Storage medium having game program stored thereon and game apparatus

• US 7,980,951 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2007
• Issued: 07/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Yoshida, Misuzu
• Primary Examiner(s): McClellan; James S
• Application Number:
  US11/656,430
• Publication Number:
  US 20080132338A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,638 Days
• Field of Search: 463/3, 463/36, 463/37, 463/39, 463/43, 463/47
• 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 13/95 Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/105 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/206 Game information storage, e.g. cartridges, CD ROM's, DVD's, smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands

Abstract

First acceleration data representing an acceleration applied in a first direction of the input device and second acceleration data representing an acceleration applied in a second direction of the input device different from the first direction are obtained based on a value detected by an acceleration detection section. Next, it is determined whether or not the first acceleration data is smaller than a first threshold value. When the first acceleration data is determined to be smaller than the first threshold value, predetermined calculation processing at least based on the second acceleration data is executed to calculate a first parameter used in game processing. When the first acceleration data is determined to be larger than the first threshold value, the first parameter is set to a predetermined value. The game processing is executed based on the first parameter.

Claims

1. A non-transitory storage medium having stored thereon a game program executable by a computer of a game apparatus capable of using a value detected by an acceleration sensor provided in an input device for detecting accelerations in at least two directions, the game program causing the computer to execute:

obtaining first acceleration data representing an acceleration in a first direction of the input device;

obtaining second acceleration data representing an acceleration in a second direction of the input device which is different from the first direction;

determining whether or not the first acceleration data is smaller than a first threshold value;

when the first acceleration data is smaller than the first threshold value, executing predetermined calculation processing at least based on the second acceleration data to execute first setting processing of calculating a first parameter;

when the first acceleration data is not smaller than the first threshold value, executing a second predetermined process, the second predetermined process including setting the first parameter to a predetermined value; and

executing a game process, including animating a movement of a virtual object, based on the first parameter,

wherein the predetermined value is a predetermined inclination value.

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

the game instructs a player to perform an operation of inclining the input device;

the first direction is a direction in which, when the player performs the operation of inclining the input device, a centrifugal force is generated; and

the second direction is a direction in which, when the player performs the operation of inclining the input device, an acceleration is generated by a force of the operation.

3. A storage medium according to claim 1, wherein:

the game instructs a player to perform an operation of inclining the input device;

the first direction is a direction which, when the player performs the operation of inclining the input device, perpendicularly crosses an arc which is a trajectory of a movement of a predetermined position in the input device made by the operation; and

the second direction is a direction which, when the player performs the operation of inclining the input device, is a tangent direction to the arc.

4. A storage medium according to claim 1, wherein:

the first setting processing calculates the first parameter based on another predetermined value when a value calculated by the predetermined calculation processing based on the second acceleration data is outside a predetermined range; and

wherein the predetermined value is a border value of the predetermined range or a value outside the predetermined range.

5. A storage medium according to claim 4, wherein the predetermined calculation processing causes the first parameter to change in one way in accordance with an increase in the second acceleration data.

6. A storage medium according to claim 1, wherein:

the game instructs a player to perform an operation of inclining the input device so as to keep the first direction and the second direction in a vertical plane and so as to cause an inclination of the first direction with respect to a gravity direction is in a predetermined range; and

the first threshold value is larger than a maximum value of a gravitational acceleration generated in the first direction when the input device is inclined within the predetermined range.

7. A storage medium according to claim 1, wherein:

the game program causes the computer to further execute removing a gravity component applied in the first direction from the obtained first acceleration data before determining whether or not the first acceleration data is smaller than the first threshold value.

8. A storage medium according to claim 7, wherein:

the game program causes the computer to further execute;

calculating difference data between a first obtained acceleration data of a current time and a second obtained first acceleration data of a previous time, and/or difference data between the a first obtained second acceleration data of the current time and a second obtained second acceleration data of a previous time;

at least when the difference data does not satisfy a difference condition, storing the first obtained acceleration data of the current time; and

subtracting stored data from the first obtained acceleration data of the current time.

9. A storage medium according to claim 1, wherein:

the first setting processing includes;

calculating angle data representing an angle of the input device with respect to a gravity direction based on at least the second acceleration data,

setting the first parameter based on the angle data,

setting the first parameter to a second predetermined value when the angle data represents an angle outside a predetermined range; and

the first threshold value is larger than a maximum value of a gravitational acceleration generated in the first direction when the input device is inclined within the predetermined range.

10. A storage medium according to claim 1, wherein:

the second predetermined process is executed when the second acceleration data satisfies a second condition and the first acceleration is smaller than the first threshold value.

