Computer-readable storage medium having stored therein information processing program, information processing apparatus, information processing system, and information processing method

• US 8,360,880 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2012
• Issued: 01/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Abe, Goro
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahmed, Masud
• Application Number:
  US13/364,730
• Publication Number:
  US 20120309513A1
• Time in Patent Office: 362 Days
• Field of Search: 463 30- 32, 463/9, 463/41
• US Class Current: 463/31
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/213 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells A63F13/219, A63F13/655 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/215 comprising means for detecting acoustic signals, e.g. using a microphone
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/24 Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles
• 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 13/285 Generating tactile feedback signals via the game input device, e.g. force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/323 between game devices with different hardware characteristics, e.g. hand-held game devices connectable to game consoles or arcade machines
• 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 13/5255 according to dedicated instructions from a player, e.g. using a secondary joystick to rotate the camera around a player's character
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/837 Shooting of targets
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/105 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/301 using an additional display connected to the game console, e.g. on the controller
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6653 for altering the visibility of an object, e.g. preventing the occlusion of an object, partially hiding an object
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6676 by dedicated player input
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range

Abstract

A pirate ship is displayed on a television being a stationary display device and on a terminal device being a portable display device. When the terminal device is held in a second attitude, the position and the angle of view of a first virtual camera are adjusted, and the pirate ship displayed on the television is zoomed out. When the terminal device is held in a first attitude, the position and the angle of view of the first virtual camera are adjusted and the pirate ship displayed on the television is zoomed in.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein an information processing program performed by a computer of an information processing apparatus which causes a stationary display device to display an image, the program causing the computer to at least perform:

setting a first virtual camera in a virtual space in which a predetermined object is arranged;

setting a second virtual camera in a virtual space in which the predetermined object is arranged;

causing the stationary display device to display a first image of the virtual space containing the predetermined object, the first image being taken by the first virtual camera;

causing a portable display device held by a user to display a second image of the virtual space taken by the second virtual camera; and

determining whether the user is viewing the stationary display device, wherein

when it is determined that the user is not viewing the stationary display device, the first image is made more difficult to be viewed than that at a time when it is determined that the user is viewing the stationary display device,

when it is determined that the user is not viewing the stationary display device, the predetermined object in the first image is made more difficult to be viewed, by performing a process of displaying at least the predetermined object in a zoomed-out manner, a process of displaying a predetermined image in a part or a whole of a region containing the predetermined object in the first image, a process of blurring at least the predetermined object, a process of making at least the predetermined object transparent or translucent, and/or a process of displaying at least the predetermined object in a pixelized manner.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the information processing program according to claim 1, wherein

the computer is caused to perform obtaining an attitude of the portable display device, and

when the attitude of the portable display device is a first attitude, it is determined that the user is viewing the stationary display device, and when the attitude of the portable display device is a second attitude, it is determined that the user is not viewing the stationary display device.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the information processing program according to claim 2, wherein

when the attitude of the portable display device is the second attitude, at least the predetermined object is displayed in a zoomed-out manner by changing at least one of a position and an angle of view of the first virtual camera.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the information processing program according to claim 2, wherein

an attitude of the second virtual camera is controlled in accordance with the attitude of the portable display device.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the information processing program according to claim 4, wherein

when the attitude of the portable display device is a predetermined reference attitude, an image taking direction of the second virtual camera is set to the same image taking direction as that of the first virtual camera, and the attitude of the second virtual camera is changed in accordance with a change of the attitude of the portable display device from the reference attitude.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the information processing program according to claim 2, wherein

an image taking direction of the first virtual camera is a predetermined direction independent of the attitude of the portable display device.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the information processing program according to claim 1, wherein

when it is determined that the user is not viewing the stationary display device, at least the predetermined object is displayed in a zoomed-out manner, by changing at least one of a position and an angle of view of the first virtual camera.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the information processing program according to claim 1, wherein

the first image contains a second object and the second image does not contain the second object.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the information processing program according to claim 1, wherein

the predetermined object displayed on the portable display device is more difficult to be viewed than the predetermined object that is displayed on the stationary display device when it is determined that the user is viewing the stationary display device.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the information processing program according to claim 1, wherein

a position of the second virtual camera is substantially the same as a position of the first virtual camera at a time when it is determined that the user is not viewing the stationary display device.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the information processing program according to claim 1, wherein

an angle of view of the second virtual camera is substantially the same as an angle of view of the first virtual camera at a time when it is determined that the user is not viewing the stationary display device.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the information processing program according to claim 1, wherein

an imaging range of the second virtual camera is substantially the same as an imaging range of the first virtual camera at a time when it is determined that the user is not viewing the stationary display device.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the information processing program according to claim 2, wherein

the second attitude is an attitude in which a screen of the portable display device is substantially parallel to the direction of gravity.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the information processing program according to claim 2, wherein

