DRIVING GAME STEERING WHEEL SIMULATION METHOD AND APPARATUS

• US 20100048271A1
• Filed: 10/27/2009
• Published: 02/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Comair, Claude, Champagne, Robert, Yamashiro, Shigeki, Miyamoto, Shigeru
• Granted Patent: US 8,202,163 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/6
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/2145 the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/245 specially adapted to a particular type of game, e.g. steering wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/285 Generating tactile feedback signals via the game input device, e.g. force feedback
• 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 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/803 Driving vehicles or craft, e.g. cars, airplanes, ships, robots or tanks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/98 Accessories, i.e. detachable arrangements optional for the use of the video game device, e.g. grip supports of game controllers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/301 using an additional display connected to the game console, e.g. on the controller
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8017 Driving on land or water; Flying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/20 Design optimisation, verification or simulation optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/04 for teaching control of land vehicles

Abstract

A vehicle simulation such as for example a driving game can be provided by displaying an image of a steering wheel on a touch sensitive screen. Touch inputs are used to control the rotational orientation of displayed steering wheel. The rotational orientation of the displayed steering wheel is used to apply course correction effects to a simulated vehicle. Selective application of driver assist and different scaling of touch inputs may be provided.

Claims

1. A method of simulating vehicle control in a video game, comprising:

displaying a video game including an image of at least a portion of a virtual hand-manipulable vehicle control device on a display;

receiving pointing inputs from a user input device that points at said display;

converting the pointing inputs into rotational motion of the displayed virtual vehicle control device thereby allowing a video game player to virtually manipulate said displayed vehicle control device using said pointing inputs, including rotating the displayed virtual vehicle control device image by an amount and in a direction determined at least in part based on the detected pointing inputs; and

using the rotational motion to control movement of a displayed simulated vehicle moving on a simulated course in said video game.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the pointing inputs are used to define an initial vector and a final vector relative to a predetermined point, and wherein the rotating comprises rotating the displayed virtual vehicle control device by an amount responsive to the angle between the initial vector and final vector.

3. The method of claim 1, further including selectively applying user assist in response to detection of said inputs within a predetermined zone on the display.

4. The method of claim 1, further including simulating vibration of the displayed virtual vehicle control device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the converting includes changing the scaling of the inputs depending at least in part on a type of pointing device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual vehicle control device comprises a steering wheel.

7. A method of providing a simulated vehicle control input comprising:

pointing a display cursor at a first point using a pointing device;

moving the display cursor from the first point to a second point;

calculating an angle between a first vector defined between a predetermined point and the first point, and a second vector defined between the predetermined point and the second point; and

applying a simulated steering correction to a simulated vehicle at least in part in response to the angle formed between the first and second vectors.

8. A vehicle simulation apparatus comprising:

a display screen displaying a display cursor;

a pointing device for moving the display cursor;

a first graphics processing unit that displays an image of a simulated vehicle control device on a first part of the display;

a second graphics processing unit that displays an image of a simulated vehicle on a second part of the display; and

a processor, coupled to the first and second graphics processing units and to pointing device, the processor changing the displayed image of the vehicle control device in a predetermined manner by a predetermined amount responsive to a user moving the display cursor using the pointing device and animating the simulated vehicle control device thereby enabling the user to virtually manipulate and move the simulated vehicle control device using the pointing device, and applying a corresponding course correction to said simulated vehicle displayed on the second part of the display.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor is adapted to receive inputs from the pointing device and provide the display changes at least in part in response thereto.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising means for selectively providing vehicle control assist and blending the assist with the control input to generate the corresponding course correction.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the simulated control device comprises a steering wheel.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said simulated control device comprises a visual target.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor reduces course correction amount over time in response to detecting absence of movement of the pointing device.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor calculates a delta steering value based on scaled left/right movement of the pointing device.

15. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor calculates an angle that the simulated vehicle should be pointed to be aligned with a track.