Method of moving objects on TV monitor, the computer and recording medium for executing the method

• US 7,027,034 B2
• Filed: 01/10/2001
• Issued: 04/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Komata, Nobuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): Arnold, Adam
• Application Number:
  US09/757,814
• Publication Number:
  US 20010013858A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,917 Days
• Field of Search: 345/159, 345/467, 345/672, 463/37
• US Class Current: 345/159
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/218 using pressure sensors, e.g. generating a signal proportional to the pressure applied by the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/24 Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/57 Simulating properties, behaviour or motion of objects in the game world, e.g. computing tyre load in a car race game A63F13/56 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1056 involving pressure sensitive buttons
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/64 for computing dynamical parameters of game objects, e.g. motion determination or computation of frictional forces for a virtual car
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0338 with detection of limited linear or angular displacement of an operating part of the device from a neutral position, e.g. isotonic or isometric joysticks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04892 Arrangements for controlling cursor position based on codes indicative of cursor displacements from one discrete location to another, e.g. using cursor control keys associated to different directions or using the tab key arrangements for controlling cursor position based on coordinate signals G06F3/038

Abstract

The movement of an object due to the continuous pushing of a simple ON/OFF switch is made an easier-to-use interface for users by a method of moving an object displayed on a screen of a TV monitor of a computer having a controller which has a pressure-sensitive unit. In the method, the pushing by a user on the controller is sensed by the pressure-sensitive unit, a pressure-sensing output signal is determined depending on the pushing pressure, and the object is moved within the screen of the TV monitor depending on the magnitude of the pressure-sensing output signal of the controller.

Claims

1. A recording medium on which is recorded a computer-readable and executable software program that performs processing by taking as instructions an output from a controller of a computer, said controller having one or more pressure-sensitive means, wherein

said software program comprises a processing program that moves an object within a screen of a monitor of the computer depending on the output of said controller, wherein a distance moved by the object is determined by an output value of said controller indicative of a highest pushing pressure exerted on at least one of said one or more pressure-sensitive means during a current operating cycle of said one or more pressure-sensitive means, wherein the movement of the object within the screen of the monitor represents an action executed in a three-dimensional space;

and

wherein a distance of the movement of said object on the screen of the monitor is determined depending on a rate of change per unit time of the output value of said controller.

2. The recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the distance of the movement of the object is determined by multiplying a current position of said object by a rate of change coefficient correlated with the output value of said controller.

3. The recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the action executed in a three-dimensional space is a jumping action.

4. A method of moving an object displayed on a screen of a monitor of a computer having a controller which has one or more pressure-sensitive means, comprising the steps of:

sensing a pushing pressure exerted by a user on said controller of the computer by said one or more pressure-sensitive means;

determining a pressure-sensing output signal depending on said sensed pressure; and

moving the object within the screen depending on a magnitude of said pressure-sensing output signal, wherein the magnitude is indicative of a highest pushing pressure exerted on said pressure-sensitive means during a current operating cycle of said pressure-sensitive means and the movement of the object within the screen of the monitor represents an action executed in a three-dimensional space;

wherein

in said step of moving the object within the screen depending on the magnitude of said pressure-sensing output signal, a distance of movement of the object is determined depending on the rate of change per unit time of the magnitude of said pressure-sensing output signal.

5. The method of moving an object according to claim 4, wherein the action executed in a three-dimensional space is a jumping action.

6. A method of moving an object displayed on a screen of a monitor of a computer having a controller which has one or more pressure-sensitive means, comprising the steps of:

sensing a pushing pressure exerted by a user on said controller of the computer by said one or more pressure-sensitive means;

determining a pressure-sensing output signal depending on said sensed pressure; and

moving the object within the screen depending on a magnitude of said pressure-sensing output signal, wherein the magnitude is indicative of a highest pushing pressure exerted on said pressure-sensitive means during a current operating cycle of said pressure-sensitive means and the movement of the object within the screen of the monitor represents an action executed in a three-dimensional space;

wherein

in said step of moving said object within the screen depending on the magnitude of said pressure-Sensing output signal,

a position of movement of said object is determined by multiplying a current position of said object by a velocity coefficient that depends on the magnitude of said pressure-sensing signal.

7. A computer to which a monitor having a screen is interconnected, said computer comprising:

a controller which has pressure-sensitive means;

one or more means for sensing a pushing pressure exerted by a user on said controller;

means for determining a pressure-sensing output signal depending on said pushing pressure;

means for moving an object within said screen displayed on said monitor depending on a magnitude of said pressure-sensing output signal, wherein said means for sensing indicates a highest pushing pressure exerted on said one or more means for sensing a pushing pressure during a current operating cycle of said pressure-sensitive means and the movement of the object within said screen represents an action executed in a three-dimensional space; and

means for determining a distance of movement of the object depending on a rate of change per unit time of the magnitude of said pressure-sensing output signal.

