Storage medium storing sound output control program and sound output control apparatus

• US 20070255434A1
• Filed: 07/10/2006
• Published: 11/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Inagaki, Yoji
• Granted Patent: US 7,890,199 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/94
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/34 Switch arrangements, e.g. keyboards or mechanical switches specially adapted for electrophonic musical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/135 Musical aspects of games or videogames; Musical instrument-shaped game input interfaces game background music G10H2210/026; musical game scoring or performance evaluation G10H2210/091
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/395 Acceleration sensing or accelerometer use, e.g. 3D movement computation by integration of accelerometer data, angle sensing with respect to the vertical, i.e. gravity sensing. conductor baton movement sensing G10H2220/206, angle sensing without reference to gravity G10H2220/391; player body joint angle sensing G10H2220/321
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/401 3D sensing, i.e. three-dimensional (x, y, z) position or movement sensing. movement pattern or gesture sensing G10H2220/201; geolocation sensing G10H2220/355, 3D sensing with accelerometer G10H2220/395
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2250/441 Gensound string, i.e. generating the sound of a string instrument, controlling specific features of said sound spint piano G10H2230/065; spint stringed instruments G10H2230/075

Abstract

A sound output control apparatus includes a controller for a user to perform a stroke operation. The controller is provided with an acceleration sensor for detecting accelerations of two axes, for example. The sum of the accelerations is calculated, and the output of a sound is controlled in accordance with a change in the sum of the accelerations. More specifically, when the sum of the accelerations exceeds each of threshold values associated with strings of a string instrument such as a guitar, a sound corresponding to the threshold value is output.

Claims

1. A storage medium storing a sound output control program for a sound output control apparatus that outputs a sound from an output means in accordance with manipulation of an operating means, wherein

said operating means comprises an acceleration sensor for detecting accelerations in directions of at least two axes orthogonal to each other,

said sound output control program allows a processor of said sound output control apparatus to execute:

an acquisition step of acquiring the accelerations detected by said acceleration sensor;

a calculation step of calculating sum of accelerations of two axes acquired in said acquisition step;

a sound control step of generating a control signal for sound output in accordance with a change in said sum of accelerations; and

a sound output step of outputting a sound from said output means based on said control signal.

2. A storage medium storing a sound output control program according to claim 1, wherein said sound control step includes a determination step of determining whether a change in said sum of accelerations has formed a predetermined relationship with any of a plurality of threshold values stored in a storage means, and when it is determined in said determination step that a change in said sum of accelerations has formed a predetermined relationship with said threshold value, said control signal for sound output is generated.

3. A storage medium storing a sound output control program according to claim 1, wherein, in said sound control step, a tone of sound to be output is selected on the basis of a change in said sum of accelerations.

4. A storage medium storing a sound output control program according to claim 1, wherein

said operating means further comprises a sound emission instruction means for providing an instruction on whether or not to carry out sound output and,

in said sound control step, presence or absence of the sound output is controlled in accordance with the instruction from said sound emission instruction means.

5. A sound output control apparatus for outputting a sound from an output means in accordance with manipulation of an operating means having an acceleration sensor for detecting accelerations in at least two directions orthogonal to each other, comprising:

an acquisition means for acquiring the accelerations detected by said acceleration sensor;

a calculation means for calculating sum of accelerations of two axes acquired by said acceleration means;

a sound control means for generating a control signal for sound output in accordance with a change in said sum of accelerations; and

a sound output means for outputting a sound from said output means based on said control signal.