Input device attitude prediction

• US 8,000,924 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2008
• Issued: 08/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Sato, Kenta, Ohta, Keizo
• Primary Examiner(s): TEIXEIRA MOFFAT, JONATHAN CHARLES
• Application Number:
  US12/210,575
• Publication Number:
  US 20100010772A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,065 Days
• Field of Search: 702/153
• US Class Current: 702/153
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/24 Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles
• 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 13/833 Hand-to-hand fighting, e.g. martial arts competition A63F13/837 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1043 being characterized by constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/105 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8029 Fighting without shooting
• 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 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device

Abstract

A first attitude calculation means S2 calculates a first attitude indicating an attitude of an input device itself based on a motion detection signal output from an input device equipped with a motion detection sensor. A motion calculation means S21 calculates a motion of the first attitude. An approaching operation determination means S22 to S24 determines whether or not the motion of the first attitude calculated by the motion calculation means is a motion of approaching a predetermined attitude. An input attitude setting means S27, S28, S4 sets an attitude obtained by correcting the first attitude as an input attitude if the motion of the first attitude is the motion of approaching the predetermined attitude, and sets the first attitude as an input attitude if the motion of the first attitude is not the motion of approaching the predetermined attitude. A process execution means S5 performs a predetermined information process based on the input attitude.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable recording medium recording an information processing program that is executed by a computer of an information processing apparatus for performing a predetermined information process based on a motion detection signal output from an input device including a motion detection sensor for detecting its own motion, wherein the process comprises:

repeatedly calculating a first attitude indicating an attitude of the input device based on the motion detection signal;

calculating a motion of the first attitude based on the repeatedly calculated first attitude;

determining whether or not the first attitude is performing a motion of approaching a predetermined attitude, which corresponds to a base position of the input device, based on the calculated motion of the first attitude;

setting, as an input attitude, an attitude obtained by correcting the first attitude so that the first attitude coincides with or approaches the predetermined attitude direction if the first attitude is performing the motion of approaching the predetermined attitude, or setting the first attitude as an input attitude if the first attitude is not performing the motion of approaching the predetermined attitude; and

performing a predetermined information process based on the input attitude.

2. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium recording the information processing program according to claim 1, wherein

said calculating the motion includes calculating a movement vector of the first attitude based on a change in the repeatedly calculated first attitude, and

said determining includes determining whether or not the motion of the first attitude is the motion of approaching the predetermined attitude, based on the movement vector.

3. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium recording the information processing program according to claim 2, wherein

the process further includes calculating a second attitude that is a predetermined attitude related to the first attitude, and

the second attitude is used as the predetermined attitude.

4. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium recording the information processing program according to claim 3, wherein

said calculating the second attitude includes calculating, as the second attitude, a following attitude that is an attitude that gradually approaches the first attitude.

5. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium recording the information processing program according to claim 4, wherein

said calculating the motion includes:

calculating a following vector that is a vector along which the following attitude is moved toward the first attitude, and

said determining includes determining whether or not the first attitude is performing the motion of approaching the second attitude, based on an angle between the movement vector and the following vector.

6. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium recording the information processing program according to claim 5, wherein

said determining includes:

calculating an inner product of the movement vector and the following vector, and

said determining includes determining whether or not the first attitude is performing the motion of approaching the second attitude, based on the calculated inner product.

7. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium recording the information processing program according to claim 1, wherein

said setting the input attitude includes:

calculating a second attitude that is a predetermined attitude related to the first attitude, wherein the second attitude is used as the predetermined attitude;

calculating a third attitude indicating the first attitude in a coordinate system where the predetermined attitude is a reference, and

if the first attitude is performing the motion of approaching the predetermined attitude, said setting the input attitude includes moving the predetermined attitude nearer to the first attitude before calculating and setting the third attitude as the input attitude, and if the first attitude is not performing the motion of approaching the predetermined attitude, said setting includes calculating and setting the third attitude as the input attitude without moving the predetermined attitude.

8. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium recording the information processing program according to claim 7, wherein

said setting the input attitude includes:

calculating a fourth attitude indicating the third attitude in a coordinate system where a predetermined basic attitude is a reference, and

said setting the input attitude includes setting the fourth attitude as the input attitude.

9. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium recording the information processing program according to claim 1, wherein the processes further comprises

calculating a second attitude that is a predetermined attitude related to the first attitude, and

the second attitude is used as the predetermined attitude.

10. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium recording the information processing program according to claim 9, wherein

said calculating the second attitude includes calculating, as the second attitude, a following attitude that is an attitude that gradually approaches the first attitude.

11. A non-transitory computer readable recording medium recording an information processing program that is executed by a computer of an information processing apparatus for performing a predetermined information process based on a motion detection signal output from an input device including a motion detection sensor for detecting its own motion, wherein the process comprises:

repeatedly calculating an input attitude indicating an attitude of the input device based on the motion detection signal;

calculating a rotation direction of the input attitude about a predetermined axis based on the repeatedly calculated input attitude;

correcting the input attitude in a next rotational operation of the input device, calculated after calculation the rotation direction of the input attitude in a rotational operation of the input device, based on a difference between the rotation direction of the input attitude and a predetermined reference rotation direction; and

performing a predetermined information process based on the corrected input attitude.

12. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium recording the information processing program according to claim 11, wherein

said calculating the rotation direction includes:

calculating a rotation axis about which the input attitude is rotated, from the repeatedly calculated input attitude, and

said correcting the input attitude includes correcting the input attitude so that the calculated rotation axis coincides with or approaches the rotation axis of the predetermined reference rotation direction.

13. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium recording the information processing program according to claim 12, wherein

said calculating the rotation axis includes:

calculating input rotation axes orthogonal to successive, repeatedly calculated input attitudes in time series; and

calculating an average rotation axis that is an average of the calculated input rotation axes, and

the calculated average rotation axis is a rotation axis for rotation of the input attitude.

14. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium recording the information processing program according to claim 12, wherein the process further comprises:

calculating a forward vector indicating a forward direction of the input device, where the forward vector is indicated as an outer product of a vector indicating the calculated rotation axis and a right-above vector that is a vector indicating a right-above direction, and

said correcting the input attitude includes calculating the input attitude so that the calculated forward vector coincides with or approaches the predetermined reference rotation direction.

15. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium recording the information processing program according to claim 11, wherein the process further comprises

calculating an approximation between a rotation direction of the input attitude and a direction that rotates about an axis perpendicular to a plumb line, and

said calculating the input attitude includes performing correction, depending on the calculated approximation.

16. An information processing apparatus for performing a predetermined information process based on a motion detection signal output from an input device including a motion detection sensor for detecting its own motion, comprising:

a first attitude calculation programmed logic circuitry for repeatedly calculating a first attitude indicating an attitude of the input device based on the motion detection signal;

a motion calculation programmed logic circuitry for calculating a motion of the first attitude based on the first attitude repeatedly calculated by the first attitude calculation programmed logic circuitry;

an approaching operation determination programmed logic circuitry for determining whether or not the first attitude is performing a motion of approaching a predetermined attitude, which corresponds to a base position of the input device, based on the motion of the first attitude calculated by the motion calculation programmed logic circuitry;

an input attitude setting programmed logic circuitry for setting, as an input attitude, an attitude obtained by correcting the first attitude so that the first attitude coincides with or approaches the predetermined attitude direction if the first attitude is performing the motion of approaching the predetermined attitude, or setting the first attitude as an input attitude if the first attitude is not performing the motion of approaching the predetermined attitude; and

a process execution programmed logic circuitry for performing a predetermined information process based on the input attitude.

17. An information processing apparatus for performing a predetermined information process based on a motion detection signal output from an input device including a motion detection sensor for detecting its own motion, comprising:

an input attitude calculation programmed logic circuitry for repeatedly calculating an input attitude indicating an attitude of the input device based on the motion detection signal;

a rotation direction calculation programmed logic circuitry for calculating a rotation direction of the input attitude about a predetermined axis based on the input attitude repeatedly calculated by the input attitude calculation programmed logic circuity;

an input attitude correction programmed logic circuitry for correcting the input attitude in a next rotational operation of the input device, calculated after calculating the rotation direction of the input attitude in a rotational operation of the input device, based on a difference between the rotation direction of the input attitude and a predetermined reference rotation direction; and

a process execution programmed logic circuitry for performing a predetermined information process based on the input attitude corrected by the input attitude correction programmed logic circuitry.

18. A method performing a predetermined information process with an information processing apparatus based on a motion detection signal output from an input device including a motion detection sensor for detecting its own motion, the method comprising:

repeatedly calculating, using the information processing apparatus, a first attitude indicating an attitude of the input device based on the motion detection signal;

calculating a motion of the first attitude based on the repeatedly calculated first attitude;

determining whether or not the first attitude is performing a motion of approaching a predetermined attitude, which corresponds to a base position of the input device, based on the calculated motion of the first attitude;

setting, as an input attitude, an attitude obtained by correcting the first attitude so that the first attitude coincides with or approaches the predetermined attitude direction if the first attitude is performing the motion of approaching the predetermined attitude, or setting the first attitude as an input attitude if the first attitude is not performing the motion of approaching the predetermined attitude; and

performing a predetermined information process based on the input attitude.

19. A system configured to perform a predetermined information process based on a motion detection signal output from an input device including a motion detection sensor for detecting its own motion, the system comprising a processor configured to:

repeatedly calculate a first attitude indicating an attitude of the input device based on the motion detection signal;

calculate a motion of the first attitude based on the repeatedly calculated first attitude;

determine whether or not the first attitude is performing a motion of approaching a predetermined attitude, which corresponds to a base position of the input device, based on the calculated motion of the first attitude;

set, as an input attitude, an attitude obtained by correcting the first attitude so that the first attitude coincides with or approaches the predetermined attitude direction if the first attitude is performing the motion of approaching the predetermined attitude, or setting the first attitude as an input attitude if the first attitude is not performing the motion of approaching the predetermined attitude; and

perform a predetermined information process based on the input attitude.

20. A method performing a predetermined information process with an information processing apparatus based on a motion detection signal output from an input device including a motion detection sensor for detecting its own motion, the method comprising:

repeatedly calculating, using the information processing apparatus, an input attitude indicating an attitude of the input device based on the motion detection signal;

calculating a rotation direction of the input attitude about a predetermined axis based on the repeatedly calculated input attitude;

correcting the input attitude in a next rotational operation of the input device, calculated after calculating the rotation direction of the input attitude in a rotational operation of the input device, based on a difference between the rotation direction of the input attitude and a predetermined reference rotation direction; and

performing a predetermined information process based on the corrected input attitude.

21. A system configured to perform a predetermined information process based on a motion detection signal output from an input device including a motion detection sensor for detecting its own motion, the system comprising a processor configured to:

repeatedly calculate an input attitude indicating an attitude of the input device based on the motion detection signal;

calculate a rotation direction of the input attitude about a predetermined axis based on the repeatedly calculated input attitude;

correct the input attitude in a next rotational operation of the input device, calculated after calculating the rotation direction of the input attitude in a rotational operation of the input device, based on a difference between the rotation direction of the input attitude and a predetermined reference rotation direction; and

perform a predetermined information process based on the corrected input attitude.