving speed, hit points, attack power, defense power, and the like are stored as numerical values. These pieces of information are stored in the object table in association with the identification information of each object. For example, an object in which a card is arranged in a vertical orientation makes a normal attack, while an object in which a card is arranged in a horizontal orientation makes a special attack. Further, an object in which the card is located in the offense area A1 has a higher attack power value, while an object in which the card is located in the defensive area A2 has a higher defense power value. . In the example shown in FIG. 9, the object (O7) corresponding to the card C7 is not displayed on the touch panel display 100. In order to make the object (O7) appear in the game space, the image of the card C7 displayed on the touch panel display 100 is touched, and the image of the card C7 is dragged to the position where the summon gate (Gate) is displayed. When the image of the card C7 is dropped at the position where the summon gate (Gate) is displayed, the object (O7) corresponding to the guard C7 appears in the game space and is displayed on the touch panel display 100. Yes. Note that the position of the summon gate (Gate) in the game space is stored in the game information storage unit 380 or the primary storage unit 370, and the position is grasped by the game processing unit 320.

  FIG. 10 shows an example of an operation for moving an object displayed on the touch panel display 100. When the touch panel display 100 is touched by the user, the touch panel display 100 obtains coordinates of the touch position. The processing unit 310 refers to the coordinates of the touch position and the coordinates where the object is displayed, and determines whether the coordinates of the touch position match the coordinates where the object is displayed. When the touch position matches the object position, the processing unit 310 recognizes that the object has been selected. In the example of FIG. 10A, the object O4 is selected. When the user touches the display screen of the touch panel display 100 with the object O4 selected, the processing unit 310 stores the coordinates of the touch position in the temporary storage unit. In particular, when a plurality of points are touched by the user in a state where the object O4 is selected, the processing unit 310 stores the coordinates of the touch position in the temporary storage unit along with information on the touched order. Then, the processing unit 310 performs processing for moving the object O4 touch-selected by the user to the next touched point. The moving speed is different for each object. Therefore, the processing unit 310 reads the numerical value of the moving speed related to the object O4 from the object table. Then, based on the read value of the moving speed, the object O4 is moved from the first point to the destination point. When a plurality of points are touched, the selected object O4 is sequentially moved to each point according to the touched order. When the moving object O4 encounters an enemy object (Enemy) during movement or reaches the tower (Tower), the battle process with the enemy object, as in the known game system, Processing may be performed to control the tower.

  However, according to the method shown in FIG. 10, the operation of selecting and moving objects one by one is performed by touching all objects one by one when the user desires to move a plurality of objects simultaneously. It becomes necessary to make a choice and becomes complicated. Further, as described above, the moving speed varies depending on each object. For this reason, even when the user desires to move a plurality of objects to the same point, the timing at which each object arrives at the designated point varies depending on the moving speed of the object.

  Therefore, as shown in FIG. 11, in the game system, a plurality of objects on the display screen can be selected at once, and a formation (Party) can be formed for the selected objects. Yes. FIG. 11A shows an example of an operation for selecting a plurality of objects O1 to O7 at once. The operation shown in FIG. 11A is basically the same as the operation shown in FIG. The processing unit 310 determines the coordinates of the first intermediate point M1 obtained from the coordinates of the first two points P1 and P2 based on the coordinates of the first two points P1 and P2 to which the touch panel display 100 is simultaneously input by the user. To do. Also, the processing unit 310 is based on the coordinates of the last two points P3 and P4 detected based on the coordinates of the last two points P3 and P4 that are detected immediately before the two coordinates are not input simultaneously by being dragged by the user. The coordinates M2 of the second intermediate point to be obtained are determined. Then, the processing unit 310 designates a rectangular area on the display screen of the touch panel display 100 based on the coordinates of the first intermediate point M1 and the coordinates M2 of the second intermediate point. Then, the plurality of objects O1 to O7 displayed so that at least a part is included in the designated rectangular area is selected. The selected objects O1 to O7 are stored in association with the temporary storage unit as objects forming a formation.

  FIG. 11B shows an example in which a plurality of selected objects O1 to O7 form a formation (Party). As shown in FIG. 11B, the plurality of objects O1 to O7 selected at once gather together in one place to form a formation. Further, the processing unit 310 performs a process of moving the formation formed by the user's operation to the next touched point. That is, the objects O1 to O7 move in the assembled state by forming a formation. At this time, the moving speeds of the objects forming the formation are different from each other. Therefore, the processing unit 310 reads the numerical value of the moving speed of each object forming the formation from the object table, and obtains the moving speed of the formation based on the read numerical value of the moving speed of each object. For example, the processing unit 310 may obtain the slowest (lowest numerical value) of the movement speeds of the objects forming the formation as the movement speed of the entire formation. Further, the processing unit 310 may use the average value of the movement speeds of a plurality of objects forming the formation as the movement speed of the entire formation. The processing unit 310 can also set the fastest (highest numerical value) of the movement speeds of the objects forming the formation as the movement speed of the entire formation. The formation of the object moves to a designated point at a movement speed according to the value of the movement speed calculated by the processing unit 310. When a plurality of points are designated, the processing unit 310 sequentially moves the object formation to each point in the designated order. When a moving object's formation encounters an enemy object (Enemy) during movement or reaches a tower (Tower), as in a known game system, Processing may be performed to suppress the above.

