Information processing apparatus and computer-readable recording medium recording information processing program

• US 8,884,875 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2013
• Issued: 11/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Nishida, Kenichi, Sakaguchi, Tsubasa
• Primary Examiner(s): SIMPSON, LIXI CHOW
• Application Number:
  US13/933,786
• Publication Number:
  US 20130293465A1
• Time in Patent Office: 497 Days
• US Class Current: 345/157
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/219 for aiming at specific areas on the display, e.g. light-guns
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/426 involving on-screen location information, e.g. screen coordinates of an area at which the player is aiming with a light gun
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/533 for prompting the player, e.g. by displaying a game menu
• 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 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/32 Remote control based on movements, attitude of remote control device

Abstract

Motion information is obtained which is information about a motion applied to an input device housing itself including a pointing device of a plurality of input mean. Next, based on the motion information, a movement amount of the input device housing is calculated. Thereafter, it is determined whether or not the movement amount satisfies predetermined conditions. When the predetermined conditions are satisfied, a position is designated based on an output from the pointing device.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium recording an information processing program executable by a computer of an information processing apparatus for designating a position on a screen based on outputs from an input device including a pointing device and a non-pointing device, the program configured to cause the computer to perform functions comprising:

calculating a motion amount that is based on a motion applied to an input device itself including the pointing device;

switching, based on the motion amount, a position designation mode between a first position designation mode in which position designation is performed based on output from the pointing device and a second position designation mode in which position designation is performed based on an output from the non-pointing device; and

designating a new position on the screen corresponding to a current pointing direction of the pointing device when the position designation mode is switched to the first position designation mode.

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

the position designation mode is switched to the first position designation mode if the motion amount exceeds a predetermined threshold when the position designation mode is in the second position designation mode.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 1, wherein

the position designation mode is switched to the second position designation mode, on a condition unrelated to the motion amount, when the position designation mode is in the first position designation mode.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 3, wherein

the position designation mode is switched to the second position designation mode if an input to the non-pointing device has occurred when the position designation mode is in the first position designation mode.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the information processing program is configured to cause the computer to further perform functions comprising:

measuring a period of time during which it is determined that there is not an input to the non-pointing device when the position designation mode is in the second position designation mode, and

switching the position designation mode to the first position designation mode when the measured period of time exceeds a specified value.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 1, wherein

the input device includes a motion sensor for detecting a motion applied to the input device itself, and

the motion amount is calculated based on data output from the motion sensor.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 1, wherein

the motion amount is calculated based on a change amount of the designated positions of the pointing device.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the information processing program is configured to cause the computer to further perform functions comprising:

accumulating the calculated motion amounts;

determining whether the cumulative value of the accumulated calculated motion amounts exceeds a specified threshold; and

switching the position designation mode to the first position designation mode when the cumulative value exceeds the specified threshold.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 8, wherein

the motion amounts is accumulated for a predetermined period of time until a current time.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 8, wherein

the cumulative value is configured to be reset when an input has occurred with respect to the non-pointing device.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the information processing program is configured to cause the computer to further perform features comprising:

calculating a change amount of the calculated motion amounts, and

determining whether the calculated change amount exceeds a specified threshold.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 11, wherein the information processing program is configured to cause the computer to further perform features comprising:

accumulating the calculated change amounts, and

determining whether the cumulative change amount of the accumulated calculated change amounts exceeds a specified threshold.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 12, wherein

the change amounts are accumulated for a specified period of time until a current time.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 12, wherein

the cumulative change amount is configured to be reset when an input has occurred with respect to the non-pointing device.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 1, wherein

the first input device includes an image capturing section configured to capture an image of at least one object which is located in a vicinity of a display device,

captured image data output from the input device including the image capturing section is configured to be obtained, and

a position is designated based on an object whose image to be captured is shown in a captured image indicated by the captured image data.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 1, wherein

the first position designation mode is a mode in which any position on the screen can be designated, and any of the objects displayed on the screen can be selected by designating a position where the object is displayed, and

the second position designation mode is a mode in which an object can be selected by changing a setting of a focused state indicating a selected state among the objects displayed on the screen in a specified order depending on specified input.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 16, wherein the information processing program is configured to cause the computer to further perform features comprising:

determining whether the specified key input has been performed when the position designation mode is in the first position designation mode,

calculating the motion amount when the position designation mode is in the second position designation mode, and

switching the position designation mode to the second position designation mode when the key input has been performed, and switching the position designation mode to the first position designation mode when the calculated motion amount exceeds a specified threshold.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 1, wherein a cursor is displayed on the screen at the designated position.

19. An information processing apparatus for designating a position on a screen based on outputs from an input device including a pointing device and a non-pointing device, the information processing apparatus comprising:

a memory; and

one or more processors operatively coupled to the memory, the one or more processors configured to;

calculate a motion amount that is based on a motion applied to an input device itself including the pointing device,

switch, based on the motion amount, a position designation mode between a first position designation mode in which position designation is performed based on output from the pointing device and a second position designation mode in which position designation is performed based on an output from the non-pointing device, and

designate a new position on the screen corresponding to a current pointing direction of the pointing device when the position designation mode is switched to the first position designation mode.

20. An information processing system comprising:

at least one input device having a pointing device and non-pointing device; and

an information processing apparatus for designating a position on a screen based on outputs from the at least one input device, the information processing device having a memory coupled to one or more processors that are configured to;

calculate a motion amount that is based on a motion applied to an input device itself including the pointing device,

switch, based on the motion amount, a position designation mode between a first position designation mode in which position designation is performed based on output from the pointing device and a second position designation mode in which position designation is performed based on an output from the non-pointing device, and

designate a new position on the screen corresponding to a current pointing direction of the pointing device when the position designation mode is switched to the first position designation mode.

21. An information processing method for controlling an information processing apparatus, or an information processing system, for designating a position on a screen based on outputs from an input device including a pointing device and a non-pointing device, the information processing method comprising:

calculating a motion amount that is based on a motion applied to an input device itself including the pointing device;

switching, based on the motion amount, a position designation mode between a first position designation mode in which position designation is performed based on output from the pointing device and a second position designation mode in which position designation is performed based on an output from the non-pointing device; and

designating a new position on the screen corresponding to a current pointing direction of the pointing device when the position designation mode is switched to the first position designation mode.