JP4929380B2 - Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and program - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, an image processing method, and a program.

  There is known an image processing apparatus that displays an image representing a state of a virtual space on a display unit. For example, a game device that displays a game screen representing the state of the game space on a display means is known.

JP 2001-314647 A

  In the image processing apparatus as described above, for example, there is a case where it is desired to express a state where an object or character in the virtual space can be recognized only in an involuntary manner due to poor visibility in the virtual space due to darkness or fog.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and the purpose thereof is, for example, suitable for a state in which objects and characters in the virtual space can be recognized only in a dull manner due to poor visibility in the virtual space due to darkness, fog, etc. The present invention provides an image processing apparatus, an image processing method, and a program that can be expressed as follows.

  In order to solve the above problems, an image processing apparatus according to the present invention removes a predetermined object from objects arranged in the virtual space in the image processing apparatus that displays an image representing a state of the virtual space on a display unit. The first image generating means for generating a first image representing the appearance of the virtual space as viewed from the viewpoint as a grayscale image, and information regarding the distance from the viewpoint for each pixel of the first image is acquired. Distance information obtaining means for performing, and a luminance changing means for increasing or decreasing the luminance of the pixel of the first image based on information on a difference in luminance between the pixel and a peripheral pixel of the pixel or / and information on the difference in distance. A blurring process / pixel shifting process execution unit that applies at least one of a blurring process and a pixel shifting process to the first image whose pixel brightness has been increased or decreased by the brightness changing unit. And, when the predetermined object is included in the target area of the virtual space, a second image generating means for generating a second image representing the state of the predetermined object when the virtual space is viewed from the viewpoint, Display control means for causing the display means to display an image formed by combining the first image and the second image so as to distort the predetermined object represented in the second image. And

  The image processing method according to the present invention is the image processing method in which an image representing the state of the virtual space is displayed on the display unit, wherein the predetermined space is removed from the objects arranged in the virtual space. A first image generation step of generating a first image representing a state of viewing from a viewpoint as a grayscale image, and a distance information acquisition step of acquiring information on the distance from the viewpoint for each pixel of the first image; A luminance changing step for increasing / decreasing the luminance of a pixel of the first image based on a difference in luminance between the pixel and a peripheral pixel of the pixel or / and a difference in the distance; and A blurring process / pixel shifting process executing step of performing at least one of a blurring process and a pixel shifting process on the first image whose luminance has been increased or decreased; A second image generating step for generating a second image representing a state of the predetermined object when the virtual space is viewed from the viewpoint when the predetermined object is included in a target area of the space; A display control step of causing the display means to display an image obtained by combining the second image with the predetermined object represented by the second image so as to be distorted.

  The program according to the present invention is a program for causing a computer to function as an image processing apparatus for displaying an image representing a state of a virtual space on a display unit, and is a predetermined object among objects arranged in the virtual space. The first image generation means for generating a first image representing the state of the virtual space as viewed from the viewpoint as a grayscale image, and information on the distance from the viewpoint for each pixel of the first image. Distance information acquisition means for acquiring, luminance change means for increasing / decreasing the luminance of a pixel of the first image based on a difference in luminance between the pixel and a peripheral pixel of the pixel and / or a difference in the distance, the luminance Blur process / pixel shift process for applying at least one of a blur process and a pixel shift process to the first image whose pixel brightness has been increased or decreased by the changing means A second image generation unit configured to generate a second image representing a state of the predetermined object when the virtual space is viewed from the viewpoint when the predetermined object is included in a target area of the virtual space; The computer is used as display control means for causing the display means to display an image formed by combining the first image and the second image so as to distort the predetermined object represented in the second image. It is a program to make it function.

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

  According to the present invention, for example, it is possible to suitably express a state in which an object or character in the virtual space can be recognized only in a dull manner because the visibility in the virtual space is poor due to darkness, fog, or the like.

  Also, in one aspect of the present invention, the display control unit causes the first image and the second image to have a degree of distortion as the predetermined object represented in the second image moves away from the reference point of the target region. The display unit may display the image obtained by distorting and synthesizing so as to increase.

  In the aspect of the invention, the second image generation unit includes a unit that acquires a sound source position in the virtual space, a unit that sets the target region based on the sound source position, and a size of the target region. And a means for increasing the value with time.

