Patents by Inventor Nobuya Okuda

Nobuya Okuda has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8282104
    Abstract: The reduction in real operation objects in game systems that use real operation objects is detected. The quantity of real operation objects, which are repeatedly used by being circulated, is detected, it is judged whether the quantity is sufficient or not, and the judging results are output. For example, in a ball throwing game, balls are used in rotation by repeatedly supplying and recovering the balls. The quantity of balls in circulation is detected, and if the quantity is less than a threshold value, the manager of the game system is notified whether a sufficient quantity of balls is being supplied to the player or not, by for example outputting a warning message. By playing with an insufficient quantity of balls the level of difficulty of the game is essentially increased, so the player will feel that this is unfair.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuya Okuda, Toru Takeda, Shingo Onkoshi, Tadasu Kitae
  • Patent number: 8075379
    Abstract: In a game device that can be played by a plurality of players at the same time, playing of a game by more than the plurality of players assumed to be playing the game device is prevented. A setting for a number of a plurality of players to participate in the game is received and the game takes place using the set number of the plurality of players. The players constituting the plurality of players participating in the game is then detected during the game. The detected number of the players and the set number of the players are then compared, and the difficulty level of the game is changed when the detected number of players exceeds the set number of players. For example, continuation of the game is made difficult by increasing the difficulty level, and the time for which a cheating can take place is shortened. Further, the game can be made less interesting by lowering the difficulty level, and the time for which a cheating can take place can be made shorter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuya Okuda, Tadasu Kitae, Shohei Shimokawa
  • Publication number: 20090036201
    Abstract: In a game device that can be played by a plurality of players at the same time, playing of a game by more than the plurality of players assumed to be playing the game device is prevented. A setting for a number of a plurality of players to participate in the game is received and the game takes place using the set number of the plurality of players. The players constituting the plurality of players participating in the game is then detected during the game. The detected number of the players and the set number of the players are then compared, and the difficulty level of the game is changed when the detected number of players exceeds the set number of players. For example, continuation of the game is made difficult by increasing the difficulty level, and the time for which a cheating can take place is shortened. Further, the game can be made less interesting by lowering the difficulty level, and the time for which a cheating can take place can be made shorter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2008
    Publication date: February 5, 2009
    Applicant: KONAMI DIGITAL ENTERTAINMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Nobuya OKUDA, Tadasu Kitae, Shohei Shimokawa
  • Publication number: 20090023497
    Abstract: The reduction in real operation objects in game systems that use real operation objects is detected. The quantity of real operation objects, which are repeatedly used by being circulated, is detected, it is judged whether the quantity is sufficient or not, and the judging results are output. For example, in a ball throwing game, balls are used in rotation by repeatedly supplying and recovering the balls. The quantity of balls in circulation is detected, and if the quantity is less than a threshold value, the manager of the game system is notified whether a sufficient quantity of balls is being supplied to the player or not, by for example outputting a warning message. By playing with an insufficient quantity of balls the level of difficulty of the game is essentially increased, so the player will feel that this is unfair.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2008
    Publication date: January 22, 2009
    Applicant: KONAMI DIGITAL ENTERTAINMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Nobuya OKUDA, Toru Takeda, Shingo Onkoshi, Tadasu Kitae
  • Patent number: 7140962
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to increase the game operability, and to increase the feeling of pressure and feeling of actual presence on the scene, by making it possible to display partial enlarged images of the scope displays or each of a plurality of players in a manner that allows mutual influence on the screen on which the game images are displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2006
    Assignee: Konami Corporation
    Inventors: Nobuya Okuda, Masayuki Ohashi, Shigenobu Matsuyama
  • Patent number: 6863609
    Abstract: A 3D game machine includes a monitor for displaying images, a game control unit for controlling progress of a game, and an image control unit for generating and displaying a 3D image viewed from a viewing point of a simulated camera on a screen of the monitor. A transverse position and a height position of the head of a game player located in a play area before the screen of the monitor are detected using one ultrasonic transmitter and two ultrasonic receivers, and the viewing point of the simulated camera is so moved as to follow a displacing direction and a displacing amount of the detected position of the game player's head, thereby allowing the viewing point of the simulated camera to follow free movements of the game player so that images viewed from the viewing point intended by the game player are actively displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2005
    Assignee: Konami Corporation
    Inventors: Nobuya Okuda, Tatsuya Kobayashi, Hirofumi Fujimoto, Shigenobu Matsuyama
  • Publication number: 20040009798
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to increase the game operability, and to increase the feeling of pressure and feeling of actual presence on the scene, by making it possible to display partial enlarged images of the scope displays or each of a plurality of players in a manner that allows mutual influence on the screen on which the game images are displayed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2003
    Publication date: January 15, 2004
    Applicant: Konami Corporation
    Inventors: Nobuya Okuda, Masayuki Ohashi, Shigenobu Matsuyama
  • Publication number: 20020022518
    Abstract: A 3D game machine is provided with a monitor 11 provided at a specified height position of a casing 10 for displaying images, a game control unit 100 for controlling the progress of a game, and an image control unit 110 for generating a 3D image viewed from a viewing point of a simulated camera and displacing it as a game image on a screen of the monitor 11. A transverse position and a height position of the head of a game player located in a play area before the screen of the monitor 11 are detected using one ultrasonic transmitter 31 and two ultrasonic receivers 32, 33, and the viewing point of the simulated camera is so moved as to follow a displacing direction and a displacing amount of the detected position of the game player's head. Accordingly, the viewing point of the simulated camera can follow free movements of the game player. Therefore, images viewed from the viewing point intended by the game player can be actively displayed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2001
    Publication date: February 21, 2002
    Applicant: KONAMI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Nobuya Okuda, Tatsuya Kobayashi, Hirofumi Fujimoto, Shigenobu Matsuyama