Position detecting system and position detecting program

• US 8,854,279 B2
• Filed: 01/12/2012
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Miyamoto, Shigeru, Sawano, Takao, Yamazaki, Hitoshi, Kawada, Shinya
• Primary Examiner(s): MANDEVILLE, JASON M
• Application Number:
  US13/349,258
• Publication Number:
  US 20120108272A1
• Time in Patent Office: 999 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-158, 345/162, 345/169, 345 11- 13, 345 21- 23, 345/3.1
• US Class Current: 345/2.1
• 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 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/10 Special adaptations of display systems for operation with variable images
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/00 Aspects of data communication
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/12 Synchronisation between the display unit and other units, e.g. other display units, video-disc players

Abstract

A plurality of positional information transmitters 100, each of which transmits positional information to which a plurality of unit spaces are each uniquely assigned, are disposed on a ceiling. A mobile terminal 10 receives the positional information transmitted from each of the positional information transmitters 100 and changes a terminal-side image in accordance with the received positional information. Furthermore, the mobile terminal 10 transmits to a server 300 current positional information and operation information indicating an instruction inputted by a user. The server 300 changes, in accordance with the current positional information and the operation information received by the mobile terminal 10, a floor image displayed on a plurality of floor displays 200 disposed on a floor. Thus, it becomes possible to provide a highly interesting and novel position detecting system.

Claims

1. A position detecting system comprising:

an information transmission device, comprising a plurality of transmitters, for transmitting predetermined information;

a mobile terminal for receiving the predetermined information; and

a control device capable of communicating with the mobile terminal, the mobile terminal including;

a first display unit for displaying a first image;

a first receiving unit for receiving the predetermined information transmitted from the information transmission device;

a first image processing unit for changing the first image in accordance with the predetermined information received by the first receiving unit;

operation elements for accepting an instruction inputted by a user; and

a transmission unit for transmitting, to the control device, current positional information corresponding to the predetermined information received by the first receiving unit, said current positional information generated by a current positional information generating unit, and operation information indicating the instruction inputted by the user through the operation elements,

the control device arranged separately from the mobile terminal and the information transmission device and including;

a second display unit for displaying a second image;

a second receiving unit for receiving the current positional information and the operation information transmitted from the mobile terminal; and

a second image processing unit for changing the second image in accordance with the current positional information and the operation information received by the second receiving unit, wherein

the information transmission device transmits the predetermined information for a predetermined number of times, and

the current positional information generating unit measures a number of times each predetermined information transmitted by a subset of the transmitters during a predetermined time period was successfully received by the first receiving unit, and generates the current positional information based on said measured number of times said each predetermined information was successfully received.

2. The position detecting system according to claim 1, wherein

the current positional information generating unit generates the current positional information, based on a ratio of the number of times each predetermined information is successfully received, by the first receiving unit, to the total number of times each predetermined information is transmitted.

3. The position detecting system according to claim 2, wherein

the current positional information generating unit calculates a weighted average of the predetermined information by averaging the predetermined information received by the first receiving unit, in accordance with the receiving frequency of the predetermined information, such that the current positional information generating unit generates the current positional information.

4. A position detecting system comprising:

an information transmission device for transmitting predetermined information;

a mobile terminal for receiving the predetermined information; and

a control device capable of communicating with the mobile terminal, the mobile terminal including;

a first display unit for displaying a first image;

a first receiving unit for receiving the predetermined information transmitted from the information transmission device;

a first image processing unit for changing the first image in accordance with the predetermined information received by the first receiving unit;

operation elements for accepting an instruction inputted by a user; and

a transmission unit for transmitting, to the control device, current positional information corresponding to the predetermined information received by the first receiving unit, said current positional information generated by a current positional information generating unit, and operation information indicating the instruction inputted by the user through the operation elements,

and the control device arranged separately from the mobile terminal and the information transmission device and including;

a second display unit for displaying a second image;

a second receiving unit for receiving the current positional information and the operation information transmitted from the mobile terminal; and

a second image processing unit for changing the second image in accordance with the current positional information and the operation information received by the second receiving unit, wherein

the first image includes an image, and

the first image processing unit changes a display mode of the image between a first display mode indicating the image is selectable by the user so that the second image changes when the image is selected and a second display mode indicating the image is not selectable by the user in accordance with the predetermined information received by the first receiving unit.

