Game device changing sound and an image in accordance with a tilt operation

• US 20030216179A1
• Filed: 04/29/2003
• Published: 11/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Suzuki, Toshiaki, Inagaki, Yoji, Totaka, Kazumi
• Granted Patent: US 6,908,386 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/35
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/24 Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/428 involving motion or position input signals, e.g. signals representing the rotation of an input controller or a player's arm motions sensed by accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/54 involving acoustic signals, e.g. for simulating revolutions per minute [RPM] dependent engine sounds in a driving game or reverberation against a virtual wall
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/57 Simulating properties, behaviour or motion of objects in the game world, e.g. computing tyre load in a car race game A63F13/56 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1006 having additional degrees of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/105 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6063 for sound processing

Abstract

Character data including an image generation program, image data, a sound program, and sound data, which are previously determined for each of characters used in a game, is stored in a game device 10. A controller 12 having a built-in tilt sensor 12c is connected to the game device, and operated by a player performing a tilt operation. The image generation program and the sound program concurrently process the image data and the sound data, respectively, using the same tilt data output from the tilt sensor. As a result, an image and sound of the character are concurrently changed in accordance with the tilt operation of the controller. Thus, it is possible to provide the game device enhancing the realism and the staging effects of the game.

Claims

1. A game device that causes display means to display a game image including a character operated by a player, and causes sound generation means to output game sound corresponding to the character in accordance with an operation performed by the player, comprising:

operation means operated by the player;

tilt detection means provided to the operation means for detecting an amount of tilt of the operation means;

game processing means for processing a game in accordance with the operation performed by the player;

image storage means for storing image data used for displaying the character;

sound data storage means for storing sound data of sound to be produced by the character;

image display processing means for reading the image data of the character from the image data storage means and causing the display means to display an image of the character; and

sound output processing means for reading the sound data from the sound data storage means and causing the sound generation means to output sound related to the image of the character while the image of the character is displayed by the image display processing means, wherein

the image display processing means and the sound output processing means respond to a change in output of the tilt detection means, which changes in accordance with the tilt operation performed by the player with the operation means, and change the game image displayed by the display means and the game sound output from the sound generation means concurrently and in an associated manner.

2. The game device according to claim 1, wherein the sound output processing means changes an interval of reading the sound data from the sound data storage means in accordance with the output of the tilt detection means.

3. The game device according to claim 1, wherein

the sound data storage means stores at least a first type of sound data and a second type of sound data for one character, and

the sound output processing means selects either of the first type of sound data and the second type of sound data based on an output value of the tilt detection means and reads the selected first or second type of sound data.

4. The game device according to claim 1, wherein the sound output processing means outputs sound converted from the sound data read from the sound data storage means by using an output value of the tilt detection means.

5. The game device according to claim 3, further comprising determination means for determining whether or not the output value of the tilt detection means is greater than a predetermined value, wherein

the first type of sound data corresponds to sound that is used when the displayed character moves faster than a predetermined speed,

the second type of sound data corresponds to sound that is used when the displayed character moves slower than the predetermined speed, and

the sound output processing means reads the first type of sound data when it is determined by the determination means that the output value of the tilt detection means is greater than the predetermined value, and reads the second type of sound data when it is determined by the determination means that the output value of the tilt detection means is equal to or smaller than the predetermined value.

6. The game device according to claim 1, wherein the tilt detection means is an acceleration sensor for detecting a magnitude of acceleration exerted at least on a lateral and a longitudinal direction of the game device.

7. A computer-readable storage medium having stored therein a game program executed in a game device, the game device including:

operation means operated by a player;

tilt detection means provided to the operation means for detecting an amount of tilt of the operation means;

display means for displaying a game image;

sound generation means for outputting game sound;

game processing means for processing the game program in accordance with an operation performed by the player;

image storage means for storing image data of a character used for displaying the character; and

sound data storage means for storing sound data of sound to be produced by the character,

the game program causing the game device to execute;

a tilt detecting step of detecting tilt of the operation means;

an image display processing step of reading the image data from the image data storage means and causing the display means to display an image of the character; and

a sound output processing step of reading the sound data from the sound data storage means and outputting sound related to the image of the character from the sound generation means while the image of the character is displayed by the image display processing means, and

in the image display processing step and the sound output processing step, an image displayed by the display means and the sound output from the sound generation means are changed concurrently and in an associated manner in accordance with the tilt operation performed by the player with the operation means by using an output detected at the tilt detecting step.

8. The storage medium according to claim 7, wherein the sound output processing step changes an interval of reading the sound data from the sound data storage means based on an output value obtained at the tilt detecting step.

9. The storage medium according to claim 7, wherein

the sound data storage means stores at least a first type of sound data and a second type of sound data for one character, and

the sound output processing step selects either of the first type of sound data and the second type of sound data based on an output value obtained at the tilt detecting step, and reads the selected first or second type of sound data.

10. The storage medium according to claim 7, wherein the sound output processing step includes a sound data converting step of converting the sound data read from the sound data storage means by using an output value obtained at the tilt detecting step.