Abstract: A technique is disclosed for detecting a pose of a player in a video game using an input image supplied by a camera. The technique involves calculating a frame difference and/or background difference of an image of a predetermined region of an image captured by the camera which captured image includes a player image representing the pose of the player, and generating operations information corresponding to the pose of the player based on the calculated frame difference and/or background difference.

Abstract: Embodiments describe a card stack reader having an imaging unit which reads an image from a peripheral side portion of a stack of cards, each card having a read code along a peripheral side edge thereof, the read code indentifying the card, and a code recognizing unit which recognizes the read code of each from the image read by the imaging unit.

Abstract: The game device comprises display means for displaying game images, operation means operated by game players, and control means for controlling a game. On the game device, a competition game which is played by a plurality of game players is made to win and lose. The game device further comprises storage means which count values of a prescribed trick played by the game players, nicknames related to the prescribed trick, and nicknaming conditions for giving the nicknames. The control means judges based on operation states of the operation means operated by the game players whether or not the prescribed trick has been played by the game players in the progress of the game, renews the count values when it is judged that the prescribed trick has been played, and gives the nickname to the game players when the count values have satisfied the nicknaming conditions. The display means displays in the game images the nicknames, related to the game players.

Abstract: An article acquisition game apparatus includes a storage unit storing articles, and an article transferring unit enabling a player to hold the articles in the storage unit and transfer the articles to a predetermined transfer position when the player operates an operation input unit. The game apparatus comprises a distributing unit dividing the articles transferred to the transfer position into two or more groups, a first accumulation unit accumulating at least one group of the articles divided by the distributing unit, an article disbursement unit allowing the player to take out at least one group of the articles other than those accumulated by the first accumulation unit, an operating information generating unit generating operating information based on predetermined conditions, and an ejecting unit ejecting the articles accumulated by the first accumulation unit, to the article disbursement unit, based on the operating information.

Abstract: A game device including: a first running surface; a second running surface positioned below the first running surface; a plurality of running objects which run on a track of the second running surface, each of the plurality of running objects including capturing unit for capturing an image; and a plurality of model objects which run on the first running surface following each of the plurality of running objects is provided.

Abstract: A goods sales management system has a plurality of goods vending machines 1provided with containers for storing a plurality of goods and a vending machine management apparatus 80 connected to each of the plurality of the goods vending machines via a communication line 70. The goods vending machine 1 has a time adjustment management unit 64 for making a time managed by itself coincide with a time managed by the vending machine management apparatus 80, an information management unit 63 for managing sales information such as number of sold goods and a sales time, a transmission time setting unit 66 for setting a transmitting time when the sales information is transmitted to the vending machine management apparatus 80, and an information transmitting unit 65 for transmitting the sales information to the vending machine management apparatus 80 at the set transmission time.

Abstract: To enable to execute various patterns of battle strategies in a turn-based game by considering which character is advantageous to use depending on the situation of the game, the present invention comprises: a character selecting unit 101 that selects one character from a plurality of characters during a turn of a player based on an operational input of the player; a character operating unit 102 that causes the selected character to execute a command based on an operational input of the player; a command point setting unit 103 that sets command points that can be used by the player to operate the plurality of characters at the beginning of a turn of the player; a command point managing unit 104 that subtracts required command points every time any of the characters is operated during the turn; and a turn controlling unit 105 that ends a turn of the player and switches to a turn of the opponent when the command points fall below the points required for the operations of the characters.

Abstract: A program for pasting a predetermined image onto a character of a game in a game machine. The program enables a user to create an image consisting of two-dimensional coordinates and to arrange the image created. The program includes the ability to project the image onto a character, at arbitrary positions, in the vicinity of the character in a three-dimensional virtual space, and for pasting on the character a projected image created by projecting the image onto the character from the projection light source.

Abstract: An animation image generating program is provided which allows animation images to be readily generated by CG without complicated setups, and more particularly the animation image generating program is suited to generate a plurality of types of face animation images by CG. The animation image generating program includes the steps of controlling selection of specific vertices of a standard model and a user model, providing control such that first target vertices are associated with second target vertices where the first target vertices are the selected specific vertices of the standard model and the second target vertices are the selected specific vertices of the user model, providing control by arithmetic means such that coordinates of the first target vertices approximate to those of the second target vertices, to generate fitting information, and animating the user model based on animation data of the standard model and on the fitting information.

Abstract: An image processing method and an image processor for drawing the movements of such linear objects as fur, hair, and grass of a turf being influenced by wind have not been proposed thus far. The present invention provides image processing method executed by an image processor for projecting and drawing linear objects viewed from view point on a two-dimensional plane when the view point, ground, and linear objects, of which one end of each linear object is fixed on the ground, are positioned in virtual three-dimensional space, comprising a drawing step of layering the cross-sections of linear objects created by cutting the plurality of linear objects at planes which are parallel with the ground for each of planes as semi-transparent layers, and a redrawing step of moving the semi-transparent layers in a predetermined direction after a predetermined time elapsed and redrawing the semi-transparent layer(s) on the two-dimensional plane.

