JPH08103566A - Television game machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide a television game machine, by which a game can be played by moving the body, and damage of an operating means can be prevented. CONSTITUTION: The space above the flat floor surface 2 in front of a monitor television 4 is taken as a play space, plural transmission type photo sensors comprising projectors 20a, 21a and photo detectors 20b, 21b disposed opposite to each other are arranged on the floor surface 2 of the peripheral edge outside the play space, and a grating having designated longitudinal and horizontal equal spaces is formed along the floor surface 2 by light rays directed from the projectors 20a, 21a to the photo detectors 20b, 21b. The game machine comprises a detecting means for detecting the position of feet of a player standing in the play space from signals of the photo sensors, the light rays of which are intercepted, and a detection signal of the detecting means is taken as an operating signal of a television game.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a video game machine for playing by operating an operating means while watching an image displayed on a monitor TV.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A video game machine is usually operated by hand. Operation means include an operation button, a joystick, a handle, a control stick, etc. A pedal or a brake pedal is generally used. In any case, what is operated by the foot is suitable for a vehicle game, in which the player sits on the seat and is operated by the toes.

[0003]

[Problems to be solved] As described above, a video game machine is not generally operated by moving the body. Therefore, even in the case of a sports game, the movements using the feet of the character on the TV screen are operated by hand and the fingers are used. I can't feel as if I'm participating in a competition because I am always doing the operation. Further, if the user moves the body and operates it with his / her feet, his / her weight will be added to his / her feet, and even if the switches are arranged at the feet, the burden on the switches is large and damage is likely to occur.

[0004] The present invention has been made in view of such a point,
The purpose is to provide a video game machine that can be played by moving the body and can avoid damage to the operating means.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a play space on a flat floor surface in front of a monitor television, and a floodlight on a floor surface at an outer peripheral edge of the play space. And a plurality of transmissive optical sensors in which light receivers are opposed to each other, and light rays traveling from the light emitter to the light receiver form a grid pattern at predetermined vertical and horizontal intervals along the floor surface, and the foot of the player standing in the play space. The video game machine is provided with a detection means for detecting the position of the above from the signal of the light sensor in which the light beam is blocked, and the detection signal of the detection means is used as the operation signal of the video game.

The light rays of the optical sensor are formed in a lattice shape along the floor surface of the play space, and when the player stands in the play space, one of the light rays is blocked by the foot of the player, and the vertical and horizontal light sensors of the blocked light ray. The detection means detects the position of the player's foot by the signal of, and the detected signal is used as the operation signal, so that the player can move the foot in the play space to operate the video game,
You can get the feeling that you are actually participating in a competition.

Further, since the optical sensor is used, it is not necessary to arrange switches on the floor, and there is no problem that the operating means is damaged by the weight of the player. By marking the floor surface below each lattice point of the rays forming the lattice, the player can check the moving position of the leg as a guide for moving the leg. In addition, by providing an operating device that the player holds in his / her hand, various operations of the video game can be performed by the operation of the foot in addition to the movement of the foot of the player.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 will be described below. FIG. 1 is an external view of a video game machine 1 of this embodiment. A monitor TV 4 with a large screen is installed on a flat floor 2 supported by a base 3, and a play space is set in front of the monitor TV 4, and eight circular marks 5 are provided on a substantially rectangular floor of the play space. Is drawn in place.

Two long housings 10, 11, 12, and 13 are arranged along the floor so as to face each other in parallel to each of the four sides of the rectangular floor and are spaced apart from the four sides. There is. Enclosures 10 and 11 arranged on the left and right of the rectangular floor so as to face each other in the front-back direction.
In one case 10, one housing 10 incorporates three light projectors 20a and three are arranged at a predetermined interval, and the other case 11 incorporates three light receivers 20b and three are arranged at a predetermined interval. The light receivers 20b correspond to the respective light projectors 20a to form three pairs of transmissive optical sensors 20.

Similarly, the casings 12 and 13 are arranged in front of and behind the rectangular floor so as to be oriented in the left-right direction so as to face each other. One of the casings 12 has four projectors 21a built therein, and the four projectors 21a are arranged at predetermined intervals. Array with
The other housing 13 has four light receivers 21b built therein, and four light receivers 21b are arranged at a predetermined interval. The light receivers 21b correspond to the respective light projectors 21a, and four pairs of transmissive optical sensors 21 are provided. Are configured.

