Storage medium having stored thereon program for adjusting pointing device, and pointing device

• US 7,969,413 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2007
• Issued: 06/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Aonuma, Eiji, Matsutani, Kenji
• Primary Examiner(s): Shalwala; Bipin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ketema; Benyam
• Application Number:
  US11/727,077
• Publication Number:
  US 20080117167A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,558 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 463/43
• US Class Current: 345/156
• 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 13/22 Setup operations, e.g. calibration, key configuration or button assignment
• 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 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry

Abstract

A pointing device includes a controller for pointing a position on a display surface by imaging an imaging objective such as two markers positioned with a predetermined interval therebetween in a vicinity of the display surface of a monitor. With the pointing device, a width of the display surface and the interval between the markers are obtained to determine an appropriate distance between the controller and the monitor. Further, a current distance between the controller and the monitor (markers) is calculated. Relation between the current distance and the appropriate distance is notified by such as image display or sound output. For example, an image indicating the appropriate distance and an adjustment image varying in size in conjunction with the current distance are displayed on the monitor.

Claims

1. A non-transitory storage medium having stored thereon a program which upon execution by a computer performs a method of adjusting using a pointing device for obtaining input data from an input apparatus provided with an imaging unit for imaging a known imaging object, the input data being one of data of an imaged image obtained by the imaging unit and data obtained by performing a predetermined operation on the obtained data of the imaged image, and performing information processing using the input data to output to a display apparatus, the method comprising:

obtaining a maximum width of a display surface of said display apparatus;

determining an appropriate distance between said input apparatus and said display apparatus according to the obtained maximum width of said display surface;

calculating a current distance from said input apparatus to said imaging object based on said input data; and

generating a notification according to relation between said appropriate distance and said current distance.

2. A non-transitory storage medium having stored thereon a program for adjusting a pointing device according to claim 1, wherein

said notification is generated by one of outputting image display, outputting sound such as a voice sound and a sound effect, and having said input apparatus vibrate, according to a difference between said current distance and said appropriate distance.

3. A non-transitory storage medium having stored thereon a program for adjusting a pointing device according to claim 1, wherein

said notification is generated by displaying, on said display apparatus, a reference image having a predetermined size and an adjustment image varying in size in conjunction with said current distance and becoming the same size as said reference image when said current distance is equal to said appropriate distance.

4. A non-transitory storage medium having stored thereon a program for adjusting a pointing device according to claim 1, wherein

said known imaging object is constituted by two markers positioned with a predetermined distance therebetween measured in a first scale, said two markers being positioned in a vicinity of a predetermined side of the display surface of said display apparatus so that a positioning direction of said two markers is in parallel to the predetermined side,

said method further comprises obtaining said predetermined distance either inputted by a user or previously stored, and

said obtaining the maximum width of the display surface includes:

measuring a distance between said two markers in a second scale by varying an interval in the positioning direction between said two markers in an image displayed on said display surface, according to the input by the user; and

calculating the maximum width of said display surface in said first scale based on a ratio between said obtained predetermined distance and the measured distance between said markers, as well as based on the maximum width of said display surface in said second scale.

5. A non-transitory storage medium having stored thereon a program for adjusting a pointing device according to claim 1, wherein

said known imaging object is constituted by two markers positioned with a predetermined distance therebetween measured in a first scale, said two markers being positioned in a vicinity of a predetermined side of the display surface of said display apparatus so that a positioning direction of said two markers is in parallel to the predetermined side,

said method further comprises obtaining said predetermined distance either inputted by a user or previously stored, and

said obtaining the maximum width of the display surface includes:

measuring a distance between said two markers in a second scale by varying an interval in the positioning direction between said two markers in an image displayed on said display surface, according to the input by the user; and

calculating the maximum width of said display surface in said first scale based on a ratio between the measured distance between said markers and the maximum width of said display surface in said second scale, as well as based on said obtained predetermined distance.

6. A non-transitory storage medium having stored thereon a program for adjusting a pointing device according to claim 4, wherein

said current distance is calculated using the distance between said two markers on said imaged image.

7. A non-transitory storage medium having stored thereon a program for adjusting a pointing device according to claim 5, wherein

said current distance is calculated using the distance between said two markers on said imaged image.

8. A non-transitory storage medium having stored thereon a program for adjusting a pointing device according to claim 1, wherein

said obtaining the maximum width of the display surface includes obtaining the maximum width, inputted by the user, of the display surface of said display apparatus.

