Storage medium having game program stored thereon and game apparatus

• US 7,474,103 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2007
• Issued: 01/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Yamada, Yoichi, Matsutani, Kenji, Iwawaki, Toshio
• Primary Examiner(s): Ullah; Akm E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Muralidar; Richard V
• Application Number:
  US11/654,650
• Publication Number:
  US 20080119273A1
• Time in Patent Office: 719 Days
• Field of Search: 324425-429, 320/132, 320/134, 320/136
• US Class Current: 324/426
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/235 using a wireless connection, e.g. infrared or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/24 Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/28 responding to control signals received from the game device for affecting ambient conditions, e.g. for vibrating players' seats, activating scent dispensers or affecting temperature or light controlling the output signals based on the game progress A63F13/50
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/493 Resuming a game, e.g. after pausing, malfunction or power failure
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/533 for prompting the player, e.g. by displaying a game menu
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3206 Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3215 Monitoring of peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0325 using a plurality of light emitters or reflectors or a plurality of detectors forming a reference frame from which to derive the orientation of the object, e.g. by triangulation or on the basis of reference deformation in the picked up image
• 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 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device

Abstract

At least one of continuous disconnection, intermittent disconnection, and temporary disconnection, of wireless communication between the input device and the game apparatus is detected. Remaining battery amount data representing a remaining battery amount of the input device is obtained via the wireless communication. It is determined that the power of the input device is insufficient based on that the wireless communication is detected to be disconnected and that the obtained remaining battery amount data represents a remaining battery amount of a predetermined level or lower. When it is determined that the power is insufficient, the power insufficiency is notified.

Claims

1. A storage medium having a game program stored thereon executable by a computer of a game apparatus wirelessly communicably connected to an input device including an electronic circuit having a wireless communication function and a battery for providing power to the electronic circuit, wherein the game program causes the computer to act as:

disconnection detection means for detecting at least one of continuous disconnection, intermittent disconnection, and temporary disconnection, of wireless communication between the input device and the game apparatus;

remaining battery amount data obtaining means for obtaining remaining battery amount data representing a remaining battery amount of the input device via the wireless communication;

power insufficiency determination means for determining that the power of the input device is insufficient based on that the wireless communication is detected to be disconnected by the disconnection detection means and that the remaining battery amount data obtained by the remaining battery amount data obtaining means represents a remaining battery amount of a predetermined level or lower; and

notification means for, when the power insufficiency determination means determines that the power is insufficient, notifying the power insufficiency.

2. A storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the power insufficiency determination means determines that the power of the input device is insufficient when the disconnection detection means detects the temporary disconnection of the wireless communication, the remaining battery amount data obtained by the remaining battery amount data obtaining means represents a remaining battery amount of a predetermined level or lower, and further the disconnection detection means detects that the wireless communication is disconnected the second time within a predetermined time period after the temporary disconnection.

3. A storage medium according to claim 1, wherein:

the disconnection detection means detects the temporary disconnection of the wireless communication; and

the remaining battery amount data obtaining means obtains the remaining battery amount data from the input device only immediately after the disconnection detection means detects the temporary disconnection.

4. A storage medium according to claim 3, wherein:

the power insufficiency determination means determines that the power of the input device is insufficient when the disconnection detection means detects the temporary disconnection of the wireless communication, the remaining battery amount data obtained by the remaining battery amount data obtaining means represents a remaining battery amount of a predetermined level or lower, and further the disconnection detection means detects that the wireless communication is disconnected the second time within a predetermined time period after the temporary disconnection.

5. A storage medium according to claim 1, wherein:

the disconnection detection means detects the intermittent disconnection of the wireless communication during a predetermine time period; and

the power insufficiency determination means determines that the power of the input device is insufficient when the disconnection detection means detects the intermittent disconnection of the wireless communication, and the remaining battery amount data obtained by the remaining battery amount data obtaining means represents a remaining battery amount of a predetermined level or lower.

6. A storage medium according to claim 1, wherein:

the remaining battery amount obtaining means obtains the remaining battery amount data representing the remaining battery amount of the input device repeatedly as necessary via the wireless communication; and

the power insufficiency determination means determines that the power of the input device is insufficient when the disconnection detection means detects the continuous disconnection of the wireless communication, and the latest remaining battery amount data obtained by the remaining battery amount data obtaining means represents a remaining battery amount of a predetermined level or lower.