It is a figure which shows the hardware constitutions of the game device (image processing apparatus) which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of virtual space. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of the screen displayed on a display part. It is a figure for demonstrating recognition of the locker by a user character. It is a schematic diagram which shows another example of the screen displayed on a display part. It is a functional block diagram of the game device (image processing device) according to the embodiment of the present invention. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the process performed with a game device. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of the image produced | generated in the process of a process. It is a figure for demonstrating an example of an image shift process.

  Hereinafter, examples of embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Here, a case where the present invention is applied to a game device which is an aspect of an image processing device will be described. 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), or a personal computer. 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.

  FIG. 1 shows a hardware configuration of a game device (image processing device) according to an embodiment of the present invention. A game apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 1 includes a consumer game machine 11, a display unit 32, an audio output unit 34, and an optical disc 36 (information storage medium). The display unit 32 and the audio output unit 34 are connected to the consumer game machine 11. As the display unit 32, for example, a home television receiver or a liquid crystal display is used, and as the audio output unit 34, for example, a speaker or headphones incorporated in the home television receiver is used.

  The home game machine 11 is a known computer system. The home game machine 11 includes a bus 12, a control unit 14, a main memory 16, an image processing unit 18, an input / output processing unit 20, an audio processing unit 22, an optical disk drive 24, a hard disk 26, a communication interface 28, and a controller 30. .

  The control unit 14 includes one or a plurality of microprocessors. The control unit 14 executes control processing and information processing of each unit based on a program read from the optical disc 36. The main memory 16 includes, for example, a RAM, and a program and data read from the optical disk 36 are written into the main memory 16. The main memory 16 is also used as a working memory for the control unit 14. The bus 12 is for exchanging addresses and data among the units of the consumer game machine 11.

  The image processing unit 18 includes a VRAM, and draws a screen on the VRAM based on the image data supplied from the control unit 14. The screen drawn on the VRAM is converted into a video signal and output to the display unit 32 at a predetermined timing.

  The input / output processing unit 20 is an interface for the control unit 14 to access the audio processing unit 22, the optical disk drive 24, the hard disk 26, the communication interface 28, and the controller 30. The sound processing unit 22 includes a sound buffer, and outputs sound data read from the optical disc 36 to the sound buffer from the sound output unit 34. The communication interface 28 is an interface for connecting the consumer game machine 11 to a communication network such as the Internet by wire or wireless.

  The optical disk drive 24 reads programs and data recorded on the optical disk 36. In the consumer game machine 11, various games are executed based on a program recorded on the optical disc 36. Here, the optical disc 36 is used to supply the program and data to the consumer game machine 11, but other information storage media such as a memory card may be used. Further, for example, a program or data may be supplied to the consumer game machine 11 from a remote place via a communication network. The hard disk 26 is a general hard disk device (auxiliary storage device). Programs and data described as being stored in the optical disk 36 may be stored in the hard disk 26.

  The controller 30 is an operation unit for a user to perform an operation. The input / output processing unit 20 scans the state of each operation member of the controller 30 at regular intervals (for example, every 1/60 seconds) and supplies an operation signal representing the scan result to the control unit 14 via the bus 12. The control unit 14 determines a user operation based on the operation signal.

  In the following, a technique for suitably expressing a state in which objects and characters in the virtual space can be recognized only in an involuntary manner due to poor visibility in the virtual space (game space) due to darkness, fog, or the like will be described. Here, an example in which a game in which a game character that excels in hearing is moving in the dark while recognizing the presence of an object placed in the dark using sound is executed on the game device 10. explain.

  FIG. 2 shows an example of a virtual space. The virtual space 40 shown in FIG. 2 is a virtual three-dimensional space in which three coordinate axes (Xw axis, Yw axis, and Zw axis) orthogonal to each other are set. The position of the object arranged in the virtual space 40 is specified by the coordinate values of these three coordinate axes.

  In the virtual space 40 shown in FIG. 2, a floor 42 that is an object representing the floor is arranged. On the floor 42, a wall 44, which is an object representing a wall, and lockers 46a, 46b, which are objects representing lockers (cupboards), are arranged. The floor 42, the wall 44, and the lockers 46a and 46b are static objects whose arrangement positions do not change. Hereinafter, the lockers 46a and 46b may be collectively referred to as “locker 46”.

