Storage medium storing a game program, game apparatus, and game controlling method

• US 7,412,348 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2007
• Issued: 08/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Okamura, Yuichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Barlow, Jr.; John E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kundu; Sujoy K
• Application Number:
  US11/701,359
• Publication Number:
  US 20080064109A1
• Time in Patent Office: 557 Days
• Field of Search: 463 1- 5, 463/7, 463/8, 463 30- 33, 463 36- 40, 463/42, 463/49, 463/50, 702/127, 702150-155
• US Class Current: 702/152
• 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 13/44 involving timing of operations, e.g. performing an action within a time slot
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/833 Hand-to-hand fighting, e.g. martial arts competition A63F13/837 takes precedence
• 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 2300/638 according to the timing of operation or a time limit
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8029 Fighting without shooting

Abstract

A game system includes a game apparatus and a controller. The controller is furnished with an acceleration sensor for detecting accelerations in at least two axis directions. Game processing corresponding to the kind of an acceleration input by means of the controller is executed. For determining the kind, reference timing when acceleration in a first-axis direction is below a threshold value to take on a minimum value is detected. Then, it is determined whether or not an angle between acceleration change vectors before and after the reference timing is equal to or more than a predetermined angle. When the angle is not equal to or more than the predetermined angle, it is determined that the acceleration input is an acceleration input in any one of the two-axis directions, and when the angle is equal to or more than the predetermined angle, it is determined that the acceleration input is an acceleration input in a direction including the two-axis directions as components.

Claims

1. A storage medium storing a game program which causes a computer of a game apparatus including an input means having an acceleration sensor for detecting accelerations in at least two-axis directions to execute game processing in correspondence with a kind of an acceleration input by means of said input means, wherein

said game program causes said computer to execute

acceleration acquiring for acquiring accelerations detected by said acceleration sensor,

reference timing detecting for detecting a reference timing indicative of timing when acceleration in a first-axis direction out of the accelerations in the two-axis directions acquired by said acceleration acquiring is below a predetermined threshold value to take on a minimum value or is above the predetermined threshold value to take on a maximum value,

first vector calculating for calculating a first acceleration change vector on the basis of accelerations in said two-axis directions acquired at said reference timing and accelerations in said two-axis directions acquired at timing next to said reference timing,

second vector calculating for calculating a second acceleration change vector on the basis of the accelerations in said two-axis directions acquired at said reference timing and accelerations in said two-axis directions acquired at timing before said reference timing,

angle determining for determining whether or not an angle between said first acceleration change vector and said second acceleration change vector is equal to or more than a predetermined angle, and

input kind determining for determining that said acceleration input is an acceleration input in any one of said two-axis directions when said angle determining determines that said angle is not equal to or more than said predetermined angle, and determining that said acceleration input is an acceleration input in a direction including said two-axis directions as components when said angle determining determines that said angle is equal to or more than said predetermined angle.

2. A game apparatus which includes an input means having an acceleration sensor for detecting accelerations in at least two-axis directions, and executes game processing in correspondence with a kind of an acceleration input by means of said input means, comprising:

acceleration acquiring programmed logic circuitry for acquiring accelerations detected by said acceleration sensor,

reference timing detecting programmed logic circuitry for detecting a reference timing indicative of timing when acceleration in a first-axis direction out of the accelerations in the two-axis directions acquired by said acceleration acquiring programmed logic circuitry is below a predetermined threshold value to take on a minimum value or is above the threshold value to take on a maximum value,

first vector calculating programmed logic circuitry for calculating a first acceleration change vector on the basis of accelerations in said two-axis directions acquired at said reference timing and accelerations in said two-axis directions acquired at timing next to said reference timing,

second vector calculating programmed logic circuitry for calculating a second acceleration change vector on the basis of the accelerations in said two-axis directions acquired at said reference timing and accelerations in said two-axis directions acquired at timing before said reference timing,

angle determining programmed logic circuitry for determining whether or not an angle between said first acceleration change vector and said second acceleration change vector is equal to or more than a predetermined angle, and

input kind determining programmed logic circuitry for determining that said acceleration input is an acceleration input in any one of said two-axis directions when said angle determining programmed logic circuitry determines that said angle is not equal to or more than said predetermined angle, and determining that said acceleration input is an acceleration input in a direction including said two-axis directions as components when said angle determining means determines that said angle is equal to or more than said predetermined angle.

3. A game controlling method for executing, in a game apparatus including an input means having an acceleration sensor for detecting accelerations in at least two-axis directions, game processing according to a kind of an acceleration input by means of said input means, including:

acceleration acquiring for acquiring accelerations detected by said acceleration sensor,

reference timing detecting for detecting a reference timing indicative of timing when acceleration in a first-axis direction out of the accelerations in the two-axis directions acquired by said acceleration acquiring is below a predetermined threshold value to take on a minimum value or is above the predetermined threshold value to take on a maximum value,

first vector calculating for calculating a first acceleration change vector on the basis of accelerations in said two-axis directions acquired at said reference timing and accelerations in said two-axis directions acquired at timing next to said reference timing,

second vector calculating for calculating a second acceleration change vector on the basis of the accelerations in said two-axis directions acquired at said reference timing and accelerations in said two-axis directions acquired at timing before said reference timing,

angle determining for determining whether or not an angle between said first acceleration change vector and said second acceleration change vector is equal to or more than a predetermined angle, and

input kind determining for determining that said acceleration input is an acceleration input in any one of said two-axis directions when said angle determining determines that said angle is not equal to or more than said predetermined angle, and determining that said acceleration input is an acceleration input in a direction including said two-axis directions as components when said angle determining determines that said angle is equal to or more than said predetermined angle.