HANDHELD INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, STORAGE MEDIUM AND INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD

• US 20110294582A1
• Filed: 11/29/2010
• Published: 12/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: TAKAHASHI, Ryutaro, TSUGIHASHI, Kanako, KAWAMOTO, Koichi
• Granted Patent: US 10,022,620 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/43
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• 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 13/46 Computing the game score
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/533 for prompting the player, e.g. by displaying a game menu
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/95 Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges
• 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 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/575 for trading virtual items

Abstract

A game apparatus as a handheld information processing apparatus includes a CPU, and when the game apparatus is closed, the CPU shifts to a sleep mode. When a user carries the game apparatus in the sleep mode, a micon measures step counts according to a magnitude of accelerations indicated by acceleration data from an acceleration sensor. When a main power of the game apparatus is turned on to display a main menu screen, the step counts are converted into earned coins, for example. In each of a plurality of applications to be executed by the game apparatus, a special item is purchased, or game playing on a special course is permitted by utilizing the earned coins.

Claims

1. A handheld information processing apparatus having a memory unit storing a plurality of applications, comprising:

a step count measurer which measures step counts;

an accumulator which converts the step counts measured by said step count measurer into a step count correlation value in correlation with said step counts and accumulates the same;

an application executor which executes any one of the application out of said plurality of applications stored in said memory unit; and

a utilizer which utilizes the step count correlation value accumulated by said accumulator in each of the applications to be executed by said application executor.

2. A handheld information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said memory unit has a shared data area to which all said plurality of applications are accessible and a plurality of application-dedicated data area which is set for each of said plurality of applications, and to which only the relevant application is accessible,

said accumulator stores said step count correlation value in said shared data area, and

said utilizer reads in order to utilize the step count correlation value stored in said shared data area, and writes update information acquired therefrom to a corresponding application-dedicated data area.

3. A handheld information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said application executor changes a content of the execution between when the step count correlation value is utilized by said utilizer and when not utilized.

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

a determiner which determines whether or not the step count correlation value accumulated by said accumulator is above a first predetermined number, and

said accumulator sets said step count correlation value to said first predetermined number when said determiner determines that the step count correlation value is above the first predetermined number.

5. A handheld information processing apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising:

a step count storage which adds date and time information to the step counts measured by said step count measurer, and stores the same in said memory unit, wherein

said determiner determines whether or not the step count correlation value acquired by converting the step counts on the same day is above a second predetermined number being smaller than said first predetermined number, and

said accumulator accumulates the step count correlation value of said second predetermined number when said determiner determines that the step count correlation values is above the second predetermined number.

6. A handheld information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a switcher which switches said information processing apparatus between an unused state and an used state, and

a switch determiner which determines whether or not said used state switches to said unused state, wherein

said step count measurer measures step counts when said switch determiner determines that a switch to said unused state is made.

7. A handheld information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

said switcher switches between a power-saving mode and a normal mode, and

said switch determiner determines whether or not said used state switches to said unused state by determining whether or not said normal mode changes to said power-saving mode.

8. A handheld information processing apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising:

an inactivator which inactivates said application executor, and

said switcher switches from said used state to said unused state in response to said application executor being inactivated by said inactivator.

9. A handheld information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

an apparatus main body has a function capable of being opened and closed,

said switcher switches said apparatus main body between a closed state and an opened state,

said switch determiner determines whether or not said used state switches to said unused state by determining whether or not said apparatus main body is switched from the opened state to the closed state.

10. A handheld information processing apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising:

a communicator, wherein

said communicator intermittently executes communication processing while step counts are measured by said step count measurer.

11. A handheld information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a condition determiner which determines whether or not a predetermined condition is satisfied, wherein

said accumulator converts the step counts measured by said step count measurer into a step count correlation value when said condition determiner determines that said predetermined condition is satisfied.

12. A storage medium storing an information processing program of a handheld information processing apparatus having a memory unit storing a plurality of applications, wherein

said information processing program causes a computer of said information processing apparatus to function as:

a step count measurer which measures step counts;

an accumulator which converts the step counts measured by said step count measurer into a step count correlation value in correlation with said step counts and accumulates the same;

an application executor which executes any one of the application out of said plurality of applications stored in said memory unit; and

a utilizer which utilizes the step count correlation value accumulated by said accumulator in each of the applications to be executed by said application executor.

13. An information processing method of a handheld information processing apparatus having a memory unit storing a plurality of applications, a computer of said information processing apparatus including following steps of:

(a) measuring step counts;

(b) converting the step counts measured by said step (a) into a step count correlation value in correlation with said step counts and accumulating the same;

(c) executing any one of the application out of said plurality of applications stored in said memory unit; and

(d) utilizing the step count correlation value accumulated by said step (b) in each of the applications to be executed by said step (c).