STORAGE MEDIUM, INFORMATION PROCESSING SYSTEM, AND INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD

• US 20110169866A1
• Filed: 06/30/2010
• Published: 07/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: YOSHIKAWA, Kazuhiro, Yamagami, Hitoshi, Noguchi, Toshio
• Granted Patent: US 9,751,013 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/660
• 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 13/44 involving timing of operations, e.g. performing an action within a time slot
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5255 according to dedicated instructions from a player, e.g. using a secondary joystick to rotate the camera around a player's character
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5375 for graphically or textually suggesting an action, e.g. by displaying an arrow indicating a turn in a driving game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/837 Shooting of targets
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/306 for displaying a marker associated to an object or location in the game field
• 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 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0261 in the context of movement of objects on the screen or movement of the observer relative to the screen
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/391 Resolution modifying circuits, e.g. variable screen formats

Abstract

First, movement information that allows calculation of a movement of a first input device is sequentially obtained. During a time period in which at least one operation key is in a predetermined input state, a display image is enlarged or reduced in accordance with a change of the movement information. When it is determined that the predetermined input state is canceled, the enlarged or reduced display image is caused to return to its original magnification and an action of at least one first object in the display image is controlled.

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 that comprises a first input device having at least one operation key and that generates a display image,

the information processing program causing the computer to function as:

input state determination means for determining an input state of the at least one operation key;

movement information acquisition means for sequentially obtaining movement information of the first input device;

first image processing means for enlarging or reducing the display image in accordance with a change of the movement information during a time period in which the at least one operation key is determined by the input state determination means to be in a predetermined input state; and

second image processing means for, when the input state determination means determines that the predetermined input state is canceled, causing the enlarged or reduced display image to return to the original magnification of the display image and controlling an action of at least one first object in the display image.

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

the first input device includes imaging means for taking an image of a predetermined imaging target,

the information processing program causes the computer to further function as:

coordinate identification means for sequentially identifying, based on a position of the predetermined imaging target in the image taken by the imaging means, a pointing coordinate on the display image pointed at by the first input device, and

the second image processing means controls a movement of the at least one first object toward the position indicated by the pointing coordinate at the time when the input state determination means determines that the predetermined input state is canceled.

3. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the information processing program according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined input state is an input state in which the at least one operation key is pressed.

4. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the information processing program according to claim 2, wherein at least during the time period in which the at least one operation key is determined by the input state determination means to be in the predetermined input state, the first image processing means further displays the pointing coordinate on the display image.

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

the information processing program causes the computer to further function as:

time period measurement means for measuring the time period in which the at least one operation key is determined by the input state determination means to continuously be in the predetermined input state; and

first threshold value determination means for determining whether or not the time period is equal to or greater than a first threshold value, and

when it is determined that the predetermined input state is canceled and when it is determined that the time period is equal to or greater than the first threshold value, the second image processing means causes the enlarged or reduced display image to return to the original magnification of the display image and controls the action of the at least one first object in the display image.

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

the information processing program causes the computer to further function as:

time period measurement means for measuring the time period in which the at least one operation key is determined by the input state determination means to continuously be in the predetermined input state, and

the first image processing means enlarges or reduces the display image at a rate in accordance with the time period.

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

the information processing program causes the computer to further function as:

moving amount calculation means for calculating, based on the movement information, a moving amount at least in a predetermined direction of a movement of the first input device since a time point when the input state determination means determines that the at least one operation key has entered the predetermined input state,

the time period measured by the time period measurement means has an upper limit value,

the upper limit value is determined so as to increase in accordance with an increase of the moving amount, and

when the time period exceeds the upper limit value, the time period is set at the upper limit value.

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

when the moving amount is reduced and the time period has exceeded the upper limit value corresponding to the reduced moving amount, the time period is set at the upper limit value corresponding to the reduced moving amount.

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

the information processing program causes the computer to further function as:

moving amount calculation means for calculating, based on the movement information, a moving amount at least in a predetermined direction of a movement of the first input device since a time point when the input state determination means determines that the at least one operation key has entered the predetermined input state; and

second threshold value determination means for determining whether or not the moving amount is equal to or greater than a second threshold value, and

when it is determined that the predetermined input state is canceled and when it is determined that the moving amount is equal to or greater than the second threshold value, the second image processing means causes the enlarged or reduced display image to return to the original magnification of the display image and controls the action of the at least one first object in the display image.

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

the information processing program causes the computer to further function as:

moving amount calculation means for calculating, based on the movement information, a moving amount at least in a predetermined direction of a movement of the first input device since a time point when the input state determination means determines that the at least one operation key has entered the predetermined input state, and

the first image processing means enlarges or reduces the display image at a rate in accordance with the moving amount.

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

the first input device further includes imaging means for taking an image of at least one predetermined imaging target, and

the movement information acquisition means sequentially obtains movement information indicating a size of the at least one predetermined imaging target or an interval between the at least one predetermined imaging target in the image taken by the imaging means.

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

the information processing program causes the computer to further function as:

moving amount calculation means for calculating, based on the movement information, a moving amount at least in a predetermined direction of a movement of the first input device since a time point when the input state determination means determines that the at least one operation key has entered the predetermined input state; and

first moving speed determination means for determining, based on the moving amount, a moving speed of the at least one first object, and

the second image processing means controls, at the moving speed, a movement of the at least one first object.

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

the information processing program causes the computer to further function as:

second moving speed determination means for determining, based on the time period measured by the time period measurement means, a moving speed of the at least one first object, and

the second image processing means controls, at the moving speed, a movement of the at least one first object.

