Game system and game information storage medium used for same

• US 20090325698A1
• Filed: 09/02/2009
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Suzuki, Toshiaki, Tahara, Akira, Masuyama, Iwao
• Granted Patent: US 9,138,645 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/31
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/216 using geographical information, e.g. location of the game device or player using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/327 using wireless networks, e.g. Wi-Fi® or piconet
• 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 13/65 automatically by game devices or servers from real world data, e.g. measurement in live racing competition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1006 having additional degrees of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/105 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/205 for detecting the geographical location of the game platform
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/405 being a wireless ad hoc network, e.g. Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Pico net
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5573 player location
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/69 Involving elements of the real world in the game world, e.g. measurement in live races, real video

Abstract

A game system includes a housing to be held by a player. The housing incorporates an XY-axis acceleration sensor to detect an acceleration in a X-axis direction and a Y-axis direction and a Z-axis contact switch to detect an acceleration in a Z-axis direction. The sensor and switch detect at least one of an amount (e.g. tilt amount, movement amount, impact amount or the like) and a direction (e.g. tilt direction, movement direction, impact direction or the like) of a change applied to the housing. A simulation program provides simulation such that a state of a game space is changed related to at least one of the amount and direction of the change applied to the housing.

Claims

1. A game system which includes a game apparatus including a game program storage and a processor executing the game program, and a display provided in relation to the game apparatus to display an image based on a processed result by the processor, comprising:

a housing to be gripped by a hand of a player; and

a state detector provided in relation to said housing to detect at least a tilt applied to said housing in a first or second direction and a movement applied to said housing in a third direction, wherein

said game program storage stores character data for displaying a character in a game space and a program, and

said program functions said processor as

a display controller displaying the character on said display based on said character data;

a movement controller controlling said character to move on a predetermined virtual plane in said game space when the tilt in said first or second direction is detected by said state detector; and

an action controller controlling said character to move in a direction away from said virtual plane when the movement in said third direction is detected by said state detector, and

wherein said movement controller suspends the movement according to the detection of the tilt in said first or second direction by said state detector when said character is being a way from said virtual plane.

2. A game system according to claim 1, wherein said character data is for displaying a plurality of characters in said game space,

said display controller displays said plurality of characters on said display based on said character data,

said movement controller controls said plurality of characters to simultaneously move in the same direction in said game space in response to the detection of the tilt in said first or second direction by said state detector, and

said action controller controls said plurality of characters to simultaneously move in the direction away from said virtual plane in response to the detection of the movement in said third direction by said state detector.

3. A game system according to claim 1, wherein said game program further function said processor as:

a storage controller storing moving speed data of said character on said virtual plane; and

an acceleration controller determining, in relation to a detection amount in said first or second direction detected by said state detector, a change amount of said moving speed data and renewing said moving speed data, and

said movement controller controls said character to move based on said moving speed data.

4. A game system according to claim 1, wherein said housing is a housing of a game apparatus, said game apparatus being a portable game apparatus provided with said display on said housing.

5. A game system according to claim 4, wherein said game program storage is provided in a cartridge which is detachably attached to said housing of said portable game apparatus, and said state detector is provided in said housing of said portable game apparatus.

6. A game system according to claim 1, wherein said housing is a housing of a controller which is connected to said game apparatus.

7. A game program storage medium which stores a game program readable by a processor provided in a game system including a display, a housing to be gripped by a hand of a player and a state detector provided in relation to said housing to detect at least a tilt applied to said housing in a first or second direction and a movement applied to said housing in a third direction, said processor executing the game program and displaying in a game space an image obtained by executing the game program on said display based on character data,

said game program functions said processor as:

a display controller displaying the character on said display based on said character data;

a movement controller controlling said character to move on a predetermined virtual plane in said game space when the tilt in said first or second direction is detected by said state detector; and

an action controller controlling said character to move in a direction away from said virtual plane when the movement in said third direction is detected by said state detector, and

wherein said movement controller suspends the movement according to the detection of the tilt in said first or second direction by said state detector when said character is being a way from said virtual plane.

8. A game system, comprising:

a housing to be gripped by a hand of a player;

a state detector provided in relation to said housing to detect at least a tilt applied to said housing in a first or second direction and a movement applied to said housing in a third direction;

display controlling programmed logic circuitry displaying a character in a game space on a display based on character data;

movement controlling programmed logic circuitry controlling said character to move on a predetermined virtual plane in said game space when the tilt in said first or second direction is detected by said state detector; and

action controlling programmed logic circuitry controlling said character to move in a direction away from said virtual plane when the movement in said third direction is detected by said state detector, wherein

said movement controlling programmed logic circuitry suspends the movement according to the detection of the tilt in said first or second direction by said state detector when said character is being a way from said virtual plane.