Game controller, storage medium storing game program, and game apparatus

• US 8,100,770 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2008
• Issued: 01/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Yamazaki, Hitoshi, Sawano, Takao, Sugiyama, Tadashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Elisca, Pierre E
• Application Number:
  US12/073,327
• Publication Number:
  US 20080261696A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,421 Days
• Field of Search: 463/39, 463/40
• US Class Current: 463/39
• 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 13/214 for locating contacts on a surface, e.g. floor mats or touch pads
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/218 using pressure sensors, e.g. generating a signal proportional to the pressure applied by the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/23 for interfacing with the game device, e.g. specific interfaces between game controller and console
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/235 using a wireless connection, e.g. infrared or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/245 specially adapted to a particular type of game, e.g. steering wheels
• 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 2300/1006 having additional degrees of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1025 details of the interface with the game device, e.g. USB version detection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1056 involving pressure sensitive buttons
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1068 being specially adapted to detect the point of contact of the player on a surface, e.g. floor mat, touch pad
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands

Abstract

A game controller includes at least four load sensors for detecting a load applied on a support board on which player'"'"'s legs are ridden, and the game controller transmits a load value detected as manipulation data by the four load sensors to a game machine. The game machine determines a necessary quantity of load values, and the game machine computes the necessary quantity of load values based on the detected load value from the game controller. Then, game processing is performed based on the necessary quantity of computed load values.

Claims

1. A game controller used in a game machine, comprising:

a support portion on which legs of a player are ridden;

at least four load sensors disposed at predetermined intervals below said support portion;

a communication unit configured to transmit a load value as manipulation data detected from each of said four load sensors to said game machine;

a power supply unit configured to supply electric power to said load sensor; and

a power supply control unit configured to control power supply from said power supply unit to said load sensor,

wherein said communication unit includes a reception determining unit configured to determine whether or not a load obtaining command is received from said game machine,

said power supply control unit supplies electric power from said power supply unit to said load sensor when said reception determining unit determines that said load obtaining command is received, and

said power supply control unit stops electric power supply from said power supply unit to said load sensor when said reception determining unit determines that said load obtaining command is not received.

2. The game controller according to claim 1, wherein said communication unit includes:

a wireless communication unit receiving wirelessly said load obtaining command from said game machine; and

a processing unit configured to impart the load value as the manipulation data detected from each of said four load sensors to said wireless communication unit when said wireless communication unit receives said load obtaining command, and

said wireless communication unit wirelessly transmits said manipulation data received from said processing unit to said game machine.

3. The game controller of claim 1, wherein the communication unit of the game controller is configured to communicate directly with the game machine, the game machine further comprising a remote controller configured to communicate directly with the game machine.

4. A game controller used in a game machine, comprising:

a support portion on which legs of a player are ridden;

at least four load sensors disposed at predetermined intervals below said support portion;

a communication unit configured to transmit a load value as manipulation data detected from each of said four load sensors to said game machine;

a command determining unit configured to determine which load obtaining command in a plurality of types of load obtaining commands is received from said game machine; and

a manipulation data computing unit configured to compute a predetermined quantity of pieces of manipulation data according to the load obtaining command determined by said command determining unit from the load value detected from each of said four load sensors.

5. The game controller of claim 4, wherein the communication unit of the game controller is configured to communicate directly with the game machine, the game machine further comprising a remote controller configured to communicate directly with the game machine.

6. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a game program executed in a computer of a game machine that performs a game using a game controller including a plurality of load sensors, wherein said game program causes said computer to execute:

obtaining a detection value outputted from each of said plurality of load sensors;

determining a quantity of load values necessary for game processing;

computing the determined quantity of load values from a plurality of detection values;

performing game processing based on said load value;

computing difference of the detection values outputted from said plurality of load sensors;

correcting said detection value based on the computed difference;

dividing the detection values into first two sets to compute difference between the first two sets, the detection value being outputted from each of said plurality of load sensors;

dividing the detection values into second two sets to compute a difference between the second two sets, the detection value being outputted from each of said plurality of load sensors, the second two sets being different from said first two sets; and

correcting said detection value based on the first difference and the second difference.

7. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 6, wherein the game machine further comprises a remote controller configured to communicate with the game machine, the game machine being configured to communicate directly with each of the remote controller and the game controller.