Inclination calculation apparatus and inclination calculation program, and game apparatus and game program

• US 7,920,985 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2008
• Issued: 04/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Ohta, Keizo
• Primary Examiner(s): Khuu; Cindy Hien-Dieu
• Application Number:
  US12/081,554
• Publication Number:
  US 20080215288A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,083 Days
• Field of Search: 702/154
• US Class Current: 702/154
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/105 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 9/00 Measuring inclination, e.g. by clinometers, by levels
• 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

Abstract

An inclination calculation apparatus within a game machine computes inclination of an input device having an acceleration sensor/detector capable of detecting acceleration in at least two axial directions. Programmed logic circuitry within the apparatus generates preliminary data which is representative of a current inclination and which is uniquely determined from acceleration data obtained from the acceleration sensor/detector. Programmed logic circuitry within the apparatus also regularly consecutively computes new/updated inclination vectors in real-time based on a previously computed inclination vector, a variable “effectiveness” valve and a current inclination vector, where the effectiveness value is a correction factor that represents the degree to which the direction of the previously computed inclination vector must be made closer to the direction of the current inclination vector to result in a direction for the new/updated inclination which more accurately reflects the actual inclination of the input device at the time the acceleration data is acquired.

Claims

1. An inclination calculation apparatus that computes an updated new inclination vector of an input device in real time, said input device having an acceleration detector capable of consecutively detecting acceleration simultaneously in at least two axial directions, comprising:

preliminary data generation programmed logic circuitry configured to consecutively generate preliminary data which represents a current inclination vector which is uniquely determined from current acceleration data obtained from the acceleration detector; and

inclination calculation programmed logic circuitry configured to regularly consecutively compute updated new inclination vectors in real-time based on a previously computed inclination vector, a current inclination vector and an effectiveness value which represents a degree to which a direction of a previous computed inclination vector must be made closer to the direction of the current inclination vector, wherein the effectiveness value is used during each computation to result in a direction for the updated new inclination vector which more accurately reflects an actual inclination of the input device at the time the acceleration data is acquired.

2. An inclination calculation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the preliminary data represents an inclination of the input device under an assumption that the acceleration data represents only an acceleration of gravity.

3. An inclination calculation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the acceleration detector is capable of detecting an acceleration in three axial directions;

the inclination calculation programmed logic circuitry computes an inclination in two axial directions among the three axial directions; and

the preliminary data generation programmed logic circuitry is configured to generate preliminary data, corresponding to the inclination computed in two axial directions and representing an inclination in said two axial directions, from the acceleration data representing the acceleration in the three axial directions.

4. An inclination calculation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising magnitude calculation programmed logic circuitry configured to compute a magnitude of the acceleration represented by the acceleration data,

wherein the inclination calculation programmed logic circuitry consecutively updates the effectiveness value in accordance with a magnitude of a detected acceleration, in a manner such that the effectiveness value becomes greater as the magnitude of the acceleration calculated by the magnitude calculation programmed logic circuitry becomes closer to a magnitude of an acceleration due to gravity.

5. An inclination calculation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising magnitude calculation programmed logic circuitry configured to compute a magnitude of the acceleration represented by the acceleration data,

wherein the inclination calculation programmed logic circuitry computes an inclination only when a difference between the computed magnitude of a detected acceleration and a magnitude of an acceleration due to gravity is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value.

15. A game apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising magnitude calculation programmed logic circuitry configured to compute a magnitude of the acceleration represented by the acceleration data,

wherein the inclination calculation programmed logic circuitry computes an inclination only when a difference between the computed magnitude of a detected acceleration and a magnitude of an acceleration due to gravity is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value.

6. A computer-readable non-transitory physical storage medium having stored thereon a plurality of inclination calculation program instructions executable by a computer for computing an inclination of an input device, said input device having an acceleration detector capable of consecutively detecting acceleration simultaneously in at least two axial directions, the inclination calculation program instructions causing the computer to:

consecutively generate preliminary data which represents an inclination of said input device, the preliminary data being uniquely determined from acceleration data obtained from the acceleration detector; and

consecutively compute an updated new value for inclination based on a previously computed inclination, a current inclination represented by the preliminary data and an effectiveness value which represents a degree to which a direction of a previous computed inclination must be made closer to a direction of the current inclination, wherein the effectiveness value is used during each computation to result in a direction for the updated new inclination which more accurately reflects an actual inclination of the input device at the time the acceleration data is acquired.

