JP5995909B2 - User interface program - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a user interface program, and more particularly, to a user interface program used for a game executed on a terminal having a touch panel such as a smartphone terminal or a tablet terminal.

  In recent years, small portable terminals such as smartphones have rapidly spread, and many games executed on such portable terminals have been released. As a method for operating a game executed on such a portable terminal, a technique for displaying a GUI (a plurality of operation keys) imitating a controller attached to a so-called video game at a fixed position on a touch panel has been proposed. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1). The game character is allowed to perform an arbitrary action by holding the portable terminal with both hands of the user and causing the GUI to be touched.

JP 2012-168931 A

  Many smartphones are designed to be sized so that they can be operated with one hand when held in the vertical direction. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 16, the hand holding the vertical housing with one hand is held. It is common to operate the touch panel with only the thumb of the user. The GUI disclosed in Patent Document 1 is based on the premise that the mobile terminal is held by both hands of the user, and thus cannot take advantage of the smartphone that can be operated with one hand.

  On the other hand, considering the operation method of the game character on the premise of taking advantage of the above advantages, there are few operations that can be performed only with the thumb (about 4 types of tap operation, double tap operation, swipe operation, and long press operation). The types of game character actions (for example, movement, attack, defense, special attack, etc.) that can be assigned to these operations are also limited.

  Therefore, the present invention provides a user interface program capable of assigning more functions to operations that can be performed with only the thumb while maintaining the advantage of a smartphone that can be operated with one hand, and a game program including the program. With the goal.

According to the present invention, as the first user interface program,
A user interface program used in a game executed on a terminal having a touch panel, in which a character action in a virtual space is controlled according to a plurality of types of instruction operations on the touch panel by a user,
In the terminal,
First GUI (Graphical User Interface),
In a user interface program that functions as a second GUI and a GUI control unit that enables only one of the first GUI and the second GUI by a switching operation on an arbitrary point of the touch panel,
The GUI control unit performs control of each of the first GUI and the second GUI based on instruction operation management data associated with each of the first GUI and the second GUI,
Each of the instruction operation management data includes information regarding the instruction operation and a function assigned to each of the instruction operations.
Among the plurality of types of instruction operations, a user interface program is obtained in which the switching operation is assigned to one of the instruction operations as the function, and the action is assigned to the other instruction operation as the function. .

According to the present invention, as the second user interface program,
A user interface program according to the first aspect,
The instruction operation to which the switching operation is assigned in the first GUI and the instruction operation to which the switching operation is assigned in the second GUI are the same instruction operations,
The instruction operation to which the character action is assigned in the first GUI and the instruction operation to which the character action is assigned in the second GUI are both different.
A user interface program is obtained.

According to the present invention, as the third user interface program,
A user interface program according to the first or second,
An elastic object that is used in at least one of the first GUI and the second GUI and that virtually elastically deforms in response to the user's operation is displayed on the terminal. Further function as an elastic body simulation part,
A user interface program is obtained.

According to the present invention, as the fourth user interface program,
A user interface program according to any one of the first to third,
The first GUI and the second GUI are displayed on the touch panel so as to at least partially overlap a contact area where the user's finger contacts.
A user interface program is obtained.

According to the present invention, as the fifth user interface program,
A user interface program according to any one of the first to third,
The first GUI and the second GUI are displayed on the touch panel so as not to overlap with the contact area by being displayed at a predetermined distance from a contact area where the user's finger contacts.
A user interface program is obtained.

According to the present invention, as a sixth user interface program,
A user interface program according to any one of the first to fifth,
The terminal can obtain a user interface program that is a smartphone that is fixed and used only in the vertical direction.

  According to the present embodiment, a plurality of GUIs and GUI images used therefor are prepared in advance, and a GUI switching function is given to one of operations that can be performed with only the thumb. Specifically, when a kind of GUI is used, there are four types assigned to the character action as a tap operation, a double tap operation, a swipe operation, and a long press operation. However, two types of GUIs are prepared, and for example, the long press operation of each of the first GUI and the second GUI is used for switching. Thereby, actions can be assigned to a total of six types of tap operations, double tap operations, and swipe operations that are not used for switching in the first GUI and the second GUI.

It is an external view of the portable terminal with which the user interface program by the 1st Embodiment of this invention is performed. It is a block diagram which shows typically the structure of the portable terminal of FIG. It is the schematic diagram which showed the response | compatibility with the structure of the portable terminal of FIG. 1, and the function by a user interface program. It is an example of the table which manages 1st GUI and 2nd GUI, 1st contact operation management data related to it, and 2nd contact operation management data. It is a figure which shows the content of the 1st contact operation management data shown by FIG. It is a figure which shows the content of the 2nd contact operation management data shown by FIG. It is a figure which shows the operation object (GUI image) displayed by 1st GUI. It is another figure which shows the operation object (GUI image) displayed by 1st GUI. FIG. 10 is still another diagram showing an operation object (GUI image) displayed by the first GUI. It is the schematic diagram explaining the generation method of the image of a deformation | transformation of an elastic body object. It is the other schematic diagram explaining the production | generation method of the image of a deformation | transformation of an elastic body object. It is a figure which shows the operation object (GUI image) displayed by 2nd GUI. It is the figure which showed typically the mode of a deformation | transformation of the elastic body object in FIG. It is a figure which shows the modification of this Embodiment. It is another figure which shows the modification of this Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the general holding | maintenance method of the terminal of FIG.

