Orientation calculation apparatus, storage medium having orientation calculation program stored therein, game apparatus, and storage medium having game program stored therein

• US 8,749,490 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2013
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Sato, Kenta, Ohta, Keizo
• Primary Examiner(s): CERULLO, LILIANA P
• Application Number:
  US13/768,315
• Publication Number:
  US 20130162537A1
• Time in Patent Office: 480 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-184, 463 30- 38, 702150-154
• US Class Current: 345/158
• 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 13/428 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 13/98 Accessories, i.e. detachable arrangements optional for the use of the video game device, e.g. grip supports of game controllers
• 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: 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 orientation calculation apparatus obtains data from an input device including at least a gyroscope and an acceleration sensor, and calculates an orientation of the input device in a three-dimensional space. Orientation calculation means calculates the orientation of the input device in accordance with an angular rate detected by the gyroscope. Acceleration vector calculation means calculates an acceleration vector representing an acceleration of the input device in accordance with acceleration data from the acceleration sensor. Correction means corrects the orientation of the input device such that a direction of the acceleration vector in the space approaches a vertically downward direction in the space. Also, the correction means corrects the orientation of the input device such that a directional change before and after the correction is minimized regarding a predetermined axis representing the orientation of the input device.

Claims

1. An orientation calculation apparatus for acquiring data from an input device, the input device including at least an angular rate sensor and an acceleration sensor, and calculating an orientation of the input device in a three-dimensional space having a vertical direction defined by gravity, the apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to said processor, said memory storing instructions that, when executed by said processor, control said processor to;

calculate a three-dimensional orientation of the input device in accordance with angular rate data acquired from the angular rate sensor;

calculate a three-dimensional acceleration vector representing an acceleration of the input device in accordance with acceleration data acquired from the acceleration sensor; and

correct the calculated three-dimensional orientation by mathematically rotating the calculated three-dimensional orientation about a predetermined axis of the input device such that a projection of the acceleration vector onto a plane perpendicular to the predetermined axis is made to approach a projection of a vector representing a vertically down direction of the three-dimensional space onto the plane.

2. The orientation calculation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the orientation of the input device is corrected by performing a first conversion process for rotating the calculated three-dimensional orientation about the predetermined axis, and a second conversion process for performing a second rotation of the calculated three-dimensional orientation after the first conversion such that the direction of the acceleration vector as rotated by the first conversion approaches the vector representing the vertically down direction.

3. The orientation calculation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the calculated orientation of the input device is corrected such that the direction of the acceleration vector coincides with the vector representing the vertically down direction.

4. The orientation calculation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an acceleration due to gravity is predetermined and an amount of correction applied to the calculated orientation is controlled such that the closer a magnitude of the acceleration vector is to a magnitude of the predetermined gravitational acceleration, the more closely the direction of the acceleration vector is made to approach the vertically down direction in the three-dimensional space.

5. The orientation calculation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the calculated orientation is corrected only when a difference between a magnitude of the acceleration vector and a magnitude of a predetermined gravitational acceleration is smaller than a predetermined reference value.

6. The orientation calculation apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the input device further includes an image sensor and the processor is further configured to further correct the calculated orientation of the input device in accordance with an image of a predetermined subject acquired by the image sensor.

7. The orientation calculation apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the calculated orientation of the input device is corrected by applying a rotation about the predetermined axis.

8. A game apparatus for performing a game process, the game apparatus having an orientation calculator for acquiring data from an input device, the input device including at least an angular rate sensor and an acceleration sensor, and the orientation calculator calculating a corrected three-dimensional orientation of the input device according to claim 1.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein an orientation calculation program to be executed by one or more computer processor of an apparatus for performing an orientation calculation in accordance with data acquired from an input device, the input device including at least an angular rate sensor and an acceleration sensor, and calculating an orientation of the input device in a three-dimensional space having a vertical direction defined by gravity, the program causing the computer to perform operations comprising:

calculating a three-dimensional orientation of the input device in accordance with angular rate data acquired from the angular rate sensor;

calculating a three-dimensional acceleration vector in accordance with acceleration data acquired from the acceleration sensor; and

correcting the calculated three-dimensional orientation by mathematically rotating the calculated three-dimensional orientation about a predetermined axis of the input device such that a projection of the acceleration vector onto a plane perpendicular to the predetermined axis is made to approach a projection of a vector representing a vertically down direction of the three-dimensional space onto the plane.

10. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 9, wherein the orientation of the input device is corrected by performing a first conversion process for rotating the calculated three-dimensional orientation about the predetermined axis, and a second conversion process for performing a second rotation of the calculated three-dimensional orientation after the first conversion such that the direction of the acceleration vector as rotated by the first conversion approaches the vector representing the vertically down direction.

11. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 9, wherein the orientation of the input device is corrected such that the direction of the acceleration vector coincides with the vertically downward direction.

12. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 9, wherein an acceleration due to gravity is predetermined and an amount of correction applied to the calculated orientation is controlled such that the closer a magnitude of the acceleration vector is to a magnitude of the predetermined gravitational acceleration, the more closely the direction of the acceleration vector is made to approach the vertically down direction in the three-dimensional space.

13. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 9, wherein the calculated orientation is corrected only when a difference between a magnitude of the acceleration vector and a magnitude of a predetermined gravitational acceleration is smaller than a predetermined reference value.

14. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 9, wherein the input device further includes an image sensor and the processor is further configured to correct the calculated orientation of the input device in accordance with an image of a predetermined subject acquired by the image sensor.

15. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 13, wherein the calculated orientation of the input device is corrected by applying a rotation about the predetermined axis.

16. A method, using an information processing system comprising one or more processor, of determining an orientation of an input device within a three-dimensional space having a vertical direction defined by gravity, the input device including at least an angular rate sensor and an acceleration sensor, the method comprising:

calculating, using said one or more processor, a three-dimensional orientation of the input device in accordance with angular rate data provided by the angular rate sensor;

calculating, using said one or more processor, a three-dimensional acceleration vector in accordance with acceleration data provided by the acceleration sensor; and

correcting, using said one or more processor, the calculated three-dimensional orientation by mathematically rotating the calculated three-dimensional orientation about a predetermined axis of the input device such that a projection of the acceleration vector onto a plane perpendicular to the predetermined axis is made to approach a projection of a vector representing the vertically down direction of the three-dimensional space onto the plane.

17. An orientation calculation system, comprising:

an input device including at least an angular rate sensor and an acceleration sensor; and

an orientation calculation apparatus for acquiring data from the input device and calculating an orientation of the input device in a three-dimensional space having a vertical direction defined by gravity, the apparatus comprising;

a processor, and

a memory coupled to said processor, said memory storing instructions that, when executed by said processor, control said processor to perform features comprising;

calculate a three-dimensional orientation of the input device in accordance with angular rate data acquired from the angular rate sensor,

calculate a three-dimensional acceleration vector representing an acceleration of the input device in accordance with acceleration data acquired from the acceleration sensor, and

correct the calculated three-dimensional orientation by mathematically rotating the calculated three-dimensional orientation about a predetermined axis of the input device such that a projection of the acceleration vector onto a plane perpendicular to the predetermined axis is made to approach a projection of a vector representing a vertically down direction of the three-dimensional space onto the plane.