COMPUTER READABLE RECORDING MEDIUM RECORDING INFORMATION PROCESSING PROGRAM AND INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS

• US 20100010772A1
• Filed: 09/15/2008
• Published: 01/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Sato, Kenta, Ohta, Keizo
• Granted Patent: US 8,000,924 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/150
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/24 Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles
• 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 13/833 Hand-to-hand fighting, e.g. martial arts competition A63F13/837 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1043 being characterized by constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/105 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8029 Fighting without shooting
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device

Abstract

A first attitude calculation means S2 calculates a first attitude indicating an attitude of an input device itself based on a motion detection signal output from an input device equipped with a motion detection sensor. A motion calculation means S21 calculates a motion of the first attitude. An approaching operation determination means S22 to S24 determines whether or not the motion of the first attitude calculated by the motion calculation means is a motion of approaching a predetermined attitude. An input attitude setting means S27, S28, S4 sets an attitude obtained by correcting the first attitude as an input attitude if the motion of the first attitude is the motion of approaching the predetermined attitude, and sets the first attitude as an input attitude if the motion of the first attitude is not the motion of approaching the predetermined attitude. A process execution means S5 performs a predetermined information process based on the input attitude.

Claims

1. A computer readable recording medium recording an information processing program that is executed by a computer of an information processing apparatus for performing a predetermined information process based on a motion detection signal output from an input device including a motion detection sensor for detecting its own motion, wherein

the program causes the computer to function as:

a first attitude calculation means for repeatedly calculating a first attitude indicating an attitude of the input device based on the motion detection signal;

a motion calculation means for calculating a motion of the first attitude based on the first attitude repeatedly calculated by the first attitude calculation means;

an approaching operation determination means to for determining whether or not the first attitude is performing a motion of approaching the predetermined attitude, based on the motion of the first attitude calculated by the motion calculation means;

an input attitude setting means for setting, as an input attitude, an attitude obtained by correcting the first attitude so that the first attitude coincides with or approaches the predetermined attitude direction if the first attitude is performing the motion of approaching the predetermined attitude, or setting the first attitude as an input attitude if the first attitude is not performing the motion of approaching the predetermined attitude; and

a process execution means for performing a predetermined information process based on the input attitude.

2. The computer readable recording medium recording the information processing program according to claim 1, wherein

the motion calculation means includes a movement vector calculation means for calculating a movement vector of the first attitude based on a change in the first attitude repeatedly calculated by the first attitude calculation means, and

the approaching operation determination means determines whether or not the motion of the first attitude is the motion of approaching the predetermined attitude, based on the movement vector.

3. The computer readable recording medium recording the information processing program according to claim 2, wherein

the information processing program further causes the computer to function as a second attitude calculation means for calculating a second attitude that is a predetermined attitude related to the first attitude, and

the second attitude is used as the predetermined attitude.

4. The computer readable recording medium recording the information processing program according to claim 3, wherein

the second attitude calculation means calculates, as the second attitude, a following attitude that is an attitude that gradually approaches the first attitude.

5. The computer readable recording medium recording the information processing program according to claim 4, wherein

the motion calculation means includes:

a following vector calculation means for calculating a following vector that is a vector along which the following attitude is moved toward the first attitude, and

the approaching operation determination means determines whether or not the first attitude is performing the motion of approaching the second attitude, based on an angle between the movement vector and the following vector.

6. The computer readable recording medium recording the information processing program according to claim 5, wherein

the approaching operation determination means includes:

an inner product calculation means for calculating an inner product of the movement vector and the following vector, and

the approaching operation determination means determines whether or not the first attitude is performing the motion of approaching the second attitude, based on the inner product calculated by the inner product calculation means.

7. The computer readable recording medium recording the information processing program according to claim 1, wherein

the input attitude setting means includes:

a third attitude calculation means for calculating a third attitude indicating the first attitude in a coordinate system where the predetermined attitude is a reference, and

if the first attitude is performing the motion of approaching the predetermined attitude, the input attitude setting means moves the predetermined attitude nearer to the first attitude before calculating and setting the third attitude as the input attitude, and if the first attitude is not performing the motion of approaching the predetermined attitude, the input attitude setting means calculates and sets the third attitude as the input attitude without moving the predetermined attitude.

8. The computer readable recording medium recording the information processing program according to claim 7, wherein

the input attitude setting means includes:

a fourth attitude calculation means for calculating a fourth attitude indicating the third attitude in a coordinate system where a basic attitude that is a predetermined attitude is a reference, and

the input attitude setting means sets the fourth attitude as the input attitude.

