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

• US 20100248837A1
• Filed: 08/13/2009
• 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, SUZUKI, Ichiro, Shimamura, Takayuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,974,301 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/36
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• 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 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/57 Simulating properties, behaviour or motion of objects in the game world, e.g. computing tyre load in a car race game A63F13/56 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/812 Ball games, e.g. soccer or baseball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/105 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/303 for displaying additional data, e.g. simulating a Head Up Display
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8011 Ball

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, power value data, which is a parameter representing the power to be given to an object is calculated. In addition, a braking power applied to the input device is calculated based on the posture/motion information. Then, the object is moved based on the power value data and the braking value data.

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

power value calculation means for calculating power value data, which is a parameter representing a power to be given to the object, based on the posture/motion information;

braking value calculation means for calculating braking value data representing a braking power applied on the input device, based on the posture/motion information; and

object moving means for moving the object based on the power value data and the braking value data.

2. A computer readable storage medium having the game program stored thereon according to claim 1, wherein the detection means is a 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 game program causes the computer to further function as maximum braking value detection means for detecting a maximum braking value, which is a maximum value among the braking values calculated by the braking value calculation means; and

the object moving means moves the object based on the maximum braking value.

4. A computer readable storage medium having the game program stored thereon according to claim 3, wherein the object moving means moves the object based on the power value until the maximum braking power is detected by the maximum braking power detection means, and moves the object based on the power value and the maximum braking power after the maximum braking power is detected by the maximum braking power detection means.

5. A computer readable storage medium having the game program stored thereon according to claim 1, wherein:

the game program causes the computer to further function as posture calculation means for calculating a posture of the input device based on the posture/motion information; and

the power value calculation means calculates the power value based on the posture of the input device calculated by the posture calculation means.

6. A computer readable storage medium having the game program stored thereon according to claim 5, wherein the braking value calculation means includes:

correction coefficient calculation means for calculating a correction coefficient for correcting the braking value to be smaller as a difference between the posture of the input device obtained when the object moving means starts moving the object and a current posture of the input device is larger; and

braking value correction means for correcting the braking value using the correction coefficient calculated by the correction coefficient calculation means.

7. A computer readable storage medium having the game program stored thereon according to claim 5, wherein the braking value calculation means calculates, as the braking value, a virtual bending angle caused to the input device in accordance with a change of the posture of the input device where the input device is regarded as a predetermined elastic body.

8. A computer readable storage medium having the game program stored thereon according to claim 5, wherein the object moving means moves the object based on the power value data and the braking value data when the posture of the input device fulfills a predetermined condition.

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

the posture calculation means includes;

bend calculation means for calculating a virtual bend caused to the input device in accordance with a change of the posture of the input device where the input device is regarded as a predetermined elastic body; and

posture correction means for correcting the posture of the input device based on the virtual bend calculated by the bend calculation means; and

the object moving means moves the object based on the power value data and the braking value data when the posture of the input device corrected by the posture correction means fulfills a predetermined condition.

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

the game program causes the computer to further function as reference plane setting means for virtually setting a predetermined plane in an actual space as a reference plane at a predetermined timing based on the posture/motion information; and

the object moving means moves the object based on the power value data and the braking value data when the posture of the input device corrected by the posture correction means obtains a predetermined relationship with respect to the reference plane.

11. A computer readable storage medium having the game program stored thereon according to claim 1, wherein:

the motion sensor is an angular velocity sensor; and

the posture/motion information obtaining means obtains angular velocity information detected by the angular velocity sensor as the posture/motion information.

12. A computer readable storage medium having the game program stored thereon according to claim 11, wherein the braking value calculation means calculates a change amount of the angular velocity at a predetermined time interval as the braking power.

13. A computer readable storage medium having the game program stored thereon according to claim 1, wherein:

the motion sensor is an acceleration sensor; and

the posture/motion information obtaining means obtains acceleration information detected by the acceleration sensor as the posture/motion information.

14. A computer readable storage medium having the game program stored thereon according to claim 13, wherein the braking value calculation means calculates an acceleration at a predetermined time as the braking power.

15. A computer readable storage medium having the game program stored thereon according to claim 1, wherein:

the game program is a golf game program which regards the input device as a golf club present in the virtual space and regards the object as a golf ball; and

the object moving means gives the power based on the power value data to the golf ball to move the golf ball, and also gives a backspin change based on the braking value data to the golf ball.

16. A computer readable storage medium having the game program stored thereon according to claim 15, wherein the object moving means:

includes contact determination means for determining whether or not the golf club has contacted the golf ball in the virtual space; and

moves the golf ball based on the power value data and the braking value data when the contact determination means determines that the golf club has contacted the golf bail.

17. A computer readable storage medium having the game program stored thereon according to claim 16, wherein the contact determination means:

includes position correction means for correcting a position of the golf club based on the braking value data; and

determines whether or not the golf club has contacted the golf ball using the position of the golf club corrected by the position correction means.

18. 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 repeatedly obtaining posture/motion Information detected by the detection means;

power value calculation means for calculating power value data, which is a parameter representing a power to be given to the object, based on the posture/motion information;

braking value calculation means for calculating braking value data representing a braking power applied on the input device, based on the posture/motion information; and

object moving means for moving the object based on the power value data and the braking value data.