JPH04259481A - Video signal generation circuit for tv game machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable subject screen images to be independently and optionally scrolled and controlled on a screen by sequentially generating the subject screen image information for a plurality of screens including at least one subject image in each screen via a subject image information generation circuit. CONSTITUTION:A subject image information generation circuit 10 outputs subject image information for one screen corresponding to each of a plurality of subject images obtained from a subject data RAM 12, and stores the subject images for a plurality of screens superposed in space corresponding to a single screen. The output of the subject image information generation circuit 10 is equivalent to the superposition of a plurality of screen images, each including at least one subject image. In addition, respective images on a screen are independently scrolled and treated, separately from other screen images. Consequently, each subject is independently scrolled on the screen.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a video signal generation circuit for a video game machine, and more particularly to a video signal generation circuit having an image rotation function that can be constructed at an extremely low cost.

0002

2. Description of the Related Art A video game machine includes a video display device that displays the progress of the game, an input device such as a joystick or push button switch that is operated by the player, and a video game machine that is operated according to a predetermined program and operated by the player. and a circuit for generating video signals necessary for displaying a desired image on the video display device in response to signals from an input device. In such game machines, images of various characters and backgrounds are displayed on the screen of a display device. Some of these characters can be directly controlled by the player by controlling the input device, and others cannot. Taking a space combat game as an example, the former is the enemy's missiles and fighter planes, etc., while the latter is the enemy's fleet and missiles, which are the main theme of the game, images such as backgrounds and border decorations, and information for the game. be. In this specification, the former will be referred to as an object image, and the latter will be referred to as a subject image. For example, for video game machines such as driving games, there are two types of video game machines: a top view type that uses an image that looks like a bird's eye view of the course, and a front view type that uses an image that shows the scene that should appear in the driver's field of view. In order to make the game interesting, it is necessary to rotate the image on the screen of the display device to a desired angle at an appropriate speed as the car progresses. In particular, in the case of a front view type, it is necessary to move a large number of images of objects and subjects appearing on the screen in as complex a manner as possible in response to the player's driving operations. For example, if we take a front-view type driving game machine as an example, the driver's field of view can change the viewpoint by changing the driver's driving operations, such as streets and houses in the foreground, mountains and clouds in the distance, scenery in between, oncoming cars, etc. In order to display the image realistically, each image must be individually enlarged, reduced, moved, and rotated. It is relatively easy to enlarge, reduce, and move images, but rotating them requires a huge amount of calculation processing, so rotating such a large number of images individually is expensive, especially for game consoles. This is difficult for devices with severe restrictions above. For example, as will be explained later with reference to FIG. 2, an arithmetic circuit that is reasonably priced for a game machine is limited to processing an entire screen's worth of images with a specific screen configuration. Therefore, a desirable sense of realism cannot be obtained, and the game development becomes monotonous, making it difficult to keep the player's interest for a long period of time, and even new games quickly become boring. A similar problem is
Similar problems exist in other games, such as space combat games, fighting games, and tracking games, and there is a strong demand for solutions to these problems.

0003

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been devised to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a system that is easy to configure, can be configured at low cost, and can handle a large number of subjects and objects. An object of the present invention is to provide a video signal generation circuit for a video game machine that can individually and arbitrarily control the rotation of images on a screen.

0004

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A video signal generation circuit for a game machine typically displays on a screen an image of an object whose position on the screen of a display device can be controlled by a player through an input device according to the rules of the game. a circuit that generates necessary object image information;
A circuit that generates subject image information necessary for displaying a subject image on the screen of a display device that changes according to a predetermined program and in response to input device operations by a player, an object image information generating circuit, and a subject. A circuit that synthesizes the image information output by the image information generation circuit and generates a game image signal to be displayed, a circuit that converts the synthesized game image signal into a color video signal and outputs it, and controls the operation of the entire system. It consists of a central control circuit.

