Computer-readable storage medium having activation control program stored therein and activation control apparatus

• US 8,726,192 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2008
• Issued: 05/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Matsushima, Yoshihiro, Onozawa, Yuki
• Primary Examiner(s): LEGGETT, ANDREA C.
• Application Number:
  US12/246,822
• Publication Number:
  US 20100083181A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,044 Days
• Field of Search: 715/835, 715/810, 715/764, 715/833, 345156-181, 345/520, 345/521
• US Class Current: 715/835
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/20 Input arrangements for video game devices
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/2145 the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens
• 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 2300/206 Game information storage, e.g. cartridges, CD ROM's, DVD's, smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04855 Interaction with scrollbars
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A system is disclosed including:

• • a first display control section 218 for selectively displaying, in a first display area, a second predetermined number of first objects among first objects, corresponding to a first predetermined number of game programs, for which an order is set; a second display control section 219 for displaying a position designation image at a position corresponding to a position, of subject software, in an order set for the first predetermined number of pieces of software; a display change section 217 for designating a first object to be displayed in the first display area, based on an operation input received by using the position designation image; and an activation execution section 220 for activating software corresponding to one first object which is selected from among the second predetermined number of first objects displayed in the first display area, based on the operation input.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein a control program configured to enable a user to select one of a first number of first objects for which an order is set, and the first number is greater than or equal to two, the control program causing a computer to perform:

first display control for displaying, in a first display area, a partial subset of the first number of first objects;

second display control for displaying, in a second display area that is different from the first display area, a second object representing the position among the first number of first objects, according to the order, of the partial subset which is currently displayed in the first display area; and

display change for receiving an operation input on the second display area, and changing, based on the operation input having been received, the partial subset of first objects shown in the first display area.

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

wherein the computer is caused to further perform

enablement determination for determining whether or not a function of an information processing apparatus operated by the user and executing the control program is able to be used, and wherein,

when the enablement determination determines that the function is able to be used, the second display control sets, as a first object, an object for causing the computer to perform a process using the function, among the first number of first objects, and displays the second object at a position corresponding to a position of the first object in the order.

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

the computer is configured such that a communication function for enabling a communication with a communication apparatus is able to be used as the function;

wherein

the enablement determination determines whether or not the communication with the communication apparatus is enabled by using the communication function; and

wherein

the second display control sets, as a first object, an object for causing the computer to perform a process using the communication function, among the first number of first objects, and displays the second object at a position corresponding to a position of the first object in the order.

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

the first display control displays a first object in a manner depending on a determination result obtained from the enablement determination, and the first object is among the first number of first objects.

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

the second display control displays, in the second display area, second objects which correspond to the first number of first objects, respectively, and displays, as the second object, a second object which corresponds to a first object, and are among the second objects corresponding to the first number of first objects, so as to be distinguishable from the second objects other than the second object corresponding to the first object.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the control program according to claim 5,

wherein the computer is caused to further perform

enablement determination for determining whether or not a function of an information processing apparatus executing the control program is able to be used, and wherein,

when the enablement determination determines that the function is able to be used, the second display control displays the second object corresponding to a first object, in a manner depending on a determination result obtained from the enablement determination.

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

the second display control linearly arranges and displays the first number of the second objects.

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

the second display control displays scroll buttons, near both ends of the second display area, respectively, for scrolling the first display area in which the partial subset of the first number of first objects are displayed, and wherein,

when an operation input for scrolling the first display area in which the partial subset of the first number of first objects is displayed is received through one of the scroll buttons, the display change scrolls, by means of the first display control, the first display area in which the partial subset of first number of first objects is displayed so as to change the partial subset of the first number of first objects to be displayed.

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

when an operation input for selecting the second object which corresponds to a first object and is displayed by the second display control is received, the display change displays, in the first display area, a first object which corresponds to the selected second object and is among the first number of first objects, by means of the first display control.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the control program according to claim 5,

wherein the computer is caused to further perform

classification for classifying the first number of first objects into a of types, and the number of types is greater than or equal to two, and wherein

the second display control displays the second objects which correspond to the first number of first objects, respectively, and which are classified into the number of types by the classification , so as to be each identified by one of the number of types.