  Furthermore, a user character 48 that is a character object operated by the user and an enemy character 50 that is an object representing an enemy character are arranged on the floor 42. The user character 48 moves in the virtual space 40 according to the user's operation. On the other hand, the enemy character 50 autonomously moves in the virtual space 40 according to a predetermined algorithm. The user character 48 and the enemy character 50 are dynamic objects whose arrangement positions and postures change.

  When the user character 48 is attacked by the enemy character 50, the physical strength parameter of the user character 48 decreases. For this reason, the user moves the user character 48 while paying attention so that the user character 48 is not attacked by the enemy character 50.

  A virtual camera 52 (viewpoint) is set in the virtual space 40. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the virtual camera 52 is set behind and above the user character 48. The virtual camera 52 moves according to the movement of the user character 48.

  A screen representing the virtual space 40 viewed from the virtual camera 52 is displayed on the display unit 32. FIG. 3 shows an example of a screen displayed on the display unit 32. The floor 42, the wall 44, the user character 48, and the enemy character 50 are displayed on the screen shown in FIG. In FIG. 3, hatched lines on most of the screen indicate that the virtual space 40 is dark. In FIG. 3, the floor 42, the wall 44, and the enemy character 50 are represented by dotted lines. This indicates that the floor 42, the wall 44, and the enemy character 50 are displayed on the screen in a dull manner. A technique for displaying the floor 42, the wall 44, and the enemy character 50 in the dark virtual space 40 in a dull manner will be described later (see steps S102 to S108 in FIG. 7).

  The lockers 46a and 46b are not displayed on the screen shown in FIG. The screen shown in FIG. 3 represents a state in which the user character 48 cannot recognize the presence (contour or shape) of the lockers 46a and 46b. In this game, for example, the user character 48 recognizes the presence of the locker 46 by a sound generated when the floor 42 or the wall 44 is hit.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the recognition of the presence of the locker 46 by the user character 48. As shown in FIG. 4, when a sound is generated, a sound source position 54 is set. For example, when a sound is generated by the user character 48 hitting the wall 44, the position where the user character 48 hits is set as the sound source position 54.

  When the sound source position 54 is set, a sound area 56 is set based on the sound source position 54. For example, the sound region 56 is a spherical region centered on the sound source position 54. The sound region 56 represents sound propagation, and the sound region 56 becomes larger as time passes. That is, the radius (r) of the sound region 56 gradually increases from a predetermined initial value (for example, 0) to a predetermined maximum value (R) with time. When the radius (r) of the sound area 56 reaches the maximum value (R), the sound area 56 disappears. Although the sound region 56 is described as a spherical region here, the sound region 56 may be a region other than the spherical region.

  When the surface of the sound area 56 comes into contact with the rocker 46 (in other words, when the sound area 56 is included in the rocker 46), the presence of the rocker 46 is recognized by the user character 48. Displayed on the screen. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 4, since the locker 46a is in contact with the sound area 56, the locker 46a is displayed on the screen. FIG. 5 shows an example of a screen displayed on the display unit 32 in this case. The locker 46a recognized by the user character 48 is displayed on the screen shown in FIG. Note that the locker 46a is displayed in a casual manner. A technique for displaying the locker 46a recognized by the user character 48 in a casual manner will be described later (see steps S111 and S112 in FIG. 7).

  Hereinafter, a configuration for displaying the screen as described above will be described. FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram mainly showing functional blocks related to the present invention among the functional blocks realized by the game apparatus 10. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the game apparatus 10 includes a data storage unit 60, a first image generation unit 62, a distance information acquisition unit 64, a luminance change unit 66, a blurring / image shift processing execution unit 68, and a second image generation unit. 70 and a display control unit 72.

  The data storage unit 60 is realized by the main memory 16 and the optical disc 36, for example. The data storage unit 60 stores various data. For example, the shape data of each object arranged in the virtual space 40 is stored in the data storage unit 60. In addition, position data of static objects (for example, the floor 42, the wall 44, and the locker 46) is stored in the data storage unit 60.

