Dual-Display Game Apparatus Touch Capture Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current technologies do not effectively integrate image capture and touch panel operations into game play, limiting the ability to enhance gameplay experience by reflecting touch panel operations on a game's image displayed on a separate screen.

Innovation Solution

A game apparatus with a first and second display portion, a touch panel, and image capturing means that allows the player to capture and manipulate game images, enabling operations on a captured image to affect the game play on the primary display, such as freezing or erasing objects, thereby providing a novel gameplay experience.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a touch panel is provided for capturing images on a separate display screen, then image capture functionality is improved, but the integration of touch operations with game play is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimage capture functionalityVSAvoidintegration with game play

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the separate functions of image capture and game play by allowing touch operations on the captured image displayed on the second screen to directly control game elements on the first screen. The touch panel detects operations on the captured image, and these operations are reflected to manipulate objects in the game, combining what were previously separate functionalities into an integrated interaction system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Ease of operation

If touch panel operations are used to manipulate captured images, then player interaction is enhanced, but the system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveplayer interactionVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system creates a copy of the game image on a second display screen for touch interaction purposes. This copied image serves as an interface layer that allows players to manipulate game elements without directly affecting the main game display. The touch operations on the copied image are then translated into corresponding actions on the original game, providing an intuitive interaction method while maintaining system manageability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

3Productivity

If operations on captured image are reflected to game play, then gameplay experience is enhanced, but the processing requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvegameplay experienceVSAvoidprocessing requirements

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The captured image displayed on the second screen acts as an intermediary between the player's touch operations and the game play on the first screen. Instead of directly processing touch inputs to control game elements, the system uses the captured image as a mediation layer. This intermediary approach simplifies processing by providing a clear mapping between touch positions and game elements, reducing the computational complexity compared to direct real-time processing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS7470192B2Game apparatus and storage medium storing game program

Publication Date: 2008.12.30 NINTENDO CO LTD

AI summary

A game apparatus includes two LCDs, and a touch panel is provided in relation to the one LCD. When an action game is started, a game screen is displayed on the other LCD, and a still image (capture screen) obtained by copying the game screen according to a capture operation by a player is displayed on the one LCD. When an enemy object on the capture screen is directed, stroked, and so forth by use of the touch panel, the enemy object on the game screen is frozen or erased.