Therefore, the three pairs of optical sensors 20 formed between the left and right casings 10 and 11 are such that three light beams directed from the light emitter 20a to the light receiver 20b in the left-right direction are projected forward and backward. 4 formed at intervals and configured between the front and rear casings 21 and 22
The pair of optical sensors 21 has four light rays directed from the light emitter 21a to the light receiver 21b in the front-rear direction and projected at equal intervals over the left and right, and three light rays extending over the front and rear from the front side to the rear side. The light rays in the first row, the second row, and the third row, and the four light rays extending to the left and right are referred to as light rays in the first column, the second column, the third column, and the fourth column from the left to the right. The light rays of the book form a grid of 3 rows and 4 columns. The spacing between adjacent rays is so large that one leg of the player does not block two rays at the same time.

The casings 10, 11, 12, 13 are laid low along the floor surface 2, and the projectors 20a, 21a and the light receivers 20b, 21b are located slightly higher than the floor surface, thus forming the grid pattern. The rays to be formed are arranged at a slightly higher position along the floor surface 2.
The circular marks 5 are drawn below the lattice points of the lattice of 3 rows and 4 columns by this ray, and as shown in FIG. 2, symbols P ₁₂ and P ₁₃ using a matrix at positions corresponding to the respective circular marks 5. , P
_21, ..., and it is given a P _33. Note that the first row and first column,
There is no circle mark 5 on the floor surface corresponding to the grid points in the 1st row and 4th column, the 3rd row and 1st column, and the 3rd row and 4th column.

When the player stands on the floor of the play space and puts his foot on one of the circle marks 5, two light sensors, which are cut off by the foot, appear in the vertical and horizontal directions. It is possible to detect the position where is placed in a matrix display.

In addition, the video game machine 1 of the present embodiment is equipped with a manipulator 30 for holding and operating as shown in FIG. 3, and the manipulator 30 is a cordless operation for outputting a manipulation signal by infrared rays. A push button 31 operated by a thumb is arranged on the upper end of a vertically long body grip portion 30a, and a push button 32 is provided at a position of the body grip portion 30a to which an index finger is applied. When the push buttons 31 and 32 are pressed, infrared rays having different wavelengths are projected from the light projecting section 33 and are received by the light receiving section 3a of the base 3 below the monitor television 4.

A control device for the present video game machine 1 is built in the base 3. The control device is controlled by a microcomputer, and FIG. 4 shows a block diagram of its control system. The CPU 40 controls the progress of the game using the RAM 42 at any time according to the program written in the ROM 41.

Signals are input to the CPU 40 from the photosensors 20 and 21 and the operation unit 30 via the I / O controller 43 and processed. The CPU 40 first detects the positions of both feet of the player based on the signals from the optical sensors 20 and 21, and advances the game based on the detected positions. And CPU40
Outputs an image instruction signal to the video controller 44 as the game progresses, and causes the monitor television 4 to form an image by the video controller 44.

The optical sensors 20 and 21 as the operating means detect the position of the foot from the signal of the optical sensor of the light beam intercepted by the player's foot, and use the detected signal as the operation signal. Is added to the floor surface 2, there is no mechanical switch on the floor surface 2, and there is no possibility of damage to the operation means by the operation of the player.

Here, a soccer game will be taken as an example to explain how the operation means by the optical sensors 20 and 21 is used. FIG. 5 shows a screen of the monitor TV 4, in which a soccer ground is displayed, and an image in which an enemy and an ally player 50 move around and a ball 52 moves by dribbling, passing, shooting, etc. is displayed, and the center of the lower edge of the screen is displayed. Player 51 is a player that the player can operate and move freely.

Referring now to FIG. 2, when the player puts one foot on each of P ₂₂ and P ₂₃ in the center of the play space, the player 51 is stopped, and the player 51 is the player P ₁₂
And P ₁₃ move forward, move to P ₃₂ and P ₃₃ move backward, move to P ₂₁ and P ₂₂ move left, move to P ₂₃ and P ₂₄ move right. If you move to P ₂₁ and P ₁₂ , move diagonally forward left, and if you move to P ₁₃ and P ₂₄ , diagonally forward left P ₂₁
And P ₃₂ move diagonally backward to the left, and P ₃₃ and P ₂₄ move diagonally left to the left, respectively.

