GAME SYSTEM, GAME DEVICE, STORAGE MEDIUM STORING GAME PROGRAM, AND GAME PROCESS METHOD

• US 20120046106A1
• Filed: 08/12/2011
• Published: 02/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Ito, Jun, Ohta, Keizo
• Granted Patent: US 8,337,308 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/37
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/2145 the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens
• 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 13/323 between game devices with different hardware characteristics, e.g. hand-held game devices connectable to game consoles or arcade machines
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/42 by mapping the input signals into game commands, e.g. mapping the displacement of a stylus on a touch screen to the steering angle of a virtual vehicle
• 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 13/5255 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 13/837 Shooting of targets
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• 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 2300/301 using an additional display connected to the game console, e.g. on the controller
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/403 Connection between platform and handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8076 Shooting

Abstract

A game system includes a game device, and a hand-held device having a predetermined input surface. The hand-held device transmits operation data which includes touch data representing a player input position on the predetermined input surface and movement data whose value changes in accordance with movement of the hand-held device. The game device controls an attitude of a control surface placed in a three-dimensional game space based on the movement data. The game device calculates a control direction in the game space based on the attitude of the control surface and the touch data, and performs a game process based on the control direction. The first game image representing the game space is output to and displayed on a display device which is separate from the hand-held device.

Claims

1. A game system comprising a game device, and a hand-held device having a predetermined input surface, wherein:

the hand-held device comprises;

a touch data output section for outputting touch data representing a player input position on the predetermined input surface;

a movement data output section for outputting movement data whose value changes in accordance with movement of the hand-held device; and

an operation data transmission section for transmitting operation data including the touch data and the movement data to the game device; and

the game device comprises;

a first receiving section for receiving the operation data;

a surface control section for controlling an attitude of a control surface placed in a three-dimensional game space based on the movement data;

a direction calculation section for calculating a control direction in the game space based on the attitude of the control surface and the touch data;

a game process section for performing a game process based on the control direction;

a first image generation section for generating a first game image representing the game space based on a first virtual camera which is set in the game space; and

a first image output section for outputting the first game image to a first display device which is separate from the hand-held device.

2. The game system according to claim 1, wherein the game process section controls a movement direction of a predetermined object in the game space based on the control direction.

3. The game system according to claim 1, wherein:

the direction calculation section comprises;

a position calculation section for calculating a control position on the control surface based on the touch data; and

a direction identification section for identifying the control direction based on the control position.

4. The game system according to claim 3, wherein:

the position calculation section calculates a plurality of control positions on the control surface based on touch data representing successive inputs; and

the direction identification section identifies, as the control direction, a direction represented by the plurality of control positions.

5. The game system according to claim 4, wherein the game process section moves a predetermined object in the game space in a direction determined by the control direction in an attitude determined by the attitude of the control surface.

6. The game system according to claim 4, wherein:

the surface control section controls the attitude of the control surface placed in the game space based on the movement data; and

the game process section sets the first virtual camera so that the control surface is included in an image-capturing range.

7. The game system according to claim 3, wherein the direction identification section identifies, as the control direction, a direction from a predetermined position in the game space to the control position.

8. The game system according to claim 7, wherein:

the game device comprises;

a second image generation section for generating a second game image representing the game space based on a second virtual camera which is set in the game space; and

a second image output section for outputting the second game image to the hand-held device; and

the hand-held device comprises;

a second receiving section for receiving the second game image from the game device; and

a display process section for displaying the second game image on a second display device which is provided on the hand-held device.

9. The game system according to claim 8, wherein the direction identification section identifies, as the control direction, a direction from a position of the second virtual camera to the control position.

10. The game system according to claim 8, wherein the game process section moves the second virtual camera in accordance with a change in the control surface so that the control surface is included in an image-capturing range of the second virtual camera.

11. The game system according to claim 8, wherein the touch data output section is a touch panel including the input surface on a screen of the second display device.

12. The game system according to claim 11, wherein the game process section sets the second virtual camera so that an input position on the input surface and a control position corresponding to the input position coincide with each other on the screen of the second display device.

13. The game system according to claim 3, wherein:

the game device further comprises an attitude calculation section for calculating an attitude of the hand-held device based on the movement data; and

the surface control section controls the attitude of the control surface in accordance with the attitude of the hand-held device.

14. The game system according to claim 1, wherein the movement data output section comprises at least one of an acceleration sensor for outputting acceleration data and a gyrosensor for outputting angular velocity data.

