Game device and storage medium storing game program

• US 7,815,508 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2006
• Issued: 10/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Dohta, Takuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Laneau; Ronald
• Application Number:
  US11/637,034
• Publication Number:
  US 20080076567A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,407 Days
• Field of Search: 463/37, 463/39, 463/40, 463/42
• US Class Current: 463/37
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/33 using wide area network [WAN] connections
• 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 13/833 Hand-to-hand fighting, e.g. martial arts competition A63F13/837 takes precedence
• 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 2300/8029 Fighting without shooting

Abstract

A game device obtains first data from a first sensor and second data from a second sensor, wherein the first data represents a value according to an orientation or movement of a first input device, and the second data represents a value according to an orientation or movement of the second input device. Moreover, based on the first data and the second data, a degree of similarity between a state of the first input device with respect to the orientation or movement thereof and a state of the second input device with respect to the orientation or movement thereof is calculated. The amount of change by which to change the value of a game parameter used in the game process is calculated based on at least one of the first data and the second data so that the amount of change is greater as the degree of similarity is greater.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, storing a game program to be executed by a computer of a game device for performing a game process based on data outputted from a first sensor and data outputted from a second sensor, wherein the first sensor outputs first data representing a value according to an orientation or movement of a first input device and the second sensor outputs second data representing a value according to an orientation or movement of a second input device, the program instructing the computer to perform:

a data obtaining step of obtaining the first data and the second data;

a similarity degree calculating step of calculating, based on the first data and the second data, a degree of similarity between a state of the first input device with respect to the orientation or movement thereof and a state of the second input device with respect to the orientation or movement thereof;

a game controlling step of controlling the game process based on at least one of the first data and the second data and the degree of similarity.

2. The storage medium according to claim 1, wherein:

the first sensor is an acceleration sensor outputting data representing an acceleration as the first data; and

the second sensor is an acceleration sensor outputting data representing an acceleration as the second data.

3. The storage medium according to claim 2, wherein:

the first data represents an acceleration value with respect to a predetermined single axial direction with reference to the first input device;

the second data represents an acceleration value with respect to a predetermined single axial direction with reference to the second input device; and

in the similarity degree calculating step, the computer calculates the degree of similarity based on a difference between the value of the first data and the value of the second data.

4. The storage medium according to claim 3, wherein the degree of similarity calculated in the similarity degree calculating step takes a higher value as the difference is smaller.

5. The storage medium according to claim 2, wherein:

the first data represents a vector whose components are acceleration values with respect to a plurality of predetermined axial directions with reference to the first input device;

the second data represents a vector whose components are acceleration values with respect to a plurality of predetermined axial directions with reference to the second input device; and

in the similarity degree calculating step, the computer calculates the degree of similarity based on a difference between the vector represented by the first data and the vector represented by the second data.

6. The storage medium according to claim 5, wherein the degree of similarity calculated in the similarity degree calculating step takes a higher value as the difference between the vectors is smaller.

7. The storage medium according to claim 2, wherein:

the first data represents a vector whose components are acceleration values with respect to a plurality of predetermined axial directions with reference to the first input device;

the second data represents a vector whose components are acceleration values with respect to a plurality of predetermined axial directions with reference to the second input device; and

in the similarity degree calculating step, the computer calculates the degree of similarity based on a difference between a vector representing an amount of change in the vector represented by the first data over a predetermined amount of time and a vector representing an amount of change in the vector represented by the second data over the predetermined amount of time.

8. The storage medium according to claim 7, wherein the degree of similarity calculated in the similarity degree calculating step takes a higher value as the difference between the vectors is smaller.

9. The storage medium according to claim 2, wherein:

the first data represents a vector whose components are acceleration values with respect to a plurality of predetermined axial directions with reference to the first input device;

the second data represents a vector whose components are acceleration values with respect to a plurality of predetermined axial directions with reference to the second input device; and

in the similarity degree calculating step, the computer calculates the degree of similarity based on an angular difference between a vector representing an amount of change in the vector represented by the first data over a predetermined amount of time and a vector representing an amount of change in the vector represented by the second data over the predetermined amount of time.

10. The storage medium according to claim 9, wherein the degree of similarity calculated in the similarity degree calculating step takes a higher value as the angular difference between the vectors is smaller.