7. A storage medium according to claim 1, wherein when the power insufficiency determination means determines that the power is insufficient, the notification means interrupts game processing which is being executed, stores game state data representing a state of the game in execution on a memory included in the game apparatus, and notifies that the power is insufficient by displaying a message indicating the power insufficiency on a display device with a game image provided by the game processing being stopped.

8. A storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the notification means displays, on a display device for displaying a game image of a game which is being executed by the game apparatus, an image indicating that the power of the input device is insufficient.

9. A storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the notification means outputs an audio signal or a sound effect indicating that the power of the input device is insufficient through a speaker controllable by the game apparatus.

10. A game apparatus wirelessly communicably connected to an input device including an electronic circuit having a wireless communication function and a battery for providing power to the electronic circuit, the apparatus comprising:

wireless communication means for wirelessly communicating with the input device;

disconnection detection means for detecting at least one of continuous disconnection, intermittent disconnection, and temporary disconnection, of wireless communication with the input device;

remaining battery amount data obtaining means for obtaining remaining battery amount data representing a remaining battery amount of the input device via the wireless communication;

power insufficiency determination means for determining that the power of the input device is insufficient based on that the wireless communication is detected to be disconnected by the disconnection detection means and that the remaining battery amount data obtained by the remaining battery amount data obtaining means represents a remaining battery amount of a predetermined level or lower; and

notification means for, when the power insufficiency determination means determines that the power is insufficient, notifying the power insufficiency.

11. A game apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the power insufficiency determination means determines that the power of the input device is insufficient when the disconnection detection means detects the temporary disconnection of the wireless communication, the remaining battery amount data obtained by the remaining battery amount data obtaining means represents a remaining battery amount of a predetermined level or lower, and further the disconnection detection means detects that the wireless communication is disconnected the second time within a predetermined time period after the temporary disconnection.

12. A game apparatus medium according to claim 10, wherein:

the disconnection detection means detects the temporary disconnection of the wireless communication; and

the remaining battery amount data obtaining means obtains the remaining battery amount data from the input device only immediately after the disconnection detection means detects the temporary disconnection.

13. A game apparatus medium according to claim 12, wherein:

the power insufficiency determination means determines that the power of the input device is insufficient when the disconnection detection means detects the temporary disconnection of the wireless communication, the remaining battery amount data obtained by the remaining battery amount data obtaining means represents a remaining battery amount of a predetermined level or lower, and further the disconnection detection means detects that the wireless communication is disconnected the second time within a predetermined time period after the temporary disconnection.

14. A game apparatus according to claim 10, wherein:

the disconnection detection means detects the intermittent disconnection of the wireless communication during a predetermine time period; and

the power insufficiency determination means determines that the power of the input device is insufficient when the disconnection detection means detects the intermittent disconnection of the wireless communication, and the remaining battery amount data obtained by the remaining battery amount data obtaining means represents a remaining battery amount of a predetermined level or lower.

15. A game apparatus medium according to claim 10, wherein:

the remaining battery amount obtaining means obtains the remaining battery amount data representing the remaining battery amount of the input device repeatedly as necessary via the wireless communication; and

the power insufficiency determination means determines that the power of the input device is insufficient when the disconnection detection means detects the continuous disconnection of the wireless communication, and the latest remaining battery amount data obtained by the remaining battery amount data obtaining means represents a remaining battery amount of a predetermined level or lower.

16. A game apparatus medium according to claim 10, wherein when the power insufficiency determination means determines that the power is insufficient, the notification means interrupts game processing which is being executed, stores game state data representing a state of the game in execution on a memory included in the game apparatus, and notifies that the power is insufficient by displaying a message indicating the power insufficiency on a display device with a game image provided by the game processing being stopped.

17. A game apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the notification means displays, on a display device for displaying a game image of a game which is being executed by the game apparatus, an image indicating that the power of the input device is insufficient.

18. A game apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the notification means outputs an audio signal or a sound effect indicating that the power of the input device is insufficient through a speaker controllable by the game apparatus.