COMPUTER READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM HAVING GAME PROGRAM STORED THEREON AND GAME APPARATUS

• US 20100248836A1
• Filed: 08/12/2009
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Sato, Katsuhisa, Shimamura, Takayuki, Suzuki, Ichiro
• Granted Patent: US 9,427,657 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/36
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/22 Setup operations, e.g. calibration, key configuration or button assignment
• 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 13/44 involving timing of operations, e.g. performing an action within a time slot
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/812 Ball games, e.g. soccer or baseball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1006 having additional degrees of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/105 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes

Abstract

Based on posture/motion information obtained from predetermined detection means for detecting a posture or a motion of an input device operated by a user, a virtual plane is calculated at a predetermined timing and set as reference plane. Then, based on motion information, the posture of the input device is calculated as necessary. In accordance with the posture of the input device with respect to the reference plane, predetermined game processing such as moving an object in a virtual space or the like is executed.

Claims

1. A computer readable storage medium having stored thereon a game program to be executed by a computer of a game apparatus, the game program being for moving an object in a virtual space based on posture/motion information obtained from predetermined detection means for detecting a posture or a motion of an input device operated by a user, the game program causing the computer to function as:

posture/motion information obtaining means for obtaining posture/motion information detected by the detection means;

posture calculation means for calculating the posture of the input device based on the posture/motion information;

reference plane setting means for virtually setting a predetermined plane as a reference plane in an actual space at a predetermined timing based on the posture/motion information; and

processing means for executing predetermined processing in accordance with the posture of the input device with respect to the reference plane.

2. A computer readable storage medium having the game program stored thereon according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined detection means is a predetermined motion sensor included in the input device.

3. A computer readable storage medium having the game program stored thereon according to claim 1, wherein the reference plane setting means sets the reference plane based on the posture of the input device calculated by the posture calculation means.

4. A computer readable storage medium having the game program stored thereon according to claim 3, wherein the reference plane setting means sets the reference plane based on the posture of the input device obtained when the user operates the input device.

5. A computer readable storage medium having the game program stored thereon according to claim 3, wherein the game program causes the computer to further function as:

angle calculation means for calculating an angle made by the posture of the input device and the reference plane; and

determination means for determining whether or not the angle made by the posture of the input device and the reference plane fulfills a predetermined condition;

wherein when the determination means determines that the predetermined condition is fulfilled, the processing means executes predetermined processing.

6. A computer readable storage medium having the game program stored thereon according to claim 5, wherein the determination means determines whether or not the posture of the input device and the reference plane have become horizontal based on the angle calculated by the angle calculation means.

7. A computer readable storage medium having the game program stored thereon according to claim 5, wherein the game program repeatedly executes processing by the posture/motion information obtaining means, the posture calculation means, the angle calculation means, and the determination means until the determination means determines that the angle made by the posture of the input device and the reference plane fulfills the predetermined condition.

8. A computer readable storage medium having the game program stored thereon according to claim 7, wherein the determination means determines whether or not a sign of the angle made by the posture of the input device and the reference plane has been inverted based on the angle calculated by the angle calculation means.

9. A computer readable storage medium having the game program stored thereon according to claim 8, wherein:

regarding the input device, three axes perpendicular to one another are defined; and

the reference plane setting means sets the reference plane based on postures of the input device calculated by the posture calculation means along directions of predetermined two axes among the defined three axes.

10. A computer readable storage medium having the game program stored thereon according to claim 9, wherein the reference plane setting means:

includes candidate plane calculation means for calculating two planes usable for setting the reference plane, based on the postures along the directions of the predetermined two axes respectively; and

sets the reference plane based on the two planes calculated by the candidate plane calculation means.

11. A computer readable storage medium having the game program stored thereon according to claim 10, wherein the candidate plane calculation means calculates a plane including one predetermined axis among the defined three axes and a gravity direction as one of the two planes.

12. A computer readable storage medium having the game program stored thereon according to claim 11, wherein the candidate plane calculation means calculates, as one of the two planes, a plane including an axis defined as a longitudinal direction axis of the input device among the defined three axes and the gravity direction.

13. A computer readable storage medium having the game program stored there on according to claim 10, wherein the candidate plane calculation means calculates, as one of the two planes, a plane including an axis defined as an up-down direction axis of the input device among the defined three axes and the gravity direction.

14. A computer readable storage medium having the game program stored thereon according to claim 10, wherein the candidate plane calculation means calculates, as one of the two planes, a plane including the gravity direction and a virtual axis calculated by applying a rotation, which directs an axis defined as a longitudinal direction axis of the input device among the defined three axes to the gravity direction, to an axis defined as an up-down direction axis of the input device among the defined three axes.

