Sensing ball game machine

• US 9,033,782 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2013
• Issued: 05/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SSD Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: SSD Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Ueshima, Hiromu, Kato, Shuhei
• Primary Examiner(s): CUFF, MICHAEL A
• Application Number:
  US13/924,080
• Publication Number:
  US 20140187299A1
• Time in Patent Office: 697 Days
• Field of Search: 463/3, 463/32, 463/36
• US Class Current: 463/3
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• 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 13/573 using trajectories of game objects, e.g. of a golf ball according to the point of impact
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/812 Ball games, e.g. soccer or baseball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1025 details of the interface with the game device, e.g. USB version detection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/105 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1062 being specially adapted to a type of game, e.g. steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/646 for calculating the trajectory of an object
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8011 Ball

Abstract

A sensing baseball game apparatus (10) has a game machine (12) connected to a television monitor (18). A bat input device (32) is provided with an acceleration sensor. An acceleration signal is transmitted by an infrared-ray LED (34) to an infrared-ray receiving part of the game machine (12) whereby the game machine (12) determines a moving speed of the bat input device (32) to calculate a moving parameter of a ball to be batted. Accordingly, a batted ball is moved in the game scene according to the parameter.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a body-sensing game played by first and second game players on a game apparatus for playing a game by displaying a character on a screen of a display, the game apparatus comprising a first input device to be grasped and moved in a three-dimensional space by the first game player;

and a second input device to be grasped and moved in a three-dimensional space by the second game player, comprising the steps of;

using a first electrical circuit, in the first input device, to generate a first acceleration correlated signal in response to the first player moving the first input device in the three-dimensional space;

using a second electrical circuit, in the second input device, to generate a second acceleration correlated signal in response to the second player moving the second input device in the three-dimensional space;

displaying, on the screen of the display, a change on the character in accordance with the first acceleration correlated signal;

displaying, on the screen of the display, in accordance with the second acceleration correlated signal, a change on the character after the character has been changed by the step of displaying the change on the character in accordance with the first acceleration correlated signal; and

determining, when the character propelled by a first game-player-character, representing the first game player, according to the first input device reaches a predetermined position, an inbounds call or an out of bounds call, in accordance with a destination position of the character and a zone being set.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the first game-player-character is a pitcher character, the inbounds call is a strike, and the out of bounds call is a ball.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein in the step of displaying the change on the character in accordance with the first acceleration correlated signal, the movement of the character that is propelled by the first game-player-character being displayed on the screen is controlled in accordance with the first acceleration correlated signal, and

the method further comprises

determining, in accordance with the position of the character that is propelled by the first game-player-character and the second acceleration correlated signal, whether or not the character that is propelled by the first game-player-character character is hit back.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the determining step is performed at a time it is determined based on the second acceleration correlated signal that the second input device was not swung.