Method for controlling computer that is held and operated by user using a re-touch determination area

• US 9,001,062 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2012
• Issued: 04/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc. (BANDAI NAMCO Holdings Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bandai Namco Games Inc (BANDAI NAMCO Holdings Inc.)
• Inventors: Nakagawa, Takashi, Nakagawa, Yoshihito, Ito, Shogo
• Primary Examiner(s): Snyder, Adam J
• Application Number:
  US13/654,707
• Publication Number:
  US 20130123014A1
• Time in Patent Office: 901 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/178, 178/18.01, 178/18.02
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1075 using a touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6661 for changing the position of the virtual camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

When a cube has been selected, and a touch operation has been canceled, a retouch determination area that is larger than the original selection area for selecting the cube is set based on a touch cancellation position. When a retouch operation has been detected within the retouch determination area after the touch operation has been canceled, it is determined that the same position as the touch cancellation position has been retouched, and the cube (object) is moved.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a computer that is held and operated by a user, the method comprising:

displaying a plurality of objects based on a given virtual camera on a display device that is provided on a front side of the computer, the plurality of objects being disposed inside a virtual three-dimensional space;

selecting one object among the plurality of objects based on a positional relationship between a position of a first touch operation and a display position on the display device when the user has performed the first touch operation on a touch-operated device that is provided on a back side of the computer that cannot be observed by the user when the user observes the display device;

determining a distance from the given virtual camera to the one object;

setting a determination area for reselecting the one object on the touch-operated device and setting a size of the determination area based on the distance that is determined from the given virtual camera to the one object; and

performing a given control process on the one object when the user has performed a second touch operation within the determination area.

2. The method as defined in claim 1,

the setting of the determination area including setting a range as the determination area, the range at least including a touch operation range of the touch-operated device that corresponds to a display range of the one object based on a positional relationship between the front side and the back side of the computer.

3. The method as defined in claim 2,

the setting of the determination area including changing a size of the touch operation range based on a display size of the one object.

4. The method as defined in claim 2,

the computer having a structure that is held and operated by both hands, and including an operation section that can be operated by a thumb on each side of the display device,

the touch-operated device being provided in a center area of the back side of the computer, and

the setting of the determination area including setting the determination area by extending the touch operation range that corresponds to the display range of the one object so that an extension ratio in a transverse direction is larger than an extension ratio in a vertical direction.

5. The method as defined in claim 4,

the setting of the determination area including changing the extension ratio in the transverse direction based on the position of the first touch operation.

6. The method as defined in claim 2,

the setting of the determination area including setting an extension area that overlaps or is adjacent to the touch operation range, and setting the determination area by combining the touch operation range and the extension area.

7. The method as defined in claim 6,

the setting of the extension area including setting the extension area based on the position of the first touch operation.

8. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

setting an effective range in a touch operation area of the touch-operated device in an area other than a range in which a finger of the user that holds the computer touches the touch-operated device,

the setting of the determination area including setting the determination area within the effective range.

9. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

changing a size of the determination area based on a touch area of the first touch operation.

10. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

determining a shift tendency between the position of the first touch operation and a position of the second touch operation,

the setting of the determination area including setting the determination area based on the shift tendency.

11. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

disabling the determination area when a given time has elapsed after the first touch operation has been canceled.

12. The method as defined in claim 1,

the setting of the size of the determination area including:

determining whether the distance is larger than a reference value;

setting the size of the determination area to have a size corresponding to a display size of the one object, when the distance is determined to be larger than the reference value; and

setting the size of the determination area to have a range that is larger than the display size of the one object, when the distance is determined to be smaller than the reference value.

13. A method for controlling a computer that is held and operated by a user, the computer including a display device and a front touch-operated device integrated with the display device on a front side, and including a rear touch-operated device on a back side, the method comprising:

displaying an object based on a given virtual camera on the display device, the object being disposed inside a virtual three-dimensional space;

determining a distance from the given virtual camera to the one object;

setting a front determination area to the front touch-operated device, and setting a rear determination area that is larger than the front determination area to the rear touch-operated device as a determination area for selecting the object;

setting a size of the rear determination area based on the distance that is determined from the given virtual camera to the one object; and

performing a first control process on the object when the user has performed a touch operation within the front determination area, and performing a second control process on the object when the user has performed a touch operation within the rear determination area.

14. the method as defined in claim 13,

the setting of the size of the rear determination area including:

determining whether the distance is larger than a reference value;

setting the size of the rear determination area to have a size corresponding to a display size of the object, when the distance is determined to be larger than the reference value; and

setting the size of the rear determination area to have a range that is larger than the display size of the object, when the distance is determined to be smaller than the reference value.

15. An electronic instrument that is held and operated by a user, the electronic instrument comprising:

a display device that is provided on a front side of the electronic instrument;

a touch-operated device that is provided on a back side of the electronic instrument;

an object display control section that displays a plurality of objects based on a given virtual camera on the display device, the plurality of objects being disposed inside a virtual three-dimensional space;

a detection section that detects that one object among the plurality of objects has been selected when the user has performed a first touch operation based on a positional relationship between a position of the first touch operation and a display position on the display device;

a distance determination section that determines a distance from the given virtual camera to the one object;

a determination area setting section that sets a determination area for reselecting the one object on the touch-operated device and sets a size of the determination area based on the distance that is determined from the given virtual camera to the one object; and

an object control section that performs a given control process on the one object when the user has performed a second touch operation within the determination area.

16. The electronic instrument as defined in claim 15,

determining whether the distance is larger than a reference value;

the determination area setting section setting the determination area to have a size corresponding to a display size of the one object, when then distance is determined to be larger than the reference value; and

the determination area setting section setting the determination area to have a range that is larger than the display size of the one object, when the distance is determined to be smaller than the reference value.

17. An electronic instrument that is held and operated by a user, the electronic instrument comprising:

a display device and a front touch-operated device integrated with the display device, the display device and the front touch-operated device being provided on a front side of the electronic instrument;

a rear touch-operated device that is provided on a back side of the electronic instrument;

an object display control section that displays an object based on a given virtual camera on the display device, the object being disposed inside a virtual three-dimensional space;

a distance determination section hat determines a distance from the given virtual camera to the object;

a determination area setting section that sets a front determination area to the front touch-operated device, and sets a rear determination area that is larger than the front determination area to the rear touch-operated device as a determination area for selecting the object, and sets a size of the rear determination area based on the distance that is determined from the given virtual camera to the one object; and

an object control section that performs a first control process on the object when the user has performed a touch operation within the front determination area, and performs a second control process on the object when the user has performed a touch operation within the rear determination area.

18. The electronic instrument as defined in claim 17,

determining whether the distance is larger than a reference value;

the determination area setting section setting the rear determination area to have a size corresponding to a display size of the object, when the distance is determined to be larger than the reference value; and

the determination area setting section setting the rear determination area to have a range that is larger than the display size of the object, when the distance is determined to be smaller than the reference value.