Computer-readable storage medium having stored therein information processing program, information processing apparatus, information processing system, and information processing method

• US 9,022,862 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2012
• Issued: 05/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Abe, Goro
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahmed, Masud
• Application Number:
  US13/711,977
• Publication Number:
  US 20130106846A1
• Time in Patent Office: 874 Days
• Field of Search: 463/9, 463/41, 463/5, 463 29- 32, 463/27
• US Class Current: 463/30
• 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 13/215 comprising means for detecting acoustic signals, e.g. using a microphone
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/24 Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/26 having at least one additional display device, e.g. on the game controller or outside a game booth
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/285 Generating tactile feedback signals via the game input device, e.g. force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/323 between game devices with different hardware characteristics, e.g. hand-held game devices connectable to game consoles or arcade machines
• 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 13/5255 according to dedicated instructions from a player, e.g. using a secondary joystick to rotate the camera around a player's character
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/837 Shooting of targets
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/105 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/301 using an additional display connected to the game console, e.g. on the controller
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6653 for altering the visibility of an object, e.g. preventing the occlusion of an object, partially hiding an object
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6676 by dedicated player input
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range

Abstract

A pirate ship is displayed on a television being a stationary display device and on a terminal device being a portable display device. When the terminal device is held in a second attitude, the position and the angle of view of a first virtual camera are adjusted, and the pirate ship displayed on the television is zoomed out. When the terminal device is held in a first attitude, the position and the angle of view of the first virtual camera are adjusted and the pirate ship displayed on the television is zoomed in.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein an information processing program to be executed by a computer of an information processing apparatus to cause a stationary display device to display an image, the program, when executed, causing the computer to be configured to perform functionality comprising:

setting a virtual camera in a virtual space in which a predetermined object is arranged;

generating an image taken by the virtual camera of the virtual space containing the predetermined object;

displaying the generated image on the stationary display device; and

determining whether a user is viewing the stationary display device displaying the generated image, wherein

when it is determined that the user is not viewing the stationary display device, adjusting the generated image or adjusting parameters of the virtual camera such that the displayed image on the stationary displayed device is made more difficult to be viewed than at a time when it is determined that the user is viewing the stationary display device.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein when it is determined that the user is not viewing the stationary display device, the generated image is adjusted or the parameters of the virtual camera are adjusted such that the predetermined object in the image is made more difficult to be viewed by displaying at least the predetermined object in a zoomed-out manner.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein when it is determined that the user is not viewing the stationary display device, the predetermined object in the image is made more difficult to be viewed by displaying a predetermined image in a part or a whole of a region containing the predetermined object in the image.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein when it is determined that the user is not viewing the stationary display device, the predetermined object in the image is made more difficult to be viewed by blurring at least the predetermined object.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein when it is determined that the user is not viewing the stationary display device, the predetermined object in the image is made more difficult to be viewed by making at least the predetermined object transparent or translucent.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein when it is determined that the user is not viewing the stationary display device, the predetermined object in the image is made more difficult to be viewed by displaying at least the predetermined object in a pixelized manner.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the program causes the computer to be configured to perform further functionality comprising:

obtaining an attitude of a portable display device, and

determining that the user is viewing the stationary display device when the attitude of the portable display device is a first attitude, and determining that the user is not viewing the stationary display device when the attitude of the portable display device is a second attitude.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the program causes the computer to be configured to perform further functionality comprising:

adjusting a volume of a sound outputted from the stationary display device, in accordance with a result of the determination of whether the user is viewing the stationary display device.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the determination of whether the user is viewing the stationary display device displaying the generated image is made based on data from a sensor or based on content of an image captured by a camera in real space.

10. An information processing system for causing a stationary display device to display an image, the system comprising:

a computer processing system, comprising at least one computer processor, configured to;

set a virtual camera in a virtual space in which a predetermined object is arranged;

generate an image taken by the virtual camera of the virtual space containing the predetermined object;

display the generated image on the stationary display device; and

determine whether or not a user is viewing the stationary display device displaying the generated image, so that when it is determined that the user is not viewing the stationary display device displaying the generated image, adjust the generated image or adjust parameters of the virtual camera such that the displayed image is made more difficult to be viewed than at a time when it is determined that the user is viewing the stationary display device.