11. A storage medium according to claim 10, wherein:

the game instructs a player to perform an operation of inclining the input device so as to keep the first direction and the second direction in a vertical plane and so as to cause an inclination of the first direction with respect to a gravity direction is in a predetermined range; and

wherein the second condition includes a the second threshold value that is larger than a maximum value of a gravitational acceleration generated in the second direction when the input device is inclined within the predetermined range.

12. A storage medium according to claim 10, wherein:

the predetermined calculation processing causes the first parameter to increase in one way in accordance with an increase in the second acceleration data;

the first setting processing sets the first parameter to a second predetermined value when a value calculated by the predetermined calculation processing based on the second acceleration data is larger than the second predetermined value; and

the predetermined value is the predetermined value or another value larger than the predetermined value.

13. A storage medium according to claim 10, wherein:

the predetermined calculation processing causes the first parameter to decrease in one way in accordance with an increase in the second acceleration data;

the first setting processing sets the first parameter to a second predetermined value when a value calculated by the predetermined calculation processing based on the second acceleration data is smaller than the second predetermined value; and

the predetermined value is the predetermined value or another value smaller than the predetermined value.

14. A storage medium according to claim 10, wherein:

the game program causes the computer to further execute storing a history of the obtained second acceleration data in a non-transitory storage medium; and

a maximum data of the stored second acceleration data is the second acceleration data, and the second condition is the maximum data being larger than a second threshold value.

15. A storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the first setting processing calculates the first parameter by executing predetermined calculation processing based on at least the first acceleration data and the second acceleration data.

16. A storage medium according to claim 15, wherein the predetermined calculation processing calculates angle data representing an angle of the input device with respect to a gravity direction as the first parameter based on at least the first acceleration data and the second acceleration data.

17. A storage medium according to claim 16, wherein the predetermined calculation processing uses the first acceleration data and the second acceleration data for an inverse tangent function.

18. A storage medium according to claim 16, wherein:

the first setting processing calculates the first parameter based on a predetermined angle when the calculated angle data is outside a predetermined range;

second predetermined process includes setting the first parameter to a border angle of the predetermined range or a predetermined angle outside the predetermined range; and

the first threshold value is larger than a maximum value of a component of the first direction of the gravitational acceleration at an angle of the input device with respect to a gravity direction, the angle being included in the predetermined range.

19. A storage medium according to claim 15, wherein:

the first setting processing calculates the first parameter based on a second predetermined value when a value calculated by the predetermined calculation processing based on the first acceleration data and the second acceleration data is outside a predetermined range; and

wherein the predetermined value is a border value of the predetermined range or a value outside the predetermined range.

20. The medium of claim 1 wherein the game program further causes the computer to execute:

calculating a total number of frames to animate a virtual object for the game process, the total number of frames based on a value derived from the second acceleration data and an inclination angle of the input device.

21. The medium of claim 1 wherein the game program further causes the computer to execute:

calculating the first parameter as an angle of rotation of a virtual object based on a trigonometric function of the first acceleration data and the second acceleration data,

wherein the game processing includes animating the virtual object based on the calculated angle.

22. A non-transitory storage medium having stored thereon a game program executable by a computer of a game apparatus capable of using a value detected by an acceleration sensor disposed in an input device, the acceleration sensor configured to detect accelerations in at least two directions, wherein:

the game instructs a player to perform an operation of inclining the input device; and

the game program causes the computer to execute;

when the player performs the operation of inclining the input device, obtaining first acceleration data representing an acceleration in a direction perpendicularly crossing an arc which is a trajectory of a movement of a predetermined position in the input device made by the operation, based on a value detected by the acceleration sensor;

obtaining second acceleration data representing an acceleration in a tangent direction to the arc when the player performs the operation of inclining the input device, based on a value detected by the acceleration sensor;

executing a first mode when the first acceleration data is smaller than a first threshold value and a second mode otherwise;

when the first mode is executed, using the first acceleration data and the second acceleration data to calculate inclination data representing an inclination of the input device with respect to a gravity direction and to set the inclination data as a first parameter used in a computer game process;

when the second mode is executed, setting the first parameter to a predetermined value; and

executing the computer game process based on the first parameter, the game process including animating a movement of a virtual object.

23. A non-transitory storage medium having stored thereon a game program executable by a computer of a game apparatus capable of using a value detected by an acceleration sensor provided in an input device for detecting accelerations in at least two directions, the game program causing the computer to execute:

obtaining first acceleration data representing an acceleration applied in a first direction of the input device;

obtaining second acceleration data representing an acceleration applied in a second direction of the input device which is different from the first direction;

storing a history of the obtained second acceleration data on a storage medium accessible by the computer;

determining whether or not the first acceleration data is smaller than a first threshold value;

referring to the history stored on the storage medium to at least determine whether or not maximum data of the second acceleration data in an immediately previous predetermined period is larger than a second threshold value; and

executing predetermined game processing when the first acceleration data is determined to be larger than the first threshold value and additionally when the maximum data is determined to be larger than the second threshold value, the predetermined game processing including animating a movement of a virtual object at a predetermined speed, the predetermined speed independent of the first and second acceleration data.

