Information processing system, information processing apparatus, storage medium having information processing program stored thereon, and determination method

• US 9,522,337 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2012
• Issued: 12/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Akifusa, Yusuke, Kiuchi, Toshikazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Edwards, Carolyn R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gyawali, Bipin
• Application Number:
  US13/598,906
• Publication Number:
  US 20130249819A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,573 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 13/2145 the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/22 Setup operations, e.g. calibration, key configuration or button assignment
• 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 13/837 Shooting of targets
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/90 Constructional details or arrangements of video game devices not provided for in groups A63F13/20 or A63F13/25, e.g. housing, wiring, connections or cabinets
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/98 Accessories, i.e. detachable arrangements optional for the use of the video game device, e.g. grip supports of game controllers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1018 Calibration; Key and button assignment
• 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 2300/301 using an additional display connected to the game console, e.g. on the controller
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/01 Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer G06F3/16 takes precedence
• 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 controller device includes a housing, and a grip portion formed lopsided with respect to a center of a predetermined surface of the housing. An information processing system calculates an attitude of the controller device, and determines the orientation of the grip portion with respect to the center based on the attitude of the controller device. For example, the information processing system determines whether the grip portion is facing right or facing left with respect to the center. Thus, the information processing system can precisely determine the mode of use in which the controller device is used.

Claims

1. An information processing system including a controller device, wherein:

the controller device comprises;

a housing; and

a grip portion formed lopsided with respect to a center of a predetermined surface of the housing and protruding from the predetermined surface of the housing,

the information processing system being configured to provide processing comprising;

an attitude calculation for calculating an attitude of the controller device so that at least a first attitude in which the grip portion is located in a first direction with respect to the center and a second attitude in which the grip portion is located in a second direction substantially opposite to said first direction with respect to the center can be distinguished from each other; and

a determination for determining, via a computer processor of the information processing system, an orientation of the grip portion with respect to the center based on the attitude of the controller device.

2. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein

the information processing system is configured to provide further processing comprising a process execution for executing an information process after the determination, wherein the information process is an information process based on an input made on the controller device, and the content of the information process varies depending on a determination result of the determination.

3. The information processing system according to claim 2, wherein

the information processing system is configured to provide further processing comprising an output for outputting, before the execution of the information process, an image showing how to hold the controller device when the information process is executed.

4. The information processing system according to claim 2, wherein

the information processing system is configured to provide further processing comprising an output for outputting an image simultaneously representing a plurality of states with different orientations of the grip portion,

wherein the determination includes selecting an orientation of the grip portion from among the plurality of states.

5. The information processing system according to claim 3, wherein

the output includes output of an image representing the controller device as seen from a direction generally perpendicular to the predetermined surface.

6. The information processing system according to claim 3, wherein

the information processing system is configured to provide further processing comprising a judgment for judging, where the image is output, whether the controller device has assumed a predetermined attitude represented by the image and/or sound,

wherein the determination includes determination of the orientation of the grip portion when the controller device has assumed the predetermined attitude.

7. The information processing system according to claim 2, the controller device further comprising a position detector for detecting a position at which an input has been made on a predetermined input surface provided on the housing, wherein

the information process is executed using at least the position detected by the position detector as an input.

8. The information processing system according to claim 2, wherein

the information process is executed using at least the attitude of the controller device as an input.

9. The information processing system according to claim 8, wherein:

the grip portion is formed lopsided with respect to a left-right direction of the predetermined surface;

the determination includes determination of whether the grip portion is facing left or facing right with respect to the center; and

the process execution includes execution of, as the information process, a process of changing a direction in a virtual space according to an attitude change of the controller device, wherein the change in the direction in the virtual space is reversed depending on the determination result with respect to an attitude change about an axis extending in the left-right direction and/or an attitude change about an axis extending in an up-down direction parallel to the predetermined plane and perpendicular to the left-right direction.

