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

• US 20130106846A1
• Filed: 12/12/2012
• Published: 05/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Abe, Goro
• Granted Patent: US 9,022,862 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/419
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• 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 13/215 comprising means for detecting acoustic signals, e.g. using a microphone
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/24 Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles
• 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 13/285 Generating tactile feedback signals via the game input device, e.g. force feedback
• 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 13/428 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 2300/105 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/301 using an additional display connected to the game console, e.g. on the controller
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6653 for altering the visibility of an object, e.g. preventing the occlusion of an object, partially hiding an object
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6676 by dedicated player input
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range

Abstract

A pirate ship is displayed on a television being a stationary display device and on a terminal device being a portable display device. When the terminal device is held in a second attitude, the position and the angle of view of a first virtual camera are adjusted, and the pirate ship displayed on the television is zoomed out. When the terminal device is held in a first attitude, the position and the angle of view of the first virtual camera are adjusted and the pirate ship displayed on the television is zoomed in.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein an information processing program to be executed by a computer of an information processing apparatus to cause a stationary display device to display an image, the program causing the computer to be configured to perform functionality comprising:

setting a virtual camera in a virtual space in which a predetermined object is arranged;

causing the stationary display device to display an image of the virtual space containing the predetermined object, the image being taken by the virtual camera; and

determining whether the user is viewing the stationary display device, wherein

when it is determined that the user is not viewing the stationary display device, the image is made more difficult to be viewed than that at a time when it is determined that the user is viewing the stationary display device.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein when it is determined that the user is not viewing the stationary display device, the predetermined object in the image is made more difficult to be viewed by displaying at least the predetermined object in a zoomed-out manner.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein when it is determined that the user is not viewing the stationary display device, the predetermined object in the image is made more difficult to be viewed by displaying a predetermined image in a part or a whole of a region containing the predetermined object in the image.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein when it is determined that the user is not viewing the stationary display device, the predetermined object in the image is made more difficult to be viewed by blurring at least the predetermined object.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein when it is determined that the user is not viewing the stationary display device, the predetermined object in the image is made more difficult to be viewed by making at least predetermined object transparent or translucent.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the program causes the computer to be configured to perform further functionality comprising:

obtaining an attitude of a portable display device, and

determining that the user is viewing the stationary display device when the attitude of the portable display device is a first attitude, and determining that the user is not viewing the stationary display device when the attitude of the portable display device is a second attitude.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the program causes the computer to be configured to perform further functionality comprising:

adjusting a volume of a sound outputted from the stationary display device, in accordance with a result of the determination of whether the user is viewing the stationary display device.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim wherein when it is determined that the user is not viewing the stationary display device, the predetermined object in the image is made more difficult to be viewed by displaying at least the predetermined object in a pixelized manner

9. A information processing system for causing a stationary display device to display an image, the system comprising:

a computer processing system, comprising at least one computer processor, configured to;

set a virtual camera in a virtual space in which a predetermined object is arranged;

cause the stationary display device to display an image of the virtual space containing the predetermined object, the image being taken by the virtual camera; and

determine whether or not the user is viewing the stationary display device so that when it is determined that the user is not viewing the stationary display device, the image is made more difficult to be viewed than that at a time when it is determined that the user is viewing the stationary display device.

10. The information processing system of claim 9, wherein when it is determined that the user is not viewing the stationary display device, the predetermined object in the image is made more difficult to be viewed by displaying at least the predetermined object in a zoomed-out manner.

11. The information processing system of claim 9, wherein when it is determined that the user is not viewing the stationary display device, the predetermined object in the image is made more difficult to be viewed by displaying a predetermined image in a part or a whole of a region containing the predetermined object in the image.

12. The information processing system of claim 9, wherein when it is determined that the user is not viewing the stationary display device, the predetermined object in the image is made more difficult to be viewed by blurring at least the predetermined object.

13. The information processing system of claim 9, wherein when it is determined that the user is not viewing the stationary display device, the predetermined object in the image is made more difficult to be viewed by making at least the predetermined object transparent or translucent.

14. The information processing system of claim 9, wherein when it is determined that the user is not viewing the stationary display device, the predetermined object in the image is made more difficult to be viewed by displaying at least the predetermined object in a pixelized manner

15. The information processing system of claim 9, wherein computer processing system is further configured to:

obtain an attitude of a portable display device, and

determine that the user is viewing the stationary display device when the attitude of the portable display device is a first attitude, and determine that the user is not viewing the stationary display device when the attitude of the portable display device is a second attitude.

16. The information processing system of claim 9, wherein computer processing system is further configured to adjust a volume of a sound outputted from the stationary display device, in accordance with a result of the determination of whether the user is viewing the stationary display device.