7. A computer-readable non-transitory physical storage medium according to claim 6, wherein the preliminary data represents an inclination of the input device under an assumption that the acceleration data represents only an acceleration of gravity.

8. A computer-readable non-transitory physical storage medium according to claim 6, wherein the acceleration detector is capable of detecting an acceleration simultaneously in three axial directions and the inclination calculation program instructions further cause the computer to:

compute an inclination in two axial directions among the three axial directions; and

generate preliminary data, corresponding to the inclination computed in two axial directions and representing an inclination in said two axial directions, from the acceleration data representing the acceleration in the three axial directions.

9. A computer-readable non-transitory physical storage medium according to claim 6, wherein the inclination calculation program instructions further cause the computer to:

compute a magnitude of the acceleration represented by the acceleration data; and

when computing an inclination, consecutively update said effectiveness value in accordance with the computed magnitude of the most currently acquired acceleration data, such that the effectiveness value is increased as the computed magnitude becomes closer to an acceleration magnitude of terrestrial gravity.

10. A computer-readable non-transitory physical storage medium according to claim 6, wherein the inclination calculation program instructions further cause the computer to:

compute a magnitude of the acceleration represented by the acceleration data; and

compute an inclination only when a difference between the computed magnitude of the acceleration data and a magnitude of the acceleration due to gravity is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value.

11. A game apparatus that computes an inclination of an input device, said input device having an acceleration detector capable of consecutively detecting an acceleration simultaneously in at least two axial directions and using the computed inclination as an operation input for a game, the game apparatus comprising:

preliminary data generation programmed logic circuitry configured to consecutively generate preliminary data which represents a current inclination and is uniquely determined from acceleration data output from the acceleration detector; and

inclination calculation programmed logic circuitry configured to sequentially compute an updated new inclination based on a previously computed inclination, a current inclination represented by the preliminary data and an effectiveness value which represents a degree to which a direction of the previous computed inclination must be made closer to the direction of the current inclination, wherein the effectiveness value is used during each computation of an updated new inclination to result in a computed direction for the updated new inclination which more accurately reflects an actual inclination of the input device at the time the acceleration data is acquired.

12. A game apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the preliminary data represents an inclination of the input device under an assumption that the acceleration data represents only an acceleration of gravity.

13. A game apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the acceleration detector is capable of detecting an acceleration in three axial directions and the inclination calculation programmed logic circuitry is configured to first compute an inclination in two axial directions among the three axial directions;

and

the preliminary data generation programmed logic circuitry is configured to generate preliminary data, corresponding to the inclination computed in said two axial directions and representing an inclination in said two axial directions, from the acceleration data representing the acceleration in the three axial directions.

14. A game apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising magnitude calculation programmed logic circuitry configured to compute a magnitude of the acceleration represented by the acceleration data,

wherein the inclination calculation programmed logic circuitry consecutively updates the effectiveness value in accordance with a magnitude of a detected acceleration, in a manner such that the effectiveness value becomes greater as the magnitude of the acceleration calculated by the magnitude calculation programmed logic circuitry becomes closer to a magnitude of an acceleration due to gravity.

16. A computer-readable non-transitory physical storage medium having stored thereon a plurality of game program instructions executable by a computer of a game apparatus for computing an inclination of an input device in real-time, said input device having an acceleration detector capable of consecutively detecting an acceleration simultaneously in at least two axial directions and using the computed inclination as an operation input for a game, the game program causing the computer to:

consecutively generate preliminary data which represents a current inclination of said input device, the preliminary data being uniquely determined from acceleration data obtained from the acceleration detector; and

consecutively compute updated new values for inclination in real-time based on a previously computed inclination, a current inclination and an effectiveness value which, represents a degree to which a direction of the previous computed inclination must be made closer to the direction of the current inclination, wherein the effectiveness value is used during each computation to result in a direction for the updated new inclination which more accurately reflects an actual inclination of the input device at the time the acceleration data is acquired.

17. A computer-readable non-transitory physical storage medium according to claim 16, wherein the preliminary data represents an inclination of the input device under an assumption that the acceleration data represents only an acceleration of gravity.

18. A computer-readable non-transitory physical storage medium according to claim 16, wherein the acceleration detector is capable of detecting an acceleration simultaneously in three axial directions and the inclination calculation program instructions further cause the computer to:

compute an inclination in two axial directions among the three axial directions; and

generate preliminary data, corresponding to the inclination computed in two axial directions and representing an inclination in said two axial directions, from the acceleration data representing the acceleration in the three axial directions.