Further, game situation data indicating the game situation is stored in the data storage unit 60. For example, the following data is included in the game situation data.
[1] State data of the user character 48 and the enemy character 50 (for example, position, posture, moving direction, moving speed, etc.)
[2] Parameter data of the user character 48 (for example, physical fitness parameter)
[3] State data of the virtual camera 52 (for example, position, line-of-sight direction, and angle of view)
[4] Radius (r) of sound area flag, sound source position 54, and sound area 56

  The sound region flag is information indicating whether the sound region 56 is being generated, in other words, information indicating whether the sound generated at the sound source position 54 is being propagated. The sound region flag takes a value of “0” or “1”. A value “0” indicates that the sound region 56 is not occurring, and a value “1” indicates that the sound region 56 is occurring. When the sound area 56 is being generated, the sound source position 54 that is the reference position of the sound area 56 and the current radius (r) of the sound area 56 are stored as part of the game situation data. .

  Functional blocks other than the data storage unit 60 are realized by the control unit 14 executing processing according to a program stored in the optical disc 36. FIG. 7 is a flowchart mainly showing an example of processing related to the present invention among processing executed by the control unit 14 every predetermined time (for example, 1/60 seconds). Hereinafter, the operation of the functional blocks other than the data storage unit 60 will be described while explaining the processing shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 7, first, the control unit 14 updates the game situation data (S101). For example, the control unit 14 updates the state data of the user character 48 based on a user operation, and updates the state data of the enemy character 50 based on a predetermined algorithm. The control unit 14 also updates the state data of the virtual camera 52.

  For example, the control unit 14 determines whether or not the user character 48 has been attacked by the enemy character 50. When the user character 48 is attacked by the enemy character 50, the control unit 14 updates the parameter data (for example, physical strength parameter) of the user character 48.

  For example, the control unit 14 determines whether or not the sound generation condition is satisfied. The “sound generation condition” is, for example, a condition whether or not the user character 48 hits the wall 44 or the like. When the sound generation condition is satisfied, the control unit 14 stores the sound source position 54 as a part of the game situation data and updates the sound region flag from “0” to “1”. When the sound region flag is “1”, the control unit 14 updates the radius (r) of the sound region 56 stored as part of the game situation data. As described above, the control unit 14 gradually increases the size of the sound region 56 over time by gradually increasing the radius (r) of the sound region 56 over time. When the radius (r) of the sound region 56 reaches the maximum value (R), the sound region flag is updated from “1” to “0”.

  After the processing of step S101 is executed, the control unit 14 (first image generation unit 62) generates a background image (first image) representing the state of the virtual space 40 viewed from the virtual camera 52 on the VRAM ( S102). At this time, a predetermined object is removed from the objects arranged in the virtual space 40. The background image is generated as a grayscale image.

  In the case of this embodiment, the locker 46 (predetermined object) is removed from the virtual space 40. Further, the user character 48 and the enemy character 50 are also removed from the virtual space 40. Then, an image representing a state in which the virtual space 40 formed by removing these objects is viewed from the virtual camera 52 is generated as a background image.

  In this case, a texture image mapped to an object that is not removed from the virtual space 40 (for example, the floor 42 or the wall 44) is converted into a grayscale image based on the luminance of each pixel of the texture image. Then, a background image is generated based on the texture image converted to grayscale. As a result, the background image becomes a grayscale image. FIG. 8A is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the background image generated in step S102.

  After the process of step S102 is executed, the control unit 14 (distance information acquisition unit 64) acquires the distance information (depth information) of the background image (first image) generated in step S102 (S103). The control unit 14 acquires distance information regarding the distance from the virtual camera 52 for each pixel of the background image. This distance information is information related to the distance between the position in the virtual space 40 displayed on the pixel and the position of the virtual camera 52. For example, in the case of a pixel on which one point on the wall 44 is displayed, information regarding the distance between the point on the wall 44 and the position of the virtual camera 52 is acquired. Since the distance corresponds to the depth (depth) from the virtual camera 52 in the line-of-sight direction, the distance is hereinafter referred to as “depth”. For example, the depth is represented by a numerical value of 0 to 255.

  After the process of step S103 is executed, the control unit 14 (luminance changing unit 66) changes the luminance of the pixel of the background image (first image) generated in step S102 (S104). The control unit 14 increases or decreases the luminance of the pixel of the background image based on information on the luminance difference or / and the depth difference between the pixel and the peripheral pixels of the pixel.