[0005]The above object of the present invention is to sequentially generate subject image information for a plurality of screen surfaces each including at least one subject image for each screen by a subject image information generation circuit, and to The game image signal generating circuit is configured such that subject image information to be displayed can be formed by superimposing and organizing the above game image signal generating circuit, and a plurality of frame buffer circuits that are operated in rotation with each other, and those frame buffer circuits. The buffer control circuit writes the subject image information and their screen rotation control data to the plurality of frame buffer circuits, organizes the game image information by writing the object image information, and organizes the game image information by writing the object image information. This is achieved by configuring the system so that the readout of game image information is sequentially performed frame by frame.

[0006]

[Operation] Since the present invention is constructed as described above, the device of the present invention can be constructed at an extremely low cost.In addition, when using the device of the present invention, each of a plurality of frame buffer circuits is individually enlarged and reduced. , game image information including moved and rotated characters can be organized and recorded in a rotational manner, and the game image can be displayed by rotatingly outputting them frame by frame, and each game image information can be Since the data is updated while being read from the frame buffer circuit, extremely versatile and detailed image rotation display is possible.

[0007]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be explained in detail below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram showing an example of the circuit configuration of a video signal generation circuit for a video game machine according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the movement of an image displayed on a display device by a known game image information generation circuit. , FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the movement of an image displayed on a display device by the game image information generation circuit according to the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a time diagram showing the operation command pulses of the three sets of frame buffer circuits shown in FIG. 1. It is a chart.

In FIG. 1, 10 is a subject image information generation circuit, 20 is an object image information generation circuit,
30 is a central control circuit, 40 is a game image information generation circuit,
50 is a video signal generation circuit, and 60 is a video display device.

On the screen of the video display device 60, for example, as shown in FIG. 3, there are objects such as missiles 63 that the player can control according to the rules of the game by operating an input device (not shown), and a A space battleship 6 that is controlled according to a predetermined program and in response to the player's input device operations.
Subject images such as 1 and 62 are displayed.

[0010] Thus, the subject image information generation circuit 1
0 is a vertical/horizontal synchronization counter 11, subject data RAM 12, subject data latch 13, subject character data ROM 14, output latch 15
Consists of.

[0011] The subject data RAM 12 displays character codes and characters related to subject images such as a space battleship 61, a meteorite 62, and the sky in the background, which cannot be directly controlled by the player, among images to be displayed. Data such as the position to be held,
Horizontal and vertical enlargement, reduction ratios, scroll data, etc. are recorded. The subject image information generation circuit 10 generates subject image information for each screen in correspondence with each of the plurality of subject images obtained from the subject data RAM 12, and generates subject image information for each of the plurality of screens. Information is stored in a superimposed manner in a space corresponding to a single screen to organize subject screen information to be displayed.

Therefore, the subject image information generation circuit 1
The output of 0 is a stack of multiple screen images each containing at least one subject image, and each screen image is rotated independently, separately from the other screen images. Therefore, each subject can be rotated independently of each other on the screen, as shown in FIG. 3, for example.

Subject data RAM 12 is stored in accordance with the incremented value of vertical/horizontal synchronization counter 11.
The data recorded in the data latch 13 is read out and recorded in the data latch 13. The data latch 13 stores addresses necessary for reading specified character data from the subject character data ROM 14 (while thinning out or duplicating data as appropriate) according to a given vertical expansion/reduction ratio. Output.

[0014] Also, subject character data ROM
14 stores data regarding the basic shape, color, etc. of the character actually displayed on the screen. The character data read from the subject character data ROM 14 is sent to the output latch 15, converted in accordance with the given horizontal expansion/reduction ratio and scroll data, and stored. This output latch 15
The record is updated every frame, that is, every 16 milliseconds, and is sequentially sent in rotation to three sets of frame buffer circuits forming a game image information generation circuit 40, which will be explained in detail later.