  In the above, the characteristic system was mainly demonstrated about the game performed with the game device of this invention. As for other game processes, a known game device including a card reader or a known game device including a touch panel display can be appropriately employed.

  The present invention can be suitably used, for example, in the computer industry or the game industry.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Display part 2 Coordinate input part 3 Area | region designation | designated part 4 Object selection part 5 Object memory | storage part 6 Coordinate memory | storage part 10 Touch panel display 20 Control part 30 Memory | storage part M1 1st intermediate point M2 2nd intermediate point P1 1st touch point P2 Second point touch point P3 Third point touch point P4 Fourth point touch point R Region O Object

Claims (6)

A display unit (1) capable of displaying an image;
A coordinate input unit (2) for inputting coordinates on the display screen of the display unit (1);
An area designating section (3) for designating an area (R) on the display screen of the display section (1) based on the coordinates input to the coordinate input section (2),
The area designating part (3)
Based on the coordinates of the first two points simultaneously input to the coordinate input unit, the coordinates of the first intermediate point (M1) obtained from the coordinates of the first two points are determined,
Based on the coordinates of the last two points detected immediately before the two coordinates are not input simultaneously, the coordinates of the second intermediate point (M2) obtained from the coordinates of the last two points are determined,
An information processing apparatus that determines an area (R) on the display screen of the display unit (1) based on the coordinates of the first intermediate point (M1) and the coordinates of the second intermediate point (M2). The display unit (1) can display a plurality of objects (O) on a display screen,
The object selection part (4) which selects the one or several object (O) in which at least one part is contained in the said area | region (R) designated by the said area | region designation | designated part (3) is further provided. Information processing device. The display unit (1) and the coordinate input unit (2) form a touch panel display (10) by superimposing the coordinate input unit (2) on the front surface of the display unit (1). The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2. The region (R) is
A polygonal region having a diagonal line connecting the first intermediate point (M1) and the second intermediate point (M2);
A circular region having a diameter of a line segment connecting the first intermediate point (M1) and the second intermediate point (M2), or
4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the line segment connecting the first intermediate point (M1) and the second intermediate point (M2) is an elliptical region having a major axis or a minor axis. . An information processing method for designating an area on the display screen of the display unit (1) based on the coordinates detected by the coordinate input unit (2) for inputting coordinates on the display screen of the display unit (1). There,
Determining the coordinates of the first intermediate point (M1) obtained from the coordinates of the first two points based on the coordinates of the first two points simultaneously input to the coordinate input unit (2);
Determining the coordinates of the second intermediate point (M2) obtained from the coordinates of the last two points based on the coordinates of the last two points detected immediately before the coordinates of the two points are not input simultaneously;
Determining a region (R) on the display screen of the display unit (1) based on the coordinates of the first intermediate point (M1) and the coordinates of the second intermediate point (M2). Method. A touch panel display (100);
A card reader (200),
A game main body (300) for displaying information read by the card reader (200) on the touch panel display (100) to advance a game, and the touch panel display (100) includes:
A display (110) capable of displaying an image;
A touch screen (120) overlaid on the front surface of the display (110) for inputting coordinates on the display screen of the display (110),
The card reader (200)
A panel (210) on which a card printed with a code having predetermined card information is placed;
An image sensor (230) for reading the code of the card placed on the panel (210) and detecting the card information;
The game main body (300)
A game information storage unit (380) for storing information relating to the object (O) in association with the card information;
Based on the card information detected by the image sensor (230) of the card reader (200), information related to the object (O) is read from the game information storage unit (380), and the read object (O) An image processing unit (330) that performs control to display an image on the display (110) of the touch panel display (100);
A game processing unit (320),
The game processing unit (320)
Based on the coordinates of the first two points simultaneously input to the touch screen (120) of the touch panel display (100), the coordinates of the first intermediate point (M1) obtained from the coordinates of the first two points are determined. ,
Based on the coordinates of the last two points detected immediately before the two coordinates are not input simultaneously, the coordinates of the second intermediate point (M2) obtained from the coordinates of the last two points are determined,
Based on the coordinates of the first intermediate point (M1) and the coordinates of the second intermediate point (M2), an area (R) on the display screen of the display (110) is designated,
A game device that selects one or a plurality of objects (O) on which images are displayed so that at least a part is included in the designated region (R), and advances a game.