INFORMATION PROCESSING PROGRAM HAVING COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM THEREIN AND INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS

• US 20110074665A1
• Filed: 12/07/2009
• Published: 03/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: KONISHI, Yoshinori
• Granted Patent: US 8,654,073 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/214 for locating contacts on a surface, e.g. floor mats or touch pads
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/218 using pressure sensors, e.g. generating a signal proportional to the pressure applied by the player
• 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

Abstract

A game apparatus calculates a first evaluation value based on the difference between the time when the load value detected by a load controller becomes the maximum and the time when the velocity of the center of gravity, which represents the velocity of movement of the position of the center of gravity, becomes the maximum. The game apparatus calculates a second evaluation value based on the velocity of load, which represents the degree of increase in the load in a predetermined time period, and the velocity of the center of gravity. The game apparatus calculates a third evaluation value based on the path of the position of the center of gravity. The game apparatus calculates the amount of slice based on the first through third evaluation values.

Claims

1. A computer-readable storage medium having stored therein an information processing program to be executed by a computer of an information processing apparatus for processing a signal from a first input device including a load sensor to which load is applied by a user,

the information processing program causing the computer to function as:

load information acquisition means for, based on the signal from the first input device, acquiring load information about a change over time in the load applied to the first input device;

position-of-center-of-gravity detection means for detecting a position of center of gravity of the user based on the signal from the first input device;

velocity-of-center-of-gravity calculation means for calculating a velocity of center of gravity, the velocity of center of gravity representing a velocity of movement of the position of center of gravity; and

motion determination means for determining a given motion of the user based on a relationship between the load information and velocity-of-center-of-gravity information about the velocity of center of gravity.

2. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the information processing program according to claim 1, wherein:

the information processing program further causes the computer to function as storage means for storing therein load value data based on the signal from the first input device, the load value data representing the load applied to the first input device in a predetermined time period; and

the load information acquisition means acquires the load information based on the load value data stored in the storage means.

3. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the information processing program according to claim 1, wherein:

the load information acquisition means acquires, as the load information, a time when the load applied to the first input device satisfies a first condition; and

the motion determination means determines the given motion of the user based on the time when the load applied to the first input device satisfies the first condition and a time when the velocity of center of gravity satisfies a second condition.

4. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the information processing program according to claim 3, wherein:

the load information acquisition means acquires a time when the load applied to the first input device becomes a maximum; and

the motion determination means determines the given motion of the user based on the time when the load becomes the maximum and a time when the velocity of center of gravity becomes a maximum.

5. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the information processing program according to claim 4, wherein

the motion determination means determines the given motion of the user based on a difference between the time when the load becomes the maximum and the time when the velocity of center of gravity becomes the maximum.

6. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the information processing program according to claim 1, wherein:

the load information acquisition means acquires a velocity of load as the load information, the velocity of load representing an amount of change in the load applied to the first input device in a predetermined time period; and

the motion determination means determines the given motion of the user based on the velocity of center of gravity and the velocity of load.

7. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the information processing program according to claim 1, wherein:

the load information acquisition means acquires a velocity of load as the load information, the velocity of load representing an amount of change in the load applied to the first input device in a predetermined time period; and

the motion determination means determines the given motion of the user by comparing a relationship between a predetermined velocity of load and a predetermined velocity of center of gravity with a relationship between the velocity of load acquired by the load information acquisition means and the velocity of center of gravity calculated by the velocity-of-center-of-gravity calculation means.

8. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the information processing program according to claim 7, wherein

the motion determination means determines the given motion of the user based on, in a coordinate system where the velocity of load is a first axis and the velocity of center of gravity is a second axis, a distance from a straight line or a curve to a point in the coordinate system, the straight line or the curve representing the relationship between the predetermined velocity of load and the predetermined velocity of center of gravity, the point representing the velocity of load acquired by the load information acquisition means and the velocity of center of gravity calculated by the velocity-of-center-of-gravity calculation means.

9. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the information processing program according to claim 8, wherein

the motion determination means determines the given motion of the user based on, in the coordinate system where the velocity of load is the first axis and the velocity of center of gravity is the second axis, a distance from a straight line to the point in the coordinate system, the straight line representing a relationship between a velocity of load and a velocity of center of gravity that are detected when the given motion of the user is made in an ideal manner, the point representing the velocity of load acquired by the load information acquisition means and the velocity of center of gravity calculated by the velocity-of-center-of-gravity calculation means.

10. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the information processing program according to claim 9, wherein

an inclination of the straight line is approximately 2.

11. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the information processing program according to claim 10, wherein

an intercept of the straight line is approximately 0.07.

12. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the information processing program according to claim 9, wherein

an inclination of the straight line is from approximately 1.7 to 2.3.

13. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the information processing program according to claim 12, wherein

an intercept of the straight line is from approximately 0.058 to 0.083.

14. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the information processing program according to claim 13, wherein

the intercept of the straight line decreases when the inclination of the straight line increases.

15. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the information processing program according to claim 1, wherein:

the load information acquisition means acquires, as the load information, a time when the load applied to the first input device satisfies a first condition and a velocity of load, the velocity of load representing an amount of change in the load applied to the first input device in a predetermined time period;

the information processing program further causes the computer to function as

first evaluation means for making a first evaluation based on the time when the load applied to the first input device satisfies the first condition and the time when the velocity of center of gravity satisfies a second condition, and

second evaluation means for making a second evaluation based on the velocity of center of gravity and the velocity of load; and

the motion determination means determines the given motion of the user based on an evaluation result of the first evaluation means and an evaluation result of the second evaluation means.

16. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the information processing program according to claim 15, wherein:

the information processing program further causes the computer to function as third evaluation means for making a third evaluation based on a path of the position of center of gravity detected by the position-of-center-of-gravity detection means; and

the motion determination means determines the given motion of the user based also on an evaluation result of the third evaluation means.

17. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the information processing program according to claim 15, wherein:

the information processing program further causes the computer to function as third evaluation means for making a third evaluation based on an area surrounded by at least a part of a path of the position of center of gravity detected by the position-of-center-of-gravity detection means and a line connecting two of the positions of center of gravity detected by the position-of-center-of-gravity detection means; and

the motion determination means determines the given motion of the user based also on an evaluation result of the third evaluation means.

18. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the information processing program according to claim 15, wherein:

the first evaluation means calculates a first evaluation value based on the time when the load applied to the first input device satisfies the first condition and the time when the velocity of center of gravity satisfies the second condition;

the second evaluation means calculates a second evaluation value based on the velocity of center of gravity and the velocity of load; and

the motion determination means changes the second evaluation value in accordance with a value of the first evaluation value, and determines the given motion of the user based on the first evaluation value and the changed second evaluation value.

19. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the information processing program according to claim 18, wherein

the motion determination means changes the second evaluation value such that the greater the value of the first evaluation value, the smaller the value of the second evaluation value.

20. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the information processing program according to claim 1, wherein

the motion determination means determines whether or not a time of the given motion of the user is lagging behind a predetermined time.

21. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the information processing program according to claim 1, wherein:

the information processing apparatus further processes a signal from a second input device that is different from the first input device;

the information processing apparatus further causes the computer to function as reference time setting means for setting, as a reference time, a time when an input from the second input device to the information processing apparatus satisfies a predetermined condition; and

the motion determination means determines the given motion of the user based on a relationship between the load information acquired by the load information acquisition means in a time period determined in accordance with the reference time and the velocity-of-center-of-gravity information.

22. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the information processing program according to claim 21, wherein

the motion determination means determines, based on a relationship between the load information acquired in the time period determined in accordance with the reference time and the velocity-of-center-of-gravity information acquired in the determined time period, the given motion of the user at a plurality of times in the time period.

23. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the information processing program according to claim 21, wherein:

the second input device includes an acceleration sensor; and

based on the signal from the second input device, the reference time setting means sets, as the reference time, a time when a magnitude of an acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor has exceeded a predetermined threshold.

24. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the information processing program according to claim 1, wherein

the information processing program further causes the computer to function as display control means for, based on a determination of the motion determination means, displaying a state where a predetermined object provided in a virtual space moves in the virtual space.

25. A computer-readable storage medium having stored therein an information processing program to be executed by a computer of an information processing apparatus for processing a signal from a first input device including a load sensor to which load is applied by a user,

the information processing program causing the computer to function as:

position-of-center-of-gravity detection means for, based on the signal from the first input device, detecting a position of center of gravity of the load applied to the first input device in a predetermined time period; and

motion determination means for determining a given motion of the user based on a path of the position of center of gravity detected by the position-of-center-of-gravity detection means.

26. An information processing apparatus for processing a signal from a first input device including a load sensor to which load is applied by a user, the information processing apparatus comprising:

load information acquisition means for, based on the signal from the first input device, acquiring load information about a change over time in the load applied to the first input device;

position-of-center-of-gravity detection means for detecting a position of center of gravity of the user based on the signal from the first input device;

velocity-of-center-of-gravity calculation means for calculating a velocity of center of gravity, the velocity of center of gravity representing a velocity of movement of the position of center of gravity; and

motion determination means for determining a given motion of the user based on a relationship between the load information and velocity-of-center-of-gravity information about the velocity of center of gravity.