  In step S104, for example, the luminance of the pixel having a large luminance difference with the surrounding pixels is changed so as to be higher than the original luminance (in other words, whiter). In this case, whether or not the luminance difference between the pixel (target pixel) and its surrounding pixels is large is determined as described below. First, the control unit 14 calculates the average luminance of the peripheral pixels of the target pixel. The “peripheral pixel of the target pixel” is, for example, among m × n pixels included in “a region of vertical: m (for example, 3) pixels × horizontal: n (for example, 3) pixels centered on the target pixel” It is a pixel other than the target pixel. And the control part 14 determines whether the difference between the brightness | luminance of a target pixel and the average of the brightness | luminance of a surrounding pixel is larger than a 1st reference value. When the difference is larger than the first reference value, the control unit 14 determines that the luminance difference between the target pixel and the surrounding pixels is large, and changes the luminance of the target pixel to be higher than the original luminance. .

  Further, in step S104, for example, the brightness of a pixel having a small brightness difference with the surrounding pixels is changed to be lower than the original brightness (in other words, to be blacker). In this case, whether or not the luminance difference between the pixel (target pixel) and its surrounding pixels is small is determined as described below. First, the control unit 14 calculates the average luminance of the peripheral pixels of the target pixel. Thereafter, the control unit 14 determines whether or not the difference between the luminance of the target pixel and the average luminance of the peripheral pixels is smaller than the second reference value. If the difference is smaller than the second reference value, the control unit 14 determines that the luminance difference between the target pixel and the surrounding pixels is small, and changes the luminance of the target pixel to be lower than the original luminance. To do.

  In step S104, for example, the luminance of a pixel having a large depth difference from surrounding pixels is changed so as to be higher than the original luminance (in other words, whiter). In this case, whether or not the depth difference between the pixel (target pixel) and its surrounding pixels is large is determined as described below. First, the control unit 14 calculates the average depth of the surrounding pixels of the target pixel. Thereafter, the control unit 14 determines whether or not the difference between the depth of the target pixel and the average depth of surrounding pixels is greater than the third reference value. If the difference is larger than the third reference value, the control unit 14 determines that the depth difference between the target pixel and the surrounding pixels is large, and changes the luminance of the target pixel to be higher than the original luminance. To do.

  In step S104, for example, the luminance of the pixel having a small depth difference from the surrounding pixels is changed to be lower than the original luminance (in other words, to be blacker). In this case, whether or not the depth difference between the pixel (target pixel) and its surrounding pixels is small is determined as described below. First, the control unit 14 calculates the average depth of the surrounding pixels of the target pixel. Thereafter, the control unit 14 determines whether or not the difference between the depth of the target pixel and the average depth of surrounding pixels is smaller than the fourth reference value. If the difference is smaller than the fourth reference value, the control unit 14 determines that the depth difference between the target pixel and the surrounding pixels is small, and changes the luminance of the target pixel to be lower than the original luminance. To do.

  As a result of the execution of the process of step S104, a portion where the brightness and depth greatly change in the background image, that is, a boundary (contour) portion of each object is emphasized, and the other portions are blurred.

  After the process of step S104 is executed, the control unit 14 (blurring process / image shifting process executing unit 68) performs a blurring process on the background image (first image) in which the luminance of the pixel is changed in step S104 (S105). ). Here, a general blurring process is used. Further, the control unit 14 (blurring process / image shifting process execution unit 68) performs a pixel shifting process on the background image (first image) subjected to the blurring process in step S105 (S106).

  FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining an example of the pixel shifting process. In the present embodiment, the control unit 14 shifts the pixel 82 of the background image 80 in a predetermined direction based on the sine wave. Specifically, a sine wave amplitude value is associated with each pixel 82. In the example shown in FIG. 9, the amplitude value of the sine wave is associated with each pixel column 84. Then, the control unit 14 shifts the pixel 82 upward or downward by the number of pixels corresponding to the amplitude value associated with the pixel 82. When the amplitude value is a positive value, the pixel 82 is shifted upward, and when the amplitude value is a negative value, the pixel 82 is shifted downward. Note that the amplitude value of the sine wave may be associated with each pixel row 86. The control unit 14 may shift the pixel 82 rightward or leftward by the number of pixels corresponding to the amplitude value associated with the pixel 82.

  Further, in the case of the present embodiment, the background image generated in the previous frame (background image subjected to the blurring process and the pixel shifting process) is translucently combined with the background image subjected to the pixel shifting process in step S106. Is done.

