System and method for detecting moment of impact and/or strength of a swing based on accelerometer data

• US 9,364,748 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2014
• Issued: 06/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Rabin, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Renwick, Reginald
• Application Number:
  US14/320,998
• Publication Number:
  US 20140315641A1
• Time in Patent Office: 714 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/219 for aiming at specific areas on the display, e.g. light-guns
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/285 Generating tactile feedback signals via the game input device, e.g. force feedback
• 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 13/577 using determination of contact between game characters or objects, e.g. to avoid collision between virtual racing cars
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/812 Ball games, e.g. soccer or baseball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/814 Musical performances, e.g. by evaluating the player's ability to follow a notation
• 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 2300/8047 Music games
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 33/00 Adaptations for training adaptations of barrels for recoil reinforcement F41A21/26; Gun simulators teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying F41G3/26 ; shooting games A63F9/02; military simulation G09B9/003
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0008 Associated control or indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/311 with controlled tactile or haptic feedback effect; output interfaces therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/395 Acceleration sensing or accelerometer use, e.g. 3D movement computation by integration of accelerometer data, angle sensing with respect to the vertical, i.e. gravity sensing. conductor baton movement sensing G10H2220/206, angle sensing without reference to gravity G10H2220/391; player body joint angle sensing G10H2220/321
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2230/275 Spint drum

Abstract

An example system and method is provided for detecting a moment of impact and/or strength of a swing based on moving a hand-held device including an accelerometer arrangement. A moment and a magnitude of simulated striking of the object are determined based on one or more accelerometer arrangement outputs resulting from the moving of the hand-held device. Using one or more of aural, visual and tactile outputs, the striking of the object is simulated in accordance with the determined moment of simulated striking and the determined magnitude of the simulated striking.

Claims

1. A system for detecting aspects of motion related to moving a hand-held device, the system comprising:

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

determine when a first output for a first axis of an accelerometer arrangement resulting from moving the hand-held device exceeds a specified value,

determine a magnitude related to moving the handheld device based at least in part on a second output for a second axis of the accelerometer arrangement corresponding to centripetal force resulting from moving of the hand-held device, and

provide responsive output related to the aspects of motion based at least in part on the first output for the first axis of the accelerometer arrangement and the second output of the second axis of the accelerometer arrangement corresponding to the centripetal force resulting from moving the hand-held device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first output of the accelerometer arrangement is indicative of a downward acceleration resulting from moving of the hand-held device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the magnitude is determined based at least in part on an integration operation involving the second output of the accelerometer arrangement.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing system determines a moment of impact when the first output for the first axis of the accelerometer arrangement exceeds the specified value.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the output is responsive to the determined moment of impact and the determined magnitude corresponding to the centripetal force resulting from moving the hand-held device.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the moment of impact is determined to be when the first output of the accelerometer arrangement reaches a maximum value that exceeds a specified value.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the specified value is approximately 1.6 G.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing system provides output responsive to movement defined by an arcing motion of the hand-held device in free space.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing system provides output responsive to movement defined by a swinging motion of the hand-held device in free space.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing system provides output responsive to movement defined by a throwing motion of the hand-held device in free space.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing system provides output responsive to movement defined by a striking motion of the hand-held device in free space.

12. A method for detecting aspects of motion related to moving a hand-held device, the method comprising:

determining when a first output for a first axis of an accelerometer arrangement resulting from moving the hand-held device exceeds a specified value;

determining a magnitude related to moving the handheld device based at least in part on a second output for a second axis of the accelerometer arrangement corresponding to centripetal force resulting from moving of the hand-held device; and

providing responsive output related to the aspects of motion based at least in part on the first output for the first axis of the accelerometer arrangement and the second output of the second axis of the accelerometer arrangement corresponding to the centripetal force resulting from moving the hand-held device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first output of the accelerometer arrangement is indicative of a downward acceleration resulting from moving of the hand-held device.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the magnitude is determined based at least in part on an integration operation involving the second output of the accelerometer arrangement.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising determining a moment of impact when the first output for the first axis of the accelerometer arrangement exceeds the specified value.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising providing output responsive to movement defined by an arcing motion of the hand-held device in free space.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising providing output responsive to movement defined by a swinging motion of the hand-held device in free space.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising providing output responsive to movement defined by a throwing motion of the hand-held device in free space.

19. The method of claim 12, further comprising providing output responsive to movement defined by a striking motion of the hand-held device in free space.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer program code embodied thereon which, when executed by an information processing device having a processor, causes the processor to perform functionality comprising:

determining when a first output for a first axis of an accelerometer arrangement of a hand-held device resulting from moving the hand-held device exceeds a specified value;

determining a magnitude related to moving the handheld device based at least in part on a second output for a second axis of the accelerometer arrangement corresponding to centripetal force resulting from moving of the hand-held device; and

providing responsive output related to aspects of motion, related to moving the hand-held device, based at least in part on the first output for the first axis of the accelerometer arrangement and the second output of the second axis of the accelerometer arrangement corresponding to the centripetal force resulting from moving the hand-held device.

21. A system for detecting aspects of motion related to moving at least first and second hand-held devices, the system comprising:

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

determine when a first output for a first axis of a first accelerometer arrangement resulting from moving the first hand-held device exceeds a specified value,

determine a magnitude related to moving the first handheld device based at least in part on a second output for a second axis of the first accelerometer arrangement corresponding to centripetal force resulting from moving of the first hand-held device,

determine when a first output for a first axis of a second accelerometer arrangement resulting from moving the second hand-held device exceeds the specified value,

determine a magnitude related to moving the second handheld device based at least in part on a second output for a second axis of the second accelerometer arrangement corresponding to centripetal force resulting from moving of the second hand-held device, and

provide responsive output related to the aspects of motion related to moving the first and second hand-held devices.