Information processing apparatus and storage medium storing information processing program

• US 7,924,264 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2007
• Issued: 04/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Ohta, Keizo
• Primary Examiner(s): Dharia; Prabodh M
• Application Number:
  US11/656,939
• Publication Number:
  US 20080125223A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,539 Days
• Field of Search: 345/162, 345/169, 345/204, 345156-158, 345173-175, 345/419, 345/427, 345/672, 345/698, 463/36, 463/37, 463/39, 463/43, 463/46, 463/17, 463/18, 463/22, 463/26, 463/29, 463/31, 463/42, 463/461, 340/573.1, 702/150, 244/3.21, 348/62, 348/207.1, 348/333.02
• US Class Current: 345/157
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/213 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells A63F13/219, A63F13/655 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/219 for aiming at specific areas on the display, e.g. light-guns
• 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 13/428 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 13/5375 for graphically or textually suggesting an action, e.g. by displaying an arrow indicating a turn in a driving game

Abstract

An information processing apparatus can communicate with an input device comprising an image capturing means for capturing an image of a target object, and calculates a pointing position on a screen of a display device based on the image captured by the image capturing means. The input device comprises a motion detecting means for detecting a motion of the input device. The information processing apparatus calculates a tilt value indicating a tilt of the input device using a result of detection by the motion detecting means. It is determined whether or not the pointing position can be calculated based on the image captured by the image capturing means. When it is determined that the pointing position cannot be calculated, the calculated tilt value is compared with a predetermined reference value. The user is notified of information about the tilt of the input device, depending on a result of the comparison.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing an information processing program executable by a computer included in an information processing apparatus which can communicate with an input device performing a pointing action by using an image capturing device for capturing an image of a target object, and calculating a pointing position on a screen of a display device based on the image captured by the image capturing device, wherein

the input device comprises a motion-attitude detector configured to detect a motion or an attitude of the input device,

the information processing program causing the computer to execute:

calculating a tilt value indicating a tilt of the input device using a result of detection by the motion-attitude detector;

determining whether or not the pointing position can be calculated based on the image captured by the image capturing device;

comparing the calculated tilt value with a reference value when the pointing position cannot be calculated based on the captured image; and

outputting information about the tilt of the input device based on the comparing.

2. The storage medium according to claim 1, wherein

the calculating step and the determining are repeatedly executed, and

the information processing program causes the computer to further execute:

calculating the reference value based on one or more tilt values calculated while the pointing position can be calculated.

3. The storage medium according to claim 2, wherein

the information processing program causes the computer to further execute:

calculating a tilt range based on the one or more tilt values calculated while the pointing position can be calculated, and

in the reference value calculating, the computer calculates the reference value based on the tilt range.

4. The storage medium according to claim 3, wherein, in the reference value calculating, the computer calculates an average value between an upper limit value and a lower limit value of the tilt range as the reference value.

5. The storage medium according to claim 3, wherein, in the range calculating, the computer changes the tilt range so that an upper limit value and a lower limit value of the tilt range are brought closer to the tilt value, every time the tilt value is calculated.

6. The storage medium according to claim 5, wherein

the information processing program causes the computer to further execute:

calculating an amount of a change in a position and/or an attitude of the input device, and

in the range calculating, the computer increases a degree by which the upper limit value and the lower limit value of the tilt range are brought closer to the tilt value, with a decrease in the change amount.

7. The storage medium according to claim 6, wherein, in the change amount calculating, the computer uses, as the change amount of the input device, an amount of a change in the pointing position calculated based on the image captured by the image capturing device.

8. The storage medium according to claim 4, wherein, in the range calculating, the computer changes the tilt range so that an upper limit value and a lower limit value of the tilt range are brought closer to the tilt value, every time the tilt value is calculated.

9. The storage medium according to claim 8, wherein

the information processing program causes the computer to further execute:

calculating an amount of a change in a position and/or an attitude of the input device, and

in the range calculating, the computer increases a degree by which the upper limit value and the lower limit value of the tilt range are brought closer to the tilt value, with a decrease in the change amount.

10. The storage medium according to claim 9, wherein, in the change amount calculating, the computer uses, as the change amount of the input device, an amount of a change in the pointing position calculated based on the image captured by the image capturing device.