  After the process of step S106 is executed, the control unit 14 generates an enemy character image on the VRAM (S107). In step S107, for example, an image representing a state in which the virtual space 40 in which the enemy character 50 is arranged with the floor 42 and the wall 44 is viewed from the virtual camera 52 is generated as the enemy character image. In this enemy character image, a portion other than the portion on which the enemy character 50 is drawn is set to be transparent. FIG. 8B is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of an enemy character image generated in step S107.

  In step S107, the position, line-of-sight direction, and angle of view of the virtual camera 52 are set to be the same as the position, line-of-sight direction, and angle of view of the virtual camera 52 in step S102. In step S107, the portion of the enemy character 50 that is exposed to light from the light source turns pale and the portion of the enemy character 50 that is not exposed to light from the light source is black. Is set as follows. Further, the enemy character image is generated as an image having a lower resolution than the background image generated in step S102. For example, the resolution of the background image generated in step S102 is set to “1024 × 600”, and the resolution of the enemy character image is set to “128 × 90”.

  After the process of step S107 is executed, the control unit 14 semi-transparently combines the enemy character image generated in step S107 with the background image subjected to the pixel shifting process in step S106 (S108). In this case, the enemy character image is subjected to a blurring process and is translucently combined with the background image in a state where the enemy character image is expanded to the same size as the background image. As a result of executing the processing of steps S107 and S108, only the portion of the enemy character 50 that is exposed to light from the light source is displayed in pale blue, and the enemy character 50 is displayed loosely on the screen. It will be.

  After the process of step S108 is executed, the control unit 14 generates a user character image (S109). In step S109, an image representing a state in which the virtual space 40 in which the user character 48 is arranged with the floor 42, the wall 44, and the enemy character 50 is viewed from the virtual camera 52 is generated as a user character image. In this case, the position, line-of-sight direction, and angle of view of the virtual camera 52 are set to be the same as the position, line-of-sight direction, and angle of view of the virtual camera 52 in step S102. In this user character image, a portion other than the portion where the user character 48 is drawn is set to be transparent. FIG. 8C is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the user character image generated in step S109.

  After the process of step S109 is executed, the control unit 14 determines whether or not the sound region flag is “1” (S110). When the sound region flag is “1”, that is, when the sound region 56 is being generated, the control unit 14 (second image generation unit 70) generates a rocker image (second image) (S111). That is, the control unit 14 generates an image of the rocker 46 (predetermined object) included in the sound area 56 (target area).

  In step S111, first, the sound area 56 is specified based on the game situation data. Further, the rocker 46 included in the sound area 56 is detected. For example, when the whole or part of the rocker 46 is included in the sound region 56, it is determined that the rocker 46 is included in the sound region 56. Then, an image representing a state in which the virtual space 40 in which the locker 46 included in the sound region 56 is arranged with the floor 42, the wall 44, the user character 48, and the enemy character 50 is viewed from the virtual camera 52 is generated as a locker image. The

  In this case, the position, line-of-sight direction, and angle of view of the virtual camera 52 are set to be the same as the position, line-of-sight direction, and angle of view of the virtual camera 52 in step S102. In this case, the locker 46 is mapped with a texture image created in advance to express the locker arranged in the distorted space. Further, in the locker image generated here, a portion other than the portion where the locker 46 is drawn is set to be transparent. FIG. 8D is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a rocker image generated in step S111.

  After the process of step S111 is performed, the control part 14 (display control part 72) produces | generates the image displayed on the display part 32 (S112). The control unit 14 generates an image formed by combining the background image (first image) obtained by translucently combining the enemy character image in step S108 and the rocker image (second image) generated in step S111. The “background image in which the enemy character image is translucently synthesized in step S108” can be rephrased as “an image obtained by translucently synthesizing the background image and the enemy character image”.

  When the background image and the locker image are translucently combined, the control unit 14 performs the translucent combination of the background image and the locker image so as to distort the rocker 46 represented in the locker image. That is, the control unit 14 distorts the rocker image, and translucently combines the distorted rocker image with the background image. When the rocker image is distorted, the control unit 14 distorts the rocker image so that the degree of distortion increases as the distance from the sound source position 54 (the reference position of the sound region 56) increases.

