COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM HAVING STORED THEREIN INFORMATION PROCESSING PROGRAM AND INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS

• US 20080204407A1
• Filed: 02/06/2008
• Published: 08/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited Kyoto Japan
• Inventors: Ueno, Takayuki
• Application Number:
  US12/068,405
• Publication Number:
  US 20080204407A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/21 characterised by their sensors, purposes or types
• 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 13/219 for aiming at specific areas on the display, e.g. light-guns
• 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 13/5375 for graphically or textually suggesting an action, e.g. by displaying an arrow indicating a turn in a driving game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1006 having additional degrees of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1025 details of the interface with the game device, e.g. USB version detection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/105 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes

Abstract

A controller includes imaging means for capturing predetermined imaging targets and acceleration detecting means for detecting an acceleration applied to an input device. A game apparatus repeatedly calculates a target position which is related to images, included in a captured image captured by the imaging means, of the imaging targets and which is provided in the captured image, and then senses a predetermined motion (a motion in an upward direction) of the input device based on the target position calculated within a predetermined time period. Further, the game apparatus senses the predetermined motion of the input device based on the acceleration detected by the acceleration detecting means. Furthermore, the game apparatus executes a predetermined process (a process of causing a player character to perform a jump) when the predetermined motion has been sensed in at least either one of a first motion determining step and a second motion determining step.

Claims

1. A computer-readable storage medium having stored therein an information processing program executed by a computer of an information processing apparatus for performing a process determined in accordance with a motion of an input device,

the input device including imaging means and motion detecting means for detecting the motion of the input device, and

the information processing program causing the computer to execute:

a first determining step of determining a predetermined motion of the input device based on a motion which is related to images, included in a captured image captured by the imaging means, of predetermined imaging targets and which is obtained in the captured image;

a second determining step of determining the predetermined motion of the input device based on the detection result of the motion detecting means; and

a first process executing step of executing a predetermined process in accordance with the determination result of the first determining step and the determination result of the second determining step.

2. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1,

wherein, in the second determining step, the computer determines a motion of the same type as the predetermined motion determined in the first determining step, and

wherein, in the first process executing step, the computer executes the predetermined process when it is determined, in at least either one of the first determining step and the second determining step, that the predetermined motion has been performed.

3. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 2,

wherein the motion detecting means is an acceleration sensor,

wherein, in the first determining step, the computer determines, based on the motion which is related to the images, included in the captured image, of the imaging targets and which is obtained in the captured image, whether or not the input device has moved or rotated in a predetermined direction,

wherein, in the second determining step, the computer determines, based on the motion of the input device which is calculated based on the detection result of the acceleration sensor, whether or not the input device has moved in the predetermined direction, and

wherein, in the first process executing step, the computer executes the predetermined process when it is determined, in at least either one of the first determining step and the second determining step, that the motion of the input device has been performed.

4. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 3,

wherein the information processing program further causes the computer to execute a third determining step of, based on a tilt of the input device which is calculated based on the detection result of the acceleration sensor and which is related to a rotation around an axis of a horizontal direction, determining the rotation of the input device around the axis of the horizontal direction,

wherein, in the first determining step, the computer determines whether or not the input device has moved or rotated in a vertical direction,

wherein, in the second determining step, the computer determines whether or not the input device has moved in the vertical direction, and

wherein, in the first process executing step, the computer executes the predetermined process when it is determined, in at least one of the first determining step, the second determining step, and the third determining step, that the motion of the input device has been performed.

5. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 4,

wherein the information processing program further causes the computer to execute:

a first tilt calculating step of, based on a tilt which is related to the images, included in the captured image captured by the imaging means, of the imaging targets and which is obtained in the captured image, calculating, as a first tilt, a tilt of the input device which is related to a rotation around an axis of a capturing direction of the imaging means;

a second tilt calculating step of, based on the detection result of the acceleration sensor, calculating, as a second tilt, the tilt of the input device which is related to the rotation around the axis of the horizontal direction; and

an orientation calculating step of calculating an orientation of the input device based on the first tilt and the second tilt,

wherein, in the third determining step, the computer determines the rotation of the input device based on the second tilt, and

wherein, in the second determining step, the computer makes the determination, using a motion of the input device which is obtained by correcting, based on the orientation calculated in the orientation calculating step, accelerations in three-axial directions which are detected by the acceleration sensor.

6. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 5,

wherein the acceleration sensor is capable of outputting an output value which varies in accordance with the rotation around the axis of the capturing direction of the imaging means, and

wherein the information processing program further causes the computer to execute:

a determining step of, based on a state of the imaging targets being captured by the imaging means, determining whether or not it is possible to calculate the first tilt in the first tilt calculating step; and

a third tilt calculating step of calculating the first tilt based on the output value from the acceleration sensor when it is determined in the determining step that it is impossible to calculate the first tilt.

7. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 2,

wherein the motion detecting means is an acceleration sensor,

wherein, in the first determining step, the computer determines, based on the motion which is related to the images, included in the captured image, of the imaging targets and which is obtained in the captured image, whether or not the input device has moved or rotated in the vertical direction,

wherein, in the second determining step, the computer determines a rotation of the input device around an axis of the vertical direction based on a tilt of the input device which is calculated based on the detection result of the acceleration sensor and which is related to a rotation around an axis of a horizontal direction, and

wherein, in the first process executing step, the computer executes the predetermined process when it is determined, in at least either one of the first determining step and the second determining step, that the motion of the input device has been performed.

8. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 2,

wherein, in the first determining step, the computer determines whether or not the input device has rotated around an axis of a capturing direction of the imaging means,

wherein, in the second determining step, the computer determines, based on the detection result of the sensor, whether or not the input device has rotated around the axis of the capturing direction, and

wherein, in the first process executing step, the computer executes the predetermined process when it is determined, in at least either one of the first determining step and the second determining step, that the input device has rotated.

9. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1,

wherein, in the first determining step, the computer determines the predetermined motion of the input device based on a position which is related to the images, included in the captured image captured by the imaging means, of the predetermined imaging targets and which is provided in the captured image, and

wherein the information processing program further causes the computer to execute a second process executing step of executing a process different from the predetermined process based on the position which is related to the images, included in the captured image captured by the imaging means, of the imaging targets and which is provided in the captured image.

10. A computer-readable storage medium having stored therein an information processing program executed by a computer of an information processing apparatus for performing a process determined in accordance with a tilt of an input device,

the input device including imaging means and motion detecting means for detecting a motion of the input device, and

the information processing program causing the computer to execute:

a first determining step of determining a predetermined tilt of the input device based on a tilt which is related to images, included in a captured image captured by the imaging means, of predetermined imaging targets and which is obtained in the captured image;

a second determining step of determining the predetermined tilt of the input device based on the detection result of the motion detecting means; and

a process executing step of executing a predetermined process in accordance with the determination result of the first determining step and the determination result of the second determining step.

11. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 10,

wherein the motion detecting means is a sensor for outputting an output value which varies in accordance with a rotation around an axis of a predetermined direction different from a capturing direction of the imaging means of the input device,

wherein, in the first determining step, the computer determines, based on the tilt which is related to the images, included in the captured image captured by the imaging means, of the imaging targets and which is obtained in the captured image, a tilt of the input device which is related to a rotation around an axis of the capturing direction,

wherein, in the second determining step, the computer determines, based on the output value from the sensor, a tilt of the input device which is related to the rotation around the axis of the predetermined direction, and

wherein, in the process executing step, the computer calculates an orientation of the input device based on the first tilt and the second tilt.

12. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 11,

wherein the sensor is an acceleration sensor capable of detecting accelerations in three-axial directions separately, and

wherein, in the process executing step, the computer further calculates the motion of the input device by correcting, based on the calculated orientation, the accelerations in the three-axial directions which are detected by the acceleration sensor.

13. An information processing apparatus for performing a process determined in accordance with a motion of an input device,

the input device including imaging means and motion detecting means for detecting the motion of the input device, and

the information processing apparatus comprising:

first determining means for determining a predetermined motion of the input device based on a motion which is related to images, included in a captured image captured by the imaging means, of predetermined imaging targets and which is obtained in the captured image;

second determining means for determining the predetermined motion of the input device based on the detection result of the motion detecting means; and

process executing means for executing a predetermined process in accordance with the determination result of the first determining means and the determination result of the second determining means.

14. An information processing apparatus for performing a process determined in accordance with a tilt of an input device,

the input device including imaging means and motion detecting means for detecting a motion of the input device, and

the information processing apparatus comprising:

first determining means for determining a predetermined tilt of the input device based on a tilt which is related to images, included in a captured image captured by the imaging means, of predetermined imaging targets and which is obtained in the captured image;

second determining means for determining the predetermined tilt of the input device based on the detection result of the motion detecting means; and

process executing means for executing a predetermined process in accordance with the determination result of the first determining means and the determination result of the second determining means.