Control apparatus and method for games and others

• US 20060247049A1
• Filed: 06/12/2006
• Published: 11/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hideo Noro, Yasuhiro Okuno
• Original Assignee: Hideo Noro, Yasuhiro Okuno
• Inventors: Noro, Hideo, Okuno, Yasuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,594,853 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/37
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/212 using sensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat or leg activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/48 Starting a game, e.g. activating a game device or waiting for other players to join a multiplayer session
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/49 Saving the game status; Pausing or ending the game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1012 involving biosensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat, limb activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/105 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/636 involving process of starting or resuming a game
• 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

Abstract

There is provided a control apparatus for a game or the like, that is capable of automatically carrying out a game or simulation starting/terminating process according to operations performed necessarily in executing the game or simulation. Controllers are mounted on or gripped by a player for operation. Position sensors detect the positional relationship of the controllers with respect to a space for executing the game. A control circuit controls the start/termination of the game, and the, turning-on/off of power sources of the controllers, according to the results of the detection by the position sensors.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus for displaying scene in a virtual space according to a position of a head mount display, comprising:

an acquiring unit adapted to acquire positions of a plurality of head mount displays, each of the head mount displays is mounted on each of players;

a determining unit adapted to determine whether the positions of the plurality of head mount displays are within a predetermined area; and

a control unit adapted to start displaying scenes in a virtual space on the plurality of the head mount displays, when it is determined that the positions of the plurality of head mount displays are within the predetermined area in the determining unit.

2. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said head mount displays are see-through type head mount displays.

3. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control unit terminates displaying the scenes in the virtual space on the plurality of the head mount displays, when any one of the positions of the plurality of head mount displays is outside the predetermined area.

4. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a HMD power source controller for controlling turning on and off of a power source of said head mount display,

wherein when said head mount display has entered an equipment storage area, said HMD power source controller turns off the power source of said head mount displays, and

wherein when said head mount displays has exited from the equipment storage area, said HMD power source controller turns on the power source of said head mount displays that has exited from the equipment storage area.

5. An information processing method for displaying scene in a virtual space according to a position of a head mount display, comprising the steps of:

acquiring positions of a plurality of head mount displays, each of the head mount displays is mounted on each of players;

determining whether the positions of the plurality of head mount displays are within a predetermined area; and

starting displaying scenes in a virtual space on the plurality of the head mount displays, when it is determined that the positions of the plurality of head mount displays are within the predetermined area.