Abstract: A network game system is provided in which players can play a considerable number of matches without spending a long period of time, and in which it is difficult for teams that are long left on a server without being logged in to maintain high ranking. In the network game system, the server performs processing of playing matches of PC teams automatically. Client computers each include means for organizing a PC team, and means for entering the PC team organized to the server. The server includes: means for storing the PC teams entered into storage means; means for updating team costs of the respective PC teams entered; means for resetting the team costs into initial values; and means for deleting athlete characters expired of athlete life.

Abstract: Game processing apparatus executes a game in which a player character in a virtual space defeats an enemy through operation of a controller by the player. Through operation of an attack button of a controller, branch technique of a ninja is employed to display branch of the player character as afterimages, with attack capabilities imparted to branch. Consequently the attack potential is enhanced, the action of the action game can be made more diverse, the interest of the player in the game is increased, and the game is made more stimulating.

Abstract: A card game apparatus includes a large-size panel display, a main control unit that controls screens on the large-size panel display, and a plurality of terminal apparatuses that are communicably connected to the main control unit. A game player purchases an integrated circuit card and, for example, eleven player cards on each of which, a soccer player's photograph is printed. When the game player arranges the player cards on a player card arrangement panel of one of the terminal apparatuses, card data recorded on the back of the player card will be read by an internal image sensor. Then, a team is organized by the player cards, and a game starts. The game player can direct a player's position and formation by changing placement of the player card.

Abstract: The prize arrangement is limited in many conventional prize-winning game machines, in which the usable area is only the floor. In a crane game machine of the present invention for grasping a prize, an object grasping system (grasping arms) grasping a prize is suspended by a first and a second wire which are respectively controlled in length by a first and a second Z mechanisms. Thus, the object grasping system can be moved in the longitudinal and the vertical direction, and a direction of the grasping arms can be rotated up-and-down by a predetermined angle. As a result, the grasping arms are capable of grasping the prize disposed on a self provided on the back wall face side of the game machine.

Abstract: By means of an image drawing program stored in a storage medium readable by an image processing system, the corresponding image processing system and the corresponding image drawing method, shadows are drawn for a plurality of characters, without imposing a large load on the processor, by referencing a shadow created in advance, and using the shadow for other characters to draw numerous humanoid shadows for display on one screen.

Abstract: The following processing steps are performed: 1) processing for determining the behavior of a player character and specifying a first coefficient relating to that behavior; 2) processing for determining the current position of the player character in a virtual space and specifying a second coefficient relating to the environment defined at that position; 3) processing for specifying the conspicuousness of the player character on the basis of the first and second coefficients; and 4) processing for judging whether or not an enemy character has detected the player character, on the basis of the conspicuousness.

Abstract: A lottery device has a turntable 12 with a plurality of ball pockets 13 and balls 2 each to be dropped onto the turntable 12, rolls on the turntable 12 and eventually falls into one of the ball pockets 13 to determine a winner ball pocket 13. The lottery device includes sets of sensors 24 and 25 combined with the ball pockets 13, respectively, to detect the ball that has fallen into the corresponding ball pocket 13, light-emitting rings 23 combined with the ball pockets 13, respectively, a ball identifying mechanism 41 for identifying the balls by type, and a computer 100 including a storage unit storing control programs and controlling lottery operations according to the control programs.

Abstract: A card game system, including a plurality of terminal apparatuses, a card data reading unit for detecting unique data of each of cards when an operator arranges and manipulates a set of cards selected by the operator on a flat surface of the panel on the terminal apparatus, and a game execution unit which is arranged to organize a playing team in a virtual game space based on the data detected from the cards placed on the flat surface of the panel and to execute a game against another playing team organized on another terminal apparatus connected via a network. A progress of the game is controlled in response to manipulation by the operator with the cards on the panel, a main control unit to which individual game data is transmitted from the plurality of the terminal apparatuses, and a display connected to the main control unit.

Abstract: A plurality of terminal devices, e.g., game apparatuses 2 are interconnected to each other through a network 4. The respective game apparatuses 2 receive signals inputted from the outside, e.g., television signals broadcast from a broadcasting antenna and extract synchronizing signals from the broadcasting signals. Based on the extracted synchronizing signals, the respective game apparatuses 2 make synchronization control of operations, data communication among the respective game apparatuses 2. The respective game apparatuses 2 use the common signals to make the synchronization control, whereby the respective game apparatuses 2 can be synchronized with one another suitably without timing shift. The terminal devices synchronizing method can suitably synchronize timings of communication among a plurality of terminal devices.