Storage medium having information processing program stored thereon, information processing device, information processing system, and attitude calculation method

• US 9,228,821 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2012
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Ohta, Keizo
• Primary Examiner(s): Cosimano, Edward
• Application Number:
  US13/665,224
• Publication Number:
  US 20140025329A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,161 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 13/2145 the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/42 by mapping the input signals into game commands, e.g. mapping the displacement of a stylus on a touch screen to the steering angle of a virtual vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/422 automatically for the purpose of assisting the player, e.g. automatic braking in a driving game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/105 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1075 using a touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1087 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. a camera
• 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 2300/6054 by generating automatically game commands to assist the player, e.g. automatic braking in a driving game
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 7/00 Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of electric or magnetic techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/00 Digital computers in general details G06F1/00 – G06F13/00; Data processing equipment in general
• 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 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry

Abstract

An example information processing device calculates an attitude of an input unit having a magnetic sensor. The information processing device repeatedly obtains detected magnetic vectors detected by the magnetic sensor. The information processing device repeatedly estimates a center position of a spherical body having a curved surface which is estimated based on end point positions of the detected magnetic vectors. The attitude of the input unit is calculated based on a direction vector representing a direction from the center position to the end point position of the detected magnetic vector. The information processing device calculates the attitude while relatively decreasing an influence of a newly-obtained detected magnetic vector as the end point position of the newly-obtained detected magnetic vector is farther away from the end point positions of the detected magnetic vectors used for the estimation of the center position.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing an information processing program to be executed by a computer of an information processing device for calculating an attitude of an input device, the input device including a magnetic sensor therein, the information processing program causing the computer to execute:

repeatedly obtaining detected magnetic vectors detected by the magnetic sensor;

repeatedly estimating a center position of a spherical body having a curved surface which is estimated based on end point positions of the detected magnetic vectors; and

calculating the attitude of the input device based on a direction vector representing a direction from the center position to the end point position of the detected magnetic vector, wherein

the attitude is calculated while relatively decreasing an influence of a newly-obtained detected magnetic vector as the end point position of the newly-obtained detected magnetic vector is farther away from the end point positions of the detected magnetic vectors used for the estimation of the center position.

2. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 1, wherein

the attitude is calculated while relatively decreasing the influence of the newly-obtained detected magnetic vector as a difference between a length from the center position to the end point position of the newly-obtained detected magnetic vector and a length determined based on lengths from the center position to the end point positions of the detected magnetic vectors used for the estimation of the center position is larger.

3. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 1, wherein

the center position is updated using the newly-obtained detected magnetic vector, independent of a relationship between the end point position of the newly-obtained detected magnetic vector and the end point positions of the detected magnetic vectors used for the estimation of the center position.

4. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 1, the information processing program causing the computer to further execute:

setting a detected magnetic vector which is detected when a predetermined operation is performed by a user as a reference magnetic vector, wherein

the attitude is calculated while relatively decreasing the influence of the newly-obtained detected magnetic vector as a direction from the center position to the newly-obtained detected magnetic vector is farther away from a direction from the center position to the reference magnetic vector.

5. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 1, the information processing program causing the computer to further execute:

storing the detected magnetic vectors in a storage where each detected magnetic vector is classified based on a direction from a reference position, which is determined based on the detected magnetic vector, to the end point position of the detected magnetic vector, wherein

a center position of a spherical body is estimated, the spherical body having a curved surface which is estimated based on the end point positions of detected magnetic vectors obtained by extracting, from among the classified detected magnetic vectors, at least one detected magnetic vector for each class.

6. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 1, wherein

the attitude of the input device, which is calculated by a different method other than a method of using the detected magnetic vectors, is corrected based on the direction vector.

7. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 6, the information processing program causing the computer to further execute:

setting a degree of correction based on a difference between a length from the center position to the end point position of the newly-obtained detected magnetic vector and a length determined based on lengths from the center position to the end point positions of the detected magnetic vectors used for the estimation of the center position, wherein

an amount of correction using the direction vector varies depending on the degree of correction.

8. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 1, wherein

the center position is calculated using a condition regarding a length from the center position to the end point position of the detected magnetic vector.

9. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 8, wherein

when a detected magnetic vector is newly obtained, the center position is updated so that lengths from the center position to the end points of the detected magnetic vectors used for the estimation of the center position are each brought closer to an average between these lengths.

10. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 1, wherein:

each time a detected magnetic vector is newly obtained, the center position is updated using at least the newly-obtained detected magnetic vector; and

each time a detected magnetic vector is newly obtained, the attitude of the input device is calculated based on the direction vector determined based on the updated center position.

11. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 10, wherein

the attitude is calculated using the direction vector at least on a condition that an area determined based on the end point positions of the obtained detected magnetic vectors has become larger than a predetermined reference.

12. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 10, wherein

the attitude is calculated while relatively decreasing the influence of the newly-obtained detected magnetic vector as an amount of change of the center position before and after an update is larger.

13. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 10, wherein

the attitude is calculated while relatively decreasing the influence of the newly-obtained detected magnetic vector as dispersion between lengths from a current center position to the end point positions of the detected magnetic vectors used for the estimation of the center position is larger.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing an information processing program to be executed by a computer of an information processing device for calculating an attitude of an input device, the input device including a sensor therein for detecting a value which varies depending on the attitude of the input device, the information processing program causing the computer to execute:

obtaining detected vectors detected by the sensor;

estimating a center position of a spherical body having a curved surface which is estimated based on end point positions of the detected vectors; and

calculating the attitude of the input device based on a direction vector representing a direction from the center position to the end point position of the detected vector, wherein

the attitude is calculated while relatively decreasing an influence of a newly-obtained detected vector as the end point position of the newly-obtained detected vector is farther away from the end point positions of the detected vectors used for the estimation of the center position.

15. An information processing device for calculating an attitude of an input device, the input device including a magnetic sensor therein, comprising a computer configured to perform at least:

repeatedly obtaining detected magnetic vectors detected by the magnetic sensor;

repeatedly estimating a center position of a spherical body having a curved surface which is estimated based on end point positions of the detected magnetic vectors; and

calculating the attitude of the input device based on a direction vector representing a direction from the center position to the end point position of the detected magnetic vector, wherein

the calculating the attitude of the input device calculates the attitude while relatively decreasing an influence of a newly-obtained detected magnetic vector as the end point position of the newly-obtained detected magnetic vector is farther away from the end point positions of the detected magnetic vectors used for the estimation of the center position.

16. An information processing system for calculating an attitude of an input device, the input device including a magnetic sensor therein, comprising a computer configured to perform at least:

repeatedly obtaining detected magnetic vectors detected by the magnetic sensor;

repeatedly estimating a center position of a spherical body having a curved surface which is estimated based on end point positions of the detected magnetic vectors; and

calculating the attitude of the input device based on a direction vector representing a direction from the center position to the end point position of the detected magnetic vector, wherein

the calculating the attitude of the input device calculates the attitude while relatively decreasing an influence of a newly-obtained detected magnetic vector as the end point position of the newly-obtained detected magnetic vector is farther away from the end point positions of the detected magnetic vectors used for the estimation of the center position.

17. An attitude calculation method for calculating an attitude of an input device, the input device including a magnetic sensor therein, comprising:

repeatedly obtaining detected magnetic vectors detected by the magnetic sensor;

repeatedly estimating a center position of a spherical body having a curved surface which is estimated based on end point positions of the detected magnetic vectors; and

calculating the attitude of the input device based on a direction vector representing a direction from the center position to the end point position of the detected magnetic vector, wherein

the attitude is calculated while relatively decreasing an influence of a newly-obtained detected magnetic vector as the end point position of the newly-obtained detected magnetic vector is farther away from the end point positions of the detected magnetic vectors used for the estimation of the center position.