SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETECTING MOMENT OF IMPACT AND/OR STRENGTH OF A SWING BASED ON ACCELEROMETER DATA

• US 20170304731A1
• Filed: 07/10/2017
• Published: 10/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: RABIN, Steven
• Granted Patent: US 10,384,129 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/219 for aiming at specific areas on the display, e.g. light-guns
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/285 Generating tactile feedback signals via the game input device, e.g. force feedback
• 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 13/577 using determination of contact between game characters or objects, e.g. to avoid collision between virtual racing cars
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/812 Ball games, e.g. soccer or baseball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/814 Musical performances, e.g. by evaluating the player's ability to follow a notation
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/105 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/638 according to the timing of operation or a time limit
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8047 Music games
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 33/00 Adaptations for training adaptations of barrels for recoil reinforcement F41A21/26; Gun simulators teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying F41G3/26 ; shooting games A63F9/02; military simulation G09B9/003
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0008 Associated control or indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/311 with controlled tactile or haptic feedback effect; output interfaces therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/395 Acceleration sensing or accelerometer use, e.g. 3D movement computation by integration of accelerometer data, angle sensing with respect to the vertical, i.e. gravity sensing. conductor baton movement sensing G10H2220/206, angle sensing without reference to gravity G10H2220/391; player body joint angle sensing G10H2220/321
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2230/275 Spint drum

Abstract

An example system and method is provided for detecting a moment of impact and/or strength of a swing based on moving a hand-held device including an accelerometer arrangement. A moment and a magnitude of simulated striking of the object are determined based on one or more accelerometer arrangement outputs resulting from the moving of the hand-held device. Using one or more of aural, visual and tactile outputs, the striking of the object is simulated in accordance with the determined moment of simulated striking and the determined magnitude of the simulated striking.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a hand held controller, comprising;

a housing;

a directional input located on a first surface of the housing;

at least one input button located on the first surface of the housing;

an accelerometer; and

a processing system having a processor, a memory, and a transmitter configured to transmit data processed by the processing system, and

an information processing device, comprising;

a processing system including, at least, a processor, a memory, and a receiver configured to receive data transmitted by the transmitter, the processing system configured to;

determine a first output for a first axis of the accelerometer resulting from the hand held controller being moved in free space;

determine a second output for a second axis of the accelerometer, at least the first and/or second output reporting data indicative of at least a centripetal force resulting from the hand held controller being moved in free space; and

provide responsive output based on, at least, the first output for the first axis of the accelerometer and the second output for the second axis of the accelerometer.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the second output corresponds to a magnitude related to the hand-held controller moving in free space along a curved path.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the responsive output is associated with simulated swinging of an object.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the responsive output is associated with simulated swinging of a sword.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first output corresponds to a moment of impact of a swinging motion.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the second output corresponds to a strength of a swinging motion.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing system determines a moment of impact when the first output for the first axis of the accelerometer exceeds a specified value.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the output is responsive to the determined moment of impact and a determined magnitude corresponding to the centripetal force resulting from moving the hand held controller in free space along a curved path.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the hand held controller further includes a vibration circuit, and the responsive output includes a tactile sensation resulting from the vibration circuit of the hand held controller.

10. A system, comprising:

a first hand held controller, comprising;

a housing;

a directional input located on a first surface of the housing;

an accelerometer; and

a processing system having a processor, a memory, and a transmitter configured to transmit data processed by the processing system, and

a second hand held controller, comprising;

a housing;

a directional input located on a first surface of the housing;

an accelerometer; and

a processing system having a processor, a memory, and a transmitter configured to transmit data processed by the processing system, and

an information processing device, comprising;

a processing system including, at least, a processor, a memory, and a receiver configured to receive data transmitted by the transmitter of the first and/or second hand held controller, the processing system configured to;

determine a first output for a first axis of the accelerometer, of the first and/or second hand held controller, resulting from the first and/or second hand held controller moving in free space;

determine a second output for a second axis of the accelerometer, of the first and/or second hand held controller, at least the first and/or second output reporting data indicative of at least a centripetal force resulting from the first and/or second hand held controller moving in free space; and

provide responsive output based on, at least, the first output for the first axis of the accelerometer and the second output for the second axis of the accelerometer.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the responsive output is associated with simulated swinging of an object.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the responsive output is associated with simulated swinging of a sword.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the first output corresponds to a moment of impact of a swinging motion.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the second output corresponds to a strength of a swinging motion.

15. The system of claim 10, further comprising determining a moment of impact when the first output for the first axis of the accelerometer exceeds a specified value.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the output is responsive to the determined moment of impact and a determined magnitude corresponding to the centripetal force resulting from moving the first and/or second hand held controller in free space along a curved path.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the first and/or second hand held controller further includes a vibration circuit, and the responsive output includes a tactile sensation resulting from the vibration circuit of the first and/or second hand held controller.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising computer program code embodied thereon which, when executed by an information processing device having a processor, causes the processor to:

determine a first output for a first axis of an accelerometer resulting from a hand held controller moving in free space;

determine a second output for a second axis of the accelerometer, at least the first and/or second output reporting data indicative of at least a centripetal force resulting from the hand held controller moving in free space; and

provide responsive output based on, at least, the first output for the first axis of the accelerometer and the second output for the second axis of the accelerometer.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the responsive output is associated with simulated swinging of an object.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the responsive output is associated with simulated swinging of a sword.

21. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 18, further having computer program code that causes the processor to:

determine a first output for a first axis of an accelerometer resulting from a second hand held controller moving in free space;

determine a second output for a second axis of the accelerometer, at least the first and/or second output reporting data indicative of at least a centripetal force resulting from the second hand held controller moving in free space; and

provide responsive output based on, at least, the first output for the first axis of the accelerometer and the second output for the second axis of the accelerometer of the second hand held controller.