15. A game device capable of communicating with a hand-held device having a predetermined input surface, the game device comprising:

a receiving section for receiving, from the hand-held device, operation data which includes touch data representing a player input position on the predetermined input surface and movement data whose value changes in accordance with movement of the hand-held device;

a surface control section for controlling an attitude of a control surface placed in a three-dimensional game space based on the movement data;

a direction calculation section for calculating a control direction in the game space based on the attitude of the control surface and the touch data;

a game process section for performing a game process based on the control direction;

a first image generation section for generating a first game image representing the game space based on a first virtual camera which is set in the game space; and

a first image output section for outputting the first game image to a first display device which is separate from the hand-held device.

16. The game device according to claim 15, wherein:

the direction calculation section comprises;

a position calculation section for calculating a control position on the control surface based on the touch data; and

a direction identification section for identifying the control direction based on the control position, wherein;

the position calculation section calculates a plurality of control positions on the control surface based on the touch data representing successive inputs; and

the direction identification section identifies, as the control direction, a direction represented by the plurality of control positions.

17. The game device according to claim 15, wherein:

the direction calculation section comprises;

a position calculation section for calculating a control position on the control surface based on the touch data; and

a direction identification section for identifying, as the control direction, a direction from a predetermined position in the game space to the control position.

18. The game device according to claim 17, comprising:

a second image generation section for generating a second game image representing the game space based on a second virtual camera which is set in the game space; and

a second image output section for outputting the second game image to the hand-held device so as to display the second game image on a second display device which is provided on the hand-held device.

19. A computer-readable storage medium storing therein a game program executable on a computer of a game device which is capable of communicating with a hand-held device having a predetermined input surface, the game program causing the computer to function as:

an obtaining section for obtaining, from the hand-held device, operation data which includes touch data representing a player input position on the predetermined input surface and movement data whose value changes in accordance with movement of the hand-held device;

a surface control section for controlling an attitude of a control surface placed in a three-dimensional game space based on the movement data;

a direction calculation section for calculating a control direction in the game space based on the attitude of the control surface and the touch data;

a game process section for performing a game process based on the control direction;

a first image generation section for generating a first game image representing the game space based on a first virtual camera which is set in the game space; and

a first image output section for outputting the first game image to a first display device which is separate from the hand-held device.

20. The storage medium according to claim 19, wherein:

the direction calculation section comprises;

a position calculation section for calculating a control position on the control surface based on the touch data; and

a direction identification section for identifying the control direction based on the control position;

the position calculation section calculates a plurality of control positions on the control surface based on touch data representing successive inputs; and

the direction identification section identifies, as the control direction, a direction represented by the plurality of control positions.

21. The storage medium according to claim 19, wherein:

the direction calculation section comprises;

a position calculation section for calculating a control position on the control surface based on the touch data; and

a direction identification section for identifying, as the control direction, a direction from a predetermined position in the game space to the control position.

22. The storage medium according to claim 21, wherein:

the game program causes the computer to further function as;

a second image generation section for generating a second game image representing the game space based on a second virtual camera which is set in the game space; and

a second image output section for outputting the second game image to the hand-held device so as to display the second game image on a second display device which is provided on the hand-held device.

23. A game process method to be carried out in a game system comprising a game device, and a hand-held device having a predetermined input surface, wherein:

the hand-held device performs;

a touch data output step of outputting touch data representing a player input position on the predetermined input surface;

a movement data output step of outputting movement data whose value changes in accordance with movement of the hand-held device; and

an operation data transmission step of transmitting operation data including the touch data and the movement data to the game device;

the game device performs;

a reception step of receiving the operation data;

a surface control step of controlling an attitude of a control surface placed in a three-dimensional game space based on the movement data;

a direction calculation step of calculating a control direction in the game space based on the attitude of the control surface and the touch data;

a game process step of performing a game process based on the control direction;

a first image generation step of generating a first game image representing the game space based on a first virtual camera which is set in the game space; and

a first image output step of outputting the first game image to a first display device which is separate from the hand-held device.

24. The game process method according to claim 23, wherein:

the direction calculation step comprises;

a position calculation step of calculating a control position on the control surface based on the touch data; and

a direction identification step of identifying the control direction based on the control position;

in the position calculation step, the game device calculates a plurality of control positions on the control surface based on the touch data representing successive inputs; and

in the direction identification step, the game device identifies, as the control direction, a direction represented by the plurality of control positions.

25. The game process method according to claim 23, wherein:

the direction calculation step comprises;

a position calculation step of calculating a control position on the control surface based on the touch data; and

a direction identification step of identifying, as the control direction, a direction from a predetermined position in the game space to the control position.

26. The game process method according to claim 25, wherein:

the game device further performs;

a second image generation step of generating a second game image representing the game space based on a second virtual camera which is set in the game space; and

a second image output step of outputting the second game image to the hand-held device so as to display the second game image on a second display device which is provided on the hand-held device.