  The user interface program according to the first embodiment of the present invention constitutes a part of a game program executed on a smartphone equipped with a touch panel. In particular, the game program in the present embodiment controls the action of a character in a virtual space in response to a user operating a touch panel. Specifically, a so-called action role-playing game (action RPG) ) Belongs to the game genre. In addition, since the game program in the present embodiment is based on the premise that the advantage of the smartphone that can be used with one hand is utilized, it is assumed that the smartphone 1 is fixed and used only in the vertical direction as shown in FIG. It was produced as.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the smartphone 1 includes a touch panel 2, and a user can operate a game character via the touch panel 2. Note that the terminal on which the user interface program according to the present embodiment is executed is not limited to the smartphone 1 and can be executed as long as the terminal includes a touch panel such as a device such as a PDA or a tablet computer.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the smartphone 1 includes a CPU 3, a main memory 4, an auxiliary memory 5, a transmission / reception unit 6, a display unit 7, and an input unit 8 that are connected to each other via a bus. Of these, the main memory 3 is composed of, for example, a DRAM, and the auxiliary memory 4 is composed of, for example, an HDD. The auxiliary memory 4 stores a user interface program according to the present embodiment. The user interface program is expanded on the main memory 3 and executed by the CPU 2. Note that the main memory 3 also temporarily stores data generated while the CPU 3 is operating according to the user interface program and data used by the CPU 3. The transmission / reception unit 5 establishes a connection between the smartphone 1 and the network under the control of the CPU 3. The input unit 8 detects an operation on the touch pal 2 by the user and detects that an operation has been performed on the terminal.

  More specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the user interface program in the present embodiment includes a touch sensing unit 301, a liquid crystal display unit 302, a GUI control unit 303, a first GUI 304, and a second control unit 305. And the smart phone 1 is functioned as the game control part 306. FIG. The touch sensing 301 functions as one of the input units 8 in FIG. 2, and the liquid crystal display unit 302 functions as the display unit 6 in FIG. The touch sensing unit 301 and the liquid crystal display unit 302 correspond to the touch panel 2 in FIG. Accordingly, the touch panel 2 displays an image under the control of the CPU 2, accepts an interactive touch operation (such as a physical contact operation on the touch panel 2) by the player, and responds to it based on the control of the GUI control unit 303. The graphic can be displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 302. Specifically, the touch sensing unit 301 outputs an operation signal corresponding to the touch operation by the player to the GUI control unit 303. The player's touch operation may be performed by the player's finger, a stylus, or the like. For example, a capacitance type can be adopted as the touch sensing unit, but the touch sensing unit is not limited to this. When the GUI control unit 303 detects an operation signal from the touch sensing unit 301, the GUI control unit 303 determines that it is an operation instruction to the character, and transmits an image (not shown) corresponding to the contact operation to the liquid crystal display unit 302 as a display signal. Take control. The liquid crystal display unit 302 displays a graphic corresponding to the display signal.

  The GUI control unit 303, the first GUI 304, the second control unit 305, and the game control unit 306 are controlled according to the calculation of the CPU2. In the present embodiment, two types of GUIs, a first GUI 304 and a second GUI 305, are prepared for the user in order to control the action of the character in the game described above. The GUI control unit 303 enables only one of the first GUI and the second GUI by a switching operation (described later) with respect to an arbitrary point on the touch panel. The GUI control unit controls each of the first GUI and the second GUI based on the first instruction operation management data and the second instruction operation management data shown in FIG.

  As can be understood from FIGS. 5 and 6, the first instruction operation management data and the second instruction operation management data include a plurality of types of instruction operations on the touch panel 2 and functions assigned to the instruction operations. Have information about. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, the first instruction operation management data includes four types of instruction operations such as a tap operation, a double tap operation, a swipe operation, and a long press operation as the plurality of types of instruction operations. The functions of normal attack, continuous attack, movement, and switching to the second GUI assigned to the instruction operation are managed. Among these, the normal attack, continuous attack, and movement functions are all controls related to actions performed by the character. Similarly, as shown in FIG. 6, the first instruction operation management data includes four types of operations (tap operation, double tap operation, swipe operation, and long press operation) that are the same as the above-described plural types of instruction operations. The functions of long range attack, magic attack, skill activation, and switching to the first GUI assigned to the instruction operation are managed. Among these, the functions of long-range attack, magic attack, and skill activation are all controls related to actions performed by the character. As is clear from FIGS. 5 and 6, in both the first GUI and the second GUI, switching to the other GUI is assigned to the long press operation. Further, the actions assigned to the remaining operations (tap operation, double tap operation, swipe operation) are all different.

