Computer-readable storage medium storing information processing program and information processing device

• US 8,216,070 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2008
• Issued: 07/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Okamura, Yuichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Bumgarner, Melba
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOWARAH, GEORGE L
• Application Number:
  US12/149,718
• Publication Number:
  US 20090209344A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,525 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 463/36
• 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 2300/1006 having additional degrees of freedom
• 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: 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: G10H 1/0008 Associated control or indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/135 Musical aspects of games or videogames; Musical instrument-shaped game input interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/201 for movement interpretation, i.e. capturing and recognizing a gesture or a specific kind of movement, e.g. to control a musical instrument
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/395 Acceleration sensing or accelerometer use, e.g. 3D movement computation by integration of accelerometer data, angle sensing with respect to the vertical, i.e. gravity sensing

Abstract

A repeated determination of a magnitude of a change amount vector with respect to a first threshold value is made. When it is determined that the magnitude is equal to or larger than the first threshold value, predetermined processing is executed, a swinging direction in which an input device is swung is calculated, and intersection of the swinging direction with a second threshold value is determined. After it is determined that the change amount vector intersects with the second threshold value, further, whether or not the magnitude of the change amount vector is smaller than a third threshold value is determined. After the magnitude of the change amount vector is determined to be equal to or larger than the first threshold value, the first threshold is not tested again until the magnitude of the change amount vector is smaller than the third threshold value.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing an information processing program that is to be executed on a computing system that includes at least one processor that is configured to process data that is outputted from an acceleration sensor configured to detect accelerations in at least two axial directions, the information processing program comprising instructions configured to:

repeatedly receive acceleration data;

repeatedly calculate a change amount vector based on the received acceleration data;

repeatedly determine whether or not a magnitude of the calculated change amount vector is equal to or larger than a first threshold value;

execute predetermined processing when the magnitude of the change amount vector is equal to or larger than the first threshold value;

calculate a swinging direction based on the change amount vector when the magnitude of the change amount vector is equal to or larger than the first threshold value;

set at least one second threshold value in a direction opposite to the swinging direction after the swinging direction is calculated;

determine whether or not the change amount vector intersects with the second threshold value; and

determine whether or not the magnitude of the change amount vector is smaller than a third threshold value which is equal to or smaller than the first threshold value after an intersection of the change amount vector with the second threshold value is determined,

wherein after the magnitude of the change amount vector is determined to be equal to or larger than the first threshold value, subsequent determination of a magnitude of a subsequent change amount vector that is equal to or larger than the first threshold value waits for the magnitude of the change amount vector to be determined to be smaller than the third threshold value.

2. The medium according to claim 1, wherein

the second threshold is a value of a straight line or a plane that is perpendicular to the calculated swinging direction in a virtual space.

3. The medium according to claim 2, wherein the value is positioned at a position away from an origin of the virtual space and opposite the swinging direction.

4. The medium according to claim 1, wherein calculation of the swinging direction is further based on the received acceleration data which is obtained after a predetermined time period elapses from a time at which the magnitude of the calculated change amount vector is determined to be equal to or larger than the first threshold value.

5. The medium according to claim 1, wherein

the swinging direction is a combination vector and the combination vector is a combination of a plurality of calculated change amount vector for a predetermined time period from a time at which the magnitude of the calculated change amount vector is determined to be equal to or larger than the first threshold value.

6. The medium according to claim 1, wherein the second threshold value is set based on the magnitude of the calculated change amount vector.

7. The medium according to claim 1, where the instructions are further configured to increase the first threshold value based on the magnitude of the calculated change amount vector in accordance with a predetermined time cycle.

8. The medium according to claim 7, where the instructions are further configured to decrease the first threshold value over time after the first threshold value is increased.

9. The medium according to claim 1, where the instructions are further configured to:

calculate an inner product between the change amount vector and the swinging direction; and

compare the inner product with the second threshold value to determine whether or not the change amount vector intersects with the second threshold value.

10. An information processing device for executing processing based on acceleration data which is outputted from an acceleration sensor which detects acceleration in at least two axial directions which is applied to an input device, the information processing device comprising:

a processing system that includes at least one processor, the processing system configured to;

repeatedly obtain the acceleration data;

repeatedly calculate a change amount vector that is indicative of a change amount of acceleration based on the obtained acceleration data;

repeatedly determine whether or not a magnitude of the calculated change amount vector is equal to or larger than a first threshold value;

execute predetermined processing when the magnitude of the change amount vector is equal to or larger than the first threshold value;

calculate a swinging direction of the input device based on the change amount vector when the magnitude of the change amount vector is equal to or larger than the first threshold value;

set at least one second threshold value in a direction opposite to the swinging direction after the swinging direction is calculated;

determine whether or not the change amount vector intersects with the second threshold value; and

determine whether or not the magnitude of the change amount vector is smaller than a third threshold value which is equal to or smaller than the first threshold value after an intersection of the change amount vector with the second threshold value is determined,

wherein after the magnitude of the change amount vector is determined to be equal to or larger than the first threshold value, subsequent determination of a magnitude of a subsequent change amount vector that is equal to or larger than the first threshold value waits for the magnitude of the change amount vector to be determined to be smaller than the third threshold value.

11. A method of determining an action from a series of accelerations detected by an acceleration sensor in a user input device, the method comprising:

repeatedly receiving acceleration data that is detected by the acceleration sensor;

repeatedly calculating, on a processing system that includes at least one processor, a vector based on the received acceleration data;

determining a first movement state when a magnitude of the vector is equal to or larger than a first threshold value;

responsive to determining the first movement state;

executing a predetermined process;

calculating, via the processing system, a swing direction of the action based on the calculated vector;

setting a second threshold value in a direction that is opposite the swinging direction, after the swinging direction is calculated;

determining a second movement state when a value based on the vector intersects with a second threshold value;

determining a third movement state when the magnitude of the vector is smaller than a third threshold value after the second movement state is determined, the third threshold value being equal to or smaller than the first threshold value;

outputting, via the processing system, an animation related to the action onto a display device based on the determined first, second, and/or third movement states,

wherein, after the first movement state is determined, no subsequent first movement states are determined until determination of the third movement state.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the second threshold value is a straight line or a plane that is perpendicular to the calculated swing direction in a virtual space.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the second threshold value is further set based on the magnitude of the calculated vector.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising increasing the first threshold value based on the magnitude of the vector in accordance with a predetermined time cycle.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising decaying the first threshold value over a period of time after the first threshold value is increased.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the based on the vector is an inner product between the vector and the swing direction.

17. An information processing system for determining a swing motion of a user input device that includes an acceleration sensor that is configured to detect accelerations in at least two axial directions, the system comprising:

a processing system that includes at least one processor, the processing system configured to;

repeatedly receive acceleration data that is detected by the acceleration sensor;

repeatedly calculate a vector based on the received acceleration data;

determine a first movement state when a magnitude of the vector is equal to or larger than a first threshold value;

responsive to determination of the first movement state;

execute a predetermined process;

calculate a swing direction of the action based on the calculated vector;

set a second threshold value in a direction that is opposite the swinging direction, after the swinging direction is calculated;

determine a second movement state when a value based on the vector intersects with a second threshold value, after setting the second threshold value;

determine a third movement state when the magnitude of the vector is smaller than a third threshold value after the second movement state is determined, the third threshold value being equal to or smaller than the first threshold value; and

wherein, after the first movement state is determined, no subsequent first movement states are determined until determination of the third movement state.