Inclination calculation apparatus and inclination calculation program, and game apparatus and game program

• US 20070233424A1
• Filed: 04/21/2006
• Published: 10/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Ohta, Keizo
• Granted Patent: US 7,596,466 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/154
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/213 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells A63F13/219, A63F13/655 take precedence
• 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 13/428 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 2300/1006 having additional degrees of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1012 involving biosensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat, limb activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/105 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1087 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. a camera
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/00 Measuring acceleration; Measuring deceleration; Measuring shock, i.e. sudden change of acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 3/38 using photographic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0325 using a plurality of light emitters or reflectors or a plurality of detectors forming a reference frame from which to derive the orientation of the object, e.g. by triangulation or on the basis of reference deformation in the picked up image
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors

Abstract

An inclination calculation apparatus sequentially calculates an inclination of an input device operable in terms of a posture thereof. The input device includes acceleration detection means and imaging means. The inclination calculation apparatus sequentially calculates first inclination information representing an inclination of the input device from positions of two imaging targets in a taken image obtained by the imaging means. The inclination calculation apparatus also sequentially calculates second inclination information representing an inclination of the input device from an acceleration detected by the acceleration detection means. The inclination calculation apparatus calculates an inclination of the input device using the first inclination information and the second inclination information.

Claims

1. An inclination calculation apparatus for sequentially calculating an inclination of an input device operable in terms of a posture thereof, wherein the input device includes an acceleration detector for detecting an acceleration in at least two axial directions and an imaging element for taking an image of two imaging targets, the inclination calculation apparatus comprising:

an image information processor for sequentially calculating first inclination information representing an inclination of the input device from positions of the two imaging targets in a taken image obtained by the imaging element;

an acceleration information processor for sequentially calculating second inclination information representing an inclination of the input device from an acceleration detected by the acceleration detector; and

an inclination calculator for calculating an inclination of the input device using the first inclination information and the second inclination information.

2. An inclination calculation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inclination calculator selects one of a calculation method using the first inclination information and a calculation method using the second inclination information, and calculates the inclination of the input device by the selected calculation method.

3. An inclination calculation apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising first determination programmed logic circuitry for determining whether or not calculation of the first inclination information by the image information processor was successful,

wherein the inclination calculator calculates the inclination of the input device using at least the first inclination information when the first determination programmed logic circuitry determines that the calculation of the first inclination information was successful, and calculates the inclination of the input device using the second inclination information without using the first inclination information when the first determination programmed logic circuitry determines that the calculation of the first inclination information was unsuccessful.

4. An inclination calculation apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising second determination programmed logic circuitry for determining whether or not the inclination of the input device is within a range in which the imaging element is assumed to be capable of taking an image of the two imaging targets,

wherein the inclination calculator calculates the inclination of the input device using at least the first inclination information when the second determination programmed logic circuitry determines that the inclination of the input device is within the range, and calculates the inclination of the input device using the second inclination information without using the first inclination information when the second determination programmed logic circuitry determines that the inclination of the input device is outside the range.

5. An inclination calculation apparatus according to claim 4, wherein:

the acceleration dectector is capable of detecting an acceleration in three axial directions including one axial direction along an imaging direction of the imaging element; and

the second determination programmed logic circuitry determines whether or not the inclination of the input device is within the range in accordance with whether or not a magnitude of the acceleration in the one axial direction along the imaging direction is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value.

6. An inclination calculation apparatus according to claim 4, wherein:

the acceleration detector is capable of detecting an acceleration in at least two axial directions which are not along an imaging direction of the imaging element; and

the second determination programmed logic circuitry determines whether or not the inclination of the input device is within the range in accordance with whether or not a magnitude of the acceleration in the two axial directions which are not along the imaging direction is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value.

7. An inclination calculation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inclination calculator includes:

comparison programmed logic circuitry for comparing the first inclination information and the second inclination information; and

correction programmed logic circuitry for setting, as the inclination of the input device, an inclination obtained by correcting the inclination represented by the first inclination information in accordance with the comparison result obtained by the comparison programmed logic circuitry.

8. An inclination calculation apparatus according to claim 7, wherein:

the comparison programmed logic circuitry compares a direction of the inclination represented by the first inclination information and a direction of the inclination represented by the second inclination information, and determines whether the two directions are closer to being identical to each other or closer to being opposite to each other; and

the correction programmed logic circuitry performs a correction for making the direction of the inclination represented by the first inclination information opposite when the two directions are determined to be closer to being opposite to each other.

9. An inclination calculation apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising third determination programmed logic circuitry for determining whether or not a change amount of a direction of the acceleration detected by the acceleration dector is equal to or less than a predetermined value,

wherein the correction programmed logic circuitry performs a correction only when the determination result of the third determination programmed logic circuitry is positive.

