INFORMATION PROCESSING SYSTEM, INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, STORAGE MEDIUM HAVING INFORMATION PROCESSING PROGRAM STORED THEREON, AND DETERMINATION METHOD

• US 20130249819A1
• Filed: 08/30/2012
• Published: 09/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: AKIFUSA, Yusuke, Kiuchi, Toshikazu
• Granted Patent: US 9,522,337 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 13/22 Setup operations, e.g. calibration, key configuration or button assignment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/235 using a wireless connection, e.g. infrared or piconet
• 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 13/428 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 13/837 Shooting of targets
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/90 Constructional details or arrangements of video game devices not provided for in groups A63F13/20 or A63F13/25, e.g. housing, wiring, connections or cabinets
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/98 Accessories, i.e. detachable arrangements optional for the use of the video game device, e.g. grip supports of game controllers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1018 Calibration; Key and button assignment
• 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: G06F 3/01 Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer G06F3/16 takes precedence
• 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

Abstract

An example controller device includes a housing, and a grip portion formed lopsided with respect to a center of a predetermined surface of the housing. An information processing system calculates an attitude of the controller device, and determines the orientation of the grip portion with respect to the center based on the attitude of the controller device. For example, the information processing system determines whether the grip portion is facing right or facing left with respect to the center. Thus, the information processing system can precisely determine the mode of use in which the controller device is used.

Claims

1. An information processing system including a controller device, wherein:

the controller device comprises;

a housing; and

a grip portion formed lopsided with respect to a center of a predetermined surface of the housing,

the information processing system comprising;

an attitude calculation unit for calculating an attitude of the controller device; and

a determination unit for determining an orientation of the grip portion with respect to the center based on the attitude of the controller device.

2. The information processing system according to claim 1, further comprising a process executing unit for executing an information process after the determination by the determination unit, wherein the information process is an information process based on an input made on the controller device, and the content of the information process varies depending on a determination result of the determination unit.

3. The information processing system according to claim 2, further comprising an output unit for outputting, before the execution of the information process, an image and/or sound representing a mode of holding the controller device when the information process is executed.

4. The information processing system according to claim 2, further comprising an output unit for outputting an image and/or sound representing a plurality of states with different orientations of the grip portion,

wherein the determination unit selects an orientation of the grip portion from among the plurality of states.

5. The information processing system according to claim 3, wherein the output unit outputs an image and/or sound representing the controller device as seen from a direction generally perpendicular to the predetermined plane.

6. The information processing system according to claim 3, further comprising a judgment unit for judging, where the image and/or sound is output, whether the controller device has assumed a predetermined attitude represented by the image and/or sound,

wherein the determination unit determines the orientation of the grip portion when the controller device has assumed the predetermined attitude.

7. The information processing system according to claim 2, the controller device further comprising a position detection unit for detecting a position at which an input has been made on a predetermined input surface provided on the housing,

wherein the process executing unit executes the information process using at least the position detected by the position detection unit as an input.

8. The information processing system according to claim 2, wherein the process executing unit executes the information process using at least the attitude of the controller device as an input.

9. The information processing system according to claim 8, wherein:

the grip portion is formed lopsided with respect to a left-right direction of the predetermined plane;

the determination unit determines whether the grip portion is facing left or facing right with respect to the center; and

the process executing unit executes, as the information process, a process of changing a direction in a virtual space according to an attitude change of the controller device, wherein the change in the direction in the virtual space is reversed depending on the determination result with respect to an attitude change about an axis extending in the left-right direction and/or an attitude change about an axis extending in an up-down direction parallel to the predetermined plane and perpendicular to the left-right direction.

10. The information processing system according to claim 1, the controller device further comprising an acceleration sensor,

wherein the attitude calculation unit calculates an attitude of the controller device with respect to a direction of gravity based on a detection result of the acceleration sensor.

11. A determination method for determining an orientation of a controller device including a housing and a grip portion formed lopsided with respect to a center of a predetermined surface of the housing, the method comprising:

calculating an attitude of the controller device; and

determining the orientation of the grip portion with respect to the center based on the attitude of the controller device.

12. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a housing;

a grip portion formed lopsided with respect to a center of a predetermined surface of the housing;

an attitude calculation unit for calculating an attitude of the information processing apparatus; and

a determination unit for determining an orientation of the grip portion with respect to the center based on the attitude.

13. An information processing apparatus capable of communicating with a controller device, wherein:

the controller device comprises;

a housing; and

a grip portion formed lopsided with respect to a center of a predetermined surface of the housing, the information processing apparatus comprising;

an attitude calculation unit for calculating an attitude of the controller device; and

a determination unit for determining an orientation of the grip portion with respect to the center based on the attitude of the controller device.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing thereon an information processing program to be executed by a computer of an information processing apparatus including a housing, and a grip portion formed lopsided with respect to a center of a predetermined surface of the housing, the information processing program causing the computer to execute:

calculating an attitude of the information processing apparatus; and

determining an orientation of the grip portion with respect to the center based on the attitude.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing thereon an information processing program to be executed by an information processing apparatus capable of communicating with a controller device including a housing, and a grip portion formed lopsided with respect to a center of a predetermined surface of the housing, the information processing program causing the computer to execute:

calculating an attitude of the controller device; and

determining an orientation of the grip portion with respect to the center based on the attitude of the controller device.