11. The storage medium according to claim 2, wherein:

the first data represents a vector whose components are acceleration values with respect to a plurality of predetermined axial directions with reference to the first input device;

the second data represents a vector whose components are acceleration values with respect to a plurality of predetermined axial directions with reference to the second input device; and

in the similarity degree calculating step, the computer calculates the degree of similarity based on an angular difference between a vector represented by the first data and a vector represented by the second data.

12. The storage medium according to claim 11, wherein the degree of similarity calculated in the similarity degree calculating step takes a higher value as the angular difference between the vectors is smaller.

13. The storage medium according to claim 1, wherein:

the first sensor outputs vector data representing an orientation of the first input device as the first data;

the second sensor outputs vector data representing an orientation of the second input device as the second data; and

in the similarity degree calculating step, the computer calculates a degree of similarity between an orientation of the first input device and an orientation of the second input device.

14. The storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the game controlling step of controlling the game process includes a change amount calculating step of calculating based on at least one of the first data and the second data, an amount of change by which to change a value of a game parameter such that the amount of change is greater as the degree of similarity is greater.

15. The storage medium according to claim 14, wherein in the change amount calculating step, the computer calculates an amount of movement by which to move a first object in a game space in such a manner that the amount of movement is greater as the degree of similarity is greater.

16. The storage medium according to claim 15, wherein the game program instructs the computer to further perform an object movement step of moving a second object in the game space based on the first data and moving a third object in the game space based on the second data.

17. The storage medium according to claim 16, wherein:

the first object is an object representing a torso or a head of a human-shaped character; and

one of the second object and the third object is an object representing a right hand of the human-shaped character and the other is an object representing a left hand thereof.

18. The storage medium according to claim 14, wherein the game program instructs the computer to further perform:

a first determination step of determining, based on the first data, whether the first input device is subjected to an operation that gives a rapid change to an orientation or position of the first input device, the degree of rapidness of the rapid change being greater than or equal to a predetermined degree; and

a second determination step of determining, based on the second data, whether the second input device is subjected to an operation that gives a rapid change to an orientation or position of the second input device, the degree of rapidness of the rapid change being greater than or equal to a predetermined degree,

wherein in the similarity degree calculating step, the computer calculates a degree of similarity between the orientation of the first input device and that of the second input device only if a determination result of the first determination step and that of the second determination step are both false.

19. The storage medium according to claim 18, wherein the game program instructs the computer to further perform an action control step of activating a predetermined action of the first object or other objects only if at least one of the determination result of the first determination step and that of the second determination step is true,

wherein in the change amount calculating step, the computer calculates, as the amount of change, an amount of movement by which the first object is moved in a game space only if the determination result of the first determination step and that of second determination step are both false.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, storing a game program to be executed by a computer of a game device for performing a game process based on data outputted from a first sensor and data outputted from a second sensor, wherein the first sensor outputs first data representing a value according to an orientation or movement of a first input device and the second sensor outputs second data representing a value according to an orientation or movement of a second input device, the program instructing the computer to perform:

a data obtaining step of obtaining the first data and the second data;

a similarity degree calculating step of calculating, based on the first data and the second data, a degree of similarity between a state of the first input device with respect to the orientation or movement thereof and a state of the second input device with respect to the orientation or movement thereof;

a first game process step of performing a first game process based on the first data or the second data; and

a second game process step of performing a second game process based on the first data and the second data only if a value of the degree of similarity is greater than a predetermined value.

21. The storage medium according to claim 20, wherein in the second game process step, the computer performs, as the second game process, a process of calculating, based on at least one of the first data and the second data, an amount of change by which to change a value of a game parameter to be used in the game process in such a manner that the amount of change is greater as the degree of similarity is greater.

22. The storage medium according to claim 20, wherein:

the first sensor is an acceleration sensor outputting data representing an acceleration as the first data; and

the second sensor is an acceleration sensor outputting data representing an acceleration as the second data.

23. The storage medium according to claim 22, wherein:

the first data represents an acceleration value with respect to a predetermined single axial direction with reference to the first input device;

the second data represents an acceleration value with respect to a predetermined single axial direction with reference to the second input device; and

in the similarity degree calculating step, the computer calculates the degree of similarity based on a difference between a value of the first data and a value of the second data.

24. The storage medium according to claim 23, wherein the degree of similarity calculated in the similarity degree calculating step takes a higher value as the difference is smaller.

