INFORMATION PROCESSING PROGRAM

• US 20120200500A1
• Filed: 03/13/2012
• Published: 08/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: OHTA, Keizo, Sato, Kenta
• Granted Patent: US 8,708,824 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/158
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/213 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells A63F13/219, A63F13/655 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/426 involving on-screen location information, e.g. screen coordinates of an area at which the player is aiming with a light gun
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1087 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. a camera
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands

Abstract

A game system comprises image obtaining means, direction calculation means, first rotation means, and display control means. The image obtaining means obtains an image taken by an imaging device. The direction calculation means calculates a direction originally determined from the image of an imaging target included in the image taken by the imaging device. The first rotation means rotates an operation target in accordance with the calculated direction. The display control means generates an image in accordance with the rotation of the operation target performed by the first rotation means and displays the generated image on a screen of a display device.

Claims

1-105. -105. (canceled)

106. An information processing system comprising:

a user input device that includes;

an imager that is configured to obtain an image; and

an inertial sensor that is configured to measure an inertial quantity that is applied to the user input device;

a processing system that includes at least one processor, the processing system configured to;

identify a predetermined target within the obtained image;

rotate a computer generated object in response to the identified predetermined target and the measured inertial quantity;

output a display to a display device based on the rotated computer generated object.

107. The information processing system of claim 106, wherein the predetermined target includes at least two predetermined targets and the processing system is further configured to identify positions within the obtained image that correspond to the at least two predetermined targets.

108. The information processing system of claim 107, wherein the processing system is further configured to calculate positions of the at least two predetermined targets in at least two obtained images, wherein rotation of the computer generated object is based on a change in position of the at least two predetermined targets between the at least two obtained images.

109. The information processing system of claim 106, wherein the processing system is further configured to rotate the computer generated object based on the measured inertial quantity when the predetermined target is not identified.

110. The information processing system of claim 109, wherein the processing system is further configured to rotate the computer generated object based on the obtained image when the predetermined target is identified and without measured inertial quantity.

111. The information processing system of claim 106, wherein the inertial sensor is an acceleration sensor and the inertial quantity is acceleration.

112. The information processing system of claim 106, wherein the inertial sensor is a gyro sensor and the inertial quantity is velocity.

113. The information processing system of claim 106, wherein the processing system is further configured to determine an up/down direction of the user input device based on the measured inertial quantity,

wherein identification of the predetermined target within the obtained image is further based on the determined up/down direction.

114. The information processing system of claim 106, wherein the computer generated object is a virtual camera and the display is based on a view through the virtual camera.

115. A method of rotating an object in a virtual space based on input from a user input device, the user input device including a camera and at least one inertial sensor, the method comprising:

generating a first image based on the object of the virtual space being in a first orientation;

outputting the first image to a display device;

obtaining at least one image via the camera of the user input device;

measuring an inertial quantity, via the at least one inertial sensor, that is applied to the user input device;

identifying a target within the obtained at least one image;

rotating, via a processing system that includes at least one processor, the object from the first orientation to a second orientation based on identification of the target within the image and the measured inertial quantity;

generating a second image based on the object of the virtual space being in the second orientation; and

outputting the second image to the display device.

116. The method of claim 115, further comprising rotating the object of the virtual space to a third orientation based on another measured inertial quantity when the target is not identified with the at least one image.

117. The method of claim 115, further comprising determining whether the user input device is oriented upwards or downwards based on the measured inertial quantity,

wherein the identification of the target is further based on determination of whether the user input device is oriented upwards or downwards.

118. The method of claim 115, wherein the object is a virtual camera and the generated first and second images are generated based on views from the virtual camera.

119. A user input device adapted to supply input to rotate a virtual object that is processed by a processing system and output to a display device, the user input device comprising:

an imager that is configured to obtain an image;

an inertial sensor that is configured to measure an inertial quantity that is applied to the user input device; and

a communication device that is configured to at least transmit data to the processing system that is based on the obtained image and the measured inertial quantity,

wherein at least one processor is configured to identify a predetermined target within the image obtained by the imager,

wherein the processing system is configured to rotate the virtual object from a first state to a second state based on identification of the predetermined target within the image and the measured inertial quantity,

wherein the processing system is further configured to output an image to the display device based on rotation of the virtual object by the processing system.

120. The user input device of claim 119, further comprising the at least one processor.

121. The user input device of claim 119, wherein the processing system includes the at least one processor.

122. The user input device of claim 119, wherein the processing system is further configured to rotate the virtual object based on another measured inertial quantity without identification of the predetermined target within the image.

123. The user input device of claim 119, wherein the inertial sensor is a gyro sensor or an acceleration sensor.

124. A computing apparatus for rotating a virtual object, the computing apparatus being configured to receive data from an input device, the input device including an imager that is configured to obtain an image and at least one inertial sensor that is configured to measure an inertial quantity that is applied to the input device, the computing apparatus comprising:

a receiver that is configured to receive data that is transmitted from the input device, the received data based on the image obtained by the imager of the input device and the measured inertial quantity; and

a processing system that includes at least one processor, the processing system configured to;

rotate the virtual object from a first rotational state to a second rotational state based on;

     1) identification of a predetermined target within the obtained image, and

     2) the measured inertial quantity; and

output a display image to a display device based on the rotated virtual object.

125. The computing apparatus of claim 124, wherein the processing system is further configured to identify the predetermined target within the obtained image based on the received data.

126. The computing apparatus of claim 125, wherein the received data includes the obtained image.

127. The computing apparatus of claim 124, wherein the user input device is further configured to include at least one processor that is configured to identify the predetermined target within the image obtained by the imager.

128. The computing apparatus of claim 124, wherein the processing system is further configured to rotate the virtual object to a third rotational state based on another measured inertial quantity when the predetermined target is not identified in another obtained image.

129. The computing apparatus of claim 124, wherein the processing system is further configured to determine an up/down direction of the input device based on the measured inertial quantity,

wherein identification of the predetermined target is further based on the determined up/down direction of the input device.

130. The computing apparatus of claim 124, wherein the virtual object is a virtual camera.

131. The computing apparatus of claim 124, wherein the virtual object is an object that is displayed on the display device.