10. An inclination calculation apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising fourth determination programmed logic circuitry for determining whether or not a difference between a magnitude of the acceleration detected by the acceleration detector and a magnitude of an acceleration of gravity is equal to or less than a predetermined value,

wherein the correction programmed logic circuitry performs a correction only when the determination result of the fourth determination programmed logic circuitry is positive.

11. An inclination calculation apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising fifth determination programmed logic circuitry for determining whether or not a change amount of a value of the acceleration detected by the acceleration detector is equal to or less than a predetermined value,

wherein the correction programmed logic circuitry performs a correction only when the determination result of the fifth determination programmed logic circuitry is positive.

12-22. -22. (canceled)

23. A game apparatus for sequentially calculating an inclination of an input device operable in terms of a posture thereof and using the calculated inclination as an operation input for a game, wherein the input device includes an acceleration detector for detecting an acceleration in at least two axial directions and imaging element for taking an image of two imaging targets, the game apparatus comprising:

an image information processor for sequentially calculating first inclination information representing an inclination of the input device from positions of the two imaging targets in a taken image obtained by the imaging element;

an acceleration information processor for sequentially calculating second inclination information representing an inclination of the input device from an acceleration detected by the acceleration detector; and

an inclination calculator for calculating an inclination of the input device using the first inclination information and the second inclination information.

24. A game apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the inclination calculator selects one of a calculation method using the first inclination information and a calculation method using the second inclination information, and calculates the inclination of the input device by the selected calculation method.

25. A game apparatus according to claim 24, further comprising first determination programmed logic circuitry for determining whether or not calculation of the first inclination information by the image information processor was successful,

wherein the inclination calculator calculates the inclination of the input device using at least the first inclination information when the first determination programmed logic circuitry determines that the calculation of the first inclination information was successful, and calculates the inclination of the input device using the second inclination information without using the first inclination information when the first determination programmed logic circuitry determines that the calculation of the first inclination information was unsuccessful.

26. A game apparatus according to claim 24, further comprising second determination programmed logic circuitry for determining whether or not the inclination of the input device is within a range in which the imaging element is assumed to be capable of taking an image of the two imaging targets,

wherein the inclination calculator calculates the inclination of the input device using at least the first inclination information when the second determination programmed logic circuitry determines that the inclination of the input device is within the range, and calculates the inclination of the input device using the second inclination information without using the first inclination information when the second determination programmed logic circuitry determines that the inclination of the input device is outside the range.

27. A game apparatus according to claim 26, wherein:

the acceleration detector is capable of detecting an acceleration in three axial directions including one axial direction along an imaging direction of the imaging element; and

the second determination programmed logic circuitry determines whether or not the inclination of the input device is within the range in accordance with whether or not a magnitude of the acceleration in the one axial direction along the imaging direction is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value.

28. A game apparatus according to claim 26, wherein:

the acceleration detector is capable of detecting an acceleration in at least two axial directions which are not along an imaging direction of the imaging element; and

the second determination programmed logic circuitry determines whether or not the inclination of the input device is within the range in accordance with whether or not a magnitude of the acceleration in the two axial directions which are not along the imaging direction is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value.

29. A game apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the inclination calculator includes:

comparison programmed logic circuitry for comparing the first inclination information and the second inclination information; and

correction programmed logic circuitry for setting, as the inclination of the input device, an inclination obtained by correcting the inclination represented by the first inclination information in accordance with the comparison result obtained by the comparison programmed logic circuitry.

30. A game apparatus according to claim 29, wherein:

the comparison programmed logic circuitry compares a direction of the inclination represented by the first inclination information and a direction of the inclination represented by the second inclination information, and determines whether the two directions are closer to being identical to each other or closer to being opposite to each other; and

the correction programmed logic circuitry performs a correction for making the direction of the inclination represented by the first inclination information opposite when the two directions are determined to be closer to being opposite to each other.

31. A game apparatus according to claim 29, further comprising third determination programmed logic circuitry for determining whether or not a change amount of a direction of the acceleration detected by the acceleration detector is equal to or less than a predetermined value,

wherein the correction programmed logic circuitry performs a correction only when the determination result of the third determination programmed logic circuitry is positive.

32. A game apparatus according to claim 29, further comprising fourth determination programmed logic circuitry for determining whether or not a difference between a magnitude of the acceleration detected by the acceleration detector and a magnitude of an acceleration of gravity is equal to or less than a predetermined value,

wherein the correction programmed logic circuitry performs a correction only when the determination result of the fourth determination programmed logic circuitry is positive.

33. A game apparatus according to claim 29, further comprising fifth determination programmed logic circuitry for determining whether or not a change amount of a value of the acceleration detected by the acceleration detector is equal to or less than a predetermined value,

wherein the correction programmed logic circuitry performs a correction only when the determination result of the fifth determination programmed logic circuitry is positive.

34-44. -44. (canceled)