Video game with dual motion controllers

• US 8,727,879 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2011
• Issued: 05/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Koizumi, Yoshiaki, Hayakawa, Takeshi, Aoyagi, Norihiro, Ishihara, Seiki
• Primary Examiner(s): GALKA, LAWRENCE STEFAN
• Application Number:
  US13/103,137
• Publication Number:
  US 20110212781A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,107 Days
• Field of Search: 463 6- 8, 463 36- 38, 345156-158, 345/161
• US Class Current: 463/36
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/20 Input arrangements for video game devices
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/21 characterised by their sensors, purposes or types
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/22 Setup operations, e.g. calibration, key configuration or button assignment
• 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 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 13/44 involving timing of operations, e.g. performing an action within a time slot
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/803 Driving vehicles or craft, e.g. cars, airplanes, ships, robots or tanks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/95 Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1006 having additional degrees of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/105 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/638 according to the timing of operation or a time limit
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8088 involving concurrently several players in a non-networked game, e.g. on the same game console
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0382 Plural input, i.e. interface arrangements in which a plurality of input device of the same type are in communication with a PC
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0384 Wireless input, i.e. hardware and software details of wireless interface arrangements for pointing devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/033 Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user , e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor digitisers characterised by the transducing means G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0338 : with detection of limited linear or angular displacement of an operating part of the device from a neutral position, e.g. isotonic or isometric joysticks
• 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 3/038 : Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0383 : Signal control means within the pointing device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 : Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object

Abstract

An inclination of a first unit is detected based on an output from a first acceleration sensor provided in a first unit of a controller, and an inclination of a second unit is detected based on an output from a second acceleration sensor provided in a second unit separate from the first unit. A difference between the inclinations of the first unit and the second unit is detected, and game control is performed using the detected difference. Thus, with a game apparatus using a plurality of acceleration sensors or a plurality of sensors capable of detecting a motion or a posture, a dynamic play is made possible with a high degree of freedom of motion and an intuitive motion input is realized.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a game program for executing game control using an output from a sensor at least capable of detecting a motion in at least two axial directions of a first axis direction and a second axis direction, the game program causing a computer of a game apparatus to perform:

motion detection for detecting a motion in the first axis direction of the sensor;

game control for, when the motion detection detects a motion in the first axis direction, executing game processing based on an output from the sensor in the second axis direction and a magnitude of an output from the sensor in the first axis direction during a predetermined time period immediately before but not after the detection of the motion.

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

when the motion detection detects a motion in the first axis direction, the game control detects whether or not there is a motion in the second axis direction at a time point or during a time period which is determined based on the time point when the motion in the first axis direction was detected;

and

when the motion in the second axis direction is detected, game control is executed using an output in the second axis direction.

3. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a game program for executing game control using an output from a sensor at least capable of detecting a motion in three axial directions of a first axis direction, a second axis direction and a third axis direction, the game program causing a computer of a game apparatus to perform:

motion detection for detecting a motion in the first axis direction of the sensor; and

game control for, when the motion detection detects a motion in the first axis direction, executing game control using a vector represented by an output from the sensor in the second axis direction and an output from the sensor in the third axis direction during a predetermined time period immediately before but not after the detection of the motion.

4. A method for executing game control using an output from a sensor at least capable of detecting a motion in at least two axial directions of a first axis direction and a second axis direction, the method comprising:

detecting a motion in the first axis direction of the sensor;

game control for, when the detecting a motion detects a motion in the first axis direction, executing game processing based on an output from the sensor in the second axis direction and a magnitude of an output from the sensor in the first axis direction during a predetermined time period immediately before but not after the detection of the motion.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein

when the detecting a motion detects a motion in the first axis direction, the game control detects whether or not there is a motion in the second axis direction at a time point or during a time period which is determined based on the time point when the motion in the first axis direction was detected;

and

when the motion in the second axis direction is detected, game control is executed using an output in the second axis direction.

6. A method for executing game control using an output from a sensor at least capable of detecting a motion in three axial directions of a first axis direction, a second axis direction and a third axis direction, the method comprising:

detecting a motion in the first axis direction of the sensor; and

game control for, when the detecting a motion detects a motion in the first axis direction, executing game control using a vector represented by an output from the sensor in the second axis direction and an output from the sensor in the third axis direction during a predetermined time period immediately before but not after the detection of the motion.

7. A game apparatus configured to execute game control using an output from a sensor at least capable of detecting a motion in at least two axial directions of a first axis direction and a second axis direction, the game apparatus comprising:

a computer processor configured to;

detect a motion in the first axis direction of the sensor;

control a game by, when a motion is detected in the first axis direction, executing game processing based on an output from the sensor in the second axis direction and a magnitude of an output from the sensor in the first axis direction during a predetermined time period immediately before but not after the detection of the motion.

8. The game apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

when the motion is detected in the first axis direction, a detection is made whether or not there is a motion in the second axis direction at a time point or during a time period which is determined based on the time point when the motion in the first axis direction was detected;

and

when the motion in the second axis direction is detected, game control is executed using an output in the second axis direction.

9. A game apparatus configured to execute game control using an output from a sensor at least capable of detecting a motion in three axial directions of a first axis direction, a second axis direction and a third axis direction, the game apparatus comprising:

a computer processor configured to;

detect a motion in the first axis direction of the sensor; and

when the motion in the first axis direction is detected, execute game control using a vector represented by an output from the sensor in the second axis direction and an output from the sensor in the third axis direction during a predetermined time period immediately before but not after the detection of the motion.