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

the second display control displays third objects so as to be distinguishable from the first number of the second objects, and a number of the third objects is a number corresponding to a difference obtained by subtracting the first number from a second number which is a maximum number of objects which can be activated by the control program.

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

the computer is caused to further perform

number increasing for determining whether or not requirements are satisfied, and increasing the second number by an amount when it is determined that the predetermined requirements are satisfied.

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

the computer is connected to a communication apparatus so as to enable communication therebetween;

wherein

the computer is caused to further perform

communication enablement determination for determining whether or not the communication with the communication apparatus is enabled, and wherein

the requirements are requirements that the communication enablement determination determines that the communication with the communication apparatus is enabled, and an operation input for starting the communication with the communication apparatus is received.

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

the display change receives an operation input on the second display by displaying the second object in the second display area, and displays, based on the operation input having been received, a first object which corresponds to the second object and is among the first number of first objects, in the first display area.

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

the second display control displays an image, in a visual manner, indicating a position, of an object selected to be activated, in the set order, before the selected object is activated.

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

the second display control displays an image, in a visual manner, indicating positions, of objects among the first number of first objects corresponding to the partial subset of the first number of first objects, respectively, displayed by the first display control, in the set order.

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

when the computer performs a process, the second display control sets, as a first object, an object corresponding to the process, and displays the second object at a position which corresponds to a position among the first number of first objects, of the object corresponding to the process, in the set order.

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

the computer is provided in a housing to which a storage medium storing software is detachably mounted, wherein

the control program is operable to activate first software corresponding to the software stored in the storage medium, and second software corresponding to software stored in a non-volatile storage medium in the housing, and the first software and the second software form the first number of first objects, and wherein

the second display control sets the first software as a first object, and displays the second object at a position corresponding to a position of the first object in the set order.

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

the computer is caused to further perform

medium detection for detecting whether or not the storage medium is mounted to the housing, and wherein

the second display control displays the second object when the medium detection detects that the storage medium is mounted.

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

the medium detection detects whether or not the storage medium is mounted in the housing after an information processing apparatus executing the control program is powered on.

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

the second display control displays, in the second display area, second objects which are each smaller than the first objects, and correspond to the first number of first objects, respectively, and displays a second object which corresponds to the first object and is among the second objects corresponding to the first number of first objects so as to be distinguishable from the second objects other than the second object corresponding to the first object.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the control program according to claim 21, wherein

second display control displays a second object corresponding to the second software, and displays a second object which corresponds to the first software and is distinguishable from the second object corresponding to the second software.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the control program according to claim 21, wherein

an order of the first software, among the first number of first objects, for a case where the storage medium is mounted is set regardless of whether or not the storage medium is mounted in the housing, wherein

the second display control displays a second object corresponding to the first software, at a position corresponding to a position of the second object in the order for the first software when the medium detection detects that the storage medium is mounted, and wherein

a third object which corresponds to the first software and is distinguishable from the second object is displayed at a position corresponding to a position of the third object in the order for the first software when the medium detection does not detect that the storage medium is mounted.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the control program according to claim 21, wherein

an order of the first software for a case where the storage medium is mounted is set regardless of whether or not the storage medium is mounted in the housing, wherein

the second display control displays second objects such that a portion of the second objects correspond to the first software, and a remaining portion of the second objects correspond to the second software, and wherein

an image obtained by changing display state of the second objects corresponding to the first software is displayed as the second object when the medium detection detects that the storage medium is mounted.

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

the computer is connected to another computer so as to enable communication therebetween, the another computer configured to transmit software, wherein

the computer is caused to further perform

acquisition determination for determining whether or not each of the first number of first objects is acquired from the another computer, and wherein

the second display control sets, as a first object, the object determined, by the acquisition determination, as having been acquired from the another computer, among the first number of first objects, and displays the second object at a position corresponding to a position of the first object in the set order.

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

the computer is caused to further perform

order change for receiving an operation input on the second display area, and changing, based on the operation input having been received, a display order of the first number of first objects.