19. A computer-readable non-transitory physical storage medium according to claim 16, wherein the inclination calculation program instructions further cause the computer to:

compute a magnitude of the acceleration represented by the acceleration data; and

when computing an inclination, consecutively update said effectiveness value in accordance with the computed magnitude of the most currently acquired acceleration data, such that the effectiveness value is increased as the computed magnitude becomes closer to an acceleration magnitude of terrestrial gravity.

20. A computer-readable non-transitory physical storage medium according to claim 16, wherein the inclination calculation program instructions further cause the computer to:

compute a magnitude of the acceleration represented by the acceleration data; and

compute an inclination only when a difference between the computed magnitude of the acceleration data and a magnitude of the acceleration due to gravity is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value.

21. An inclination computation system for updating a determined vector indicative of an inclination of an apparatus in real time, the system including an acceleration sensor capable of repeatedly sensing an acceleration simultaneously in at least two axial directions, comprising:

a preliminary data generator configured to repeatedly generate preliminary data representing a current inclination vector, the preliminary data being uniquely determined from a most recent acceleration sensed by the acceleration sensor; and

an inclination calculator configured to repeatedly compute an updated inclination vector in real-time based on a previously computed inclination vector, the current inclination vector and an effectiveness value, the effectiveness value representing an amount that the previously computed inclination vector needs to be changed to be closer to a direction of the current inclination vector, wherein the effectiveness value is used in successive computations and each computation produces an updated inclination vector that more accurately reflects an instantaneous inclination of the apparatus existing at each time that an acceleration is sensed.

22. An inclination computation system according to claim 21 wherein the preliminary data represents an inclination of the input device at a time when a sensed acceleration is caused by only an acceleration due to gravity.

23. An inclination computation system according to claim 21, wherein the acceleration sensor is capable of sensing an acceleration simultaneously in three axial directions;

the inclination calculator computes an inclination in two axial directions among the three axial directions; and

the preliminary data generator is configured to generate preliminary data, representing the computed inclination in two axial directions, from the acceleration sensed simultaneously in three axial directions.

24. An inclination computation system according to claim 21, further comprising an acceleration magnitude calculator configured to compute a magnitude of the sensed acceleration, wherein the inclination calculator repeatedly updates the effectiveness value in accordance with a magnitude of a sensed acceleration in a manner such that the effectiveness value becomes greater as a magnitude of an acceleration computed by the magnitude calculator becomes closer to a magnitude of an acceleration produced only by gravity.

25. An inclination computation system according to claim 21, further comprising an acceleration magnitude calculator configured to compute a magnitude of a sensed acceleration, wherein the inclination calculator computes an inclination only when a difference between the computed magnitude of a sensed acceleration and a magnitude of an acceleration due only to gravity are less than or equal to a predetermined threshold value.

26. A method for computing and updating an inclination vector of an input device in real-time, the input device having an acceleration detector capable of sensing acceleration simultaneously in at least two axial directions, comprising:

consecutively generating new preliminary data which represents a current inclination vector that is uniquely determined from current acceleration data repeatedly acquired from the acceleration detector; and

repeatedly computing, by a microcomputer, a new updated inclination vector in real-time based on a previously computed inclination vector, the current inclination vector, and an effectiveness value which represents a degree to which a direction of a previous computed inclination vector must be made closer to the direction of the current inclination vector, wherein the effectiveness value is used during each computation to result in a new updated inclination vector that is accurately indicative of an actual inclination of the input device at each time the current acceleration data is repeatedly acquired.

27. A method according to claim 26, wherein the new preliminary data represents an inclination of the input device at a time when a sensed acceleration is caused by only an acceleration due to gravity.

28. A method according to claim 26 wherein the acceleration detector is capable of sensing acceleration simultaneously in three axial directions, and wherein computing and updating an inclination vector comprises computing an inclination in at least two of the three axial directions, and wherein the new preliminary data is consecutively generated from acceleration sensed simultaneously in three axial directions.

29. A method according to claim 26, further comprising computing a magnitude of the sensed acceleration represented by the current acceleration data;

and

repeatedly updating the effectiveness value in accordance with a computed magnitude of the sensed acceleration in such a manner that the effectiveness value is increased as the computed magnitude of the sensed acceleration becomes closer to a magnitude of an acceleration produced only by gravity.

30. A method according to claim 26, further comprising computing a magnitude of the sensed acceleration represented by the current acceleration data, and

computing an inclination only when a difference between the computed magnitude of a sensed acceleration and a magnitude of an acceleration produced only by gravity is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold value.