Storage medium storing sound output control program and sound output control apparatus

• US 7,890,199 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2006
• Issued: 02/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Inagaki, Yoji
• Primary Examiner(s): Mei; Xu
• Application Number:
  US11/482,799
• Publication Number:
  US 20070255434A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,681 Days
• Field of Search: 700/94, 381/61, 381/124, 463 35- 38, 463/43, 463 1- 5, 704/270, 704/272, 704/278, 846/01, 846/04, 702/127, 702/141
• US Class Current: 700/94
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/34 Switch arrangements, e.g. keyboards or mechanical switches specially adapted for electrophonic musical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/135 Musical aspects of games or videogames; Musical instrument-shaped game input interfaces game background music G10H2210/026; musical game scoring or performance evaluation G10H2210/091
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/395 Acceleration sensing or accelerometer use, e.g. 3D movement computation by integration of accelerometer data, angle sensing with respect to the vertical, i.e. gravity sensing. conductor baton movement sensing G10H2220/206, angle sensing without reference to gravity G10H2220/391; player body joint angle sensing G10H2220/321
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/401 3D sensing, i.e. three-dimensional (x, y, z) position or movement sensing. movement pattern or gesture sensing G10H2220/201; geolocation sensing G10H2220/355, 3D sensing with accelerometer G10H2220/395
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2250/441 Gensound string, i.e. generating the sound of a string instrument, controlling specific features of said sound spint piano G10H2230/065; spint stringed instruments G10H2230/075

Abstract

A sound output control apparatus includes a controller for a user to perform a stroke operation. The controller is provided with an acceleration sensor for detecting accelerations of two axes, for example. The sum of the accelerations is calculated, and the output of a sound is controlled in accordance with a change in the sum of the accelerations. More specifically, when the sum of the accelerations exceeds each of threshold values associated with strings of a string instrument such as a guitar, a sound corresponding to the threshold value is output.

Claims

1. A storage medium storing a sound output control program for a sound output control apparatus that outputs a sound from an output in accordance with manipulation of an operating device, wherein

said operating device comprises an acceleration sensor for detecting accelerations in directions of at least two axes orthogonal to each other,

said sound output control program allows a processor of said sound output control apparatus to execute:

an acquisition step of acquiring the accelerations detected by said acceleration sensor;

a calculation step of calculating sum of accelerations of two axes acquired in said acquisition step;

a sound control step of generating a control signal for sound output in accordance with a change in said sum of accelerations; and

a sound output step of outputting a sound from said output based on said control signal.

2. A storage medium storing a sound output control program according to claim 1, wherein said sound control step includes a determination step of determining whether a change in said sum of accelerations has formed a predetermined relationship with any of a plurality of threshold values stored in a storage area, and when it is determined in said determination step that a change in said sum of accelerations has formed a predetermined relationship with said threshold value, said control signal for sound output is generated.

3. A storage medium storing a sound output control program according to claim 1, wherein, in said sound control step, a tone of sound to be output is selected on the basis of a change in said sum of accelerations.

4. A storage medium storing a sound output control program according to claim 1, wherein

said operating device further comprises a sound emission instruction device for providing an instruction on whether or not to carry out sound output and,

in said sound control step, presence or absence of the sound output is controlled in accordance with the instruction from said sound emission instruction device.

5. A sound output control apparatus for outputting a sound from an output in accordance with manipulation of an operating device having an acceleration sensor for detecting accelerations in at least two directions orthogonal to each other, comprising:

an acquisition programmed logic circuitry for acquiring the accelerations detected by said acceleration sensor;

a calculation programmed logic circuitry for calculating sum of accelerations of two axes acquired by said acceleration sensor;

a sound control programmed logic circuitry for generating a control signal for sound output in accordance with a change in said sum of accelerations; and

a sound output for outputting a sound from said output based on said control signal.

6. A sound output control apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said sound control programmed logic circuitry determines whether a change in said sum of accelerations has formed a predetermined relationship with any of a plurality of threshold values stored in a storage area, and when it is determined that a change in said sum of accelerations has formed a predetermined relationship with said threshold value, said control signal for sound output is generated.

7. A sound output control apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a tone of sound to be output is selected, by said sound control programmed logic circuitry, on the basis of a change in said sum of accelerations.

8. A sound output control apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

said operating device further comprises a sound emission instruction programmed logic circuitry for providing an instruction on whether or not to carry out sound output and,

presence or absence of the sound output is controlled, by said sound control programmed logic circuitry, in accordance with the instruction from said sound emission instruction programmed logic circuitry.