Position detecting system and position detecting program

• US 20070080831A1
• Filed: 06/12/2006
• Published: 04/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Sawano, Takao, Yamazaki, Hitoshi, Miyamoto, Shigeru, Kawada, Shinya
• Granted Patent: US 8,115,699 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/995.280
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/10 Special adaptations of display systems for operation with variable images
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/00 Aspects of data communication
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/12 Synchronisation between the display unit and other units, e.g. other display units, video-disc players

Abstract

A plurality of positional information transmitters 100, each of which transmits positional information to which a plurality of unit spaces are each uniquely assigned, are disposed on a ceiling. A mobile terminal 10 receives the positional information transmitted from each of the positional information transmitters 100 and changes a terminal-side image in accordance with the received positional information. Furthermore, the mobile terminal 10 transmits to a server 300 current positional information and operation information indicating an instruction inputted by a user. The server 300 changes, in accordance with the current positional information and the operation information received by the mobile terminal 10, a floor image displayed on a plurality of floor displays 200 disposed on a floor. Thus, it becomes possible to provide a highly interesting and novel position detecting system.

Claims

1. A position detecting system comprising:

a positional information transmission device for transmitting positional information;

a mobile terminal for receiving the positional information; and

a control device capable of communicating with the mobile terminal,

the positional information transmission device including;

a plurality of positional information transmitters for transmitting the positional information to which a plurality of unit spaces are each uniquely assigned,

the mobile terminal including;

first display means for displaying a first image;

first receiving means for receiving the positional information transmitted from the positional information transmitters;

first image processing means for changing the first image in accordance with the positional information received by the first receiving means;

operation means for accepting an instruction inputted by a user; and

transmission means for transmitting, to the control device, current positional information corresponding to the positional information received by the receiving means and operation information indicating the instruction inputted by the user through the operation means, and

the control device including;

second display means for displaying a second image;

second receiving means for receiving the current positional information and the operation information transmitted from the mobile terminal; and

second image processing means for changing the second image in accordance with the current positional information and the operation information received by the second receiving means.

2. The position detecting system according to claim 1, wherein

the second image processing means selects a partial area of the second image, the partial area corresponding to a current position of the mobile terminal, based on the current positional information received by the second receiving means, and changes the selected partial area of the second image in accordance with the operation information received by the second receiving means.

3. The position detecting system according to claim 2, wherein

the plurality of positional information transmitters are disposed on a ceiling, and

the second display means is disposed on a floor.

4. The position detecting system according to claim 1, wherein

each of the positional information transmitters transmits the positional information for a predetermined number of times at an interval of a predetermined period of time, and

the mobile terminal further includes current positional information generating means for measuring, for the predetermined period of time, a receiving time of each piece of the positional information received by the first receiving means, and generating the current positional information based on the receiving time of the each piece of the positional information.

5. The position detecting system according to claim 1, wherein

the current positional information generating means generates the current positional information indicating a position which is more accurate than that indicated by the positional information, based on a ratio of the receiving time of each piece of the positional information received, for a period of time, by the first receiving means, to a transmission time of the each piece of the positional information transmitted for the period of time.

6. The position detecting system according to claim 5, wherein

the current positional information generating means calculates a weighted average of two-dimensional coordinates indicating the positional information by dividing a sum of the positional information received for the period of time by the first receiving means, in accordance with a total receiving time of the positional information, such that the current positional information generating means generates the current positional information.

7. The position detecting system according to claim 1, wherein

the first image processing means changes the first image in accordance with the positional information received by the first receiving means such that the first image includes a description text corresponding to the received positional information.

8. The position detecting system according to claim 1, wherein

the first image includes one of an selectable button image and a non-selectable button image, which are changed in accordance with the positional information received by the first receiving means, and

the first image processing means changes a display mode of the button image in accordance with the positional information received by the first receiving means.

9. The position detecting system according to claim 1, wherein

the operation information includes instruction information indicating an enlargement display instruction, and

the second image processing means enlarges, in accordance with the instruction information indicating the enlargement display instruction, a portion of the second image centering on a position of the second image, the position corresponding to the current positional information received by the second receiving means.

10. The position detecting system according to claim 1, wherein

the operation information includes instruction information indicating a guide request instruction, and

the second image processing means adds, in accordance with the instruction information indicating the guide request instruction, a mark for guiding the user to a predetermined position, on a position of the second image, the position corresponding to the current positional information received by the second receiving means.

11. A computer-readable storage medium storing a position detecting program executed by a computer of a mobile terminal and a computer of a control device in a position detecting system comprising:

a positional information transmission device including a plurality of positional information transmitters for transmitting positional information to which a plurality of unit spaces are each uniquely assigned;

the mobile terminal for receiving the positional information; and

the control device capable of communicating with the mobile terminal,

the position detecting program instructing the computer of the mobile terminal to perform;

first display control means for causing first display means of the mobile terminal to display a first image;

first receiving control means for causing first receiving means of the mobile terminal to receive the positional information transmitted from the positional information transmitters;

first image processing means for changing the first image in accordance with the positional information received by the first receiving means; and

transmission control means for causing transmission means of the mobile terminal to transmit to the control device current positional information corresponding to the positional information received by the receiving means and operation information, inputted by operation means of the mobile terminal, which indicates an instruction of a user, and

the position detecting program instructing the computer of the control device to perform;

second display control means for causing second display means of the control device to display a second image;

second receiving control means for causing second receiving means of the control device to receive the current positional information and the operation information transmitted from the mobile terminal; and

second image processing means for changing the second image in accordance with the current positional information and the operation information received by the second receiving means.