11. The information processing system of claim 10, wherein when it is determined that the user is not viewing the stationary display device, the predetermined object in the image is made more difficult to be viewed by displaying at least the predetermined object in a zoomed-out manner.

12. The information processing system of claim 10, wherein when it is determined that the user is not viewing the stationary display device, the predetermined object in the image is made more difficult to be viewed by displaying a predetermined image in a part or a whole of a region containing the predetermined object in the image.

13. The information processing system of claim 10, wherein when it is determined that the user is not viewing the stationary display device, the predetermined object in the image is made more difficult to be viewed by blurring at least the predetermined object.

14. The information processing system of claim 10, wherein when it is determined that the user is not viewing the stationary display device, the predetermined object in the image is made more difficult to be viewed by making at least the predetermined object transparent or translucent.

15. The information processing system of claim 10, wherein when it is determined that the user is not viewing the stationary display device, the predetermined object in the image is made more difficult to be viewed by displaying at least the predetermined object in a pixelized manner.

16. The information processing system of claim 10, wherein the computer processing system is further configured to:

obtain an attitude of a portable display device, and

determine that the user is viewing the stationary display device when the attitude of the portable display device is a first attitude, and determine that the user is not viewing the stationary display device when the attitude of the portable display device is a second attitude.

17. The information processing system of claim 10, wherein the computer processing system is further configured to adjust a volume of a sound outputted from the stationary display device, in accordance with a result of the determination of whether the user is viewing the stationary display device.

18. An information processing apparatus for causing a stationary display device to display an image, the apparatus comprising:

a setter configured to set a virtual camera in a virtual space in which a predetermined object is arranged;

an image generator configured to generate an image taken by the virtual camera of the virtual space containing the predetermined object;

display controller configured to display the generated image on the stationary display device; and

a determination unit, implemented at least by a processor and configured to determine whether a user is viewing the stationary display device displaying the generated image, wherein

when it is determined that the user is not viewing the stationary display device, the image generator is configured to adjust the generated image or the setter is configured to adjust parameters of the virtual camera such that the displayed image is made more difficult to be viewed than at a time when it is determined that the user is viewing the stationary display device.

19. A method of causing a stationary display device to display an image, the method comprising:

setting a virtual camera in a virtual space in which a predetermined object is arranged;

generating an image taken by the virtual camera of the virtual space containing the predetermined object;

displaying the generated image on the stationary display device; and

determining, using a computer processing system comprising a computer processor, whether a user is viewing the stationary display device displaying the generated image, wherein

when it is determined that the user is not viewing the stationary display device, adjusting the generated image or adjusting parameters of the virtual camera such that the displayed image on the stationary displayed device is made more difficult to be viewed than at a time when it is determined that the user is viewing the stationary display device.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein an information processing program to be executed by a computer of an information processing apparatus to cause a stationary display device to display an image, the program, when executed, causing the computer to be configured to perform functionality comprising:

setting a virtual camera in a virtual space in which a predetermined object is arranged;

generating an image taken by the virtual camera of the virtual space containing the predetermined object;

displaying the generated image on the stationary display device; and

determining whether a user is viewing the stationary display device displaying the generated image, wherein

the image displayed on the stationary display device is varied, by adjusting the generated image or adjusting parameters of the virtual camera, between when the user is determined to be viewing the stationary display device displaying the generated image and when the user is determined to be not viewing the stationary display device displaying the generated image.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 20, wherein the program causes the computer to be configured to perform further functionality comprising:

obtaining an attitude of a portable display device, and

when the attitude of the portable display device is a first attitude, it is determined that the user is viewing the stationary display device, and when the attitude of the portable display device is a second attitude, it is determined that the user is not viewing the stationary display device.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 20, wherein when it is determined that the user is not viewing the stationary display device, at least the predetermined object is displayed in a zoomed-out manner, by changing at least one of a position and an angle of view of the virtual camera.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 20, wherein the program causes the computer to be configured to perform further functionality comprising:

adjusting a volume of a sound outputted from the stationary display device, in accordance with a result of the determination of whether the user is viewing the stationary display device.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 20, wherein the image displayed on the stationary display device is varied such that the image on the stationary display device is displayed in a zoomed-in manner when the user is viewing the stationary display device and in a zoomed-out manner when the user is not viewing the stationary display device.

