COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM HAVING INFORMATION PROCESSING PROGRAM STORED THEREIN, INFORMATION PROCESSING SYSTEM, AND INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD

• US 20110157013A1
• Filed: 03/15/2010
• Published: 06/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Oyagi, Yasuyuki, Shiraiwa, Yusuke, Morii, Junji
• Granted Patent: US 8,421,751 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/157
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/2145 the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/525 Changing parameters of virtual cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/105 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1075 using a touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6676 by dedicated player input
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A free direction input area, a lateral direction input area, and a longitudinal direction input area are provided on an input surface of a touch panel. When a user performs a slide operation whose starting point is within the free direction input area, movement of a virtual camera is controlled based on a change amount of a touch position with respect to X- and Y-axis directions. When the user performs a slide operation whose starting point is within the lateral direction input area, movement of the virtual camera is controlled based on a change amount of a touch position only with respect to the X-axis direction. When the user performs a slide operation whose starting point is within the longitudinal direction input area, movement of the virtual camera is controlled based on a change amount of a touch position only with respect to the Y-axis direction.

Claims

1. A computer-readable storage medium having an information processing program stored therein, the information processing program being executed by a computer of an information processing apparatus that is capable of receiving an input from a pointing device that is capable of designating an arbitrary position in a multidimensional designation area, the information processing program causing the computer to act as:

designated coordinates receiving means for repeatedly receiving designated coordinates that indicate a position, in the designation area, designated by the pointing device;

area determination means for determining whether or not the designated coordinates received by the designated coordinates receiving means belong to a first designation area in the designation area, and determining whether or not the designated coordinates received by the designated coordinates receiving means belong to a second designation area in the designation area;

first processing means for, when the area determination means has determined that the designated coordinates belong to the first designation area, performing predetermined processing by using a direction that is based on the designated coordinates received by the designated coordinates receiving means; and

second processing means for, when the area determination means has determined that the designated coordinates belong to the second designation area, performing the predetermined processing by using a direction that is a result of correcting the direction, which is based on the designated coordinates received by the designated coordinates receiving means, so as to extend along a predetermined direction.

2. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the direction, which is based on the designated coordinates, is a direction that connects predetermined coordinates and the designated coordinates.

3. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined coordinates are designated coordinates that are designated first among a series of designated coordinates received by the designated coordinates receiving means.

4. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined coordinates are fixed coordinates in the designation area.

5. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined coordinates are designated coordinates that have been received immediately previously to the designated coordinates and that are among a series of designated coordinates received by the designated coordinates receiving means.

6. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein when the area determination means has determined that the designated coordinates belong to the second designation area, the second processing means performs the predetermined processing by using a predetermined direction component of the designated coordinates received by the designated coordinates receiving means.

7. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the designation area includes the first designation area that is a single designation area and a plurality of the second designation areas.

8. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the second designation area is set to be located at an end of the designation area.

9. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined direction is in parallel with one of two coordinate axes that define the designated coordinates.

10. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined processing is processing for controlling a predetermined control target.

11. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 10, wherein the predetermined control target is a virtual camera placed in a virtual space.

12. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 11, wherein the predetermined processing is processing for controlling movement of the virtual camera.

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

the predetermined control target is an object placed in a virtual space, and

the predetermined processing is processing for controlling the object.

14. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 13, wherein the predetermined processing is processing for controlling movement of the object.

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

the designated coordinates are represented by an X-coordinate value and a Y-coordinate value,

when the area determination means has determined that the designated coordinates belong to the first designation area, the first processing means performs the predetermined processing by using both the X-coordinate value and the Y-coordinate value of the designated coordinates received by the designated coordinates receiving means, and

when the area determination means has determined that the designated coordinates belong to the second designation area, the second processing means performs the predetermined processing by using only one of the X-coordinate value and the Y-coordinate value of the designated coordinates received by the designated coordinates receiving means.

16. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 15, wherein

the predetermined processing includes first processing that uses the X-coordinate value of the designated coordinates and second processing that uses the Y-coordinate value of the designated coordinates,

when the area determination means has determined that the designated coordinates belong to the first designation area, the first processing means performs the first processing by using the X-coordinate value of the designated coordinates received by the designated coordinates receiving means, and performs the second processing by using the Y-coordinate value of the designated coordinates, and

when the area determination means has determined that the designated coordinates belong to the second designation area, the second processing means performs only one of the first processing and the second processing, by using only one of the X-coordinate value and the Y-coordinate value of the designated coordinates received by the designated coordinates receiving means.

17. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein

the information processing program further causes the computer to act as start designated coordinates determination means for determining whether or not the designated coordinates received by the designated coordinates receiving means are designated coordinates that have been designated first among a series of designated coordinates received by the designated coordinates receiving means (hereinafter, referred to as start designated coordinates),

when the area determination means has determined that the start designated coordinates belong to the first designation area, the first processing means performs the predetermined processing by using a direction that is based on a series of designated coordinates that are received by the designated coordinates receiving means after the area determination means has made the determination, and

when the area determination means has determined that the start designated coordinates belong to the second designation area, the second processing means performs the predetermined processing by using a direction that is a result of correcting a direction, which is based on a series of designated coordinates that are received by the designated coordinates receiving means after the area determination means has made the determination, so as to extend along a predetermined direction.

18. An information processing system capable of receiving an input from a pointing device that is capable of designating an arbitrary position in a multidimensional designation area, the information processing system comprising:

designated coordinates receiving means for repeatedly receiving designated coordinates that indicate a position, in the designation area, designated by the pointing device;

area determination means for determining whether or not the designated coordinates received by the designated coordinates receiving means belong to a first designation area in the designation area, and determining whether or not the designated coordinates received by the designated coordinates receiving means belong to a second designation area in the designation area;

first processing means for, when the area determination means has determined that the designated coordinates belong to the first designation area, performing predetermined processing by using a direction that is based on the designated coordinates received by the designated coordinates receiving means; and

second processing means for, when the area determination means has determined that the designated coordinates belong to the second designation area, performing the predetermined processing by using a direction that is a result of correcting the direction, which is based on the designated coordinates received by the designated coordinates receiving means, so as to extend along a predetermined direction.

19. An information processing method for processing an input from a pointing device that is capable of designating an arbitrary position in a multidimensional designation area, the information processing method comprising:

a designated coordinates receiving step of repeatedly receiving designated coordinates that indicate a position, in the designation area, designated by the pointing device;

an area determination step of determining whether or not the designated coordinates received at the designated coordinates receiving step belong to a first designation area in the designation area, and determining whether or not the designated coordinates received at the designated coordinates receiving step belong to a second designation area in the designation area;

a first processing step of, when the area determination step has determined that the designated coordinates belong to the first designation area, performing predetermined processing by using a direction that is based on the designated coordinates received at the designated coordinates receiving step; and

a second processing step of, when the area determination step has determined that the designated coordinates belong to the second designation area, performing the predetermined processing by using a direction that is a result of correcting the direction, which is based on the designated coordinates received at the designated coordinates receiving step, so as to extend along a predetermined direction.