Storage medium having game program stored thereon, game apparatus and input device

• US 20060052166A1
• Filed: 06/23/2005
• Published: 03/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Ohta, Keizo
• Granted Patent: US 9,492,746 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/36
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/21 characterised by their sensors, purposes or types
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/2145 the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/218 using pressure sensors, e.g. generating a signal proportional to the pressure applied by the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/26 having at least one additional display device, e.g. on the game controller or outside a game booth
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/42 by mapping the input signals into game commands, e.g. mapping the displacement of a stylus on a touch screen to the steering angle of a virtual vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/426 involving on-screen location information, e.g. screen coordinates of an area at which the player is aiming with a light gun
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/95 Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/98 Accessories, i.e. detachable arrangements optional for the use of the video game device, e.g. grip supports of game controllers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1075 using a touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/206 Game information storage, e.g. cartridges, CD ROM's, DVD's, smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/301 using an additional display connected to the game console, e.g. on the controller

Abstract

Reference coordinates are set for controlling a game based on coordinate information which is outputted when a state that no coordinate information is outputted from a pointing device is shifted to a state that coordinate information is outputted, and designated coordinates are set based on the coordinate information and the game is controlled based on at least one of an input direction which is a direction from the reference coordinates to the designated coordinates and an input distance which is a distance between the reference coordinates and the designated coordinates.

Claims

1. A storage medium having stored thereon a game program executed by a computer in a game apparatus which is operated using a pointing device for outputting coordinate information being based on a given coordinate system and being designated according to an operation of a player, wherein

the computer is operable to execute:

a reference coordinate setting step for setting reference coordinates for controlling the game in the coordinate system based on coordinate information which is outputted when a state that no coordinate information is outputted from the pointing device is shifted to a state that coordinate information is outputted;

a designated coordinate setting step for setting designated coordinates in the coordinate system based on the coordinate information which is outputted from the pointing device; and

a game control step for controlling the game based on at least one of an input direction which is a direction from the reference coordinates to the designated coordinates and an input distance which is a distance between the reference coordinates and the designated coordinates.

2. The storage medium having the game program stored thereon according to claim 1, wherein

in the reference coordinate setting step, when the player carries out a continuous operation using the pointing device, the reference coordinates are set in the coordinate system based on the earliest coordinate information which is designated by the player.

3. The storage medium having the game program stored thereon according to claim 1, wherein

the game program stored on the storage medium further causes the computer operable to execute

an output detection step for detecting that a state that the player is operating the pointing device is shifted to a non-operation state according to whether coordinate information is outputted from the pointing device or not, wherein

in the reference coordinate setting step, the reference coordinates are reset in the coordinate system based on coordinate information which is outputted when a state that no coordinate information is outputted from the pointing device is shifted again to a state that the coordinate information is outputted after the non-operation state is detected in the output detection step.

4. The storage medium having the game program stored thereon according to claim 3, wherein

in the output detection step, when the state that the coordinate information is outputted from the pointing device is shifted to the state that no coordinate information is outputted, counting a time period during which the non-output state is continued is started, and when the time period being counted exceeds a predetermined time period, it is determined that a state that the player is operating the pointing device is shifted to a non-operation state.

5. The storage medium having the game program stored thereon according to claim 1, wherein

in the game control step, when an output of coordinate information from the pointing device is stopped, the game is continuously controlled based on at least one of the input direction and the input distance between the designated coordinates and the reference coordinates which are set before the output is stopped.

6. The storage medium having the game program stored thereon according to claim 1, wherein

the game program stored on the storage medium further causes the computer operable to execute a positional relationship storage step for storing, when the output of coordinate information from the pointing device is stopped, a relative positional relationship between the designated coordinates and the reference coordinates, which are set before the output is stopped, wherein

in the designated coordinate setting step, a position indicated by the earliest coordinate information which is outputted from the pointing device after the output is stopped is set as the designated coordinates in the coordinate system, and

in the reference coordinate setting step, the reference coordinates are reset in the coordinate system based on the relative positional relationship having been stored in the positional relationship storage step using as a reference the position indicated by the earliest coordinate information.

7. The storage medium having the game program stored thereon according to claim 1, wherein

the game apparatus comprises a display which is covered by the pointing device, and

the game program stored on the storage medium further causes the computer operable to execute a reference coordinate position display step for displaying an image indicating the position of the reference coordinates on the display.

8. A game apparatus which is operated using a pointing device for outputting coordinate information being based on a given coordinate system and being designated according to an operation of a player, comprising:

a reference coordinate setting means for setting reference coordinates for controlling the game in the coordinate system, based on the coordinate information which is outputted when a state that no coordinate information is outputted from the pointing device is shifted to a state that coordinate information is outputted;

a designated coordinate setting means for setting designated coordinates in the coordinate system based on the coordinate information which is outputted from the pointing device; and

a game control means for controlling the game based on at least one of an input direction which is a direction from the reference coordinates to the designated coordinates and an input distance which is a distance between the reference coordinates and the designated coordinates.

9. An input device for inputting information to a game apparatus according to an operation of a player, comprising:

a coordinate information output means for outputting coordinate information being based on a given coordinate system and being designated according to the operation of the player;

a reference coordinate setting means for setting reference coordinates for controlling the game in the coordinate system, based on coordinate information which is outputted when a state that no coordinate information is outputted from the coordinate information output means is shifted to a state that the coordinate information is outputted; and

a designated coordinate setting means for setting designated coordinates in the coordinate system based on the coordinate information which is outputted from the coordinate information output means;

wherein

the game apparatus controls the game based on at least one of an input direction which is a direction from the reference coordinates to the designated coordinates and an input distance which is a distance between the reference coordinates and the designated coordinates.

10. A storage medium having stored thereon a program executed by a computer in an information processing apparatus which is operated using a pointing device for outputting coordinate information being based on a given coordinate system and being designated according to an operation of a user, wherein

the computer is operable to execute:

a reference coordinate setting step for setting reference coordinates for performing operation processing in the coordinate system based on the coordinate information which is outputted when a state that no coordinate information is outputted from the pointing device is shifted to a state that the coordinate information is outputted;

a designated coordinate setting step for setting designated coordinates in the coordinate system based on the coordinate information which is outputted from the pointing device; and

an operation processing step for performing operation processing based on at least one of an input direction which is a direction from the reference coordinates to the designated coordinates and an input distance which is a distance between the reference coordinates and the designated coordinates.