15. A computer readable storage medium having the game program stored thereon according to claim 10, wherein the reference plane setting means applies weights to the two planes calculated by the candidate plane calculation means based on respective predetermined conditions, calculates a plane which corresponds to a weighted average of these two planes, and sets the obtained plane as the reference plane.

16. A computer readable storage medium having the game program stored thereon according to claim 15, wherein the reference plane setting means applies a heavier weight to a plane, among the two planes calculated by the candidate plane calculation means, which is located closer to the reference plane immediately previously set.

17. A computer readable storage medium having the game program stored thereon according to claim 15, wherein the reference plane setting means applies a heavier weight to a plane, among the two planes calculated by the candidate plane calculation means, which is calculated based on an axis located farther. From the gravity direction.

18. A computer readable storage medium having the game program stored thereon according to claim 9, wherein the reference plane setting means selects, as an axis for calculation, an axis located farther from the gravity direction among the predetermined two axes defined regarding the input device, and sets the reference plane based on the posture of the input device along the axis for calculation.

19. A computer readable storage medium having the game program stored thereon according to claim 18, wherein the reference plane setting means sets an axial plane for calculation based on the axis for calculation, and sets the reference plane based on the axial plane for calculation.

20. A computer readable storage medium having the game program stored thereon according to claim 19, wherein the reference plane setting means sets the reference plane based on a previous reference plane, which is a reference plane immediately previously set, and the axial plane for calculation.

21. A computer readable storage medium having the game program stored thereon according to claim 20, wherein the reference plane setting means applies weights to the previous reference plane and the axial plane for calculation based on respective predetermined conditions, calculates a plane which corresponds to a weighted average of these two planes, and sets the obtained plane as the reference plane.

22. A computer readable storage medium having the game program stored thereon according to claim 21, wherein the reference plane setting means applies a heavier weight to the previous reference plane.

23. A computer readable storage medium having the game program stored thereon according to claim 21, wherein the reference plane setting means applies a heavier weight on the axial plane for calculation as the axis for calculation is located farther from the gravity direction.

24. A computer readable storage medium having the game program stored thereon according to claim 10, wherein the reference plane setting means sets the reference plane based on a plane, among the two planes calculated by the candidate plane calculation means, which is closer to a previous reference plane, which is a reference plane immediately previously set.

25. A computer readable storage medium having the game program stored thereon according to claim 24, wherein the reference plane setting means applies weights to the plane closer to the previous reference plane and to the previous reference plane based on respective predetermined conditions, calculates a plane which corresponds to a weighted average of these two planes, and sets the obtained plane as the reference plane.

26. A computer readable storage medium having the game program stored thereon according to claim 25, wherein the reference plane setting means applies a heavier weight to the previous reference plane.

27. A computer readable storage medium having stored thereon a game program to be executed by a computer of a game apparatus, the game program being for moving an object in a virtual space based on posture/motion information obtained from predetermined detection means for detecting a posture or a motion of an input device operated by a user, the game program causing the computer to function as:

posture/motion information obtaining means for obtaining posture/motion information detected by the detection means;

posture calculation means for calculating the posture of the input device based on the posture/motion information;

posture correction value calculation means for calculating a posture correction value of the input device based on the posture/motion information at a predetermined timing; and

processing means for executing predetermined processing in accordance with a posture obtained by correcting the posture of the input device with respect to a predetermined reference plane, which is virtually set 1n an actual space, with the correction value.

28. A game apparatus for moving an object in a virtual space based on posture/motion information obtained from predetermined detection means for detecting a posture or a motion of an input device operated by a user, the game apparatus comprising:

posture/motion information obtaining means for obtaining posture/motion information detected by the detection means;

posture calculation means for calculating the posture of the input device based on the posture/motion information;

reference plane setting means for virtually setting a predetermined plane as a reference plane in an actual space at a predetermined timing based on the posture/motion information; and

processing means for executing predetermined processing in accordance with the posture of the input device with respect to the reference plane.

29. A game apparatus for moving an object in a virtual space based on posture/motion information obtained from predetermined detection means for detecting a posture or a motion of an input device operated by a user, the game apparatus comprising:

posture/motion information obtaining means for obtaining posture/motion information detected by the detection means;

posture calculation means for calculating the posture of the input device based on the posture/motion information;

posture correction value calculation means for calculating a posture correction value of the input device based on the posture/motion information at a predetermined timing; and

processing means for executing predetermined processing in accordance with a posture obtained by correcting the posture of the input device with respect to a predetermined reference plane, which is virtually set in an actual space, with the correction value.