Game controller, storage medium storing game program, and game apparatus

• US 8,574,080 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2011
• Issued: 11/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Yamazaki, Hitoshi, Sawano, Takao, Sugiyama, Tadashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Elisca, Pierre E
• Application Number:
  US13/313,841
• Publication Number:
  US 20120108341A1
• Time in Patent Office: 699 Days
• Field of Search: 463/39
• US Class Current: 463/39
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/212 using sensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat or leg activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/214 for locating contacts on a surface, e.g. floor mats or touch pads
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/218 using pressure sensors, e.g. generating a signal proportional to the pressure applied by the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/23 for interfacing with the game device, e.g. specific interfaces between game controller and console
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/235 using a wireless connection, e.g. infrared or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/245 specially adapted to a particular type of game, e.g. steering wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/42 by mapping the input signals into game commands, e.g. mapping the displacement of a stylus on a touch screen to the steering angle of a virtual vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1006 having additional degrees of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1025 details of the interface with the game device, e.g. USB version detection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1056 involving pressure sensitive buttons
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1068 being specially adapted to detect the point of contact of the player on a surface, e.g. floor mat, touch pad
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands

Abstract

A game controller includes at least four load sensors for detecting a load applied on a support board on which player'"'"'s legs are ridden, and the game controller transmits a load value detected as manipulation data by the four load sensors to a game machine. The game machine determines a necessary quantity of load values, and the game machine computes the necessary quantity of load values based on the detected load value from the game controller. Then, game processing is performed based on the necessary quantity of computed load values.

Claims

1. A game controller used in a game machine, comprising:

a support portion on which legs of a player are ridden;

at least four load sensors disposed at predetermined intervals below said support portion; and

a communication unit configured to transmit a load value as manipulation data detected from each of said four load sensors to said game machine.

2. The game controller according to claim 1, wherein said communication unit includes:

a wireless communication unit configured to wirelessly receive said load obtaining command from said game machine; and

a processing unit configured to impart the load value as the manipulation data detected from each of said four load sensors to said wireless communication unit when said wireless communication unit receives said load obtaining command,

wherein said wireless communication unit wirelessly transmits said manipulation data received from said processing unit to said game machine.

3. The game controller according to claim 1, wherein said communication unit includes a connector unit detachable from a different type of game controller and, said communication unit configured to transmit said load value to said game machine through said different type of game controller attached to said connector unit.

4. The game controller according to claim 1, further comprising:

a manipulation button provided in a surface different from an upper surface of said support portion configured to be manipulated by the legs of the player.

12. The game controller of claim 1, wherein the communication unit of the game controller is configured to communicate directly with the game machine, the game machine further comprising a remote controller configured to communicate directly with the game machine.

16. The game controller of claim 1, wherein the communication unit includes a wireless communication unit configured to wirelessly transmit data corresponding to the manipulation data to the game machine independently from any other game controller.

17. The game controller of claim 2, wherein the wireless communication unit wirelessly receives the load obtaining command from said game machine independently from any other game controller, and the wireless communication unit wirelessly transmits the manipulation data to the game machine independently from any other game controller.

23. The game controller according to claim 1, wherein the communication unit is further configured to wirelessly transmit the load value to said game machine.

5. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a game program executed in a computer of a game machine that performs a game using a game controller including a plurality of load sensors, wherein said game program causes said computer to execute functionality comprising:

obtaining a detection value outputted from each of said plurality of load sensors;

determining a quantity of load values necessary for game processing;

computing the determined quantity of load values from a plurality of detection values; and

performing game processing based on said load value.

6. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 5, wherein said game program causes said computer to further execute functionality comprising:

selecting a type of game, and

determining the necessary quantity according to said type of game by determining the type of game.

7. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 5, wherein said game program causes said computer to further execute functionality comprising:

computing difference of the detection values outputted from said plurality of load sensors; and

correcting said detection value based on the computed difference.

8. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 5, wherein said game program causes said computer to further execute functionality comprising:

comparing the computed load values, and

performing the game processing based on the load value that is determined to be the largest value as a result of comparison of the computed load values.

9. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 5, wherein the necessary quantity is determined according to a scene by determining said scene in the game.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 5, wherein the game machine further comprises a remote controller configured to communicate with the game machine, the game machine being configured to communicate directly with each of the remote controller and the game controller.

10. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a game program executed in a computer of a game machine that performs a game using a game controller including a plurality of load sensors, wherein said game program causes said computer to execute functionality comprising:

determining a quantity of load values necessary for game processing;

transmitting a command according to the determined quantity to said game controller;

obtaining the quantity of load values according to said command from said game controller; and

performing game processing based on said obtained load value.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 10, wherein the game machine further comprises a remote controller configured to communicate with the game machine, the game machine being configured to communicate directly with each of the remote controller and the game controller.

11. A game apparatus executing a game played by a load of a player, comprising:

a manipulation unit including a support portion on which legs of the player are ridden and a plurality of load sensors configured to detect a load applied to said support portion;

a quantity determining unit configured to determine a quantity of load values necessary for game processing;

a load value computing unit configured to compute the quantity of load values based on a detection value detected by each of said plurality of load sensors, the quantity of load values being determined by said quantity determining unit; and

a game processing unit configured to perform the game processing based on said load value computed by said load value computing unit.

15. The game apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

a wireless controller module operatively coupled to the game processing unit; and

a remote controller configured to wirelessly communicate with the wireless controller module,

wherein the wireless controller module is configured to wirelessly communicate directly with each of the remote controller and the manipulation unit.

18. The game apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

a wireless controller module operatively coupled to the game processing unit; and

a remote controller configured to wirelessly communicate with the wireless controller module,

wherein the wireless controller module is configured to wirelessly communicate with the remote controller independently from the manipulation unit, and the wireless controller module is configured to wirelessly communicate with the manipulation unit independently from the remote controller.

19. A game system comprising:

a game machine;

a first game controller configured to communicate directly with the game machine; and

a second game controller configured to communicate directly with the game machine, the second game controller including;

a support portion on which legs of a player are ridden,

at least four load sensors disposed at predetermined intervals below said support portion, and

a communication unit configured to transmit a load value as manipulation data detected from each of said four load sensors to said game machine.

20. The game system of claim 19, wherein the game machine includes a wireless communication module configured to wirelessly communicate with the first game controller independently from the second game controller and configured to wirelessly communicate with the second game controller independently from the first game controller.

21. A method implemented in an information processing apparatus having one or more processors and for performing a game using a game controller including a plurality of load sensors, the method comprising:

obtaining a detection value outputted from each of said plurality of load sensors;

determining a quantity of load values necessary for game processing;

computing, via the one or more processors, the determined quantity of load values from a plurality of detection values; and

performing game processing based on said load value.

22. A method implemented in an information processing apparatus having one or more processors and for performing a game using a game controller including a plurality of load sensors, the method comprising:

determining, via the one or more processors, a quantity of load values necessary for game processing;

transmitting a command according to the determined quantity to said game controller;

obtaining the quantity of load values according to said command from said game controller; and

performing game processing based on said obtained load value.