9. The computer readable recording medium recording the information processing program according to claim 1, wherein

the information processing program further causes the computer to function as a second attitude calculation means for calculating a second attitude that is a predetermined attitude related to the first attitude, and

the second attitude is used as the predetermined attitude.

10. The computer readable recording medium recording the information processing program according to claim 3, wherein

the second attitude calculation means calculates, as the second attitude, a following attitude that is an attitude that gradually approaches the first attitude.

11. A computer readable recording medium recording an information processing program that is executed by a computer of an information processing apparatus for performing a predetermined information process based on a motion detection signal output from an input device including a motion detection sensor for detecting its own motion, wherein

the program causes the computer to function as:

an input attitude calculation means for repeatedly calculating an input attitude indicating an attitude of the input device based on the motion detection signal;

a rotation direction calculation means for calculating a rotation direction of the input attitude about a predetermined axis based on the input attitude repeatedly calculated by the input attitude calculation means;

an input attitude correction means for correcting the input attitude so that the rotation direction of the input attitude coincides with or approaches a predetermined reference rotation direction; and

a process execution means for performing a predetermined information process based on the input attitude corrected by the input attitude correction means.

12. The computer readable recording medium recording the information processing program according to claim 11, wherein

the rotation direction calculation means includes:

a rotation axis calculation means for calculating a rotation axis about which the input attitude is rotated, from the input attitude repeatedly calculated by the input attitude calculation means, and

the input attitude correction means corrects the input attitude so that the rotation axis calculated by the rotation axis calculation means coincides with or approaches the rotation axis of the predetermined reference rotation direction.

13. The computer readable recording medium recording the information processing program according to claim 12, wherein

the rotation axis calculation means includes:

an input rotation axis calculation means for calculating input rotation axes orthogonal to successive input attitudes in time series repeatedly calculated by the input attitude calculation means; and

an average rotation axis calculation means for calculating an average rotation axis that is an average of the input rotation axes calculated by the input rotation axis calculation means, and

the average rotation axis calculated by the average rotation axis calculation means is a rotation axis for rotation of the input attitude.

14. The computer readable recording medium recording the information processing program according to claim 12, wherein

the information processing program further causes the computer to function as a forward vector calculation means for calculating a forward vector indicating a forward direction of the input device, where the forward vector is indicated as an outer product of a vector indicating the rotation axis calculated by the rotation axis calculation means and a right-above vector that is a vector indicating a right-above direction, and

the input attitude correction means corrects the input attitude so that the forward vector calculated by the forward vector calculation means coincides with or approaches the predetermined reference rotation direction.

15. The computer readable recording medium recording the information processing program according to claim 11, wherein

the information processing program further causes the computer to function as an approximation calculation means for calculating an approximation between a rotation direction of the input attitude and a direction that rotates about an axis perpendicular to a plumb line, and

the input attitude correction means performs correction, depending on the approximation calculated by the approximation calculation means.

16. An information processing apparatus for performing a predetermined information process based on a motion detection signal output from an input device including a motion detection sensor for detecting its own motion, comprising:

a first attitude calculation means for repeatedly calculating a first attitude indicating an attitude of the input device based on the motion detection signal;

a motion calculation means for calculating a motion of the first attitude based on the first attitude repeatedly calculated by the first attitude calculation means;

an approaching operation determination means for determining whether or not the first attitude is performing a motion of approaching the predetermined attitude, based on the motion of the first attitude calculated by the motion calculation means;

an input attitude setting means for setting, as an input attitude, an attitude obtained by correcting the first attitude so that the first attitude coincides with or approaches the predetermined attitude direction if the first attitude is performing the motion of approaching the predetermined attitude, or setting the first attitude as an input attitude if the first attitude is not performing the motion of approaching the predetermined attitude; and

a process execution means for performing a predetermined information process based on the input attitude.

17. An information processing apparatus for performing a predetermined information process based on a motion detection signal output from an input device including a motion detection sensor for detecting its own motion, comprising:

an input attitude calculation means for repeatedly calculating an input attitude indicating an attitude of the input device based on the motion detection signal;

a rotation direction calculation means for calculating a rotation direction of the input attitude about a predetermined axis based on the input attitude repeatedly calculated by the input attitude calculation means;

an input attitude correction means for correcting the input attitude so that the rotation direction of the input attitude coincides with or approaches the predetermined reference rotation direction; and

a process execution means for performing a predetermined information process based on the input attitude corrected by the input attitude correction means.