The object image information generation circuit 20 includes a vertical/horizontal synchronization counter 21, object data RA
M22, object data latch 23, object character data ROM24, object latch 25
, an object buffer 26, and an output latch 27.

Here, the object image information generation circuit 2
Vertical/horizontal synchronization counter 21, object data RAM 22, object data latch 23 in the first half of 0
, object character data ROM 24, and object latch 25 are similar to those of each component of the subject image information generation circuit 10 described above, except that the information handled is not that of the subject but that of the object. It is.

Of the images to be displayed, the object data RAM 22 contains data such as the code of an object such as a missile 63 controlled by the player, the position at which the object should be displayed, and information about horizontal and vertical enlargement and reduction. Rate, scroll data, etc. are recorded. Further, the object character data ROM 24 stores data regarding the basic shape, color, etc. of objects actually displayed on the screen.

Data recorded in the object data RAM 22 is read out according to the value of the vertical/horizontal synchronization counter 21 and recorded in the object data latch 23. The object data latch 23 outputs an address necessary for reading specified character data from the object character data ROM 24 in accordance with the given vertical enlargement/reduction ratio. The character data read from the object character data ROM 24 is sent to the object latch 25, converted in accordance with the given horizontal expansion/reduction ratio and scroll data, and stored.

The object buffer 26 and the output latch 27 are used to cause relative movement of the object within the background image recorded in the output latch 15 of the subject image information generation circuit 10, that is, its enlargement/reduction and rotation. It is provided in Here, the record in the object latch 25 is converted in accordance with the given enlargement/reduction ratio and rotation amount, and is stored in the output latch 27.

The record of this output latch 27 is updated every frame, that is, every 16 milliseconds, in synchronization with the record of the output latch 15 of the subject image information generating circuit 10 described above, and is updated every frame, that is, every 16 milliseconds. Image information generation circuit 40
The data is sequentially sent in rotation to the three sets of frame buffer circuits that make up the frame buffer circuit.

Next, the game image information generating circuit 40 will be explained. This circuit is a circuit that combines the outputs of the subject image information generation circuit 10 and the object image information generation circuit 20 described above to generate image information necessary for displaying the game, and includes three sets of frame buffer circuits 4.
1, 42 and 43. Further, the configurations of each frame buffer circuit 41, 42, and 43 are the same, and each frame buffer circuit 411, 421, or 431 has one buffer.
and working RAM 412, 422 or 432
It is composed of

FIG. 4 shows each frame buffer circuit 41,
Timing pulses S41, S4 controlling 42 and 43
2 and S43 are shown. Both frame buffer circuits have control input terminals S0, S1, and when the control inputs (S0, S1) of each terminal are (0, 0), subject data is written, and when they are (1, 0), writing of subject data is performed. Writing object data is also (0, 1
), the game data is read out, and each control input is switched every frame, that is, every 16 milliseconds.

The working RAMs 412, 422 and 432 are provided for rotationally converting the game image data once received in the buffers 41, 42 and 43 by a predetermined angle. Game image data received from output latches 15, 27 into buffers 41, 42 and 43 are stored in working RAMs 412, 422, respectively.
and 432, the data is stored at the address requested by the output latches 15 and 27, and the data stored at the address converted according to the rotation angle is read out and returned to the original buffer. In other words, the screen is rotated by this calculation.

Next, the information in each buffer 41, 42, and 43 is serially output in rotation for each frame and sent to a color palette, that is, a video signal generation circuit 50, where R, B, G are converted into respective electron gun control signals and sent to the video display device 60, whereby the progress of the game is displayed on the screen of the video display device 60.

The writing of the subject image into each frame buffer circuit is switched in rotation for each frame, and during that one frame, the subject image information generating circuit 10 writes the subject data RAM 12.
Generates subject image information for multiple screens corresponding to each of the multiple subject images obtained from the above, superimposes and synthesizes the subject image information for multiple screens onto a single screen surface, and generates subject screen information to be displayed. , so each subject can be controlled separately from the others, and furthermore, the object image information is written in the next frame independently of the previous subject image signal, so the object image information can be controlled separately from the background image. It becomes possible to control the rotation of the image, which allows extremely complex screen configurations.

