GAME APPARATUS AND STORAGE MEDIUM HAVING STORED THEREON GAME PROGRAM

• US 20100323783A1
• Filed: 09/09/2009
• Published: 12/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: NONAKA, Toyokazu, Matsumiya, Nobuo, Hatakeyama, Yuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,292,727 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/23
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/422 automatically for the purpose of assisting the player, e.g. automatic braking in a driving game
• 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 13/67 adaptively or by learning from player actions, e.g. skill level adjustment or by storing successful combat sequences for re-use
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/80 Special adaptations for executing a specific game genre or game mode
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/105 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes

Abstract

Whether or not an angular velocity detected by an angular velocity sensor is used for a game process is determined, and a difficulty level of a game to be subjected to a game process is set so as to vary depending on whether the angular velocity is determined to be used or the angular velocity is determined not to be used. When the angular velocity is determined not to be used, a process of specifying a motion direction of an input device is performed by using acceleration detected by an acceleration sensor, whereas when the angular velocity is determined to be used, at least a part of the process of specifying the motion of the input device is performed by using the angular velocity detected by the angular velocity sensor. Accordingly, based on the specified motion direction, the game process is performed while the set difficulty level is applied.

Claims

1. A game apparatus for performing a game process in accordance with a motion applied to an input device provided with at least one of an acceleration sensor and an angular velocity sensor, the game apparatus comprising:

determination means for determining whether or not an angular velocity detected by the angular velocity sensor is to be used for the game process;

difficulty level setting means for setting a difficulty level of a game to be subjected to the game process so as to vary depending on whether the determination means determines to use the angular velocity or the determination means determines not to use the angular velocity;

motion direction specifying means for performing a process of specifying a motion direction of the input device by using acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor when the determination means has determined not to use the angular velocity, and for performing at least a part of the process of specifying the motion direction of the input device by using the angular velocity detected by the angular velocity sensor when the determination means has determined to use the angular velocity; and

game processing means for performing the game process in accordance with the motion direction specified by the motion direction specifying means while the difficulty level set by the difficulty level setting means is applied.

2. The game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the game processing means sets a moving direction of a player object in a virtual game world in accordance with the motion direction specified by the motion direction specifying means, and corrects the moving direction in accordance with the difficulty level, and causes the player object to move in the virtual game world, and

the difficulty level setting means sets a level of correction of the moving direction as the difficulty level.

3. The game apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the difficulty level setting means sets the level of correction relatively higher when the determination means has determined not to use the angular velocity than when the determination means has determined to use the angular velocity.

4. The game apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the difficulty level setting means sets the level of correction to 0 so as not to correct the moving direction when the determination means has determined to use the angular velocity.

5. The game apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the game processing means sets the moving direction to a direction, in the virtual game world, corresponding to the motion direction specified by the motion direction specifying means, and corrects the moving direction when the moving direction points to and falls within a predetermined range, and

the difficulty level setting means sets the level of correction by changing the predetermined range.

6. The game apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the game processing means sets the moving direction to a direction, in the virtual game world, corresponding to the motion direction specified by the motion direction specifying means, and corrects the moving direction such that the moving direction points to and falls within a predetermined range, and

the difficulty level setting means sets the level of correction by changing the predetermined range.

7. The game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the angular velocity sensor is detachably connected to the input device,

the game apparatus further comprises connection detection means for detecting whether or not the angular velocity sensor is connected to the input device, and

the determination means determines to use the angular velocity detected by the angular velocity sensor for the game process when the connection detecting means detects that the angular velocity sensor is connected to the input device.

8. The game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the motion direction specifying means calculates an attitude of the input device by using at least the angular velocity detected by the angular velocity sensor when the determination means has determined to use the angular velocity, and calculates a direction of acceleration exerted on the input device by using the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor, and specifies the motion direction of the input device in an actual space by using the attitude and the direction of the acceleration exerted.

9. The game apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

the motion direction specifying means includes attitude correction means for correcting the attitude of the input device, the attitude being calculated by using the angular velocity detected by the angular velocity sensor, by using the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor, and

the motion direction specifying means specifies the motion direction of the input device by using the attitude of the input device, the attitude having been corrected by the attitude correction means, and by using the direction of the acceleration exerted.