However, on the screen, the position of the player 51 does not change to the center of the lower edge, and only the background scrolls in the opposite direction so that the player 51 appears to be moving forward. When the player presses the push button 31 on the upper part of the operating device 30 with his thumb with the thumb, the player 51 makes a short pass, and when the push button 32 is pressed with the index finger, the player 51 makes a long pass or shoots.

Passes and shoots are made in the traveling direction of the player 51. If the pass is successful, the player who received the pass will come to the center of the lower edge of the screen and the player can move the player.

As the soccer game progresses as described above, the player plays by moving his or her body by moving the foot around the circle mark 5 as a guide in the play space while watching the game displayed on the screen of the monitor TV 4. , You can be absorbed in the game by creating the illusion that you are actually participating in a soccer game. It also becomes a moderate exercise, and you can easily exercise while having fun.

Although the above example is a soccer game, it can be applied to other sports games as well, and further, for example, in a vehicle game, the operation means of the optical sensors 20 and 21 can be used instead of a controller for instructing the moving direction of the vehicle. The push buttons 31 and 32 of the operating device 30 can be used as a substitute for a trigger for shooting a gun or the like.

In a normal home video game machine, the operation device is provided with two or four cross keys and button switches, but the optical sensors 20 and 21 play the same role as the cross key, and the operation device 30 has the same function. If the push buttons 31 and 32 function as button switches, it can be applied to most conventional video games.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, the light rays of the photosensors 20 and 21 form a grid of 3 rows and 4 columns, but not limited to 3 rows and 4 columns, a grid of an appropriate matrix is formed according to the type of game. You may do it.

Further, in the above embodiment, each light beam forming the grid pattern by the optical sensor is composed of one light beam. However, one light beam in which several light beams are arranged with a slight width is provided.
It is also possible to make a set and to control so that one grid point is determined by these two sets of vertical and horizontal rays and even if one of the rays of the set is blocked by the foot of the player, it is effective. By allowing each grid point to have a width in the vertical and horizontal directions, even children with small feet can detect this even if the feet are placed with the grid points slightly shifted, from adults to small children. You can expand the player's target by making it possible to play in the same way.

[0027]

According to the present invention, the light rays of the optical sensor are formed in a grid pattern along the floor surface of the play space, and the detecting means detects the position of the foot of the player by the signals of the vertical and horizontal optical sensors, and detects the position. Since the signal is used as the operation signal, the player can move the foot and operate the video game in the play space, and by moving the body, the player can feel as if he / she is actually participating in the competition. You can be absorbed in the game. You will also have fun exercising.

Since the optical sensor is used, it is not necessary to arrange switches on the floor, and there is no problem that the operating means is damaged by the weight of the player. 0 By marking a mark on the floor surface below each grid point of the rays forming the grid, the player can check the moving position of the foot as a guide for moving the foot.

By providing an operation device that the player holds in his / her hand, various operations of the video game can be performed by the operation of the foot of the player and the operation by the hand, and a more interesting game can be constructed. .

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of a video game machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the positional relationship of round marks on the floor of the play space.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an operating device.

FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram of a control system of the video game machine.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an image displayed on a screen of a monitor television.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Video game machine, 2 ... Floor surface, 3 ... Base, 4 ... Monitor TV, 5 ... Circle mark, 10, 11, 12, 13 ... Housing, 20,
21 ... Optical sensor, 30 ... Operator, 31, 32 ... Push button, 40
... CPU, 41 ... ROM, 42 ... RAM, 43 ... I / O controller, 44 ... Video controller, 50, 51 ... Player, 52 ...
ball.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A flat floor surface in front of a monitor television is used as a play space, and a plurality of transmissive optical sensors in which a light emitter and a light receiver are opposed to each other are arranged on the floor surface outside the play space, and Detection means for detecting a position of a player's foot standing in a play space from a signal of an optical sensor which intercepts the light rays, in which light rays traveling from the light emitter to the light receiver form a grid pattern with a predetermined vertical and horizontal intervals along the floor surface. A video game machine, comprising: a detection signal of the detection means as a video game operation signal. 2. A mark is provided on a floor surface below each grid point of the light rays forming the grid shape.
The listed video game console. 3. The video game machine according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising an operating device which a player holds and operates.