10. The information processing system according to claim 1, the controller device further comprising an acceleration sensor, wherein

the attitude calculation includes calculation of an attitude of the controller device with respect to a direction of gravity based on a detection result of the acceleration sensor.

16. The information processing system of claim 1, wherein

the predetermined surface, from which the grip portion protrudes, is that surface of the housing that is opposite to a surface of the housing having a display.

11. A determination method for determining an orientation of a controller device including a housing and a grip portion formed lopsided with respect to a center of a predetermined surface of the housing and protruding from the predetermined surface of the housing, the method comprising:

calculating an attitude of the controller device so that at least a first attitude in which the grip portion is located in a first direction with respect to the center and a second attitude in which the grip portion is located in a second direction substantially opposite to said first direction with respect to the center can be distinguished from each other; and

determining, via a computer processor of a game system including the controller device, the orientation of the grip portion with respect to the center based on the attitude of the controller device.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein

the predetermined surface, from which the grip portion protrudes, is that surface of the housing that is opposite to a surface of the housing having a display.

12. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a housing;

a grip portion formed lopsided with respect to a center of a predetermined surface of the housing and protruding from the predetermined surface of the housing;

an attitude calculator configured to calculate an attitude of the information processing apparatus so that at least a first attitude in which the grip portion is located in a first direction with respect to the center and a second attitude in which the grip portion is located in a second direction substantially opposite to said first direction with respect to the center can be distinguished from each other; and

a determination device configured to determine, via a computer processor of the information processing apparatus, an orientation of the grip portion with respect to the center based on the attitude.

18. The information processing apparatus claim 12, wherein

the predetermined surface, from which the grip portion protrudes, is that surface of the housing that is opposite to a surface of the housing having a display.

13. An information processing apparatus capable of communicating with a controller device, wherein:

the controller device comprises;

a housing; and

a grip portion formed lopsided with respect to a center of a predetermined surface of the housing and protruding from the predetermined surface of the housing, the information processing apparatus comprising a computer processor, the information processing apparatus being configured to at least;

calculate an attitude of the controller device so that at least a first attitude in which the grip portion is located in a first direction with respect to the center and a second attitude in which the grip portion is located in a second direction substantially opposite to said first direction with respect to the center can be distinguished from each other; and

determine, via a computer processor of the information processing apparatus, an orientation of the grip portion with respect to the center based on the attitude of the controller device.

19. The information processing apparatus claim 13, wherein

the predetermined surface, from which the grip portion protrudes, is that surface of the housing that is opposite to a surface of the housing having a display.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing thereon an information processing program to be executed by a computer of an information processing apparatus including a housing, and a grip portion formed lopsided with respect to a center of a predetermined surface of the housing and protruding from the predetermined surface of the housing, the information processing program causing the computer to execute:

calculating an attitude of the information processing apparatus so that at least a first attitude in which the grip portion is located in a first direction with respect to the center and a second attitude in which the grip portion is located in a second direction substantially opposite to said first direction with respect to the center can be distinguished from each other; and

determining, via the computer of the information processing apparatus, an orientation of the grip portion with respect to the center based on the attitude.

20. The storage medium of claim 14, wherein

the predetermined surface, from which the grip portion protrudes, is that surface of the housing that is opposite to a surface of the housing having a display.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing thereon an information processing program to be executed by a computer of an information processing apparatus capable of communicating with a controller device including a housing, and a grip portion formed lopsided with respect to a center of a predetermined surface of the housing and protruding from the predetermined surface of the housing, the information processing program causing the computer to execute:

calculating an attitude of the controller device so that at least a first attitude in which the grip portion is located in a first direction with respect to the center and a second attitude in which the grip portion is located in a second direction substantially opposite to said first direction with respect to the center can be distinguished from each other; and

determining, via the computer of the information processing apparatus, an orientation of the grip portion with respect to the center based on the attitude of the controller device.

21. The storage medium of claim 15, wherein

the predetermined surface, from which the grip portion protrudes, is that surface of the housing that is opposite to a surface of the housing having a display.