17. An information processing apparatus for causing a stationary display device to display an image, the apparatus comprising:

a setter configured to set a virtual camera in a virtual space in which a predetermined object is arranged;

a causing unit configured to the stationary display device to display an image of the virtual space containing the predetermined object, the image being taken by the virtual camera; and

a determination unit, implemented at least by computer processor and configured to determine whether the user is viewing the stationary display device, wherein

when it is determined that the user is not viewing the stationary display device, the image is made more difficult to be viewed than that at a time when it is determined that the user is viewing the stationary display device.

18. A method of causing a stationary display device to display an image, the method comprising:

setting a virtual camera in a virtual space in which a predetermined object is arranged;

causing the stationary display device to display an image of the virtual space containing the predetermined object, the image being taken by the virtual camera; and

determining, using a computer process mg system comprising a computer processor, whether the user is viewing the stationary display device, wherein

when it is determined that the user is not viewing the stationary display device, the image is made more difficult to be viewed than that at a time when it is determined that the user is viewing the stationary display device.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein an information processing program to be executed by a computer of an information processing apparatus to cause a stationary display device to display an image, the program causing the computer to be configured to perform functionality comprising:

setting a virtual camera in a virtual space in which a predetermined object is arranged;

causing the stationary display device to display an image of the virtual space containing the predetermined object, the image being taken by the virtual camera; and

determining whether the user is viewing the stationary display device, wherein

the image displayed on the stationary display device varies between when the user is viewing the stationary display device and when the user is not viewing the stationary display device.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 19, wherein the program causes the computer to be configured to perform further functionality comprising:

obtaining an attitude of a portable display device, and,

when the attitude of the portable display device is a first attitude, it is determined that the user is viewing the stationary display device, and when the attitude of the portable display device is a second attitude, it is determined that the user is not viewing the stationary display device.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 19, wherein when it is determined that the user is not viewing the stationary display device, at least the predetermined object is displayed in a zoomed-out manner, by changing at least one of a position and an angle of view of the virtual camera

22. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 19, wherein the program causes the computer to be configured to perform further functionality comprising:

adjusting a volume of a sound outputted from the stationary display device, in accordance with a result of the determination of whether the user is viewing the stationary display device.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 19, wherein the image displayed on the stationary display device is varied such that the image on the stationary display device is displayed in a zoomed-in manner when the user is viewing the stationary display device and in a zoomed-out manner when the user is not viewing the stationary display device.

24. A information processing system for causing a stationary display device to display an image, the system comprising:

a computer processing system, comprising at least one computer processor, configured to;

set a virtual camera in a virtual space in which a predetermined object is arranged;

cause the stationary display device to display an image of the virtual space containing the predetermined object, the image being taken by the virtual camera; and

vary the image displayed on the stationary display device between when the user is viewing the stationary display device and when the user is not viewing the stationary display device.

25. The information processing system of claim 24, wherein the computer processing system is further configured to:

obtain an attitude of a portable display device, and

determine that the user is viewing the stationary display device when the attitude of the portable display device is a first attitude, and determine that the user is not viewing the stationary display device when the attitude oldie portable display device is a second attitude.

26. The information processing system of claim 24, wherein when it is determined that the user is not viewing the stationary display device, at least the predetermined object is displayed in a zoomed-out manner, by changing at least one of a position and an angle of view of the virtual camera

27. The information processing system of claim 24, wherein the computer processing system is further configured to adjust a volume of a sound outputted from the stationary display device in accordance with a result of the determination of whether the user is viewing the stationary display device.

28. The information processing system of claim 24, wherein the image displayed on the stationary display device is varied such that the image on the stationary display device is displayed in a zoomed-in manner when the user is viewing the stationary display device and in a zoomed-out manner when the user is not viewing the stationary display device.

29. An information processing apparatus for causing a stationary display device to display an image, the apparatus comprising:

a setter configured to set a virtual camera in a virtual space in which a predetermined object is arranged,

a causing unit configured to cause the stationary display device to display an image of the virtual space containing the predetermined object, the image being taken by the virtual camera; and

a determination unit configured to determine whether the user is viewing the stationary display device, wherein

the image displayed on the stationary display device varies between when the user is viewing the stationary display device and when the user is not viewing the stationary display device.

30. A method of causing a stationary display device to display an image, the method comprising:

setting a virtual camera in a virtual space in which a predetermined object is arranged;

causing the stationary display device to display an image of the virtual space containing the predetermined object, the image being taken by the virtual camera; and

determining, using a computer processing system comprising a computer processor, whether the user is viewing the stationary display device, wherein

the image displayed on the stationary display device varies between when the user is viewing the stationary display device and when the user is not viewing the stationary display device.