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

• US 8,041,536 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2010
• Issued: 10/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Ohta, Keizo
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn; Drew A
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHERRY, STEPHEN J
• Application Number:
  US12/835,355
• Publication Number:
  US 20100309117A1
• Time in Patent Office: 462 Days
• Field of Search: 702/152, 702/154
• US Class Current: 702/152
• 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 13/426 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 2300/1006 having additional degrees of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1012 involving biosensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat, limb activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/105 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1087 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. a camera
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/00 Measuring acceleration; Measuring deceleration; Measuring shock, i.e. sudden change of acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 3/38 using photographic means
• 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

Abstract

An inclination calculation apparatus calculates an inclination of an input device operable in terms of a posture thereof. The input device includes an acceleration sensor and an imaging element. In one non-limiting example implementation, the inclination calculation apparatus computes first inclination information representing an inclination of the input device based upon a coordinate position of an imaging target in an acquired image obtained by the imaging element and an estimated coordinate position of a second imaging target not acquired by the imaging element. The inclination calculation apparatus also computes second inclination information representing an inclination of the input device solely from an acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor. The inclination calculation apparatus then calculates an inclination of the input device using the first inclination information and the second inclination information.

Claims

1. A method for calculating an inclination of a game apparatus hand-held input device operable in terms of a posture thereof, wherein the input device includes an acceleration sensor for acquiring acceleration data and an imaging element for acquiring an image of one or more specific imaging targets, the method comprising:

computing first inclination information representing an inclination of the input device based upon a coordinate position of one imaging target in an image acquired by the imaging element and an estimated coordinate position of a second imaging target not acquired by the imaging element, wherein the estimated coordinate position of the second imaging target is determined based on acceleration data acquired by the acceleration sensor;

computing second inclination information representing an inclination of the input device derived solely from acceleration data acquired by the acceleration sensor; and

computing an inclination of the input device using the first inclination information and the second inclination information.

2. An apparatus for calculating an inclination of a game apparatus hand-held input device operable in terms of a posture thereof, wherein the input device includes an acceleration sensor for acquiring acceleration data and an imaging element for acquiring an image of one or more specific imaging targets, comprising:

an information processor for computing first inclination information representing an inclination of the input device based upon a coordinate position of one imaging target in an image acquired by the imaging element and an estimated coordinate position of a second imaging target not acquired by the imaging element, wherein the estimated coordinate position of the second imaging target is determined based on acceleration data acquired by the acceleration sensor;

an information processor for computing second inclination information representing an inclination of the input device derived solely from acceleration data acquired by the acceleration sensor; and

an information processor for computing an inclination of the input device using the first inclination information and the second inclination information.