# US 2019/0168113 A1 · Game device, gaming item, and program product > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0168113 A1 - Document ID: US20190168113A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/269,292 - Filed: 2019-02-06 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2016-08-24 - Assignees: Bandai Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Bandai Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Takahiro MIYAZAKI; Wataru HIGUCHI; Takashi IIDA - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190168113A1 ## CPC - A63F 13/20: Input arrangements for video game devices - A63F 13/26: having at least one additional display device, e.g. on the game controller or outside a game booth - A63F 13/52: involving aspects of the displayed game scene - A63F 13/80: Special adaptations for executing a specific game genre or game mode - A63F 2300/206: Game information storage, e.g. cartridges, CD ROM's, DVD's, smart cards - A63F: CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract A game device for playing a game includes a first display having a first display area, and being configured to display images for the game in the first display area, the first display area including an operation area on which a user item of a user is movably placeable, a computing device, and a storage medium containing program instructions stored therein, execution of which by the computing device causes the game device to provide the functions of: obtaining item information from the user item, the item information including a game character that is used by the user in the game, executing the game using the item information, and controlling displaying of the first display, by causing an associated image that is associated with the user item that has been movably placed on the operation area to display in the first display area. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A game device for playing a game, comprising: a first display having a first display area, and being configured to display images for the game in the first display area, the first display area including an operation area on which a user item of a user is movably placeable; and a computing device, and a storage medium containing program instructions stored therein, execution of which by the computing device causes the game device to provide the functions of: an recognition unit configured to obtain item information from the user item, the item information including a game character of the user that the user plays in the game; an execution unit configured to execute the game using the item information; and a display controller configured to control displaying of the first display, the display controller causing an associated image to display in the first display area, the associated image being associated with the user item that has been movably placed on the operation area. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The game device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of game characters appears on the game, the game character of the user, included in the item information of the user item, corresponds one of the plurality of game characters of the game, said game device further provide the functions of a detection unit configured to detect a first position of the user item in the operation area, and identify the game character from the item information in the user item. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The game device according to claim 2, wherein the display controller generates a first game image for the user to play the game, and a second game image different from the first game image, and the display controller when the first game image is displayed, causes both the associated image with the first image to be displayed in the first display area, and when the second game image is displayed, causes the associated image not to be displayed in the first display area. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The game device according to claim 3, wherein the first game image is displayed when the detection unit detects a change of the first position of the user item in the operation area, and the second game image is displayed when the change of the first position of the user item in the operation area is not detected by the detection unit. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The game device according to claim 2, wherein the associated image is an image showing management information for managing the game. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The game device according to claim 2, wherein the display controller causes the associated image to be displayed at a second position in the first display area of the first display, the second positon being determined on the basis of the first position of the user item movably placed on the operation area. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The game device according to claim 6, wherein the associated image includes a first effect image that is displayed around the user item movably placed on the operation area, and the display controller causes the first effect image to be displayed at the second position in the first display area, and controls the second position of the first effect image so as to change in response to a change of the first position of the user item, detected by the detection unit. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The game device according to claim 7, wherein the second position of the first effect image of the user item corresponds to a position of the game character displayed in the first display area. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The game device according to claim 6, wherein the display controller controls the displaying of the associated image by a change of the first position of the user item movably placed on the operation area, so that the associated image constitutes a movement operation interface of the game. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The game device according to claim 6, wherein the associated image includes a state image indicating a state of the game character in the game, the game character corresponding to the user item movably placed on the operation area, and the display controller causes the state image of the game character to be displayed in a vicinity of an area in which the user item is placed. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The game device according to claim 10, wherein the display controller changes the state image according to the state of the game character in the game. ### Claim 12 (depends on 2) The game device according to claim 2, wherein the display controller causes a second effect image to be displayed at a third position in the first display area of the first display, and in response to detection of the first positon of the user item at least partially overlapping the third positon of the second effect image, the execution unit changes a state of the game character in the game. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The game device according to claim 12, wherein, after the user item has been moved to a position at least partially overlapping the third positon of the second effect image, the display controller controls the third position of the second effect image so as to follow the first positon of the user item. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The game device according to claim 12, wherein the second effect image has a shape surrounding an area having same shape and size as the user item. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The game device according to claim 12, wherein the user item of the user is selected from among a plurality of items, the plurality of items includes a first item that changes a state thereof when the first position of the user item overlaps the third positon of the second effect image, and in response to the second effect image being displayed in the first display area, the display controller causes the associated image to be displayed in the first display area, when the user item is the first item. ### Claim 16 (depends on 2) The game device according to claim 2, wherein the display controller further causes a third effect image to be displayed in the first display area of the first display, the third effect image having a prescribed effect in the game, the game has a plurality of settings, including a setting for setting a level of difficulty of the game, and in response to the first position of the user item being moved to a position that at least partially overlaps a position of the third effect image, the execution unit changes one of the plurality of settings. ### Claim 17 (depends on 2) The game device according to claim 2, further comprising a second display differing from the first display, wherein the display controller causes the second display to be displayed the game image where the game character corresponding to the user item appears in a position corresponding to the first position of the user item movably placed on the operation area. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The game device according to claim 17, wherein, if the associated image is not to be displayed in the first display, the display controller determines two portions of the game character that do not overlap each other, and causes the two portions to display in the first display area and the second display area, respectively. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The game device according to claim 1, wherein the recognition unit obtains the item information from the user item in response to the user item being movably placed on the operation area. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) A gaming item, comprising: item information to be obtained by the recognition unit of the game device according to claim 1, wherein the item information includes control information for controlling the display controller for displaying the associated image. ### Claim 21 A computer program product for a game device, the game device including a first display having a first display area, and being configured to display images for the game in the first display area, the first display area including an operation area on which a user item of a user is movably placeable, and a computing device to execute program instructions, the computer program product comprising: a computer readable storage medium and the program instructions stored on the computer readable storage medium, the program instructions comprising: program instructions to obtain item information from the user item, the item information including a game character that is used by the user in the game; program instructions to execute the game using the item information; and program instructions to control displaying of the first display, by causing an associated image to display in the first display area, the associated image being associated with the user item that has been movably placed on the operation area.