Game controller, storage medium storing game program, and game apparatus

• US 20080261696A1
• Filed: 03/04/2008
• Published: 10/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Sugiyama, Tadashi, Sawano, Takao, Yamazaki, Hitoshi
• Granted Patent: US 8,100,770 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/39
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/212 using sensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat or leg activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/214 for locating contacts on a surface, e.g. floor mats or touch pads
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/218 using pressure sensors, e.g. generating a signal proportional to the pressure applied by the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/23 for interfacing with the game device, e.g. specific interfaces between game controller and console
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/235 using a wireless connection, e.g. infrared or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/245 specially adapted to a particular type of game, e.g. steering wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/42 by mapping the input signals into game commands, e.g. mapping the displacement of a stylus on a touch screen to the steering angle of a virtual vehicle
• 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 2300/1056 involving pressure sensitive buttons
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1068 being specially adapted to detect the point of contact of the player on a surface, e.g. floor mat, touch pad
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands

Abstract

A game controller includes at least four load sensors for detecting a load applied on a support board on which player'"'"'s legs are ridden, and the game controller transmits a load value detected as manipulation data by the four load sensors to a game machine. The game machine determines a necessary quantity of load values, and the game machine computes the necessary quantity of load values based on the detected load value from the game controller. Then, game processing is performed based on the necessary quantity of computed load values.

Claims

1. A game controller used in a game machine, comprising:

a support portion on which player'"'"'s legs are ridden;

at least four load sensors disposed at predetermined intervals below said support portion; and

a communication means for transmitting a load value as manipulation data detected from each of said four load sensors to said game machine.

2. A game controller according to claim 1, further comprising:

a power supply unit that supplies electric power to said load sensor; and

a power supply control means for controlling power supply from said power supply unit to said load sensor,

wherein said communication means includes a reception determining means for determining whether or not a load obtaining command is received from said game machine,

said power supply control means supplies electric power from said power supply unit to said load sensor when said reception determining means determines that said load obtaining command is received, and

said power supply control means stops electric power supply from said power supply unit to said load sensor when said reception determining means determines that said load obtaining command is not received.

3. A game controller according to claim 1, wherein said communication means includes:

a wireless communication unit receiving wirelessly said load obtaining command from said game machine; and

a processing means for imparting the load value as the manipulation data detected from each of said four load sensors to said wireless communication unit when said wireless communication unit receives said load obtaining command, and

said wireless communication unit wirelessly transmits said manipulation data received from said processing means to said game machine.

4. A game controller according to claim 2, wherein said communication means includes:

a wireless communication unit receiving wirelessly said load obtaining command from said game machine; and

a processing means for imparting the load value as the manipulation data detected from each of said four load sensors to said wireless communication unit when said wireless communication unit receives said load obtaining command, and

said wireless communication unit wirelessly transmits said manipulation data received from said processing means to said game machine.

5. A game controller according to claim 1, wherein said communication means includes a connector unit detachable from a different type of game controller and, and said communication means transmits said load value to said game machine through said different type of game controller attached to said connector unit.

6. A game controller according to claim 1, wherein said communication means includes:

a command determining means for determining which load obtaining command in a plurality of types of load obtaining commands is received from said game machine; and

a manipulation data computing means for computing a predetermined quantity of pieces of manipulation data according to the load obtaining command determined by said command determining means from the load value detected from each of said four load sensors.

7. A game controller according to claim 1, further comprising:

a manipulation button provided in a surface different from an upper surface of said support portion to be manipulated by the player'"'"'s legs.

8. A storage medium storing a game program executed in a computer of a game machine that performs a game using a game controller including a plurality of load sensors, wherein said game program causes said computer to execute:

a detection value obtaining step of obtaining a detection value outputted from each of said plurality of load sensors;

a quantity determining step of determining a quantity of load values necessary for game processing;

a load value computing step of computing the quantity of load values determined by said quantity determining step from a plurality of detection values; and

a game processing step of performing game processing based on said load value.

9. A storage medium storing a game program according to claim 8, wherein said game program causes said computer to further execute a selection step of causing a player to select a type of game, and

said quantity determining step determines the necessary quantity according to said type of game by determining the type of game.

10. A storage medium storing a game program according to claim 8, wherein said game program causes said computer to further execute:

a difference computing step of computing difference of the detection values outputted from said plurality of load sensors; and

a correction step of correcting said detection value based on the difference computed by said difference computing step.

11. A storage medium storing a game program according to claim 10, wherein said difference computing step includes:

a first difference computing step of dividing the detection values into first two sets to compute difference between the first two sets, the detection value being outputted from each of said plurality of load sensors; and

a second difference computing step of dividing the detection values into second two sets to compute difference between the second two sets, the detection value being outputted from each of said plurality of load sensors, the second two sets being different from said first two sets, and

said correction step corrects said detection value based on the first difference and the second difference.

12. A storage medium storing a game program according to claim 8, wherein said game program causes said computer to further execute a load value comparing step of comparing the load values computed by said load value computing step, and

said game processing step performs the game processing based on the load value that is determined to be the largest value as a result of comparison in said load value comparing step.

13. A storage medium storing a game program according to claim 8, wherein said quantity determining step determines the necessary quantity according to a scene by determining said scene in the game.

14. A storage medium storing a game program executed in a computer of a game machine that performs a game using a game controller including a plurality of load sensors, wherein said game program causes said computer to execute:

a quantity determining step of determining a quantity of load values necessary for game processing;

a command transmitting step of transmitting a command according to the quantity determined by said quantity determining step to said game controller;

a load value obtaining step of obtaining the quantity of load values according to said command from said game controller; and

a game processing step of performing game processing based on said load value obtained by said load value obtaining step.

15. A game apparatus executing a game played by a load of a player, comprising:

a manipulation means including a support portion on which player'"'"'s legs are ridden and a plurality of load sensors detecting a load applied to said support portion;

a quantity determining means for determining a quantity of load values necessary for game processing;

a load value computing means for computing the quantity of load values based on a detection value detected by each of said plurality of load sensors, the quantity of load values being determined by said quantity determining step; and

a game processing means for performing the game processing based on said load value computed by said load value computing means.