  Various processes can be used as a process for distorting the rocker 46 represented in the rocker image. For example, the control unit 14 distorts the rocker 46 represented in the rocker image by performing pixel shift processing on the rocker image. In this case, the control unit 14 applies a pixel shifting process to the rocker image so that the degree of shifting increases as the distance from the sound source position 54 increases. Further, in this case, the direction in which the pixels are shifted may be a fixed direction, or the direction in which the pixels are shifted may be determined based on the sine wave as in step S106.

  Further, in step S112, the control unit 14 synthesizes the user character image generated in step S109 with an image obtained by semi-transparent synthesis of the background image and the rocker image. Then, the image generated in this way is displayed on the display unit 32.

  On the other hand, when the sound region flag is not “1”, the control unit 14 (display control unit 72) generates an image to be displayed on the display unit 32 without executing the process of step S111 (S112). In step S112 in this case, the user character image generated in step S109 is combined with the background image in which the enemy character image is translucently combined in step S108. Then, the image generated in this way is displayed on the display unit 32.

  In the game apparatus 10 (image processing apparatus) described above, the screen of the floor 42, the wall 44, and the enemy character 50 in the dark virtual space 40 is loosened by executing the processes of steps S <b> 102 to S <b> 108 in FIG. 7. Is displayed. 7 is executed, the locker 46 recognized by the user character 48 with sound is displayed on the screen. According to the game apparatus 10, it is possible to appropriately express that the presence of an object (the locker 46) can be recognized only in a dark manner because the presence of the object (rocker 46) is recognized in the dark.

  The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above.

  (1) For example, one of steps S105 and S106 in FIG. 7 may be omitted. For example, step S105 in FIG. 7 may be omitted.

  (2) For example, even if the rocker 46 recognized by the user character 48 in the past (that is, the rocker 46 that has been included in the sound region 56 in the past) is not included in the sound region 56. It may be displayed on the screen.

  In this case, in step S101 in FIG. 7, the rocker 46 that the user character 48 has not recognized in the past (that is, the rocker 46 that has not been included in the sound region 56 in the past) is removed from the virtual space 40. Further, the user character 48 and the enemy character 50 are also removed from the virtual space 40. Then, an image representing a state in which the virtual space 40 formed by removing these objects is viewed from the virtual camera 52 is generated as a background image. Further, in step S111 of FIG. 7, the rocker 46 included in the sound area 56 (target area) and not previously recognized by the user character 48 (that is, included in the sound area 56 until then). An image of the locker 46) that has never been generated is generated.

  (3) Further, for example, an object representing an object other than the locker 46 may be arranged in the virtual space 40. For example, an object representing other furniture (such as a bed, a table, or a chair) may be arranged. Further, for example, an object representing an object other than furniture may be arranged. These objects may be executed in the same manner as the locker 46.

  (4) In the above, an example in which the present invention is applied to a game in which the user character 48 recognizes the presence of an object (the locker 46) by relying on sound in the dark has been described. For example, the user character 48 is in the dark. Therefore, the present invention can be applied to a game that recognizes the presence of an object by relying on a weak light such as a penlight.

  In this case, instead of the sound region 56, a light region indicating a region where penlight light can reach may be set. In this case, the reference position of the light area is the light source position (the position of the penlight or user character), and the light area is set based on the light source position. For example, a spherical area having a predetermined radius centered on the light source position is set as the light area.

  In this way, it is possible to suitably express that the existence of an object can be recognized only in a dull manner because it recognizes the existence of the object by relying on weak light in the dark.

  (5) In the above description, the example in which the present invention is applied to a game in which the user character 48 moves in the dark has been described. However, for example, the present invention is also applied to a game in which the game character moves in a deep fog. Can do. The present invention can be applied to a game in which a game character moves in a virtual space with poor visibility (a virtual space with poor visibility).

  For example, in the case of a game in which a game character moves in a deep fog, objects corresponding to such a situation are arranged in the virtual space 40. For example, instead of the floor 42, an object representing the ground is arranged. Further, for example, instead of the locker 46, for example, an object representing a treasure box is arranged.

  (6) Further, for example, the virtual camera 52 (viewpoint) may be set at the eye position of the user character 48.

