Storage medium having game program stored thereon and game apparatus

• US 8,308,564 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2006
• Issued: 11/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Yoshida, Misuzu, Taira, Masayuki, Kando, Yuuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Suhol, Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): GRAY, BRANDON RAMON
• Application Number:
  US11/526,731
• Publication Number:
  US 20070270218A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,240 Days
• Field of Search: 463/35, 463/36, 463/37, 463/43, 463/49, 463/50
• US Class Current: 463/37
• 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 13/428 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 13/52 involving aspects of the displayed game scene
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/57 Simulating properties, behaviour or motion of objects in the game world, e.g. computing tyre load in a car race game A63F13/56 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/837 Shooting of targets
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• 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: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/66 for rendering three dimensional images
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8076 Shooting

Abstract

Game data variable in accordance with the state of an input device and usable for game processing is sequentially obtained. Next, it is determined whether or not a predetermined condition for the game processing has been fulfilled based on the game data. Information on an indicated position on a game image, which is calculated from the game data when the predetermined condition has been fulfilled, is obtained. A moving speed of the input device which is calculated from the game data is also obtained. When the obtained moving speed is equal to or greater than a predetermined speed, an object which appears in a virtual game space and is related to the indicated position is processed.

Claims

1. A non-transitory storage medium having stored thereon a program executable by a computer of an apparatus for executing processing based on a state of an input device, which is at least one of a position, a moving speed and an acceleration of the input device, the program causing the computer to execute:

sequentially obtaining data variable in accordance with the state of the input device and usable for the processing;

determining whether or not a predetermined condition for the processing has been fulfilled based on the data, wherein said predetermined condition relates to whether the acceleration of the input device exceeds a predetermined value;

indicated position establishment for obtaining information on an indicated position on an image in virtual space, which is calculated from the data at the time when the predetermined condition has been fulfilled;

parameter establishment for obtaining one of the moving speed and the acceleration of the input device which are calculated from the data; and

when one of the moving speed and the acceleration which is obtained in the parameter establishment is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, processing for controlling motion of an object which appears in a virtual space based on the indicated position.

2. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 1, wherein:

the input device includes imaging elements for taking an image of a predetermined imaging target;

the program causes the computer to further execute calculating a coordinate set of a position of the imaging target in an image taken by the imaging elements; and

the data obtaining obtains, as the data, data representing the coordinate set, or data corresponding the position of the input device which is calculated from the data representing the coordinate set.

3. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 1, wherein:

the input device includes an acceleration sensor; and

the data obtaining obtains, as the data, data representing an output from the acceleration sensor, or data corresponding to the moving speed of the input device which is calculated from the data representing the output from the acceleration sensor.

4. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the processing includes:

moving parameter determination for determining a moving start position and a moving direction of the object in the virtual space based on the indicated position and the moving speed; and

starting processing for moving the object based on the moving start position and the moving direction.

5. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 1, wherein:

the processing includes a target object selection for, when the object is present within a predetermined distance from the indicated position obtained in the indicated position establishment, selecting the object as a target of motion control; and

the processing controls a motion of only the object selected in the target object selection.

6. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 5, wherein:

the target object selection includes a stay time determination for determining whether or not a state in which the indicated position and the object are present within the predetermined distance continued for a predetermined time duration or longer; and

when the state in which the indicated position and the object are present within the predetermined distance continued for the predetermined time duration or longer, the target object selection selects the object present within the predetermined distance as a motion control target.

7. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 6, wherein:

the program causes the computer to further execute a moving pattern calculation for, when the stay time determination determines that the state in which the indicated position and the object are present within the predetermined distance continued for the predetermined time duration or longer, calculating, from the data, information on a change in the moving direction or the moving speed of the input device during the time duration; and

when the change in the moving direction or the moving speed shows a predetermined pattern, the target object selection selects the object present within the predetermined distance as a motion control target.

8. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 1, wherein

the processing causes the object to start performing a first motion when the obtained acceleration is within a first range, and causes the object to start performing a second motion, which is different from the first motion, when the obtained acceleration is within a second range which is different from the first range.

9. An apparatus for executing processing based on a state of an input device, which is at least one of a position, a moving speed and an acceleration of the input device, the apparatus comprising one or more computer processors configured to:

sequentially obtain data variable in accordance with the state of the input device and usable for the processing;

determine whether or not a predetermined condition for the processing has been fulfilled based on the data, wherein said predetermined condition relates to whether the acceleration of the input device exceeds a predetermined value;

obtain information on an indicated position on image in virtual space, which is calculated from the data at the time when the predetermined condition has been fulfilled;

obtain one of the moving speed and the acceleration of the input device which are calculated from the data; and

when one of the obtained moving speed and the acceleration is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, processing for controlling motion of an object which appears in a virtual space based on the indicated position.

