Video game using dual motion sensing controllers

• US 9,278,280 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2011
• Issued: 03/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Koizumi, Yoshiaki, Hayakawa, Takeshi, Aoyagi, Norihiro, Ishihara, Seiki
• Primary Examiner(s): GALKA, LAWRENCE STEFAN
• Application Number:
  US13/103,127
• Publication Number:
  US 20110212779A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,765 Days
• Field of Search: 463 6- 8, 463 36- 38
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/20 Input arrangements for video game devices
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/21 characterised by their sensors, purposes or types
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/22 Setup operations, e.g. calibration, key configuration or button assignment
• 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 13/428 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 13/803 Driving vehicles or craft, e.g. cars, airplanes, ships, robots or tanks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/95 Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1006 having additional degrees of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/105 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/638 according to the timing of operation or a time limit
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8088 involving concurrently several players in a non-networked game, e.g. on the same game console
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0382 Plural input, i.e. interface arrangements in which a plurality of input device of the same type are in communication with a PC
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0384 Wireless input, i.e. hardware and software details of wireless interface arrangements for pointing devices
• 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 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/033 Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user , e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor digitisers characterised by the transducing means G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0338 : with detection of limited linear or angular displacement of an operating part of the device from a neutral position, e.g. isotonic or isometric joysticks
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0383 : Signal control means within the pointing device
• 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

Abstract

An inclination of a first unit is detected based on an output from a first acceleration sensor provided in a first unit of a controller, and an inclination of a second unit is detected based on an output from a second acceleration sensor provided in a second unit separate from the first unit. A difference between the inclinations of the first unit and the second unit is detected, and game control is performed using the detected difference. Thus, with a game apparatus using a plurality of acceleration sensors or a plurality of sensors capable of detecting a motion or a posture, a dynamic play is made possible with a high degree of freedom of motion and an intuitive motion input is realized.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a game program for executing game processing using an output from a first sensor which is an acceleration sensor or a gyrosensor provided in a first housing and an output from a second sensor which is an acceleration sensor or a gyrosensor provided in a second housing separate from the first housing, the game program causing a computer of a game apparatus to perform:

direction determination for determining a movement direction of a game object based on an output from the first sensor but not on an output from the second sensor;

movement amount determination for determining a movement amount of the same game object based on an output from the second sensor but not on an output from the first sensor; and

game control for moving the game object, using the movement direction determined by the direction determination and the movement amount determined by the movement amount determination, wherein

the first housing and the second housing are detached from any common fixed structure and are swung by a same user in space and are held by the user'"'"'s hands.

2. A method for executing game processing using an output from a first sensor which is an acceleration sensor or a gyrosensor provided in a first housing and an output from a second sensor which is an acceleration sensor or a gyrosensor provided in a second housing separate from the first housing, the method comprising:

determining a movement direction of a game object based on an output from the first sensor but not on an output from the second sensor;

determining a movement amount of the same game object based on an output from the second sensor but not on an output from the first sensor; and

executing game control, via one or more computer processing devices, for moving the game object, using the determined movement direction and the determined movement amount, wherein

the first housing and the second housing are detached from any common fixed structure and are swung by a same user in space and are held by the user'"'"'s hands.

3. A game apparatus configured to execute game processing using an output from a first sensor which is an acceleration sensor or a gyrosensor provided in a first housing and an output from a second sensor which is an acceleration sensor or a gyrosensor provided in a second housing separate from the first housing, the game apparatus comprising:

a computer processor configured to;

determine a movement direction of a game object based on an output from the first sensor but not on an output from the second sensor;

determine a movement amount of the same game object based on an output from the second sensor but not on an output from the first sensor; and

execute game control for moving the game object, using the determined movement direction and the determined movement amount, wherein

the first housing and the second housing are detached from any common fixed structure and are swung by a same user in space and are held by the user'"'"'s hands.