9. A pointing device for obtaining input data from an input apparatus provided with an imaging means for imaging a known imaging objective, the input data being one of data of an imaged image obtained by the imaging means and data obtained by performing a predetermined operation on the obtained data of the imaged image, and performing information processing using the input data to output to a display apparatus, comprising:

a display surface width obtaining means for obtaining a maximum width of a display surface of said display apparatus;

an appropriate distance determining means for determining an appropriate distance between said input apparatus and said display apparatus according to the maximum width of said display surface obtained by said display surface width obtaining means;

a current distance calculating means for calculating a current distance from said input apparatus to said imaging objective based on said input data; and

a notifying means for making a notification according to relation between said appropriate distance and said current distance.

10. A pointing device according to claim 9, wherein

said notifying means makes said notification by one of outputting image display, outputting sound such as a voice sound and a sound effect, and having said input apparatus vibrate, according to a difference between said current distance and said appropriate distance.

11. A pointing device according to claim 9, wherein

said notifying means makes said notification by displaying, on said display apparatus, a reference image having a predetermined size and an adjustment image varying in size in conjunction with said current distance and becoming the same size as said reference image when said current distance is equal to said appropriate distance.

12. A pointing device according to claim 9, wherein

said known imaging objective is constituted by two markers positioned with a predetermined distance therebetween measured in a first scale, said two markers being positioned in a vicinity of a predetermined side of the display surface of said display apparatus so that a positioning direction of said two markers is in parallel to the predetermined side, and the pointing device further comprising:

a distance obtaining means for obtaining said predetermined distance either inputted by a user or previously stored, wherein

said display surface width obtaining means includes;

a marker distance measuring means for measuring a distance between said two markers in a second scale by varying an interval in the positioning direction between said two markers in an image displayed on said display surface, according to the input by the user; and

a display surface width calculating means for calculating the maximum width of said display surface in said first scale based on a ratio between said predetermined distance obtained by said distance obtaining means and the distance between said markers measured by said marker distance measuring means, as well as based on the maximum width of said display surface in said second scale.

13. A pointing device according to claim 9, wherein

said known imaging objective is constituted by two markers positioned with a predetermined distance therebetween measured in a first scale, said two markers being positioned in a vicinity of a predetermined side of the display surface of said display apparatus so that a positioning direction of said two markers is in parallel to the predetermined side, and the pointing device further comprising:

a distance obtaining means for obtaining said predetermined distance either inputted by a user or previously stored, wherein

said display surface width obtaining means includes;

a marker distance measuring means for measuring a distance between said two markers in a second scale by varying an interval in the positioning direction between said two markers in an image displayed on said display surface, according to the input by the user; and

a display surface width calculating means for calculating the maximum width of said display surface in said first scale based on a ratio between the distance between said markers measured by said marker distance measuring means and the maximum width of said display surface in said second scale, as well as based on said predetermined distance obtained by said distance obtaining means.

14. A pointing device according to claim 12, wherein

said current distance calculating means calculates said current distance using the distance between said two markers on said imaged image obtained by said imaging means.

15. A pointing device according to claim 13, wherein

said current distance calculating means calculates said current distance using the distance between said two markers on said imaged image obtained by said imaging means.

16. A pointing device according to claim 9, wherein

said display surface width obtaining means includes a display surface width inputting means for obtaining the maximum width, inputted by the user, of the display surface of said display apparatus.

17. A method comprising:

obtaining input data from a controller provided with an imaging unit for imaging an imaging object;

performing, by a computer system having one or more computers, information processing using the input data to generate an output to a display apparatus;

obtaining a maximum width of a display surface of said display apparatus;

determining an appropriate distance between said controller and said display apparatus according to the obtained maximum width of said display surface;

calculating a current distance from said controller to said imaging object based on said input data; and

generating a notification according to relation between said appropriate distance and said current distance.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein

said notification is generated by one of outputting image display, outputting sound such as a voice sound and a sound effect, and having said controller vibrate, according to a difference between said current distance and said appropriate distance.

19. A method according to claim 17, wherein

said notification is generating by displaying, on said display apparatus, a reference image having a predetermined size and an adjustment image varying in size in conjunction with said current distance and becoming the same size as said reference image when said current distance is equal to said appropriate distance.