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

the first input device further includes imaging means for taking an image of a predetermined imaging target,

the information processing program causes the computer to further function as:

coordinate identification means for sequentially identifying, based on a position of the predetermined imaging target in the image taken by the imaging means, a pointing coordinate on the display image pointed at by the first input device, and

at least during the time period in which the at least one operation key is determined by the input state determination means to be in the predetermined input state, the first image processing means further displays the pointing coordinate on the display image.

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

the first input device further includes imaging means for taking an image of a predetermined imaging target,

the information processing program causes the computer to further function as:

coordinate identification means for sequentially identifying, based on a position of the predetermined imaging target in the image taken by the imaging means, a pointing coordinate on the display image pointed at by the first input device;

target object arrangement means for arranging on the display image at least one second object which is a target; and

marking means for setting, during the time period in which the at least one operation key is determined by the input state determination means to be in the predetermined input state and if the pointing coordinate designates one of the at least one second object, a marking on the designated one of the at least one second object,

the second image processing means controls a movement of the at least one first object toward respectively at least one position indicated respectively by at least one marking that has been set.

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

the marking means

includes marking number measurement means for measuring the number of the at least one marking that has been set, and

cancels, when the number measured by the marking number measurement means reaches a predetermined number, an oldest marking that is present.

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

the first input device further includes imaging means for taking an image of at least one predetermined imaging target,

the movement information acquisition means sequentially obtains movement information indicating a size of the at least one predetermined imaging target or an interval between the at least one predetermined imaging target in the image taken by the imaging means, and

the information processing program causes the computer to further function as:

first distance calculation means for calculating, based on the movement information, a first distance between the imaging means and the at least one predetermined imaging target at the time when the input state determination means determines that the at least one operation key is in the predetermined input state;

second distance calculation means for calculating, after the first distance is calculated, based on the movement information, a second distance between the imaging means and the at least one predetermined imaging target;

comparison means for determining whether or not the second distance is smaller than the first distance; and

first distance resetting means for resetting, when the comparison means determines that the second distance is smaller than the first distance, the second distance as a first distance, and

during the time period in which the at least one operation key is determined by the input state determination means to be in the predetermined input state, the first image processing means enlarges or reduces the display image in accordance with a change of a difference between the first distance and the second distance.

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

the information processing apparatus further includes a second input device,

the second input device includes means for obtaining inclination calculation data that allows calculation of an inclination angle of the second input device,

the information processing program causes the computer to further function as:

inclination angle calculation means for calculating, based on the inclination calculation data, the inclination angle of the second input device,

the second image processing means controls, further based on the inclination angle, the action of the at least one first object.

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

the information processing apparatus is a game apparatus, and

the at least one first object is at least one arrow object.

20. A computer-readable storage medium having stored therein an information processing program to be executed by a computer of a game apparatus that comprises a first input device having at least one operation key and that generates a game image,

the information processing program causing the computer to function as:

input state determination means for determining an input state of the at least one operation key;

movement information acquisition means for sequentially obtaining movement information of the first input device;

first image processing means for enlarging or reducing the game image in accordance with a change of the movement information during a time period in which the at least one operation key is determined by the input state determination means to be in a predetermined input state; and

second image processing means for, when the input state determination means determines that the predetermined input state is canceled, causing the enlarged or reduced game image to return to the original magnification of the game image and controlling a shooting of at least one arrow object in the game image.

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

the first input device includes imaging means for taking an image of a predetermined imaging target,

the information processing program causes the computer to further function as:

coordinate identification means for sequentially identifying, based on a position of the predetermined imaging target in the image taken by the imaging means, a pointing coordinate on the game image pointed at by the first input device, and

the second image processing means controls a movement of the at least one arrow object toward the position indicated by the pointing coordinate at the time when the input state determination means determines that the predetermined input state is canceled.

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

the information processing program causes the computer to further function as:

time period measurement means for measuring the time period in which the at least one operation key is determined by the input state determination means to continuously be in the predetermined input state; and

first threshold value determination means for determining whether or not the time period is equal to or greater than a first threshold value, and

when it is determined that the predetermined input state is canceled and when it is determined that the time period is equal to or greater than the first threshold value, the second image processing means causes the enlarged or reduced game image to return to the original magnification of the game image and controls an action of the at least one arrow object in the game image.

23. An information processing system that comprises a first input device having at least one operation key and that generates a display image, comprising:

input state determination means for determining an input state of the at least one operation key;

movement information acquisition means for sequentially obtaining movement information of the first input device;

first image processing means for enlarging or reducing the display image in accordance with a change of the movement information during a time period in which the at least one operation key is determined by the input state determination means to be in a predetermined input state; and

second image processing means for, when the input state determination means determines that the predetermined input state is canceled, causing the enlarged or reduced display image to return to the original magnification of the display image and controlling an action of at least one first object in the display image.

24. An information processing method for generating a display image, comprising the steps of:

an input state determination step of determining an input state of at least one operation key included in a first input device;

a movement information acquisition step of sequentially obtaining movement information of the first input device;

a first image processing step of enlarging or reducing the display image in accordance with a change of the movement information during a time period in which the at least one operation key is determined, by the input state determination step, to be in a predetermined input state; and

a second image processing step of, when the input state determination step determines that the predetermined input state is canceled, causing the enlarged or reduced display image to return to the original magnification of the display image and controlling an action of at least one first object in the display image.