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

• US 8,740,705 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2013
• Issued: 06/03/2014
• 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:
  US13/898,678
• Publication Number:
  US 20130252735A1
• Time in Patent Office: 378 Days
• Field of Search: 463/36, 463/39
• US Class Current: 463/36
• 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 non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein an information processing program executable by a computer of an information processing apparatus for processing a signal supplied from an input device which includes a load sensor for detecting a load of a user, the information processing program causing the computer to provide execution comprising:

acquiring load information concerning the load of the user or a change of the load over time, based on the signal supplied from the input device;

acquiring center-of-gravity information concerning a center-of-gravity position of the user or a direction in which the center-of-gravity position moves, based on the signal supplied from the input device;

determining whether or not the load information satisfies a first condition; and

determining a predetermined action of the user, based on the center-of-gravity information obtained when a result of the determination of whether or not the load information satisfies the first condition is affirmative.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein whether or not the load of the user increases is determined based on the load information.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 2, wherein whether or not a rate of increase of the load is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold value is determined.

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

the center-of-gravity information concerning the direction in which the center-of-gravity position moves is acquired based on the signal supplied from the input device, and

the predetermined action of the user is determined based on the center-of-gravity information concerning the direction in which the center-of-gravity position moves, which is acquired and obtained when the result of the determination of whether or not the load information satisfies the first condition is affirmative.

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

the center-of-gravity information concerning the center-of-gravity position is acquired based on the signal supplied from the input device,

whether or not the center-of-gravity position exists in a predetermined region which is set at a predetermined position on an input plane which is provided in the input device and to which the load is applied by the user is determined, and

when the result of the determination of whether or not the load information satisfies the first condition is affirmative and a result of the determination, at that time, of whether or not the center-of-gravity position exists in the predetermined region is negative, the user is determined as performing the predetermined action.

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

a plurality of first regions and a plurality of second regions provided at boundaries of the first regions are in advance set on an input plane which is provided in the input device and to which the load is applied by the user, and

when the center-of-gravity position, which is acquired and obtained when the result of the determination of whether or not the load information satisfies the first condition is negative, exists in the first region, the user is determined as performing the predetermined action.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein whether or not the user performs the predetermined action in a predetermined direction is determined.

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

whether or not the user performs the predetermined action in a predetermined direction is repeatedly determined,

when the user performs the predetermined action in the predetermined direction, a determination result indicating the direction in which the user performs the predetermined action is stored in a memory, and

the user is determined as performing the predetermined action, only when the direction in which the user performs the predetermined action, which is obtained based on the center-of-gravity information, is different from the direction indicated by an immediately preceding determination result stored in the memory.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 8, wherein

a plurality of regions each indicating a direction in which the user performs the action is in advance set on an input plane which is provided in the input device and to which the load is applied by the user, and

the user is determined as performing the predetermined action in the direction indicated by the region, on the input plane, where the center-of-gravity position exists.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 9, wherein the user is determined as performing the predetermined action in the direction indicated by the region, on the input plane, where the center-of-gravity position exists, the center-of-gravity position being obtained when the result of the determination of whether or not the load information satisfies the first condition is negative.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the information processing program causes the computer to provide further execution comprising displaying, on a display device, an appearance in which the user performs the predetermined action, when a result of the determination of the predetermined action of the user, based on the center-of-gravity information obtained when the result of the determination of whether or not the load information satisfies the first condition is affirmative.

12. An information processing apparatus having one or more processors and configured to process a signal supplied from an input device which includes at least one load sensor for detecting a load of a user, the information processing apparatus comprising:

a load information acquisition unit for acquiring load information concerning the load of the user or a change of the load over time, based on the signal supplied from the input device;

a center-of-gravity information acquisition unit for acquiring center-of-gravity information concerning a center-of-gravity position of the user or a direction in which the center-of-gravity position moves, based on the signal supplied from the input device;

a load determination unit for determining whether or not the load information satisfies a first condition; and

an action determination unit for determining a predetermined action of the user, based on the center-of-gravity information obtained when a result of the determination performed by the load determination unit is affirmative.

15. The information processing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the input device is a game controller, comprising:

a support portion on which legs of the user are ridden;

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

a communication unit for transmitting a load value as manipulation data detected from each of said four load sensors to said information processing apparatus.

13. An information processing system, comprising:

an input device having a load sensor for detecting a load of a user; and

an information processing apparatus having one or more processors and coupled to the input device, the information processing apparatus configured to process a signal supplied from the input device and comprising;

a load information acquisition unit for acquiring load information concerning the load of the user or a change of the load over time, based on the signal supplied from the input device;

a center-of-gravity information acquisition unit for acquiring center-of-gravity information concerning a center-of-gravity position of the user or a direction in which the center-of-gravity position moves, based on the signal supplied from the input device;

a load determination unit for determining whether or not the load information satisfies a first condition; and

an action determination unit for determining a predetermined action of the user, based on the center-of-gravity information obtained when a result of the determination performed by the load determination unit is affirmative.

14. A method, implemented in an information processing apparatus having one or more processors, for processing a signal supplied from an input device which includes a load sensor for detecting a load of a user, the method comprising:

acquiring load information concerning the load of the user or a change of the load over time, based on the signal supplied from the input device;

acquiring center-of-gravity information concerning a center-of-gravity position of the user or a direction in which the center-of-gravity position moves, based on the signal supplied from the input device;

determining, using the one or more processors, whether or not the load information satisfies a first condition; and

determining a predetermined action of the user, based on the center-of-gravity information obtained when a result of the determination of whether or not the load information satisfies the first condition is affirmative.