Hand-held game apparatus, game program storage medium and game control method for controlling display of an image based on detected angular velocity

• US 7,351,152 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2005
• Issued: 04/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Osawa, Kazuyoshi, Abe, Goro
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KIM T
• Application Number:
  US11/154,603
• Publication Number:
  US 20060046848A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,019 Days
• Field of Search: 463 30- 32, 463/34, 463 36- 38, 463 43- 44
• US Class Current: 463/43
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• 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 13/52 involving aspects of the displayed game scene
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1006 having additional degrees of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/105 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/66 for rendering three dimensional images

Abstract

A game apparatus includes a hand-held housing, a display screen, and a gyro sensor for detecting an angular velocity of a rotation around an axis perpendicular to the display screen. When the player rotates the game apparatus around the axis, a rotation angle of the housing is calculated based on the detected angular velocity. The display screen displays a game image including a rotational image rotated according to the rotation angle and an irrotational image controlled independently of the rotation angle. The rotational image is controlled so as to rotate in a direction opposite to the rotation angle and by the same degree of angle as the rotation angle, for example. It thus appears to the player that the rotational image stands still and the irrotational image makes a rotational movement. The progress of the game is changed according to a result of the determination.

Claims

1. A game apparatus equipped with a housing of a size capable of being held by a player with hands and a display including a display screen provided in said housing, comprising:

an angular velocity detector provided in relation to said housing for detecting an angular velocity of a rotation of said housing around an axis perpendicular to said display screen;

a rotation angle calculator for calculating a rotation angle of said housing based on the angular velocity detected by said angular velocity detector;

a first image data storage area for storing first image data by which on said display at least one first image is displayed, said first image capable of being rotated according to said rotation angle;

a second image data storage area for storing second image data by which on said display at least one second image which is irrotational with respect to said rotation angle is displayed;

a first image display controller for controlling display of said first image being displayed on said display screen such that said first image is rotated around said axis perpendicular to said display screen in a direction opposite to a direction of said rotation of said housing by an amount corresponding to said rotation angle calculated by said rotation angle calculator so that the first image appears to remain at a standstill;

a second image display controller for controlling display of said second image so that the second image remains irrotational with said rotation angle of the housing so that the second image appears to make a rotation movement in a same direction to the direction of the rotation of the housing in an amount corresponding to the rotation angle calculated by said rotation angle calculator;

a determination programmed logic circuitry for determining whether or not at least one of the display angle and a display position of said first image satisfies a requirement defined by a relationship with said second image; and

a game progress change programmed logic circuitry for making a change in a progress of a game according to a result of the determination by said determination programmed logic circuitry.

2. A game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said angular velocity detector includes a vibration gyro.

3. A storage medium storing a game program for realizing a function of a game apparatus comprising a housing of a size capable of being held by a player with hands, a display including a display screen provided in said housing, an angular velocity detector provided in relation to the housing for detecting an angular velocity of a rotation of the housing around an axis perpendicular to said display screen;

a first image data storage area for storing first image data by which on said display at least one first image is displayed, said first image being capable of being rotated according to a rotation angle of said housing; and

a second image data storage area for storing second image data by which on said display at least one second image which is irrotational with respect to the rotation angle of said housing is displayed, the game apparatus on which a game is played by performing a rotating operation on said housing, wherein said game program causes a processor of said game apparatus to execute;

calculating the rotation angle of said housing on the basis of the angular velocity detected by said angular velocity detector;

controlling display of said first image being displayed on the display screen such that the first image is rotated around the axis perpendicular to the display screen in a direction opposite to a direction of the rotation of the housing by an amount corresponding to said calculated rotation angle of the housing;

controlling display of said second image so that the second image remains irrotational with said rotation angle of the housing so that the second image appears to make a rotation movement in a same direction to the direction of the rotation of the housing in an amount corresponding to the rotation angle of the housing;

determining whether or not at least one of a display angle and a display position of said first image satisfies a requirement defined by a relationship with display of said second image; and

making a change in a progress of the game according to a result of the determination in said determination step.

4. A game control method for a game apparatus comprising a housing of a size capable of being held by a player with hands, a display including a display screen provided in said housing, an angular velocity detector provided in relation to the housing for detecting an angular velocity of a rotation of the housing around an axis perpendicular to said display screen, a first image data storage area for storing first image data by which on said display at least one first image is displayed, said first image being capable of being rotated according to a rotation angle of said housing, and a second image data storage area for storing second image data by which on said display at least one second image which is irrotational with respect to the rotation angle of said housing is displayed, the method including:

calculating the rotation angle of said housing on the basis of the angular velocity detected by said angular velocity detector;

controlling display of said first image being displayed on the display screen such that the first image is rotated around the axis perpendicular to the display screen in a direction opposite to a direction of the rotation of the housing by an amount corresponding to said calculated rotation angle of the housing;

controlling display of said second image so that the second image remains irrotational with said rotation angle of the housing so that the second image appears to make a rotation movement in a same direction to the direction of the rotation of the housing in an amount corresponding to the calculated rotation an angle of the housing;

determining whether or not at least one of the display angle and a display position of said first image satisfies a requirement defined by a relationship with display of said second image; and

making a change in a progress of a game according to a result of the determination in said determination step.