Information processing system, computer-readable storage medium, and information processing method

• US 9,375,640 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2011
• Issued: 06/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Matsunaga, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): D'Agostino, Paul A
• Assistant Examiner(s): GRAY, BRANDON RAMON
• Application Number:
  US13/271,510
• Publication Number:
  US 20120231881A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,721 Days
• Field of Search: 463/30, 463/31, 463/36, 463/39
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/2145 the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens
• 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 13/26 having at least one additional display device, e.g. on the game controller or outside a game booth
• 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 13/5252 using two or more virtual cameras concurrently or sequentially, e.g. automatically switching between fixed virtual cameras when a character changes room or displaying a rear-mirror view in a car-driving game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5378 for displaying an additional top view, e.g. radar screens or maps using two or more virtual cameras concurrently A63F13/5252
• 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 13/803 Driving vehicles or craft, e.g. cars, airplanes, ships, robots or tanks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/837 Shooting of targets
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/86 Watching games played by other players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• 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 2300/1075 using a touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/301 using an additional display connected to the game console, e.g. on the controller
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/403 Connection between platform and handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6669 using a plurality of virtual cameras concurrently or sequentially, e.g. automatically switching between fixed virtual cameras when a character change rooms
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8064 Quiz

Abstract

A load applied to a first input device is sequentially detected, and a first display image to be displayed on a portable display device is sequentially generated based on load data. The portable display device obtains image data representing the first display image, and sequentially displays the first display image represented by the obtained image data. In this exemplary embodiment, when a user performs an operation based on his/her action and thereby a process based on the user'"'"'s action is performed, the user is allowed to view the result of the process in a favorable situation.

Claims

1. An information processing system comprising a first input device, a second input device, a portable display device, and an information processing apparatus for processing data supplied from the first input device, wherein

the first input device configured to:

sequentially detect a load applied to the first input device; and

sequentially output load data, based on the load detected by the first input device, to the information processing apparatus,

the information processing apparatus configured to;

sequentially obtain the load data outputted from the first input device;

sequentially generate and render a first display image, using the information processing apparatus, to be displayed on the portable display device, based on at least the obtained load data; and

sequentially output, to the portable display device, image data representing the generated first display image, and

the portable display device configured to;

sequentially obtain the image data rendered by and outputted from the information processing apparatus; and

sequentially display the first display image represented by the obtained image data, and

the second input device comprises;

at least one input portion; and

at least one motion sensing device for sensing motion of the second input device,

the second input device being in communication with the information processing apparatus and usable with the portable display device and the first input device.

2. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein

the portable display device further configured to:

sequentially generate first operation data representing a user operation performed by using the portable display device; and

sequentially output the first operation data to the information processing apparatus,

the information processing apparatus sequentially obtains the first operation data outputted from the portable display device, and

the information processing apparatus sequentially generates the first display image based on the obtained load data and the obtained first operation data.

3. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein

the information processing apparatus sequentially generates, based on at least the load data, a second display image to be displayed on another display device connected to the information processing apparatus, and

the information processing apparatus sequentially outputs, to the portable display device, the image data representing the generated first display image, and sequentially outputs, to the other display device, image data representing the generated second display image.

4. The information processing system according to claim 3, wherein the information processing apparatus sequentially generates, as the second display image, an image different from the first display image, based on at least the load data.

5. The information processing system according to claim 4, wherein the information processing apparatus generates, as the first display image, an image showing a first region in a virtual world, and generates, as the second display image, an image showing a second region in the virtual world, which is different from the first region, based on at least the load data.

6. The information processing system according to claim 4, wherein the information processing apparatus generates, as the first display image, an image showing a state of a virtual world viewed from a first viewpoint, and generates, as the second display image, an image showing a state of the virtual world viewed from a second viewpoint different from the first viewpoint, based on at least the load data.

7. The information processing system according to claim 2, wherein the portable display device sequentially generates, as the first operation data, data in accordance with a movement of the portable display device.

8. The information processing system according to claim 2, wherein

the portable display device further includes a touch panel provided on a display screen of the portable display device, and

the portable display device sequentially generates, as the first operation data, data representing a position at which the touch panel is touched.

9. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein

the second input device configured to:

sequentially generate second operation data representing a user operation performed by using the second input device; and

sequentially output the second operation data to the information processing apparatus,

the information processing apparatus sequentially obtains the second operation data outputted from the second input device, and

the information processing apparatus sequentially generates the first display image, based on the obtained load data and the obtained second operation data.

10. The information processing system according to claim 9, wherein the second input device sequentially generates, as the second operation data, data in accordance with a movement of the second input device.

11. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein

the information processing apparatus wirelessly transmits the image data representing the first display image to the portable display device, and

the portable display device sequentially obtains the image data by receiving the image data wirelessly transmitted from the information processing apparatus.

12. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein

the information processing apparatus further configured to sequentially compress the image data representing the generated first display image to generate compressed image data, and

sequentially output the compressed image data to the portable display device,

the portable display device sequentially obtains the compressed image data outputted from the information processing apparatus,

the portable display device further configured to sequentially decompress the compressed image data to obtain image data representing the first display image, and

sequentially display the first display image represented by the obtained and decompressed image data.

13. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein

a plurality of load detection devices are provided at different positions on the first input device, and

the first input device sequentially outputs, to the information processing apparatus, a plurality of load data based on loads detected by the respective load detection devices.

14. The information processing system according to claim 13, wherein

the information processing apparatus sequentially obtains the plurality of load data outputted from the first input device,

the information processing apparatus further configured to calculate a center-of-graving position of a load applied to the first input device, based on the loads represented by the plurality of load data, and

sequentially generate the first display image based on the calculated center-of-gravity position.

15. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein

the information processing apparatus further configured to perform a predetermined game process based on at least the obtained load data, and

sequentially generate the first display image based on the predetermined game process.

16. The information processing system according to claim 2, wherein

the information processing apparatus further configured to set an action of a player object arranged in a virtual world based on the load data and the first operation data,

sequentially generate, as the first display image, an image of a region of the virtual world, which region includes at least the player object, or an image of the virtual world based on the viewpoint of the player object.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising an information processing program executed on a computer of an information processing apparatus which is capable of using data outputted from a first input device and a second input device, and processes the data obtained from the first input device, wherein the information processing program causes the computer to:

sequentially obtain, from the first input device, load data based on a load applied to the first input device;

sequentially generate and render, using the information processing apparatus, and based on at least the obtained load data, a first display image to be displayed on a portable display device and a second display image to be displayed on another display device connected to the information processing apparatus; and

sequentially output, to the portable display device, image data representing the generated and rendered first display image, and sequentially output, to the other display device, image data of the generated second display image,

the second input device having at least one input portion and at least one motion sensing device for sensing motion of the second input device, the second input device being in communication with the information processing apparatus and usable with the portable display device and the first input device.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 17, wherein an image different from the first display image is sequentially generated as the second display image, based on at least the load data.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 18 wherein an image showing a first region in a virtual world is generated as the first display image, and an image showing a second region in the virtual world, which is different from the first region, is generated as the second display image, based on at least the load data.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 18, wherein an image showing a state of a virtual world viewed from a first viewpoint is generated as the first display image, and an image showing a state of the virtual world viewed from a second viewpoint different from the first viewpoint is generated as the second display image, based on at least the load data.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 18, wherein

the information processing apparatus is capable of using data outputted from the portable display device,

first operation data representing a user operation performed by using the portable display device is sequentially obtained from the portable display device, and

the first display image and the second display image are sequentially generated, based on the obtained load data and the obtained first operation data.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 18, wherein

the information processing program further causes the computer to sequentially compress the image data representing the generated first display image to generate compressed image data, and

sequentially output, to the portable display device, the generated compressed image data, as image data representing the first display image, and sequentially output, to the other display device, the image data representing the generated second display image.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 18, wherein

a plurality of load data based on loads applied to the first input device at a plurality of positions are sequentially obtained from the first input device,

the information processing program further causes the computer to calculate a center-of-gravity position of a load applied to the first input device, based on the loads represented by the plurality of load data, and

sequentially generate the first display image and the second display image, based on the calculated center-of-gravity position.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 18 further causes the computer to perform a predetermined game process, based on at least the obtained load data, and

sequentially generate the first display image and the second display image, based on the predetermined game process.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 21, wherein

the information processing program further causes the computer to set an action of a player object arranged in a virtual world, based on the load data and the first operation data, and

sequentially generate, as the first display image and the second display image, an image of a region of the virtual world, which region includes at least the player object, or an image of the virtual world based on the viewpoint of the player object.

26. An information processing method for processing data outputted from a first input device and a second input device, the method comprising:

sequentially detecting a load applied to the first input device;

sequentially generating and rendering a first display image, using an information processing apparatus, to be displayed on a portable display device, based on the detected load; and

sequentially displaying, on the portable display device, the generated first display image rendered by the information processing apparatus,

the second input device having at least one input portion and at least one motion sensing device for sensing motion of the second input device, the second input device being in communication with the information processing apparatus and usable with the portable display device and the first input device.