METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING AN INPUT DEVICE, FOR GENERATING COLLISION DATA, AND FOR CONTROLLING A CAMERA ANGLE

• US 20080309618A1
• Filed: 06/06/2008
• Published: 12/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Sega
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Sega
• Inventors: OKADA, Kazuyuki
• Application Number:
  US12/134,896
• Publication Number:
  US 20080309618A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/157
• 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 13/42 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 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 13/525 Changing parameters of virtual cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/57 Simulating properties, behaviour or motion of objects in the game world, e.g. computing tyre load in a car race game A63F13/56 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/577 using determination of contact between game characters or objects, e.g. to avoid collision between virtual racing cars
• 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: A63F 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6684 by dynamically adapting its position to keep a game object in its viewing frustrum, e.g. for tracking a character or a ball
• 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: 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

A method includes sampling a controller'"'"'s pointer position and tilt angle, wherein the pointer position is based on an interaction between the controller and a screen of a monitor; calculating a center region tilt value based on the sampling; calculating upper and lower tilt value limits based on the calculated center region tilt value; and storing the calculated values so that a video game system can process a virtual pointer Y-axis value based on a game player'"'"'s use of the controller.

Claims

1. A method comprising;

sampling a controller'"'"'s pointer position and tilt angle, wherein the pointer position is based on an interaction between the controller and a screen of a monitor;

calculating a center region tilt value based on the sampling;

calculating upper and lower tilt value limits based on the calculated center region tilt value; and

storing the calculated values so that a video game system can process a virtual pointer Y-axis value based on a game player'"'"'s use of the controller.

3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the sampling comprises operating an avatar based only on the one or more calculated tilt values when the pointer position cannot be sampled and the tilt angle can be sampled.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

displaying a cursor on the screen of the monitor;

moving the cursor based on the tilt values; and

moving the avatar towards a direction of the displayed cursor, wherein moving the cursor allows the cursor to move within a cursor pathway.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein displaying the cursor comprises:

determining whether the pointer position can be sampled; and

changing a color of the cursor based on the determining.

2. A method comprising:

sampling a controller'"'"'s pointer position and tilt angle, wherein the pointer position is based on an interaction between the controller and a screen of a monitor;

calculating a center region tilt value based on the sampling;

calculating upper and lower tilt value limits based on the calculated center region tilt value;

determining a Y-axis value based on the calculations;

determining an X-axis value based on the calculations; and

storing the determined X and Y-axis values so that a video game system can process a virtual pointer X-axis value and Y-axis value based on a game player'"'"'s use of the controller.

6. A computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method for processing a position based on positioning of a controller, the method comprising:

sampling the controller'"'"'s pointer position and tilt angle, wherein the pointer position is based on an interaction between the controller and a screen of a monitor;

calculating a center region tilt value based on the sampling;

calculating upper and lower tilt value limits based on the calculated center region tilt value; and

storing the calculated values so that a video game system can process a virtual pointer Y-axis value based on a game player'"'"'s use of the controller.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 6 or 7, wherein the sampling comprises operating an avatar based only on the one or more calculated tilt values when the pointer position cannot be sampled and the tilt angle can be sampled.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 8, further comprising instructions for:

displaying a cursor on the screen of the monitor;

moving the cursor based on the tilt values; and

moving the avatar towards a direction of the displayed cursor, wherein moving the cursor allows the cursor to move within a cursor pathway.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein displaying the cursor comprises:

determining whether the pointer position can be sampled; and

changing a color of the cursor based on the determining.

7. A computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method for processing a position based on positioning of a controller, the method comprising:

sampling the controller'"'"'s pointer position and tilt angle, wherein the pointer position is based on an interaction between the controller and a screen of a monitor;

calculating a center region tilt value based on the sampling;

calculating upper and lower tilt value limits based on the calculated center region tilt value;

determining a Y-axis value based on the calculations;

determining an X-axis value based on the calculations; and

storing the determined X and Y-axis values so that a video game system can process a virtual pointer X-axis value and Y-axis value based on a game player'"'"'s use of the controller.