Storage medium storing object movement control program and information processing apparatus

• US 7,825,909 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2006
• Issued: 11/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Niida, Koichi
• Primary Examiner(s): LEWIS, DAVID LEE
• Application Number:
  US11/541,663
• Publication Number:
  US 20070075985A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,491 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-184
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/2145 the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/426 involving on-screen location information, e.g. screen coordinates of an area at which the player is aiming with a light gun
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/533 for prompting the player, e.g. by displaying a game menu
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/573 using trajectories of game objects, e.g. of a golf ball according to the point of impact
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

An information processing apparatus includes a processor. A movement of an object is controlled in accordance with an input. For example, a starting point of the input is determined by detecting coordinates in a first area including the object. A second area is set, with the starting point set as a reference, and when a continuous input after determining the starting point is given to the outside of the second area, detection coordinates are determined as an ending point of the input. Based on the ending point of the input and for example the starting point or an object position, a moving direction of the object is determined. Then, the object is moved in the moving direction thus determined.

Claims

1. A storage medium storing an object movement control program of an information processing apparatus for displaying on a display an object moving in accordance with an input by an input device, wherein

said object movement control program causes a processor of said information processing apparatus to function as:

a coordinate detection detector for detecting coordinates inputted to a screen of said display by said input device;

a first determination programmed logic circuitry for determining whether or not the coordinates detected by said coordinate detector correspond to coordinates in a first area on said screen;

a second determination programmed logic circuitry for determining whether or not the coordinates continuously detected after a determination result by said first determination programmed logic circuitry is affirmative are coordinates positioned outside of a second area on said screen;

a direction determination programmed logic circuitry for determining a moving direction based on the coordinates detected when a determination result by said second determination programmed logic circuitry is affirmative; and

a movement controller for controlling said object to move in said moving direction determined by said direction determination programmed logic circuitry.

2. A storage medium storing an object movement control program according to claim 1, wherein

said movement controller starts the movement of said object at a timing when the determination result by said second determination programmed logic circuitry is affirmative.

3. A storage medium storing an object movement control program according to claim 1, wherein

said object movement control program causes said processor to further function as an object image display for displaying an image of said object in said first area.

4. A storage medium storing an object movement control program according to claim 1, wherein

said second area encompasses said first area.

5. A storage medium storing an object movement control program according to claim 1, wherein

said second area is provided with the coordinates detected when the determination result by said first determination programmed logic circuitry is affirmative as a reference.

6. A storage medium storing an object movement control program according to claim 1, wherein

said second area is provided with a predetermined position in said first area as a reference.

7. A storage medium storing an object movement control program according to claim 1, wherein

said direction determination programmed logic circuitry determines said moving direction, based on a predetermined position in said first area and the coordinates detected when the determination result by said second determination programmed logic circuitry is affirmative.

8. A storage medium storing an object movement control program according to claim 1, wherein

said direction determination programmed logic circuitry determines said moving direction, based on the coordinates detected when the determination result by said first determination programmed logic circuitry is affirmative and the coordinates detected when the determination result by said second determination programmed logic circuitry is affirmative.

9. A storage medium storing an object movement control program according to claim 1, wherein

said direction determination programmed logic circuitry determines the moving direction, based on the coordinates of at least two points out of the coordinates continuously detected by said coordinate detector from when the determination result by said first determination programmed logic circuitry is affirmative to when the determination result by said second determination programmed logic circuitry is affirmative.

10. A storage medium storing an object movement control program according to claim 1, wherein

said object movement control program causes said processor to further function as a third determination programmed logic circuitry for determining whether or not the coordinates continuously detected after the determination result by said first determination programmed logic circuitry is affirmative are the coordinates positioned outside of a third area different from at least said second area on said screen, and

said direction determination programmed logic circuitry determines said moving direction, based on the coordinates detected when the determination result by said third determination programmed logic circuitry is affirmative and the coordinates detected when the determination result by said second determination programmed logic circuitry is affirmative.

11. A storage medium storing an object movement control program according to claim 1, wherein

said object movement control program causes said processor to further function as a speed determination programmed logic circuitry for determining a moving speed based on a time period elapsed from when the determination result by said first determination programmed logic circuitry is affirmative to when the determination result by said second determination programmed logic circuitry is affirmative, and

said movement controller controls said object to move at said moving speed determined by said speed determination programmed logic circuitry.