25. An information processing system for causing a stationary display device to display an image, the system comprising:

a computer processing system, comprising at least one computer processor, configured to;

set a virtual camera in a virtual space in which a predetermined object is arranged;

generate an image taken by the virtual camera of the virtual space containing the predetermined object;

display the generated image on the stationary display device;

determine whether a user is viewing the stationary display device displaying the generated image; and

vary the image displayed on the stationary display device, by adjusting the generated image or adjusting parameters of the virtual camera, between when the user is determined to be viewing the stationary display device displaying the generated image and when the user is determined to be not viewing the stationary display device displaying the generated image.

26. The information processing system of claim 25, wherein the computer processing system is further configured to:

obtain an attitude of a portable display device, and

determine that the user is viewing the stationary display device when the attitude of the portable display device is a first attitude, and determine that the user is not viewing the stationary display device when the attitude of the portable display device is a second attitude.

27. The information processing system of claim 25, wherein when it is determined that the user is not viewing the stationary display device, at least the predetermined object is displayed in a zoomed-out manner, by changing at least one of a position and an angle of view of the virtual camera.

28. The information processing system of claim 25, wherein the computer processing system is further configured to adjust a volume of a sound outputted from the stationary display device in accordance with a result of the determination of whether the user is viewing the stationary display device.

29. The information processing system of claim 25, wherein the image displayed on the stationary display device is varied such that the image on the stationary display device is displayed in a zoomed-in manner when the user is viewing the stationary display device and in a zoomed-out manner when the user is not viewing the stationary display device.

30. An information processing apparatus for causing a stationary display device to display an image, the apparatus comprising:

a setter configured to set a virtual camera in a virtual space in which a predetermined object is arranged;

an image generator configured to generate an image taken by the virtual camera of the virtual space containing the predetermined object;

display controller configured to display the generated image on the stationary display device; and

a determination unit, implemented at least by a processor and configured to determine whether a user is viewing the stationary display device displaying the generated image, wherein

the image displayed on the stationary display device is varied, by adjusting the generated image or adjusting parameters of the virtual camera, between when the user is determined to be viewing the stationary display device displaying the generated image and when the user is determined to be not viewing the stationary display device displaying the generated image.

31. A method of causing a stationary display device to display an image, the method comprising:

setting a virtual camera in a virtual space in which a predetermined object is arranged;

generating an image taken by the virtual camera of the virtual space containing the predetermined object;

displaying the generated image on the stationary display device; and

determining, using a computer processing system comprising a computer processor, whether a user is viewing the stationary display device displaying the generated image, wherein

the image displayed on the stationary display device varies is varied, by adjusting the generated image or adjusting parameters of the virtual camera, between when the user is determined to be viewing the stationary display device displaying the generated image and when the user is determined to be not viewing the stationary display device displaying the generated image.

32. An information processing system comprising:

a stationary display device;

a portable device; and

a computer processing system in communication with the stationary display device and the portable device, the computer processing system comprising at least one processor, the computer processing system being configured to;

set a virtual camera in a virtual space in which a predetermined object is arranged;

generate an image taken by the virtual camera of the virtual space containing the predetermined object;

display the generated image on the stationary display device;

based on data received from the portable device, determine whether a user is viewing the stationary display device displaying the generated image; and

when, based on the received data, it is determined that the user is not viewing the stationary display device, automatically adjust the displayed image on the stationary display device such that the predetermined object in the displayed image is made less visible than at a time when it is determined that the user is viewing the stationary display device.

33. The information processing system of claim 32, wherein the displayed image on the stationary display device is adjusted such that the predetermined object in the displayed image is made less visible by performing a process of displaying the predetermined object in a zoomed-out manner, a process of displaying a predetermined image in a part or a whole of a region containing the predetermined object in the first image, a process of blurring at least the predetermined object, a process of making at least the predetermined object transparent or translucent, and/or a process of displaying at least the predetermined object in a pixelized manner.

34. The information processing system of claim 32, wherein the predetermined object in the displayed image is made less visible by adjusting virtual camera parameters and/or adjusting rendering of the predetermined object.