System and method for using accelerometer outputs to control an object rotating on a display

• US 20080287189A1
• Filed: 05/09/2008
• Published: 11/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo of America, Inc. (Nintendo Company Limited)
• Inventors: Rabin, Steven
• Granted Patent: US 8,100,769 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/36
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• 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 13/803 Driving vehicles or craft, e.g. cars, airplanes, ships, robots or tanks
• 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 2300/8017 Driving on land or water; Flying

Abstract

An example system and method controls a rotatable object on a display using a handheld control device comprising an accelerometer. The example system and method involve determining an orientation of the handheld control device using an interpolation of an output for a first axis of the accelerometer and an output for a second axis of the accelerometer. The rotation of the rotatable object is controlled based on the determined orientation.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a rotatable object on a display using a handheld control device comprising an accelerometer, the method comprising:

determining an orientation of the handheld control device using an interpolation of an output for a first axis of the accelerometer and an output for a second axis of the accelerometer; and

controlling rotation of the rotatable object based on the determined orientation.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the accelerometer comprises a three-axis accelerometer.

3. A computer-readable medium having computer readable code embodied therein for use in the execution in a computer of a method according to claim 1.

4. An image processing system comprising:

a handheld control device comprising an accelerometer; and

a processing system for determining an orientation of the handheld control device using an interpolation of an output for a first axis of the accelerometer and an output for a second axis of the accelerometer and for controlling rotation of a rotatable object based on the determined orientation.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the accelerometer comprises a three-axis accelerometer.