Storage medium storing object movement control program and information processing apparatus

• US 20070075985A1
• Filed: 10/03/2006
• Published: 04/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Niida, Koichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,825,909 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/2145 the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens
• 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 13/533 for prompting the player, e.g. by displaying a game menu
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/573 using trajectories of game objects, e.g. of a golf ball according to the point of impact
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

An information processing apparatus includes a processor. A movement of an object is controlled in accordance with an input. For example, a starting point of the input is determined by detecting coordinates in a first area including the object. A second area is set, with the starting point set as a reference, and when a continuous input after determining the starting point is given to the outside of the second area, detection coordinates are determined as an ending point of the input. Based on the ending point of the input and for example the starting point or an object position, a moving direction of the object is determined. Then, the object is moved in the moving direction thus determined.

Claims

1. A storage medium storing an object movement control program of an information processing apparatus for displaying on a display means an object moving in accordance with an input by an input means, wherein

said object movement control program causes a processor of said information processing apparatus to function as:

a coordinate detection means for detecting coordinates inputted to a screen of said display means by said input means;

a first determination means for determining whether or not the coordinates detected by said coordinate detection means correspond to coordinates in a first area on said screen;

a second determination means for determining whether or not the coordinates continuously detected after a determination result by said first determination means is affirmative are coordinates positioned outside of a second area on said screen;

a direction determination means for determining a moving direction based on the coordinates detected when a determination result by said second determination means is affirmative; and

a movement control means for controlling said object to move in said moving direction determined by said direction determination means.

2. A storage medium storing an object movement control program according to claim 1, wherein

said movement control means starts the movement of said object at a timing when the determination result by said second determination means is affirmative.

3. A storage medium storing an object movement control program according to claim 1, wherein

said object movement control program causes said processor to further function as an object image displaying means for displaying an image of said object in said first area.

4. A storage medium storing an object movement control program according to claim 1, wherein

said second area encompasses said first area.

5. A storage medium storing an object movement control program according to claim 1, wherein

said second area is provided with the coordinates detected when the determination result by said first determination means is affirmative as a reference.

6. A storage medium storing an object movement control program according to claim 1, wherein

said second area is provided with a predetermined position in said first area as a reference.

7. A storage medium storing an object movement control program according to claim 1, wherein

said direction determination means determines said moving direction, based on a predetermined position in said first area and the coordinates detected when the determination result by said second determination means is affirmative.

8. A storage medium storing an object movement control program according to claim 1, wherein

said direction determination means determines said moving direction, based on the coordinates detected when the determination result by said first determination means is affirmative and the coordinates detected when the determination result by said second determination means is affirmative.

9. A storage medium storing an object movement control program according to claim 1, wherein

said direction determination means determines the moving direction, based on the coordinates of at least two points out of the coordinates continuously detected by said coordinate detection means from when the determination result by said first determination means is affirmative to when the determination result by said second determination means is affirmative.

10. A storage medium storing an object movement control program according to claim 1, wherein

said object movement control program causes said processor to further function as a third determination means for determining whether or not the coordinates continuously detected after the determination result by said first determination means is affirmative are the coordinates positioned outside of a third area different from at least said second area on said screen, and

said direction determination means determines said moving direction, based on the coordinates detected when the determination result by said third determination means is affirmative and the coordinates detected when the determination result by said second determination means is affirmative.

11. A storage medium storing an object movement control program according to claim 1, wherein

said object movement control program causes said processor to further function as a speed determination means for determining a moving speed based on a time period elapsed from when the determination result by said first determination means is affirmative to when the determination result by said second determination means is affirmative, and

said movement control means controls said object to move at said moving speed determined by said speed determination means.

12. A storage medium storing an object movement control program according to claim 1, wherein

said object movement control program causes said processor to further function as a speed determination means for determining a moving speed based on a time period elapsed from when it is determined that the coordinates continuously detected after the determination result by said first determination means is affirmative are the coordinates positioned outside of a third area different from at least said second area on said screen, to when the determination result by said second determination means is affirmative, and

said movement control means controls said object to move at said moving speed determined by said speed determination means.

13. A storage medium storing an object movement control program according to claim 1, wherein

said direction determination means determines said moving direction, when the coordinates are not detected by said coordinate detection means, before the determination result by said second determination means is affirmative, after the determination result by said first determination means is affirmative, based on the coordinates detected immediately before the coordinates are not detected, instead of the coordinates detected when the determination result by said second determination means is affirmative.

14. A storage medium storing an object movement control program according to claim 1, wherein

said movement control means does not move said object when the coordinates are not detected by said coordinate detection means before it is determined that the coordinates continuously detected after the determination result by said first determination means is affirmative are the coordinates positioned outside of a third area different from at least said second area on said screen.

15. A storage medium storing an object movement control program according to claim 1, wherein

said object movement control program causes said processor to further function as an object generation means for generating, when said object is moved by said movement control means, another object different from said object.

16. A storage medium storing an object movement control program according to claim 1, wherein

said first area is larger than a display area of said object.

17. A storage medium storing an object movement control program according to claim 1, wherein

said first area has a same size as that of a display area of said object.

18. A storage medium storing an object movement control program of an information processing apparatus for displaying on a display means an object moving in accordance with an input by an input means, wherein

said object movement control program causes a processor of said information processing apparatus to function as:

an object display control means for displaying said object on said display means;

a coordinate detection means for detecting coordinates inputted to a screen of said display means by said input means;

a first determination means for determining whether or not the coordinates detected by said coordinate detection means correspond to coordinates in a first area on said screen;

a second determination means for determining whether or not the coordinates continuously detected after a determination result by said first determination means is affirmative are coordinates positioned outside of a second area on said screen;

a direction determination means for determining a moving direction based on the coordinates of at least two points out of the coordinates continuously detected by said coordinate detection means from when the determination result by said first determination means is affirmative to when a determination result by said second determination means is affirmative; and

a movement control means for moving said object in said moving direction determined by said direction determination means, at a timing when the determination result by said second determination means is affirmative.

19. An information processing apparatus for displaying on a display means an object moving in accordance with an input by an input means, comprising:

a coordinate detection means for detecting coordinates inputted to a screen of said display means by said input means;

a first determination means for determining whether or not the coordinates detected by said coordinate detection means correspond to coordinates in a first area on said screen;

a second determination means for determining whether or not the coordinates continuously detected after a determination result by said first determination means is affirmative are coordinates positioned outside of a second area on said screen;

a direction determination means for determining a moving direction based on the coordinates detected when a determination result by said second determination means is affirmative; and

a movement control means for controlling said object to move in said moving direction determined by said direction determination means.

20. An information processing apparatus for displaying on a display means an object moving in accordance with an input by an input means, comprising:

an object display control means for displaying said object on said display means;

a coordinate detection means for detecting coordinates inputted to a screen of said display means by said input means;

a first determination means for determining whether or not the coordinates detected by said coordinate detection means correspond to coordinates in a first area on said screen;

a second determination means for determining whether or not the coordinates continuously detected after a determination result by said first determination means is affirmative are coordinates positioned outside of a second area on said screen;

a direction determination means for determining a moving direction based on the coordinates of at least two points out of the coordinates continuously detected by said coordinate detection means from when the determination result by said first determination means is affirmative to when a determination result by said second determination means is affirmative; and

a movement control means for moving said object in said moving direction determined by said direction determination means, at a timing when the determination result by said second determination means is affirmative.