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

• US 20100060575A1
• Filed: 01/13/2009
• Published: 03/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Ohta, Keizo
• Granted Patent: US 8,223,120 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/158
• 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 13/24 Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/525 Changing parameters of virtual cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1043 being characterized by constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1087 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. a camera
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6661 for changing the position of the virtual camera
• 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: G06T 15/20 Perspective computation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/02 Affine transformations for image registration G06T3/147; for image mosaicing G06T3/4038

Abstract

Displayed region size data indicating a size of a screen of a display device, or a size of a region in which an image of a virtual space is displayed on the screen, is obtained. Distance data indicating a distance between a user and the display device is obtained. A position and an angle of view of the virtual camera in the virtual space are set based on the displayed region size data and the distance data.

Claims

1. A computer readable recording medium recording an image processing program executable by a computer of an image processing apparatus for outputting an image of a virtual space captured by a virtual camera to a display device, the program causing the computer to function as:

a displayed region size obtaining means for obtaining displayed region size data indicating a size of a screen of the display device, or a size of a region in which the image of the virtual space is displayed on the screen;

a distance obtaining means for obtaining distance data indicating a distance between a user and the display device; and

a virtual camera setting means for setting a position and an angle of view of the virtual camera in the virtual space based on the displayed region size data and the distance data.

2. The computer readable recording medium according to claim 1, wherein

the displayed region size data includes data indicating a width in a predetermined first direction and a width in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, of the screen of the display device or the region in which the image of the virtual space is displayed on the screen, and

the virtual camera setting means sets a horizontal angle of view and a vertical angle of view of the virtual camera, based on the first-direction width and the second-direction width included in the displayed region size data.

3. The computer readable recording medium according to claim 1, wherein

the displayed region size data includes data indicating a width in a predetermined first direction and a width in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, of the screen of the display device or the region in which the image of the virtual space is displayed on the screen, and

the virtual camera setting means sets a horizontal angle of view and a vertical angle of view of the virtual camera, based on the first-direction width or the second-direction width included in the displayed region size data.

4. The computer readable recording medium according to claim 2, wherein

the virtual camera setting means sets the horizontal angle of view and/or the vertical angle of view of the virtual camera to be larger as the first-direction width and/or the second-direction width increase.

5. The computer readable recording medium according to claim 3, wherein

the virtual camera setting means sets the horizontal angle of view and/or the vertical angle of view of the virtual camera to be larger as the first-direction width and/or the second-direction width increase.

6. The computer readable recording medium according to claim 2, wherein

the virtual camera setting means sets the horizontal angle of view and/or the vertical angle of view to be smaller as the distance indicated by the distance data increases.

7. The computer readable recording medium according to claim 3, wherein

the virtual camera setting means sets the horizontal angle of view and/or the vertical angle of view to be smaller as the distance indicated by the distance data increases.

8. The computer readable recording medium according to claim 1, wherein

the virtual camera setting means sets the angle of view of the virtual camera to be larger as the screen of the display device or the region in which the image of the virtual space is displayed on the screen increases.

9. The computer readable recording medium according to claim 1, wherein

the virtual camera setting means sets the angle of view to be smaller as the distance indicated by the distance data increases.

10. The computer readable recording medium according to claim 1, wherein

the distance obtaining means includes:

a captured image data obtaining means for obtaining captured image data output from an input device including an image capturing means for capturing an image of at least one imaging subject which is placed in a vicinity of the display device; and

a distance calculating means for calculating a distance between the input device and the imaging subject as a distance between the user and the display device, based on the imaging subject shown in the captured image indicated by the captured image data

11. The computer readable recording medium according to claim 10, wherein

the distance calculating means calculates the distance between the input device and the imaging subject based on a size of the imaging subject shown in the captured image.

12. The computer readable recording medium according to claim 11, wherein

the distance between the Input device and the imaging subject that is calculated by the distance calculating means has a smaller value as the size of the imaging subject shown in the captured image increases.

13. The computer readable recording medium according to claim 10, wherein

the distance calculating means calculates the distance between the input device and the imaging subject based on a distance between a plurality of imaging subjects shown in the captured image.

14. The computer readable recording medium according to claim 13, wherein

the distance between the input device and the imaging subject that is calculated by the distance calculating means has a smaller value as a distance between a plurality of imaging subjects increases.

15. The computer readable recording medium according to claim 1, wherein

the virtual camera setting means, when an object exists in a space to be displayed on the screen of the display device or the region in which the image of the virtual space is displayed on the screen, in the virtual space, determines the position and the angle of view of the virtual camera with reference to a position of the object.

16. The computer readable recording medium according to claim 1, wherein

the virtual camera setting means, when a plurality of objects exist in a space to be displayed on the screen of the display device or the region in which the image of the virtual space is displayed on the screen, in the virtual space, determines the position and the angle of view of the virtual camera with reference to a position of an object closest to the virtual camera.

17. An image processing apparatus for outputting an image of a virtual space captured by a virtual camera to a display device, comprising:

a displayed region size obtaining means for obtaining displayed region size data indicating a size of a screen of the display device, or a size of a region in which the image of the virtual space is displayed on the screen;

a distance obtaining means for obtaining distance data indicating a distance between a user and the display device; and

a virtual camera setting means for setting a position and an angle of view of the virtual camera in the virtual space based on the displayed region size data and the distance data.