25. The storage medium according to claim 22, wherein:

the first data represents a vector whose components are acceleration values with respect to a plurality of predetermined axial directions with reference to the first input device;

the second data represents a vector whose components are acceleration values with respect to a plurality of predetermined axial directions with reference to the second input device; and

in the similarity degree calculating step, the computer calculates the degree of similarity based on a difference between a vector represented by the first data and a vector represented by the second data.

26. The storage medium according to claim 25, wherein the degree of similarity calculated in the similarity degree calculating step takes a higher value as the difference between the vectors is smaller.

27. The storage medium according to claim 22, wherein:

the first data represents a vector whose components are acceleration values with respect to a plurality of predetermined axial directions with reference to the first input device;

the second data represents a vector whose components are acceleration values with respect to a plurality of predetermined axial directions with reference to the second input device; and

in the similarity degree calculating step, the computer calculates the degree of similarity based on a difference between a vector representing an amount of change in the vector represented by the first data over a predetermined amount of time and a vector representing an amount of change in the vector represented by the second data over the predetermined amount of time.

28. The storage medium according to claim 27, wherein the degree of similarity calculated in the similarity degree calculating step takes a higher value as the difference between the vectors is smaller.

29. The storage medium according to claim 22, wherein:

the first data represents a vector whose components are acceleration values with respect to a plurality of predetermined axial directions with reference to the first input device;

the second data represents a vector whose components are acceleration values with respect to a plurality of predetermined axial directions with reference to the second input device; and

in the similarity degree calculating step, the computer calculates the degree of similarity based on an angular difference between a vector representing an amount of change in the vector represented by the first data over a predetermined amount of time and a vector representing an amount of change in the vector represented by the second data over the predetermined amount of time.

30. The storage medium according to claim 29, wherein the degree of similarity calculated in the similarity degree calculating step takes a higher value as the angular difference between the vectors is smaller.

31. The storage medium according to claim 22, wherein:

the first data represents a vector whose components are acceleration values with respect to a plurality of predetermined axial directions with reference to the first input device;

the second data represents a vector whose components are acceleration values with respect to a plurality of predetermined axial directions with reference to the second input device; and

in the similarity degree calculating step, the computer calculates the degree of similarity based on an angular difference between a vector represented by the first data and a vector represented by the second data.

32. The storage medium according to claim 31, wherein the degree of similarity calculated in the similarity degree calculating step takes a higher value as the angular difference between the vectors is smaller.

33. The storage medium according to claim 20, wherein:

the first sensor outputs vector data representing an orientation of the first input device as the first data;

the second sensor outputs vector data representing an orientation of the second input device as the second data; and

in the similarity degree calculating step, the computer calculates a degree of similarity between an orientation of the first input device and an orientation of the second input device.

34. A game device for performing a game process based on data outputted from a first sensor and data outputted from a second sensor, wherein the first sensor outputs first data representing a value according to an orientation or movement of a first input device and the second sensor outputs second data representing a value according to an orientation or movement of a second input device, the game device comprising:

a data obtaining section for obtaining the first data from the first sensor and the second data from the second sensor;

a similarity degree calculating section for calculating, based on the first data and the second data, a degree of similarity between a state of the first input device with respect to the orientation or movement thereof and a state of the second input device with respect to the orientation or movement thereof;

a game controlling section for controlling the game process based on at least one of the first data and the second data and the degree of similarity.

35. The storage medium according to claim 34, further comprising:

a change amount calculating section for calculating, based on at least one of the first data and the second data, an amount of change by which to change a value of a game parameter to be used in the game process in such a manner that the amount of change is greater as the degree of similarity is greater.

36. A game device for performing a game process based on data outputted from a first sensor and data outputted from a second sensor, wherein the first sensor outputs first data representing a value according to an orientation or movement of a first input device and the second sensor outputs second data representing a value according to an orientation or movement of a second input device, the game device comprising:

a data obtaining section for obtaining the first data from the first sensor and the second data from the second sensor;

a similarity degree calculating section for calculating, based on the first data and the second data, a degree of similarity between a state of the first input device with respect to the orientation or movement thereof and a state of the second input device with respect to the orientation or movement thereof;

a first game process section for performing a first game process based on the first data or the second data; and

a second game process section for performing a second game process based on the first data and the second data only if a value of the degree of similarity is greater than a predetermined value.