20. A method according to claim 17, wherein

said imaging object is constituted by two markers positioned with a predetermined distance therebetween measured in a first scale, said two markers being positioned in a vicinity of a predetermined side of the display surface of said display apparatus so that a positioning direction of said two markers is in parallel to the predetermined side,

said method further comprises obtaining said predetermined distance either inputted by a user or previously stored, and

said obtaining the maximum width of the display surface includes:

measuring a distance between said two markers in a second scale by varying an interval in the positioning direction between said two markers in an image displayed on said display surface, according to the input by the user; and

calculating the maximum width of said display surface in said first scale based on a ratio between said obtained predetermined distance and the measured distance between said markers, as well as based on the maximum width of said display surface in said second scale.

21. A method according to claim 17, wherein

said imaging object is constituted by two markers positioned with a predetermined distance therebetween measured in a first scale, said two markers being positioned in a vicinity of a predetermined side of the display surface of said display apparatus so that a positioning direction of said two markers is in parallel to the predetermined side,

said method further comprises obtaining said predetermined distance either inputted by a user or previously stored, and

said obtaining the maximum width of the display surface includes:

measuring a distance between said two markers in a second scale by varying an interval in the positioning direction between said two markers in an image displayed on said display surface, according to the input by the user; and

calculating the maximum width of said display surface in said first scale based on a ratio between the measured distance between said markers and the maximum width of said display surface in said second scale, as well as based on said obtained predetermined distance.

22. A method according to claim 20, wherein

said current distance is calculated using the distance between said two markers on an image.

23. A method according to claim 21, wherein

said current distance is calculated using the distance between said two markers on an image.

24. A method according to claim 17, wherein

said obtaining the maximum width of the display surface includes obtaining the maximum width, inputted by the user, of the display surface of said display apparatus.

25. A system comprising:

a controller having an imaging element configured to image an imaging object;

a computer configured to;

obtain input data from the controller;

perform information processing using the input data to generate an output to a display apparatus;

obtain a maximum width of a display surface of said display apparatus;

determine an appropriate distance between said controller and said display apparatus according to the obtained maximum width of said display surface;

calculate a current distance from said controller to said imaging object based on said input data; and

generate a notification according to relation between said appropriate distance and said current distance.

26. A system according to claim 25, wherein

said notification is generated by one of outputting image display, outputting sound such as a voice sound and a sound effect, and having said controller vibrate, according to a difference between said current distance and said appropriate distance.

27. A system according to claim 25, wherein

said notification is generating by displaying, on said display apparatus, a reference image having a predetermined size and an adjustment image varying in size in conjunction with said current distance and becoming the same size as said reference image when said current distance is equal to said appropriate distance.

28. A system according to claim 25, wherein

said imaging object is constituted by two markers positioned with a predetermined distance therebetween measured in a first scale, said two markers being positioned in a vicinity of a predetermined side of the display surface of said display apparatus so that a positioning direction of said two markers is in parallel to the predetermined side,

said computer is further configured to obtain said predetermined distance either inputted by a user or previously stored, and

said computer is further configured, so as to obtain the maximum width of the display surface, to:

measure a distance between said two markers in a second scale by varying an interval in the positioning direction between said two markers in an image displayed on said display surface, according to the input by the user; and

calculate the maximum width of said display surface in said first scale based on a ratio between said obtained predetermined distance and the measured distance between said markers, as well as based on the maximum width of said display surface in said second scale.

29. A system according to claim 25, wherein

said imaging object is constituted by two markers positioned with a predetermined distance therebetween measured in a first scale, said two markers being positioned in a vicinity of a predetermined side of the display surface of said display apparatus so that a positioning direction of said two markers is in parallel to the predetermined side,

said computer is further configured to obtain said predetermined distance either inputted by a user or previously stored, and

said computer is further configured, so as to obtain the maximum width of the display surface, to:

measure a distance between said two markers in a second scale by varying an interval in the positioning direction between said two markers in an image displayed on said display surface, according to the input by the user; and

calculate the maximum width of said display surface in said first scale based on a ratio between the measured distance between said markers and the maximum width of said display surface in said second scale, as well as based on said obtained predetermined distance.

30. A system according to claim 28, wherein

said current distance is calculated using the distance between said two markers on an image.

31. A system according to claim 29, wherein

said current distance is calculated using the distance between said two markers on an image.

32. A system according to claim 25, wherein

said obtaining the maximum width of the display surface includes obtaining the maximum width, inputted by the user, of the display surface of said display apparatus.