  As shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, an operation object (GUI image) 400 displayed by the first GUI according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 7, the operation object 400 includes a fixed circle 410 and an elastic body object 420 positioned inside the fixed circle 410. The operation object 400 is displayed only when the user's finger is in contact with the touch panel 2. The elastic body object 420 has a circular shape as an initial shape as illustrated.

  In this embodiment, when a tap operation is performed, a normal attack is started by the character, and when a double tap operation is performed, a continuous attack (a normal attack is continuously performed a predetermined number of times) is started and moved by swiping. In addition, as will be described later, by performing a long press operation, switching to the second GUI is performed.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the elastic body object 420 according to the present embodiment behaves as an elastic body in response to a user operation on the touch panel. Specifically, the user interface program according to the present embodiment causes the smartphone 1 to function as an elastic body simulation unit that displays an elastic body object that virtually elastically deforms, and the above-described elastic body object 420 is virtually operated by the function. It is displayed with a certain elasticity. When the user performs a swipe operation on the touch panel 2 (an apparatus that moves a contact point on the touch panel 2), the elastic body object 420 is displayed so as to extend with elastic deformation so as to be pulled by the user's finger. That is, the elastic body object 420 is positioned at the start point of the swipe operation and the base portion 430 where the position is fixed, and the tip end portion located near the end point of the swipe operation (note: the finger is in contact). 450 and a connecting portion 440 that connects between the distal end portion 450 of the base portion 430. As shown in the figure, the elastic body object 420 is displayed so as to elastically extend by the moving distance from the touch point in the direction in which the swipe operation is performed. When the user further moves on the touch panel while maintaining the swipe operation end point in the contact state, the tip portion 450 also moves following the movement, and the extending direction of the elastic body object 420 also changes.

  As shown in FIG. 9, when the swipe operation by the user is finished (that is, when the user's finger is removed from the end point of the swipe operation on the touch panel 2), the elastic body object moves according to its restoring force. Is displayed to return to the initial shape shown in FIG. At this time, it is displayed so as to protrude from the fixed circle 410 in the direction opposite to the extending direction of the elastic body object 420 due to the reaction of the restoring force, and then returns to the initial shape. Although the illustrated elastic body object 420 is deformed along with the return, for example, the elastic object 420 is returned to the initial shape without performing such deformation, and the position of the elastic object is set in a direction opposite to the extending direction. It may be shifted so as to shake.

  Subsequently, a process related to 420 deformation of the elastic body object according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11. FIG. 10 schematically shows a part of the elastic body object. The elastic body object 420 according to the present embodiment expresses elastic deformation by moving the coordinates of each vertex 720 of the plate-like polygon 700 divided into the review mesh 710. Each vertex 720 is arranged in a lattice shape, and when the coordinates of an arbitrary vertex 720A are moved by a swipe operation, the coordinates of other vertices 720 are also changed according to the amount of movement of the vertex 720A. The amount of movement of the vertices 720 other than the vertex 720A is weighted by the distance from the vertex 720A. That is, the amount of change in coordinates is small as the distance from the vertex 720A increases (as the distance from the vertex 720A increases). In addition, the white circle in a figure represents the position of the vertex before a movement (namely, FIG. 10).

  In the present embodiment, the first GUI is enabled in the initial state, but when the user performs a long press operation as a GUI switching operation (see FIGS. 5 and 6), the first GUI is switched to. . Along with this, the GUI image is also changed. FIG. 12 shows an operation object (GUI image) 500 displayed by the second GUI. The operation object 500 includes a circular base 501 and two operation keys 510 and 520. The two operation keys 510 are held diagonally upward (operation key 520) and diagonally upward left (operation key 510) from the point where the long press operation is performed (that is, the center point of the base 501) in the manner shown in FIG. In addition, the images are displayed a predetermined distance apart within the reach of the thumb.

  When the second GUI is activated, a long-range attack is started when a tap operation is performed, and a character attacks when an enemy character is located far away, and a magic attack when a double-tap operation is performed If you perform a swipe operation, the skill is activated. As for the skill, for example, when a swipe operation is performed on the operation key 510, the skill 1 assigned to the operation key 510 (one of the attack actions performed by the player character in the game) may be activated. .

