Storage medium having information processing program stored thereon, information processing apparatus, information processing system, and information processing method

• US 9,205,327 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2011
• Issued: 12/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Hayashi, Yugo, Sumaki, Kazuya
• Primary Examiner(s): LAMB, CHRISTOPHER RAY
• Application Number:
  US13/333,045
• Publication Number:
  US 20120229372A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,448 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/20 Input arrangements for video game devices
• 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 13/214 for locating contacts on a surface, e.g. floor mats or touch pads
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/218 using pressure sensors, e.g. generating a signal proportional to the pressure applied by the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/235 using a wireless connection, e.g. infrared or piconet
• 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 13/428 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 13/44 involving timing of operations, e.g. performing an action within a time slot
• 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 13/816 Athletics, e.g. track-and-field sports
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/105 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1068 being specially adapted to detect the point of contact of the player on a surface, e.g. floor mat, touch pad
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/301 using an additional display connected to the game console, e.g. on the controller
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/403 Connection between platform and handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6676 by dedicated player input
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6684 by dynamically adapting its position to keep a game object in its viewing frustrum, e.g. for tracking a character or a ball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8005 Athletics
• 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 3/04815 : 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: G06T 11/60 : Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/20 : Linear translation of whole images or parts thereof, e.g. panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/60 : Rotation of whole images or parts thereof

Abstract

Data which is output from an input device capable of allowing a body of a user to get thereon and is based on a load applied on the input device is usable. Data is acquired from the input device is processed. A center-of-gravity position of a load applied on the input device is repeatedly acquired based on data output from the input device. A user direction a stepping action made on the input device is calculated using the center-of-gravity position. Predetermined processing is performed based on the user direction.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having an information processing program stored thereon, the information processing program being executable by a computer of an information processing apparatus configured to use data which is output from an input device configured to allow a body of a user to get thereon and is based on a load applied on the input device, the information processing apparatus being for processing data acquired from the input device, wherein the information processing program allows the computer to provide execution comprising:

repeatedly acquiring a center-of-gravity position of a load applied on the input device, based on data output from the input device;

calculating a user direction of a stepping action made on the input device using a direction candidate which is a direction perpendicular to a straight line connecting two center-of-gravity positions acquired at different timings; and

performing predetermined processing based on the user direction.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having an information processing program stored thereon according to claim 1, wherein the user direction is calculated using the direction candidate which is the direction perpendicular to the straight line connecting the two center-of-gravity positions acquired at different timings successively.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having an information processing program stored thereon according to claim 1, wherein the user direction is updated by making the user direction determined by immediately previous processing closer to a direction represented by the direction candidate by a predetermined ratio.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having an information processing program stored thereon according to claim 3, wherein the ratio is set to be larger as a distance between the center-of-gravity positions used for calculating the direction candidate is longer.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having an information processing program stored thereon according to claim 4, wherein the user direction determined by the immediately previous processing is not changed when the distance between the center-of-gravity positions used for calculating the direction candidate is shorter than a predetermined length.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having an information processing program stored thereon according to claim 1, wherein a direction candidate which is a direction perpendicular to a straight line connecting two center-of-gravity positions acquired at different timings repeatedly is repeatedly calculated, and one candidate direction is calculated based on a plurality of direction candidates repeatedly calculated.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having an information processing program stored thereon according to claim 1, wherein one of a pair of directions perpendicular to the straight line which is closer to the user direction set currently is calculated as the direction candidate.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having an information processing program stored thereon according to claim 1 , wherein when one of a pair of directions perpendicular to the straight line is present within a predetermined range, the other direction is calculated as the direction candidate.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having an information processing program stored thereon according to claim 1, wherein a direction candidate vector which is a direction perpendicular to a straight line connecting two center-of-gravity positions acquired at different timings repeatedly and has a size equal to a distance between the two center-of-gravity positions is repeatedly calculated, and a direction of one vector obtained by adding a plurality of direction candidate vectors calculated repeatedly is calculated as the direction candidate.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having an information processing program stored thereon according to claim 9, wherein one of a pair of directions perpendicular to the straight line which is closer to the user direction set currently is calculated as the direction of the direction candidate vector.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having an information processing program stored thereon according to claim 9, wherein when one of a pair of directions perpendicular to the straight line is present within a predetermined range, the other direction is calculated as the direction of the direction candidate vector.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having an information processing program stored thereon according to claim 1, wherein:

