PROGRAM, INFORMATION STORAGE MEDIUM, GAME SYSTEM, AND INPUT INSTRUCTION DEVICE

• US 20090069096A1
• Filed: 08/29/2008
• Published: 03/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bandai Namco Games Inc (BANDAI NAMCO Holdings Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Namco Bandai Games Inc. (BANDAI NAMCO Holdings Inc.)
• Inventors: NISHIMOTO, Yasuhiro
• Application Number:
  US12/201,619
• Publication Number:
  US 20090069096A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/43
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• 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 13/814 Musical performances, e.g. by evaluating the player's ability to follow a notation
• 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 2300/305 for providing a graphical or textual hint to the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/638 according to the timing of operation or a time limit
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8047 Music games

Abstract

A game system performs a process that generates and displays an instruction image that instructs a given movement of a controller including an acceleration sensor, and a process that acquires a signal from the acceleration sensor included in the controller to detect the movement of the controller, and determines the degree of conformity of the detected movement of the controller with the instructed movement instructed by the instruction image.

Claims

1. A program that causes a computer to function as:

an instruction image generation section that generates an instruction image that instructs a given movement of a controller including a physical quantity sensor; and

a detection/determination section that acquires a signal from the physical quantity sensor included in the controller, detects the movement of the controller, and determines the degree of conformity of the detected movement of the controller with the movement instructed by the instruction image.

2. The program as defined in claim 1, wherein:

the physical quantity sensor detects a physical quantity from which a moving direction and a moving amount per unit time can be derived;

the instruction image generation section generates the instruction image that instructs a moving direction and a moving timing of the controller as the movement; and

the detection/determination section acquires the signal from the physical quantity sensor, detects the moving direction and the moving timing of the controller, and determines the degree of conformity of the detected moving direction and moving timing of the controller with the instructions instructed by the instruction image.

3. The program as defined in claim 2, wherein:

the instruction image generation section generates the instruction image that instructs a moving start timing as the moving timing and instructs a moving duration; and

the detection/determination section acquires the signal from the physical quantity sensor, detects the moving direction, the moving start timing, and the moving duration of the controller, and determines the degree of conformity of the detected moving direction, moving start timing, and moving duration of the controller with the instructions instructed by the instruction image.

4. The program as defined in claim 1,

wherein the instruction image includes:

a moving path instruction image part that instructs a moving direction of the controller along a given path; and

a timing instruction image part that instructs a moving timing of the controller along the path,

the instruction image being updated according to a change in content of instruction.

5. The program as defined in claim 4,

wherein the timing instruction image part moves from a movement start instruction position to a movement finish instruction position along the moving path instruction image part to instruct a moving start timing and a moving duration of the controller along the instructed path.

6. The program as defined in claim 4,

wherein at least one of the moving path instruction image part and the timing instruction image part is displayed as a transition image that changes from a previous notice display that is displayed before the moving start timing to a main display when the moving start timing is reached.

7. The program as defined in claim 4, wherein:

the instruction image is displayed as a set of moving path instruction image parts that instruct a continuous moving path by combining a plurality of the moving path instruction image parts; and

the timing instruction image part moves along the continuously combined moving path instruction image parts to instruct the moving timing of the controller along a moving path instructed by each of the moving path instruction image parts.

8. The program as defined in claim 3,

wherein the detection/determination section acquires the signal from the physical quantity sensor, detects a timing and a duration when the moving amount of the controller per unit time exceeds a given value as the moving start timing and the moving duration of the controller;

and

wherein the detection/determination section determines the degree of conformity of the detected moving start timing and moving duration of the controller with a moving start timing and determination moving duration for determination related to the instructed moving start timing and instructed moving duration instructed by the instruction image when the detection/determination section has determined that the detected moving direction of the controller coincides with the instructed moving direction instructed by the instruction image.

9. The program as defined in claim 1,

wherein the detection/determination section performs a first process that compares the signal output from the physical quantity sensor when moving the controller with a first type determination database and determines the position of the controller that is moved, the first type determination database being related to the signal output from the physical quantity sensor when moving the controller in different positions in the moving direction instructed by the instruction image, and the first type determination database being used to determine the position of the controller;

and

wherein the detection/determination section performs a second process that compares the signal output from the physical quantity sensor when moving the controller in the position determined by the first process in the moving direction instructed by the instruction image with a second type determination database to specify the movement of the controller including at least the moving direction, and determines the degree of conformity of the specified movement with the instructed movement, the second type determination database being related to the position of the controller determined based on the first type determination database, and being used to determine the movement the controller including at least the moving direction from the signal output from the physical quantity sensor when moving the controller in the moving direction instructed by the instruction image.

10. The program as defined in claim 1,

wherein the instruction image generation section generates the instruction image that individually instructs a given movement for at least two controllers each having the physical quantity sensor.

11. The program as defined in claim 1, the program further causing the computer to function as:

a game calculation section that instructs a player to perform a dance action accompanying the movement of the controller, generates a game screen including a character that performs a dance related to the instructed dance action based on an input from the controller, and generates a dance background music signal,

wherein the instruction image generation section generates the instruction image that instructs a given movement of the controller in the game screen.

12. The program as defined in claim 11,

the game calculation section including a subsection that performs game production related to a result of determination for the degree of conformity by the detection/determination section.

13. The program as defined in claim 11,

the game calculation section including a subsection that specifies a cause of an incorrect operation of the controller and notifies the player of the cause of the incorrect operation based on a result of determination for the degree of conformity by the detection/determination section.

14. The program as defined in claim 11,

the game calculation section including a subsection that traces the moving path of the controller detected by the detection/determination section in the game screen based on a given condition.

15. The program as defined in claim 11, the program further causing the computer to function as:

a pointing position detection section that acquires an imaging signal from a imaging section provided in the controller and detects a pointing position of the controller on the game screen, the imaging section imaging a reference position recognition body disposed or displayed at a position related to the game screen,

wherein the game calculation section includes a subsection that displays a position instruction image that instructs to point at a predetermined position of the game screen at a given timing during the game; and

wherein the game calculation section generates an event related to a pointing at the predetermined position when the pointing at the predetermined position has been detected at the timing.

16. The program as defined in claim 15,

wherein the instruction image generation section generates the instruction image that instructs a given movement of the controller related to the predetermined pointed position of the game screen as the event related to the pointing at the predetermined position.

17. A computer-readable information storage medium storing the program as defined in claim 1.

18. A game system comprising:

an instruction image generation section that generates an instruction image that instructs a given movement of a controller including a physical quantity sensor; and

a detection/determination section that acquires a signal from the physical quantity sensor included in the controller, detects the movement of the controller, and determines the degree of conformity of the detected movement of the controller with the movement instructed by the instruction image.