10. A non-transitory storage medium having stored thereon a program executable by a computer of an apparatus for executing processing based on a motion of an input device including an acceleration sensor, the program causing the computer to execute:

obtaining data representing an output from the acceleration sensor, or data corresponding to an acceleration of the input device which is calculated from the data representing the output from the acceleration sensor, at an interval of a unit time;

storing the obtained acceleration data;

detecting, from the stored data, a ratio of accelerations having a value close to a value of a gravitational acceleration with respect to accelerations for a predetermined time duration counted backward from the time when the acceleration data was obtained;

when the ratio is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, calculating a conversion parameter for allowing a direction of each of the accelerations, having a value close to the value of the gravitational acceleration in a coordinate system for the input device, to be detected as a direction of the gravitational acceleration; and

executing the processing based on the motion of the input device, which is obtained as a result of the conversion using the conversion parameter.

11. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 10, wherein:

the program causes the computer to further execute an average direction calculation for obtaining an average of the directions of the accelerations having a value close to the value of the gravitational acceleration; and

the conversion parameter calculation calculates a conversion parameter for allowing the average of the directions obtained in the average direction calculation to be detected as the direction of the gravitational acceleration.

12. An apparatus for executing processing based on a motion of an input device including an acceleration sensor, the apparatus comprising one or more computer processors configured to:

obtain data representing an output from the acceleration sensor, or data corresponding to an acceleration of the input device which is calculated from the data representing the output from the acceleration sensor, at an interval of a unit time;

store the obtained acceleration data in storage locations;

detect, from the data stored by the storage locations, a ratio of accelerations having a value close to a value of a gravitational acceleration with respect to accelerations for a predetermined time duration counted backward from the time when the acceleration data was obtained;

when the ratio is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, calculate a conversion parameter for allowing a direction of each of the accelerations, having a value close to the value of the gravitational acceleration in a coordinate system for the input device, to be detected as a direction of the gravitational acceleration; and

execute the processing based on the motion of the input device, which is obtained as a result of the conversion performed using the conversion parameter.

13. A method for executing processing based on a state of an input device, which is at least one of a position, a moving speed and an acceleration of the input device, the method comprising:

sequentially obtaining data variable in accordance with the state of the input device and usable for the processing;

determining whether or not a predetermined condition for the processing has been fulfilled based on the data, wherein said predetermined condition relates to whether the acceleration of the input device exceeds a predetermined value;

obtaining information on an indicated position on image in virtual space, which is calculated from the data at the time when the predetermined condition has been fulfilled;

obtaining one of the moving speed and the acceleration of the input device which are calculated from the data; and

when one of the obtained moving speed and the acceleration is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, processing for controlling motion of an object which appears in a virtual space based on the indicated position.

14. A system comprising:

a communications device configured to receive a indication from one or more input device, said indication being one or more of a position, a moving speed and an acceleration of the input device; and

a computer processor configured to;

generate a display portion for displaying at least an operating portion of a virtual space;

sequentially obtain data variable in accordance with the state of the one or more input device and usable for processing;

determine whether or not a predetermined condition for the processing has been fulfilled based on the data, wherein said predetermined condition relates to whether the acceleration of the one or more input device exceeds a predetermined value;

establish indicated position for obtaining information on an indicated position on image in virtual space, which is calculated from the data at the time when the predetermined condition has been fulfilled;

establish a parameter for obtaining one of the moving speed and the acceleration of the one or more input device which are calculated from the data; and

perform processing for, when one of the moving speed and the acceleration which is obtained by the parameter establishment is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, processing for controlling motion of an object which appears in a virtual space based on the indicated position.

15. A method for executing processing based on a motion of an input device including an acceleration sensor, the method comprising:

obtaining data representing an output from the acceleration sensor, or data corresponding to an acceleration of the input device which is calculated from the data representing the output from the acceleration sensor, at an interval of a unit time;

storing in storage locations the acceleration data obtained by the acceleration data obtaining;

detecting, from the data stored in the storage locations, a ratio of accelerations having a value close to a value of a gravitational acceleration with respect to accelerations for a predetermined time duration counted backward from the time when the acceleration data was obtained;

when the ratio is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, calculating a conversion parameter for allowing a direction of each of the accelerations, having a value close to the value of the gravitational acceleration in a coordinate system for the input device, to be detected as a direction of the gravitational acceleration; and

executing the processing based on the motion of the input device, which is obtained as a result of the conversion performed using the conversion parameter.

16. A system comprising

a communications device configured to receive an indication from one or more input device including an acceleration sensor;

and

a computer processor configured to;

generate a display portion for displaying at least an operating portion of a virtual space;

obtain acceleration data for obtaining data representing an output from the acceleration sensor, or data corresponding to an acceleration of the one or more input device which is calculated from the data representing the output from the acceleration sensor, at an interval of a unit time;

store the acceleration data obtained by the acceleration data obtaining in storage locations;

determine a ratio for detecting, from the data stored in the storage locations, a ratio of accelerations having a value close to a value of a gravitational acceleration with respect to accelerations for a predetermined time duration counted backward from the time when the data was obtained by the acceleration data obtaining;

calculate a conversion parameter for, when the ratio is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, calculating a conversion parameter for allowing a direction of each of the accelerations, having a value close to the value of the gravitational acceleration in a coordinate system for the input device, to be detected as a direction of the gravitational acceleration; and

perform control for executing the processing based on the motion of the one or more input device, which is obtained as a result of the conversion performed using the conversion parameter.