the information processing program allows the computer to further provide execution comprising setting at least one determination line extending in the calculated user direction; and

when the center-of-gravity position acquired repeatedly crosses the determination line, it is determined that the user has made a stepping action on the input device and the predetermined processing is performed based on the determination.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having an information processing program stored thereon according to claim 12, wherein:

the information processing program allows the computer to further provide execution comprising calculating a stepping central position of the user making the stepping action on the input device, based on the acquired center-of-gravity position; and

the determination line is set at a position, in the user direction, having the stepping central position as a reference.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having an information processing program stored thereon according to claim 13, wherein:

two said determination lines extending in the user direction at positions which have the stepping central position as the center therebetween and are distanced from the stepping central position by a predetermined gap is set; and

it is determined that the user has made a stepping action with one of user'"'"'s legs on the input device when the center-of-gravity position crosses one of the determination lines after moving across the gap, it is determined that the user has made a stepping action with the other of the user'"'"'s legs on the input device when the center-of-gravity position crosses the other of the determination lines after moving across the gap, and the predetermined processing is performed based on the determination.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having an information processing program stored thereon according to claim 13, wherein the stepping central position is set at a position which follows, at a predetermined ratio, the center-of-gravity position acquired repeatedly.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having an information processing program stored thereon according to claim 13, wherein the stepping central position is set at a position obtained by averaging the center-of-gravity positions acquired repeatedly during a predetermined time period.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having an information processing program stored thereon according to claim 14, wherein a width of the gap is changed in accordance with an angle of the user direction with respect to a predetermined reference direction.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having an information processing program stored thereon according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined processing is performed by changing a direction of at least one of an object set in a virtual world and a virtual camera, based on the user direction.

19. An information processing apparatus configured to use data which is output from an input device configured to allow a body of a user to get thereon and is based on a load applied on the input device, the information processing apparatus comprising at least one processor configured to process data acquired from the input device, the information processing apparatus configured to:

repeatedly acquire a center-of-gravity position of a load applied on the input device, based on data output from the input device;

calculate a user direction of a stepping action made on the input device using a direction candidate which is a direction perpendicular to a straight ling connecting two center-of-gravity positions acquired at different timings; and

perform predetermined processing based on the user direction.

20. An information processing system which includes a plurality of apparatuses communicable to each other and is configured to use data which is output from an input device configured to allow a body of a user to get thereon and is based on a load applied on the input device, the information processing system being for processing data acquired from the input device, the information processing system comprising:

a processing system having at least one processor, the processing system configured to;

repeatedly acquire a center-of-gravity position of a load applied on the input device, based on data output from the input device,

calculate a user direction of a stepping action made on the input device using a direction candidate which is a direction perpendicular to a straight line connecting two center-of-gravity positions acquired at different timings, and perform predetermined processing based on the user direction.

21. An information processing method executed by one processor or cooperation of a plurality of processors included in an information processing system which includes at least one information processing apparatus configured to use data which is output from an input device configured to allow a body of a user to get thereon and is based on a load applied on the input device, the information processing apparatus being configured to process data acquired from the input device, the method comprising:

repeatedly acquiring a center-of-gravity position of a load applied on the input device, based on data output from the input device;

calculating a user direction of a stepping action made on the input device using a direction candidate which is a direction perpendicular to a straight line connecting two center-of-gravity positions acquired at different timings; and

performing predetermined processing based on the user direction.