COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM HAVING STORED THEREIN DISPLAY CONTROL PROGRAM, DISPLAY CONTROL APPARATUS, DISPLAY CONTROL SYSTEM, AND DISPLAY CONTROL METHOD

• US 20110225538A1
• Filed: 03/11/2011
• Published: 09/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Morii, Junji, OYAGI, Yasuyuki, Matoba, Taku, Sato, Katsuhisa
• Application Number:
  US13/046,027
• Publication Number:
  US 20110225538A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/781
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/26 having at least one additional display device, e.g. on the game controller or outside a game booth
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13338 Input devices, e.g. touch panels
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1692 the I/O peripheral being a secondary touch screen used as control interface, e.g. virtual buttons or sliders
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/205 Image-based rendering
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/20 Editing of 3D images, e.g. changing shapes or colours, aligning objects or positioning parts
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/2016 Rotation, translation, scaling
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/243 using three or more 2D image sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/31 using parallax barriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/324 Colour aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/398 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof

Abstract

An image taken of a virtual space including a user-operable child object and user-inoperable furniture object is stereoscopically displayed on a screen of a stereoscopic image display device. On the other hand, an image taken, of the same virtual space, from the same direction is displayed in a planar manner on a screen of a planar image display device. On the screen of the planar image display device, a child object image, in which a silhouette of the child object displayed on the stereoscopic image display device is displayed. A user touches on the screen of the planar image display device, while seeing the child object displayed on the stereoscopic image display device, thereby operating the child object.

Claims

1. A computer-readable storage medium having stored therein a display control program executed by a computer of a display control apparatus, the display control program causing the computer to function as:

first display control means for displaying in a first display area a first image in which a predetermined display object is viewed from a predetermined direction;

second display control means for displaying in a second display area, which is different from the first display area, a second image in which the predetermined display object is viewed from substantially the same direction as the predetermined direction, while the predetermined display object is being displayed in the first display area; and

control means for controlling the predetermined display object included in the first image and the second image, based on a designated position detected by designated position detection means for detecting designation of a position, the designation being performed by a user on the second display area.

2. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to claim 1, wherein the second image is an image taken of substantially the same imaging region as that of the first image.

3. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to claim 1, wherein the second image has substantially the same size as the first image.

4. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined display object included in the second image has substantially the same size as the predetermined display object included in the first image.

5. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to claim 1, wherein the second image is an image in which the predetermined display object is viewed from substantially the same position as that from which the first image is taken.

6. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to claim 1, wherein the second image is an image in which the predetermined display object is displayed in a simplified manner as compared to the first image.

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

the first image is an image in which the predetermined display object is displayed in multiple colors, and

the second image is an image in which the predetermined display object is displayed in fewer colors as compared to the first image.

8. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to claim 7, wherein the second image is an image in which the predetermined display object is displayed in monochrome.

9. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to claim 1, wherein the designated position detection means is provided on the second display area, and detects a position of contact on the second display area as the designated position.

10. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to claim 1, wherein the first display control means and the second display control means display in the first display area and the second display area the first image and the second image, respectively, in which the predetermined display object present in a virtual space is taken by a virtual camera.

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

the first display control means displays as the first image an image in which a plurality of display objects present in a virtual space are viewed from the predetermined direction,

the display control program further causes the computer to function as display object selection means for selecting at least one of the plurality of display objects, which satisfies a predetermined condition, and

the second display control means displays, in the second display area, as the second image an image in which the display object selected by the display object selection means from among the plurality of display objects is displayed in a display mode different from that of the display object which is not selected by the display object selection means.

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

the first display control means displays as the first image an image in which a plurality of display objects present in a virtual space are viewed from the predetermined direction,

the display control program further causes the computer to function as display object selection means for selecting at least one of the plurality of display objects, which satisfies a predetermined condition,

the second display control means displays as the second image an image in which only the at least one of the plurality of display objects selected by the display object selection means is viewed from substantially the same direction as the predetermined direction, and

the control means controls at least one of the plurality of display objects selected by the display object selection means, which are included in the first image and the second image, based on the designated position detected in the second display area by the designated position detection means.

13. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to claim 12, wherein the display object selection means selects only a user-operable display object from among the plurality of display objects present in the virtual space.

14. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to claim 12, wherein in a case where there is a plurality of display objects which are selected by the display object selection means, the second display control means displays the second image in the second display area so that the respective display modes of the selected plurality of display objects are different from one another.

15. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to claim 12, wherein, in a case where there is a plurality of display objects which are selected by the display object selection means, the second display control means displays the second image in the second display area so that the respective display modes of adjacent two of the selected plurality of display objects are different from each other.

16. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to claim 1, wherein the display control program further causes the computer to function as cursor display means for displaying a cursor indicative of a position designated by the user in the first display area at a position corresponding to the designated position detected in the second display area by the designated position detection means.

17. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to claim 16, wherein the cursor display means displays the cursor only in the first display area.

18. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to claim 1, wherein the second display area is a display area having a display type different from that of the first display area.

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

the first display area is a display area configured to display a stereoscopically visible image,

the first display control means displays, in the first display area, a stereoscopic image, which is stereoscopically visible, as the first image, by displaying in the first display area a right-eye image and a left-eye image taken, of the predetermined display object within the virtual space, from the predetermined direction by using a virtual stereo camera, so that the right-eye image and the left-eye image are viewed by the use'"'"'s right eye and the left eye, respectively, the second display area is a display area configured to display a planar image, and

the second display control means displays, in the second display area, as the

second image a planar image taken, of the predetermined display object, from substantially the same direction as the predetermined direction, while the predetermined display object is being displayed in the first display area.

20. The display control program according to claim 19, wherein the display control program further causes the computer to function as:

determination means for determining whether or not the designated position detected in the second display area by the designated position detection means is a position where the predetermined display object is displayed; and

cursor display means for stereoscopically displaying a cursor in the first display area at a position corresponding to the designated position, in a case where the determination result by the determination means is affirmative, so that the cursor is along on a surface of the predetermined display object displayed in the first display area.

21. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to claim 20, wherein, in a case where the determination result by the determination means is negative, the cursor display means displays the cursor in the first display area at a position corresponding to the designated position in a display mode different from that in the case where the determination result by the determination means is affirmative.

22. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to claim 19, wherein the second display control means displays, in the second display area, as the second image an image taken, of the predetermined display object, by using a second virtual camera set between virtual cameras at the left and at the right which are components of the virtual stereo camera.

23. A computer-readable storage medium having stored therein a display control program executed by a computer of a display control apparatus, the display control program causing the computer to function as:

first display control means for displaying a predetermined display object in a first display area;

second display control means for displaying in a second display area, which is different from the first display area, the predetermined display object in a display mode in a manner in which the display mode of the predetermined display object displayed in the first display area is simplified, while the predetermined display object is being displayed in the first display area; and

control means for controlling the predetermined display object displayed in the first display area and the second display area, based on a designated position detected by position designation detection means for detecting designation of a position, the designation being performed by a user on the second display area.

24. A display control apparatus comprising:

first display control means for displaying in a first display area a first image in which a predetermined display object is viewed from a predetermined direction;

second display control means for displaying in a second display area, which is different from the first display area, a second image in which the predetermined display object is viewed from substantially the same direction as the predetermined direction, while the predetermined display object is being displayed in the first display area; and

control means for controlling the predetermined display object included in the first image and the second image, based on a designated position detected by designated position detection means for detecting designation of a position, the designation being performed by a user on the second display area.

25. A display control system comprising:

a first display area;

a second display area which is different from the first display area;

first display control means for displaying in the first display area a first image in which a predetermined display object is viewed from a predetermined direction;

second display control means for displaying in the second display area a second image in which the predetermined display object is viewed from substantially the same direction as the predetermined direction, while the predetermined display object is being displayed in the first display area; and

control means for controlling the predetermined display object included in the first image and the second image, based on a designated position detected by designated position detection means for detecting designation of a position, the designation being performed by a user on the second display area.

26. A display control method comprising steps of:

displaying in a first display area a first image in which a predetermined display object is viewed from a predetermined direction;

displaying in a second display area, which is different from the first display area, a second image in which the predetermined display object is viewed from substantially the same direction as the predetermined direction, while the predetermined display object is being displayed in the first display area; and

controlling the predetermined display object included in the first image and the second image, based on a designated position detected by designated position detection means for detecting designation of a position, the designation being performed by a user on the second display area.