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

the second display control displays an order of a first number of first objects by using a display order of second objects corresponding to the first number of first objects, respectively, and the first number of first objects is greater than or equal to the partial subset of first number of first objects, and the first number of first objects includes the partial subset of the first number of first objects, and wherein

the display change receives an operation input on the second display area based on the first number of the second objects displayed in the second display area, and displays, in the first display area, the partial subset of the first number of first objects including a first object of software corresponding to one of the second objects, which is designated through the operation input having been received.

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

the control program is executed by an information processing apparatus which is provided in a game apparatus, and wherein

the first objects are application software for executing a game.

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

said first object represents software having a specific title.

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

said first object represents software corresponding to a program for executing a communication process.

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

said first object represents software corresponding to a program stored in a memory card.

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

said first object represents software corresponding to an unopened downloaded program.

33. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein

the second display control displays the second object representing a first object on the second display area, even when the first object is not displayed on the first display area.

34. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein

the second image is an image different from images representing said displayed partial subset of the first number of first objects and represents the position of the first object in the set order.

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

the display change causes scrolling of the first display area so that a first object represented by the second object having received the operation input is displayed at the center of the first display area.

36. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the activation control program according to claim 1, wherein

the second display control displays in the second display area an object that is different from said second object, said object representing said partial subset of first objects displayed in the first display area.

37. A control apparatus for selecting one of a first number of first objects for which an order is set, and the first number is greater than or equal to two, the control apparatus comprising:

a display;

a first display control unit for displaying, in a first display area, a partial subset of the first number of first objects;

a second display control unit for displaying, in a second display area that is different from the first display area a second object representing the position among the first number of first objects, according to the order, of the partial subset which is currently displayed in the first display area; and

a display change unit for receiving an operation input on the second display area, and changing, based on the operation input having been received, the partial subset of first objects shown in the first display area.

38. The control apparatus according to claim 37, wherein

the second display control unit is configured to display the second object representing a first object on the second display area, even when the first object is not displayed on the first display area.

39. The control apparatus according to claim 37, wherein

the second image is an image different from images representing said displayed partial subset of first objects and represents the position of the first object in the set order.

40. The control apparatus according to claim 37, wherein

the display change unit causes scrolling of the first display area so that a first object represented by the second object having received the operation input is displayed at the center of the first display area.

41. The control apparatus according to claim 37, wherein

the second display control unit displays in the second display area an object that is different from said second object, said object representing said partial subset of first number of first objects displayed in the first display area.

42. A computer-implemented method for selecting one of a first number of first objects for which an order is set, and the first number is greater than or equal to two, the method comprising:

displaying, in a first display area, a partial subset of the first number of first objects;

displaying, in a second display area that is different from the first display area a second object representing the position among the first number of first objects, according to the order, of the partial subset which is currently displayed in the first display area;

receiving an operation input on the second display area, and changing, via one or more computer processors, based on the operation input having been received, the partial subset of first objects shown in the first display area.

43. The computer-implemented method according to claim 42, wherein

the second object representing a first object is displayed on the second display area, even when the first object is not displayed on the first display area.

44. The computer-implemented method according to claim 42, wherein

the second image is an image different from images representing said displayed partial subset of first objects and represents the position of the first object in the set order.

45. The method according to claim 42, wherein

the display changing causes scrolling of the first display area so that a first object represented by the second object having received the operation input is displayed at the center of the first display area.

46. The method according to claim 42, wherein

the displaying in the second display area displays in the second display area an object that is different from said second object, said object representing said partial subset of first number of first objects displayed in the first display area.

47. An information processing system including a control apparatus for selecting one of a first number of first objects for which an order is set, and the first number is greater than or equal to two, the information processing system comprising:

a display; and

a processing system, including one or more computer processors, configured to;

display, in a first display area, a partial subset of the first number of first objects;

display, in a second display area that is different from the first display area a second object representing the position among the first number of first objects, according to the order, of the partial subset which is currently displayed in the first display area; and

receive an operation input on the second display area, and change, based on the operation input having been received, the partial subset of first objects shown in the first display area.