24. A game apparatus configured to use a value detected by an acceleration sensor provided in an input device that is configured to detect accelerations in at least two directions, the game apparatus comprising:

a processing system configured to cause;

obtaining first acceleration data representing an acceleration applied in a first direction of the input device;

obtaining second acceleration data representing an acceleration applied in a second direction of the input device which is different from the first direction;

determining whether or not the first acceleration data is smaller than a first threshold value;

when the first acceleration data is determined to be smaller than the first threshold value, executing predetermined calculation processing at least based on the second acceleration data to execute first setting processing of calculating a first parameter used in game processing, wherein the first parameter is an inclination angle;

when the first acceleration data is determined to be larger than the first threshold value, executing second setting processing of setting the first parameter to a predetermined value; and

executing the game processing by animating a movement of a virtual object based on the first parameter.

25. A game apparatus capable of using a value detected by an acceleration detection section provided in an input device for detecting an acceleration in at least two directions, wherein:

a game executable by the game apparatus instructs a player to perform an operation of inclining the input device; and

the game apparatus comprises;

a processing system configured to cause;

when the player performs the operation of inclining the input device, obtaining first acceleration data representing an acceleration applied in a direction perpendicularly crossing an arc which is a trajectory of a movement of a predetermined position in the input device made by the operation;

obtaining second acceleration data representing an acceleration applied in a tangent direction to the arc when the player performs the operation of inclining the input device;

determining whether or not the first acceleration data is smaller than a first threshold value;

when the first acceleration data is determined to be smaller than the first threshold value, substituting the first acceleration data and the second acceleration data for an inverse tangent function to calculate inclination data representing an inclination of the input device with respect to a gravity direction and to set the inclination data as a first parameter used in game processing; and

when the first acceleration data is determined to be larger than the first threshold, setting the first parameter to a predetermined inclination value; and

executing the game processing based on the first parameter by animating a movement of a virtual game object.

26. A game apparatus capable of using a value detected by an acceleration detection section provided in an input device for detecting an acceleration in at least two directions, the game apparatus comprising:

a processing system configured to cause;

obtaining first acceleration data representing an acceleration applied in a first direction of the input device, based on a value detected by the acceleration detection section;

obtaining second acceleration data representing an acceleration applied in a second direction of the input device which is different from the first direction, based on a value detected by the acceleration detection section;

storing a history of the obtained second acceleration data on a non-transitory storage medium;

determining whether or not the first acceleration data is smaller than a first threshold value;

referring to the history stored on the non-transitory storage medium to at least determine whether or not maximum data of the second acceleration data in an immediately previous predetermined period is larger than the second threshold value; and

executing predetermined game processing when the first acceleration data is determined to be larger than the first threshold value and further the maximum data is determined to be larger than the second threshold value, the predetermined game processing including animating a movement of a virtual object at a predetermined speed, the predetermined speed independent of the first and second acceleration data.

27. A computer implemented method for controlling an object of a computer program with a user input device, the user input device including an acceleration sensing system, the acceleration sensing system including one or more acceleration sensors, the acceleration sensing system configured to detect accelerations in at least two directions, the method comprising:

obtaining first acceleration data representing an acceleration in a first direction of the user input device;

obtaining second acceleration data representing an acceleration in a second direction of the user input device, the second direction different from the first direction;

executing a first mode when the first acceleration data is less than a predetermined threshold and otherwise executing a second mode;

when executing the first mode, executing a first predetermined process, the first predetermined process including calculating angle data from the second acceleration data, the angle data associated with a movement of the user input device;

when executing the second mode, executing a second predetermined proccss, the second predetermined process including calculating the angle data based on a predetermined inclination value; and

animating a rotation of the object of the computer program based on the calculated angle data.

28. A game system configured to communicate with an acceleration sensing system disposed on or in an input device, the acceleration sensing system including one or more acceleration sensors, the acceleration sensing system configured to detect accelerations in at least two directions, the game system comprising:

a processing system configured to cause;

obtaining first acceleration data representing an acceleration in a first direction of the user input device;

obtaining second acceleration data representing an acceleration in a second direction of the user input device, the second direction different from the first direction;

executing a first mode when the first acceleration data is less than a predetermined threshold and otherwise executing a second mode;

when executing the first mode, executing a first predetermined process, the first predetermined process including calculating an orientation from the second acceleration data;

when executing the second mode, executing a second predetermined process, the second predetermined process including calculating the orientation from a predetermined orientation value; and

animating a movement of an object of a computer program based on the calculated orientation.