  (7) Further, for example, the present invention can be applied to an image processing apparatus other than the game apparatus 10. The present invention can be applied to an image processing apparatus that generates an image representing a state of a virtual space.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Game device, 11 Home-use game machine, 12 Bus, 14 Control part, 16 Main memory, 18 Image processing part, 20 Input / output processing part, 22 Sound processing part, 24 Optical disk drive, 26 Hard disk, 28 Communication interface, 30 Controller , 32 Display unit, 34 Audio output unit, 36 Optical disk, 40 Virtual space, 42 Floor, 44 Wall, 46a, 46b Locker, 48 User character, 50 Enemy character, 52 Virtual camera, 54 Sound source position, 56 Sound area, 60 data Storage unit, 62 First image generation unit, 64 Distance information acquisition unit, 66 Brightness change unit, 68 Blur process / Pixel shift process execution unit, 70 Second image generation unit, 72 Display control unit, 80 Background image, 82 pixels, 84 pixel columns, 86 pixel rows.

Claims (5)

In an image processing apparatus that displays an image representing a state of a virtual space on a display unit,
First image generation means for generating, as a grayscale image, a first image representing a state in which the virtual space obtained by removing a predetermined object from the objects arranged in the virtual space is viewed from a viewpoint;
Distance information acquisition means for acquiring information about the distance from the viewpoint for each pixel of the first image;
Brightness changing means for increasing or decreasing the brightness of the pixel of the first image based on information on a difference in brightness between the pixel and a peripheral pixel of the pixel or / and information on the difference in the distance;
A blurring process / pixel shifting process executing means for performing at least one of a blurring process and a pixel shifting process on the first image whose pixel brightness has been increased or decreased by the brightness changing unit;
A second image generating unit configured to generate a second image representing a state of the predetermined object when the virtual space is viewed from the viewpoint when the predetermined object is included in a target area of the virtual space;
Display control means for causing the display means to display an image obtained by combining the first image and the second image so as to distort the predetermined object represented in the second image;
An image processing apparatus comprising: The image processing apparatus according to claim 1.
The display control means distorts the first image and the second image so that the degree of distortion increases as the predetermined object represented in the second image moves away from the reference point of the target area. An image processing apparatus, wherein the combined image is displayed on the display means. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
The second image generation means includes
Means for obtaining a sound source position in the virtual space;
Means for setting the target region based on the sound source position;
Means for increasing the size of the target area with time,
An image processing apparatus. In an image processing method for displaying an image representing a state of a virtual space on a display means,
A first image generation step of generating a first image representing a state in which the virtual space obtained by removing a predetermined object from the objects arranged in the virtual space is viewed from a viewpoint as a grayscale image;
A distance information acquisition step for acquiring information regarding the distance from the viewpoint for each pixel of the first image;
A luminance changing step for increasing or decreasing the luminance of the pixel of the first image based on a luminance difference between the pixel and a peripheral pixel of the pixel or / and a difference in the distance;
A blurring process / pixel shifting process performing step of performing at least one of a blurring process and a pixel shifting process on the first image in which the brightness of the pixels has been increased or decreased by the brightness changing step;
A second image generation step of generating a second image representing a state of the predetermined object when the virtual space is viewed from the viewpoint when the predetermined object is included in the target area of the virtual space;
A display control step for causing the display means to display an image formed by combining the first image and the second image so as to distort the predetermined object represented in the second image;
An image processing method comprising: A program for causing a computer to function as an image processing device that displays an image representing a state of a virtual space on a display means,
First image generation means for generating, as a grayscale image, a first image representing a state in which the virtual space obtained by removing a predetermined object from the objects arranged in the virtual space is viewed from a viewpoint;
Distance information acquisition means for acquiring information related to the distance from the viewpoint for each pixel of the first image;
A luminance changing means for increasing or decreasing the luminance of the pixel of the first image based on a difference in luminance between the pixel and a peripheral pixel of the pixel or / and a difference in the distance;
Blur processing / pixel shift processing execution means for performing at least one of blur processing and pixel shift processing on the first image in which the brightness of the pixels is increased or decreased by the brightness change means;
A second image generating unit configured to generate a second image representing a state of the predetermined object when the virtual space is viewed from the viewpoint when the predetermined object is included in a target area of the virtual space; and
Display control means for causing the display means to display an image formed by combining the first image and the second image so as to distort the predetermined object represented in the second image;
A program for causing the computer to function as

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