5. A non-transitory computer-readable physical storage medium having tangibly recorded thereon a position detecting program executed by a computer of a mobile terminal and a computer of a control device in a position detecting system, the position detecting system comprising:

an information transmission device, comprising a plurality of transmitters, for transmitting predetermined information;

the mobile terminal for receiving the predetermined information; and

the control device capable of communicating with the mobile terminal, the position detecting program instructing the computer of the mobile terminal to perform;

first display control for causing a first display unit of the mobile terminal to display a first image;

first receiving control for causing a first receiving unit of the mobile terminal to receive the predetermined information transmitted from the information transmission device;

first image processing for changing the first image in accordance with the predetermined information received by the first receiving unit; and

transmission control for causing the mobile terminal to transmit, to the control device, current positional information corresponding to the predetermined information received by the first receiving unit, said current positional information generated by a current positional information generating unit, and operation information indicating an instruction inputted by the user through operation elements of the mobile terminal,

the control device arranged separately from the mobile terminal and the information transmission device, and

the position detecting program instructing the computer of the control device to perform;

second display control for causing a second display unit of the control device to display a second image;

second receiving control for causing a second receiving unit of the control device to receive the current positional information and the operation information transmitted from the mobile terminal; and

second image processing for changing the second image in accordance with the current positional information and the operation information received by the second receiving unit, wherein

the information transmission device transmits the predetermined information for a predetermined number of times, and

the current positional information generating unit measures a number of times each predetermined information transmitted by a subset of the transmitters during a predetermined time period was successfully received by the first receiving unit, and generates the current positional information based on said measured number of times said each predetermined information was successfully received.

6. A non-transitory computer-readable physical storage medium having tangibly recorded thereon a position detecting program executed by a computer of a mobile terminal and a computer of a control device in a position detecting system, the position detecting system comprising:

an information transmission device for transmitting predetermined information;

the mobile terminal for receiving the predetermined information; and

the control device capable of communicating with the mobile terminal,

the position detecting program instructing the computer of the mobile terminal to perform;

first display control for causing a first display unit of the mobile terminal to display a first image;

first receiving control for causing a first receiving unit of the mobile terminal to receive the predetermined information transmitted from the information transmission device;

first image processing for changing the first image in accordance with the predetermined information received by the first receiving unit; and

transmission control for causing a transmission unit of the mobile terminal to transmit, to the control device, current positional information corresponding to the predetermined information received by the first receiving unit, said current positional information generated by a current positional information generating unit, and operation information indicating an instruction inputted by the user through operation elements of the mobile terminal, and

the control device arranged separately from the mobile terminal and the information transmission device, and

the position detecting program instructing the computer of the control device to perform;

second display control for causing a second display unit of the control device to display a second image;

second receiving control for causing a second receiving unit of the control device to receive the current positional information and the operation information transmitted from the mobile terminal; and

second image processing for changing the second image in accordance with the current positional information and the operation information received by the second receiving unit, wherein

the first image includes an image, and

the first image processing changes a display mode of the image between a first display mode indicating the image is selectable by the user so that the second image changes when the image is selected and a second display mode indicating the image is not selectable by the user in accordance with the predetermined information received by the first receiving unit.

7. A method for changing an image displayed on a mobile terminal based on positional information received by the mobile terminal, the method comprising:

receiving, by the mobile terminal, predetermined information from an information transmission device comprising a plurality of transmitters;

displaying a first image on a first display unit of the mobile terminal;

changing the first image in accordance with the received predetermined information;

accepting an instruction inputted by a user; and

transmitting, to a control device communicating with the mobile terminal, current positional information corresponding to the received predetermined information and operation information indicating the instruction inputted by the user through operation elements,

displaying a second image on a second display unit separate from the mobile terminal;

changing the second image in accordance with the current positional information and the operation information transmitted by the mobile terminal, wherein the predetermined information is transmitted to the mobile device for a predetermined number of times, and

measuring a number of times each predetermined information transmitted by a subset of the transmitters during a predetermined time period was successfully received, and generating the current positional information based on said measured number of times said each predetermined information was successfully received.

8. A method for changing an image displayed on a mobile terminal based on positional information received by the mobile terminal, the method comprising:

receiving, by the mobile terminal, predetermined information from an information transmission device;

displaying a first image on a first display unit of the mobile terminal;

changing the first image in accordance with the received predetermined information;

accepting an instruction inputted by a user; and

transmitting, to a control device communicating with the mobile terminal, current positional information corresponding to the received predetermined information and operation information indicating the instruction inputted by the user through operation elements,

displaying a second image on a second display unit separate from the mobile terminal;

changing the second image in accordance with the current positional information and the operation information transmitted by the mobile terminal, wherein

the first image includes an image, and

changing a display mode of the image between a first display mode indicating the image is selectable by the user so that the second image changes when the image is selected and a second display mode indicating the image is not selectable by the user in accordance with the received predetermined information.