11. The storage medium according to claim 2, wherein

the information processing program causes the computer to further execute:

storing a tilt value calculated during a period of time from the present to the past, of the one or more tilt values calculated while it is determined that the pointing position can be calculated, into a storage of the information processing apparatus, and

in the reference value calculating, the computer calculates the reference value based on a tilt value stored in the storage when it is determined that the pointing position cannot be calculated.

12. The storage medium according to claim 2, wherein, in the reference value calculating, the computer uses a most recent tilt value of the one or more tilt values calculated while the pointing position can be calculated, as the reference value.

13. The storage medium according to claim 2, wherein, in the reference value calculating, the computer sets the reference value so as to follow the calculated tilt value, depending on the calculation of the tilt value.

14. The storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the tilt value is represented as any of an angle value of the input device relative to a reference where a predetermined direction is the reference, a value of a sine function of the angle value, and a value of a cosine function of the angle value.

15. The storage medium according to claim 1, wherein, in the outputting, the computer outputs information about a direction in which the input device has deviated from a direction in which the image capturing device can capture the image of the target object.

16. The storage medium according to claim 1, wherein

the motion-attitude detector comprises an acceleration sensor for sensing an acceleration applied to the input device, and

in the tilt calculating, the computer calculates or acquires the tilt value using a result of detection by the acceleration sensor.

17. An information processing apparatus which can communicate with an input device performing a pointing action by using an image capturing device for capturing an image of a target object, and calculate a pointing position on a screen of a display device based on the image captured by the image capturing device, wherein

the input device comprises a motion-attitude detector configured to detect a motion or an attitude of the input device,

the information processing apparatus comprising a processor configured to:

calculate a tilt value indicating a tilt of the input device using a result of detection by the motion-attitude detector;

determine whether or not the pointing position can be calculated based on the image captured by the image capturing device;

compare the calculated tilt value with a reference value when the pointing position cannot be calculated; and

output information about the tilt of the input device, depending on a result of comparison.

18. The information processing apparatus according to claim 17, wherein

the calculating and the determining repeatedly execute the process of detecting the motion or attitude of the input device and the process of determining whether or not the pointing position can be calculated, and

the information processing apparatus is further configured to:

calculate the reference value based on one or more tilt values calculated when the pointing position can be calculated.

19. The information processing apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the tilt value is represented as any of an angle value of the input device relative to a reference where a predetermined direction is the reference, a value of a sine function of the angle value, and a value of a cosine function of the angle value.

20. The information processing apparatus according to claim 17, wherein information indicating a direction in which the input device is deviated from a direction in which the image capturing device can capture the image of the target object is outputted.

21. The information processing apparatus according to claim 17, wherein

the motion-attitude detector comprises an acceleration sensor for detecting an acceleration applied to the input device, and

the tilt value using a result of detection by the acceleration sensor is calculated.

22. A method of operating an information processing apparatus which can communicate with an input device performing a pointing action by using an image capturing device for capturing an image of a target object, and calculating a pointing position on a screen of a display device based on the image captured by the image capturing device, wherein the input device comprises a motion-attitude detector configured to detect a motion or an attitude of the input device, the method comprising:

calculating a tilt value indicating a tilt of the input device using a result of detection by the motion-attitude detector;

determining whether or not the pointing position can be calculated based on the image captured by the image capturing device;

comparing the calculated tilt value with a reference value when the pointing position cannot be calculated based on the captured image; and

outputting information about the tilt of the input device based on the comparing.

23. A system comprising at least one information processing apparatus which can communicate with an input device performing a pointing action by using an image capturing device for capturing an image of a target object, and calculate a pointing position on a screen of a display device based on the image captured by the image capturing device, wherein the input device comprises a motion-attitude detector configured to detect a motion or an attitude of the input device, the system comprising:

a processor configured to;

calculate a tilt value indicating a tilt of the input device using a result of detection by the motion-attitude detector;

determine whether or not the pointing position can be calculated based on the image captured by the image capturing device;

compare the calculated tilt value with a reference value when the pointing position cannot be calculated; and

output information about the tilt of the input device, depending on a result of comparison.