  In the present embodiment, the elastic objects 610 and 620 are displayed together when the operation keys 510 and 520 are displayed. As illustrated, the elastic body objects 610 and 620 have a substantially oval shape, and operation keys 510 and 520 are included in the elastic body objects 610 and 620. The elastic body objects 610 and 620 according to the present embodiment are controlled so as to behave as an elastic body as shown in FIG. Specifically, when a long press operation is performed by the user, the elastic body object 610 (the same applies to the elastic body object 620) is changed to the shape of the operation key 610 through the shape 610-1, the shape 610-2, and the shape 610-3. Transforms into By performing such a pop-up display, a special feeling of operation can be produced. Note that the above-described example (see FIGS. 10 and 11) can be adopted as a method of imparting elastic behavior to the elastic body objects 610 and 620.

  Further, the image generation unit generates images of direction indication displays 710 and 720, and the image display unit displays the direction indication displays 710 and 720 near the tips of the elastic objects 610 and 620. The direction indication displays 710 and 720 are displayed blinking to prompt the user to perform a swipe operation toward the operation keys 610 and 620.

  The operation object 400 and the operation object 500 according to the above-described embodiments are both displayed on the touch panel so as to at least partially overlap the contact area where the user's finger contacts. However, for example, as shown in FIG. 14 and FIG. 15, displaying on the touch panel 2 at a position away from the contact area where the user's finger contacts by a predetermined distance so as not to overlap the contact area. It is good. As a result, the images used for the GUI (the operation object 400 and the operation object 500) are not hidden by the user's finger, so that the operation performed by the user becomes clear.

  In addition, the operation object 400 and the operation object 500 according to the present embodiment are displayed on the touch panel 2 at a position where a contact operation has been performed. In other words, the display positions of the operation object 400 and the operation object 500 are not fixed within the touch panel 2.

1 Smartphone 2 Touch Panel 3 CPU
4 Main memory 5 Auxiliary memory 6 Transmission / reception unit 7 Display unit 8 Input unit 301 Touch sensing unit 302 Liquid crystal display unit 303 GUI control unit 304 First GUI
305 First GUI
306 Game Control Unit 400 Operation Object 410 Fixed Circle 420 Elastic Object 430 Base 440 Connection Unit 450 Tip 500 Operation Object 501 Base 510, 520, 530, 540 Operation Key 610, 620 Elastic Object

Claims (6)

A user interface program used in a game executed on a terminal having a touch panel, in which a character action in a virtual space is controlled according to a plurality of types of instruction operations on the touch panel by a user,
In the terminal,
First GUI (Graphical User Interface),
In a user interface program that functions as a second GUI and a GUI control unit that enables only one of the first GUI and the second GUI by a switching operation on an arbitrary point of the touch panel,
The GUI control unit performs control of each of the first GUI and the second GUI based on instruction operation management data associated with each of the first GUI and the second GUI,
Each of the instruction operation management data includes information regarding the instruction operation and a function assigned to each of the instruction operations.
Of the plurality of types of instruction operations, the switching operation is assigned to one of the instruction operations, and the action is assigned to the other instruction operation as the function .
When the first GUI is activated, the switching operation is assigned as the function to the long press operation as the instruction operation,
The second GUI includes one or more operation objects displayed as images,
The user interface program is:
The position where the switch operation to the second GUI is performed by the long press operation on the touch panel when the first GUI is enabled, and the long press operation related to the switch operation is performed on the touch panel Displaying the operation object of the second GUI based on
When the second GUI is enabled on the touch panel, the operation object is received by accepting a swipe operation on the operation object displayed based on the position where the long press operation related to the switching operation is performed. Cause the character to perform the assigned action ,
User interface program. When the operation object of the second GUI is displayed by the long press operation when the first GUI is enabled on the touch panel, another object is displayed together. Deforming the shape and displaying so that the operation object of the second GUI is included in the another object after the deformation;
The user interface program according to claim 1 . When performing the switching operation from the first GUI to the second GUI on the touch panel, the other object to be displayed when the operation object of the second GUI is displayed is elastic. An elastic object controlled to behave as an object having
When the switching operation from the first GUI to the second GUI is performed on the touch panel, the elastic body object is displayed so as to behave as the elastic body, and the elastic body object is displayed. Displaying the operation object of the second GUI so as to be included;
The user interface program according to claim 2 . When the switching operation from the first GUI to the second GUI is performed on the touch panel, a direction indication image is displayed at a position based on the tip of the elastic body object, and the direction indication image is blinked. Display,
The user interface program according to claim 3 . In the touch panel, the first GUI and the second GUI are displayed at a position separated by a predetermined distance from a contact area where the user's finger contacts .
The user interface program according to any one of claims 1 to 4 . When the second GUI is enabled on the touch panel, the operation object is received by accepting a swipe operation on the operation object displayed based on the position where the long press operation related to the switching operation is performed. Causing the character to activate the skill assigned to the operation object as the assigned action,
The user interface program according to any one of claims 1 to 5 .

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