8. The computer according to claim 7, wherein said means for determining a distance of movement of the object multiplies a current position of said object by a rate of change coefficient correlated with the magnitude of said pressure-sensing output signal.

9. The computer according to claim 7, wherein the action executed in a three-dimensional space is a jumping action.

10. A recording medium on which is recorded a computer-readable and executable software program that performs processing by taking as instructions an output from a controller of a computer, said controller having one or more pressure-sensitive means, wherein

said software program comprises a processing program that moves an object within a screen of a monitor of the computer depending on the output of said controller, wherein a distance moved by the object is determined by an output value of said controller indicative of a highest pushing pressure exerted on at least one of said one or more pressure-sensitive means during a current operating cycle of said one or more pressure-sensitive means, wherein the movement of the object within the screen of the monitor represents an action executed in a three-dimensional space;

and

wherein a vertical distance of the movement of the object is determined depending on a rate of change per unit time of the output value of said controller by multiplying a current vertical position of said object by a rate of vertical change coefficient correlated with the output value of said controller, successive rate of vertical change coefficients being stored for manipulation to reverse the distance of vertical movement after a vertical apex of the object is reached.

11. The recording medium according to claim 10, wherein said software program determines that a vertical apex has been reached when a component of the pushing pressure exerted on said one or more pressure-sensitive means indicating the vertical distance of movement is released.

12. A method of moving an object displayed on a screen of a monitor of a computer having a controller which has one or more pressure-sensitive means, comprising the steps of:

sensing a pushing pressure exerted by a user on said controller of the computer by said one or more pressure-sensitive means;

determining a pressure-sensing output signal depending on said sensed pressure; and

moving the object within the screen depending on a magnitude of said pressure-sensing output signal, wherein the magnitude is indicative of a highest pushing pressure exerted on said pressure-sensitive means during a current operating cycle of said pressure-sensitive means and the movement of the object within the screen of the monitor represents an action executed in a three-dimensional space;

wherein

in said step of moving said object within the screen depending on the magnitude of said pressure-sensing output signal,

a vertical position of movement of said object is determined by multiplying a current position of said object by a vertical velocity coefficient that depends on the magnitude of said pressure-sensing signal, successive vertical velocity coefficients are stored, and the stored vertical velocity coefficients are used to reverse the vertical position of movement after determining that a vertical apex of the object is reached.

13. The recording medium according to claim 12, wherein the vertical apex is determined to be reached when a component of the pushing pressure exerted on said one or more pressure-sensitive means indicating the vertical distance of movement is released.

14. A computer to which a monitor having a screen is interconnected, said computer comprising:

a controller which has pressure-sensitive means;

one or more means for sensing a pushing pressure exerted by a user on said controller;

means for determining a pressure-sensing output signal depending on said pushing pressure;

means for moving an object within said screen displayed on said monitor depending on a magnitude of said pressure-sensing output signal, wherein said means for sensing indicates a highest pushing pressure exerted on said one or more means for sensing a pushing pressure during a current operating cycle of said pressure-sensitive means and the movement of the object within said screen represents an action executed in a three-dimensional space; and

means for determining a vertical distance of movement of the object depending on a rate of change per unit time of the magnitude of said pressure-sensing output signal by multiplying a vertical position of said object by a vertical distance rate of change coefficient correlated with the magnitude of said pressure-sensing output signal, storing successively determined vertical distance rate of change coefficients, and reversing the vertical position by manipulating the stored vertical distance rate of change coefficients after a vertical apex of the object is reached.

15. The computer according to claim 14, wherein the vertical apex is determined to be reached when a component of the pushing pressure exerted on said one or more means for sensing a pushing pressure indicating the vertical distance of movement is released.

16. A computer executing a software program that performs processing by taking as instructions an output from a controller of a computer, said controller having one or more pressure-sensitive means, wherein

said software program comprises a processing program that moves an object within a screen of a monitor of the computer depending on the output of said controller, wherein a distance moved by the object is determined by an output value of said controller indicative of a highest pushing pressure exerted on at least one of said one or more pressure-sensitive means during a current operating cycle of said one or more pressure-sensitive means, wherein the movement of the object within the screen of the monitor represents an action executed in a three-dimensional space;

and

wherein a distance of the movement of said object on the screen of the monitor is determined depending on a rate of change per unit time of the output value of said controller.