the first attitude is an attitude in which a screen of the portable display device is substantially perpendicular to the direction of gravity.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the information processing program according to claim 1, wherein

the computer is further caused to perform adjusting a volume of a sound outputted from the stationary display device, in accordance with a result of the determination of whether the user is viewing the stationary display device.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the information processing program according to claim 15, wherein

when it is determined that the user is not viewing the stationary display device, the volume of the sound outputted from the stationary display device is lowered than that at a time when it is determined that the user is viewing the stationary display device.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the information processing program according to claim 2, wherein

the portable display device includes at least one of a gyro sensor and an acceleration sensor, and

the attitude of the portable display device is calculated based on data outputted from the at least one of the gyro sensor and the acceleration sensor.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the information processing program according to claim 1, wherein

image data indicating the second image is outputted to the portable display device, and

the portable display device includes:

an image data obtaining unit that obtains the image data outputted from the information processing apparatus; and

a display unit that displays the second image indicated by the image data.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the information processing program according to claim 18, wherein

the computer is further caused to perform compressing the image data indicating the second image, and generating compressed image data,

the compressed image data is outputted to the portable display device,

the image data obtaining unit obtains the compressed image data outputted from the information processing apparatus,

the portable display device further includes an image decompression unit that decompresses the compressed image data, and

the display unit displays the second image decompressed by the image decompression unit.

20. An information processing apparatus that causes a stationary display device to display an image, the apparatus comprising:

a first camera setting unit configured to set a first virtual camera in a virtual space in which a predetermined object is arranged;

a second camera setting unit configured to set a second virtual camera in a virtual space in which the predetermined object is arranged;

a first display control unit configured to cause the stationary display device to display a first image of the virtual space containing the predetermined object, the first image being taken by the first virtual camera;

a second display control unit configured to cause a portable display device held by a user to display a second image of the virtual space taken by the second virtual camera; and

a determination unit configured to determine whether the user is viewing the stationary display device, wherein

when the determination unit has determined that the user is not viewing the stationary display device, the first display control unit makes the first image more difficult to be viewed than that at a time when the determination unit has determined that the user is viewing the stationary display device, and

when the determination unit has determined that the user is not viewing the stationary display device, the predetermined object in the first image is made more difficult to be viewed, by performing a process of displaying at least the predetermined object in a zoomed-out manner, a process of displaying a predetermined image in a part or a whole of a region containing the predetermined object in the first image, a process of blurring at least the predetermined object, a process of making at least the predetermined object transparent or translucent, and/or a process of displaying at least the predetermined object in a pixelized manner.

21. An information processing system that causes a stationary display device to display an image, the system comprising:

a portable display device;

a first camera setting unit configured to set a first virtual camera in a virtual space in which a predetermined object is arranged;

a second camera setting unit configured to set a second virtual camera in a virtual space in which the predetermined object is arranged;

a first display control unit configured to cause the stationary display device to display a first image of the virtual space containing the predetermined object, the first image being taken by the first virtual camera;

a second display control unit configured to cause the portable display device to display a second image of the virtual space taken by the second virtual camera; and

a determination unit configured to determine whether a user is viewing the stationary display device, wherein

when the determination unit has determined that the user is not viewing the stationary display device, the first display control unit makes the first image more difficult to be viewed than that at a time when the determination unit has determined that the user is viewing the stationary display device,

when the determination unit has determined that the user is not viewing the stationary display device, the predetermined object in the first image is made more difficult to be viewed, by performing a process of displaying at least the predetermined object in a zoomed-out manner, a process of displaying a predetermined image in a part or a whole of a region containing the predetermined object in the first image, a process of blurring at least the predetermined object, a process of making at least the predetermined object transparent or translucent, and/or a process of displaying at least the predetermined object in a pixelized manner.

22. An information processing method performed in an information processing apparatus that causes a stationary display device to display an image, the method comprising:

setting a first virtual camera in a virtual space in which a predetermined object is arranged;

setting a second virtual camera in a virtual space in which the predetermined object is arranged;

causing the stationary display device to display a first image of the virtual space containing the predetermined object, the first image being taken by the first virtual camera;

causing a portable display device held by a user to display a second image of the virtual space taken by the second virtual camera; and

determining whether the user is viewing the stationary display device, wherein

in the causing the stationary display device to display the first image, when it is determined that the user is not viewing the stationary display device, the first image is made more difficult to be viewed than that at a time when it is determined that the user is viewing the stationary display device,

when it is determined that the user is not viewing the stationary display device, the predetermined object in the first image is made more difficult to be viewed, by performing a process of displaying at least the predetermined object in a zoomed-out manner, a process of displaying a predetermined image in a part or a whole of a region containing the predetermined object in the first image, a process of blurring at least the predetermined object, a process of making at least the predetermined object transparent or translucent, and/or a process of displaying at least the predetermined object in a pixelized manner.