12. A storage medium storing an object movement control program according to claim 1, wherein

said object movement control program causes said processor to further function as a speed determination programmed logic circuitry for determining a moving speed based on a time period elapsed from when it is determined that the coordinates continuously detected after the determination result by said first determination programmed logic circuitry is affirmative are the coordinates positioned outside of a third area different from at least said second area on said screen, to when the determination result by said second determination programmed logic circuitry is affirmative, and

said movement controller controls said object to move at said moving speed determined by said speed determination programmed logic circuitry.

13. A storage medium storing an object movement control program according to claim 1, wherein

said direction determination programmed logic circuitry determines said moving direction, when the coordinates are not detected by said coordinate detector, before the determination result by said second determination programmed logic circuitry is affirmative, after the determination result by said first determination programmed logic circuitry is affirmative, based on the coordinates detected immediately before the coordinates are not detected, instead of the coordinates detected when the determination result by said second determination programmed logic circuitry is affirmative.

14. A storage medium storing an object movement control program according to claim 1, wherein

said movement controller does not move said object when the coordinates are not detected by said coordinate detector before it is determined that the coordinates continuously detected after the determination result by said first determination programmed logic circuitry is affirmative are the coordinates positioned outside of a third area different from at least said second area on said screen.

15. A storage medium storing an object movement control program according to claim 1, wherein

said object movement control program causes said processor to further function as an object generation programmed logic circuitry for generating, when said object is moved by said movement controller, another object different from said object.

16. A storage medium storing an object movement control program according to claim 1, wherein

said first area is larger than a display area of said object.

17. A storage medium storing an object movement control program according to claim 1, wherein

said first area has a same size as that of a display area of said object.

18. A storage medium storing an object movement control program of an information processing apparatus for displaying on a display an object moving in accordance with an input by an input device, wherein

said object movement control program causes a processor of said information processing apparatus to function as:

an object display controller for displaying said object on said display;

a coordinate detector for detecting coordinates inputted to a screen of said display by said input device;

a first determination programmed logic circuitry for determining whether or not the coordinates detected by said coordinate detector correspond to coordinates in a first area on said screen;

a second determination programmed logic circuitry for determining whether or not the coordinates continuously detected after a determination result by said first determination programmed logic circuitry is affirmative are coordinates positioned outside of a second area on said screen;

a direction determination programmed logic circuitry for determining a moving direction based on the coordinates of at least two points out of the coordinates continuously detected by said coordinate detector from when the determination result by said first determination programmed logic circuitry is affirmative to when a determination result by said second determination programmed logic circuitry is affirmative; and

a movement controller for moving said object in said moving direction determined by said direction determination programmed logic circuitry, at a timing when the determination result by said second determination programmed logic circuitry is affirmative.

19. An information processing apparatus for displaying on a display an object moving in accordance with an input by an input device, comprising:

a coordinate detector for detecting coordinates inputted to a screen of said display by said input device;

a first determination programmed logic circuitry for determining whether or not the coordinates detected by said coordinate detector correspond to coordinates in a first area on said screen;

a second determination programmed logic circuitry for determining whether or not the coordinates continuously detected after a determination result by said first determination programmed logic circuitry is affirmative are coordinates positioned outside of a second area on said screen;

a direction determination programmed logic circuitry for determining a moving direction based on the coordinates detected when a determination result by said second determination programmed logic circuitry is affirmative; and

a movement controller for controlling said object to move in said moving direction determined by said direction determination programmed logic circuitry.

20. An information processing apparatus for displaying on a display an object moving in accordance with an input by an input device, comprising:

an object display controller for displaying said object on said display;

a coordinate detector for detecting coordinates inputted to a screen of said display by said input device;

a first determination programmed logic circuitry for determining whether or not the coordinates detected by said coordinate detector correspond to coordinates in a first area on said screen;

a second determination programmed logic circuitry for determining whether or not the coordinates continuously detected after a determination result by said first determination programmed logic circuitry is affirmative are coordinates positioned outside of a second area on said screen;

a direction determination programmed logic circuitry for determining a moving direction based on the coordinates of at least two points out of the coordinates continuously detected by said coordinate detector from when the determination result by said first determination programmed logic circuitry is affirmative to when a determination result by said second determination programmed logic circuitry is affirmative; and

a movement controller for moving said object in said moving direction determined by said direction determination programmed logic circuitry, at a timing when the determination result by said second determination programmed logic circuitry is affirmative.