10. The game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the determination means has determined not to use the angular velocity, the motion direction specifying means calculates an attitude of the input device and a direction of acceleration exerted on the input device by using the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor, and specifies the motion direction of the input device in an actual space by using the attitude and the direction of the acceleration.

11. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a game program executed on a computer of a game apparatus performing a game process in accordance with a motion applied to an input device provided with at least one of an acceleration sensor and an angular velocity sensor, the computer being caused to function as:

determination means for determining whether or not an angular velocity detected by the angular velocity sensor is to be used for the game process;

difficulty level setting means for setting a difficulty level of a game to be subjected to the game process so as to vary depending on whether the determination means determines to use the angular velocity or the determination means determines not to use the angular velocity;

motion direction specifying means for performing a process of specifying a motion direction of the input device by using acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor when the determination means has determined not to use the angular velocity, and for performing at least a part of the process of specifying the motion direction of the input device by using the angular velocity detected by the angular velocity sensor when the determination means has determined to use the angular velocity; and

game processing means for performing the game process in accordance with the motion direction specified by the motion direction specifying means while the difficulty level set by the difficulty level setting means is applied.

12. The computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon the game program according to claim 11, wherein

the game processing means sets a moving direction of a player object in a virtual game world in accordance with the motion direction specified by the motion direction specifying means, and corrects the moving direction in accordance with the difficulty level, and causes the player object to move in the virtual game world, and

the difficulty level setting means sets a level of correction of the moving direction as the difficulty level.

13. The computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon the game program according to claim 12, wherein the difficulty level setting means sets the level of correction relatively higher when the determination means has determined not to use the angular velocity than when the determination means has determined to use the angular velocity.

14. The computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon the game program according to claim 13, wherein the difficulty level setting means sets the level of correction to 0 so as not to correct the moving direction when the determination means has determined to use the angular velocity.

15. The computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon the game program according to claim 12, wherein

the game processing means sets the moving direction to a direction, in the virtual game world, corresponding to the motion direction specified by the motion direction specifying means, and corrects the moving direction when the moving direction points to and falls within a predetermined range, and

the difficulty level setting means sets the level of correction by changing the predetermined range.

16. The computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon the game program according to claim 12, wherein

the game processing means sets the moving direction to a direction, tin the virtual game world, corresponding to the motion direction specified by the motion direction specifying means, and corrects the moving direction such that the moving direction points to and falls within a predetermined range, and

the difficulty level setting means sets the level of correction by changing the predetermined range.

17. The computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon the game program according to claim 11, wherein

the angular velocity sensor is detachably connected to the input device,

the game program further causes the computer to function as connection detection means for detecting whether or not the angular velocity sensor is connected to the input device, and

the determination means determines to use the angular velocity detected by the angular velocity sensor for the game process when the connection detecting means detects that the angular velocity sensor is connected to the input device.

18. The computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon the game program according to claim 11, wherein the motion direction specifying means calculates an attitude of the input device by using at least the angular velocity detected by the angular velocity sensor when the determination means has determined to use the angular velocity, and calculates a direction of acceleration exerted on the input device by using the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor, and specifies the motion direction of the input device in an actual space by using the attitude and the direction of the acceleration exerted.

19. The computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon the game program according to claim 18, wherein the motion direction specifying means includes attitude correction means for correcting the attitude of the input device, the attitude being calculated by using the angular velocity detected by the angular velocity sensor, by using the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor, and

the motion direction specifying means specifies the motion direction of the input device by using the attitude of the input device, the attitude having been corrected by the attitude correction means, and by using the direction of the acceleration exerted.

20. The computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon the game program according to claim 11, wherein, when the determination means has determined not to use the angular velocity, the motion direction specifying means calculates an attitude of the input device and a direction of acceleration exerted on the input device by using the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor, and specifies the motion direction of the input device in an actual space by using the attitude and the direction of the acceleration.