Patent ID: 7737978
Filing Date: 2010-06-15
Classification: A63F,G06T,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A display, comprising: a storage unit that stores coordinates of an object and a viewpoint arranged in a virtual three-dimensional space, and a sight line vector representing a sight line along which the virtual three-dimensional space is observed from the viewpoint; an associating unit that associates a time in the virtual three-dimensional space, hereinafter referred to as virtual time, with a time in the real world, hereinafter referred to as real time, once in each predetermined update period; a moving unit that obtains positions of the viewpoint and a sight line along which the virtual three-dimensional space is observed from the viewpoint in the virtual three-dimensional space at the associated virtual time, and updates the coordinates of the viewpoint and the sight line vector stored in said storage unit in accordance with a player's operations to a game controller; a display unit that displays, once in said each predetermined update period, an image representing a state of the object as observed from the viewpoint along a direction of the sight line vector in the virtual three-dimensional space at the associated virtual time; and a determination unit that determines whether or not a collision will occur between the viewpoint and the object before a threshold period in the virtual three-dimensional space elapses since a current time in the virtual three-dimensional space, hereinafter referred to as within a virtual threshold period, from the coordinates of the viewpoint, the coordinates of the object, and a velocity vector representing a relative velocity between the viewpoint and the object in the virtual three-dimensional space, wherein the collision has not previously occurred; wherein the associating unit associates elapse of the virtual time with elapse of the real time such that they synchronize with each other until it is determined that the collision will occur between the viewpoint and the object within the virtual threshold period, and associates them such that the elapse of the virtual time is slower than the elapse of the real time and that the predetermined update period of the virtual time is reduced after it is determined that the collision will occur, said storage unit further stores a plurality of normal vectors, each of which is orthogonal to any one of the polygons forming an external surface of the object; and in a case where the object is stationary in the virtual three-dimensional space, said determination unit determines that the collision will occur between the viewpoint and the object within the virtual threshold period in a case where: a route taken by the viewpoint within the virtual threshold period intersects the object in the virtual three-dimensional space, and at least any one of the following conditions: (a) an angle formed by any one of the normal vectors and the sight line vector is included in a predetermined first range, (b) an angle formed by the sight line vector and the velocity vector is included in a predetermined second range, or (c) an angle formed by any one of the velocity vectors and the normal vector is included in a predetermined third range is satisfied.