Note that the configuration of the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments; for example, the content of the game is not limited at all, and the number of frame buffer circuits constituting the game image information generation circuit is limited. The number of sets is not limited to three, but may be two or four, and it goes without saying that other known arithmetic circuits can be freely used in the configuration of the frame buffer circuit, and the present invention is not limited to these. It is intended to include all modifications.

[0027]

Effects of the Invention Since each frame buffer circuit is switched in rotation for each frame, the entire time of one frame can be allocated to processing the subject image information, and therefore the reading of the subject image information of multiple screen surfaces can be performed. , composition, and writing are possible, and in the next frame, object image information can be written separately and independently from the previous subject image, so each of the many characters that make up the game screen can be rotated individually. It becomes possible to do so. Further, when using the video signal generation circuit with the image rotation function according to the present invention, a realistic screen configuration can be created especially in front view type games, so if implemented, it will bring about great effects.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram showing an example of the circuit configuration of a video signal generation circuit for a video game machine according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the movement of an image displayed on a display device by a known game image information generation circuit. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of image rotation on the screen of the display device by the circuit shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the movement of an image displayed on a display device by the game image information generation circuit according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a time chart showing operation command pulses for three sets of frame buffer circuits in the circuit shown in FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

10: Subject image information generation circuit 11: Vertical/horizontal synchronization counter 12: Subject data RAM 13: Subject data latch 14: Subject character data ROM 15: Output latch 20: Object image information generation circuit 21: Vertical/horizontal synchronization counter 22 : Object data RAM 23: Object data latch 24: Object character data ROM 25: Object latch 26: Object buffer 27: Output latch 30: Central control unit 40: Game image information generation circuit 41, 42, 43: Frame buffer circuit 41
1, 421, 431: Buffer 412, 422,
432: Working RAM44:
Frame buffer control circuit 50: Video signal generation circuit 60: Video display device

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A circuit ( 20 ), and generates subject image information necessary for displaying subject images (61, 62) on the screen of the display device (60), which are changed according to a predetermined program and in response to the player's input device operation. a circuit (40) that generates game image information to be displayed by synthesizing the image information output from the object image information generation circuit (20) and the subject image information generation circuit (10);
In a video signal generation circuit for a video game machine, the subject The image information generation circuit (10) is a circuit that sequentially generates subject image information for multiple screen surfaces each including at least one specific subject image (61, 62), and the image information of the displayed subject is a video image. The video image information generating circuit (40) is formed by superimposing and organizing the plurality of subject image information in the information generating circuit (40), and the video image information generating circuit (40) is connected to a plurality of frame buffer circuits (41) which are operated in rotation with each other. , 42, 43
) and a frame buffer control circuit (44),
A control signal from a frame buffer control circuit (44) controls these frame buffer circuits (41, 42,
43), the writing of subject image information and their screen rotation control data, the organization of game image information by writing object image information, and the reading of the organized game image information are sequentially performed in rotation, The above-mentioned video signal generation circuit for a video game machine is further characterized in that the frame buffer circuit for reading out the synthesized game image information is configured to be switched sequentially and sequentially for each frame. Claim 2: Frame buffer circuit (41, 42,
43) are respectively subject image information generation circuits (1
0) and buffers (411, 421, 4) that record information sent from the object image information generation circuit (20).
31) and working RAM (412,
422, 432), and the game image data recorded in the buffers (411, 421, 431) are stored in the working RAMs (412, 422), respectively.
. video signal generation circuit. Claim 3: Frame buffer circuit (41, 42,
3. The video signal generation circuit for a video game machine according to claim 2, wherein three sets of circuits 43) are provided.