Vibration generation system, storage medium having stored therein vibration generation program, and vibration generation method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10062247-B2
Application number	US-201715431946-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 14, 2017
Priority date	Jun 10, 2014
Publication date	Aug 28, 2018
Grant date	Aug 28, 2018

Abstract

At least a first vibration output apparatus and a second vibration output apparatus used while physically separated from the first vibration output apparatus are included. The first vibration output apparatus includes a first vibration unit. The second vibration output apparatus includes a second vibration unit. It is possible to output a first vibration signal and a second vibration signal for, by changing a ratio of intensities of vibrating the first vibration unit and the second vibration unit, causing a user to perceive a single vibration source between the first vibration output apparatus and the second vibration output apparatus.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vibration generation system including at least a main body apparatus, a first controller and a second controller used while physically separated from the first controller,
the first controller including a first vibrator,
the second controller including a second vibrator,
the main body apparatus comprising one or more processors configured to:
as first vibration control, generate and output a first vibration signal for vibrating the first vibrator; and
as second vibration control, generate and output a second vibration signal for vibrating the second vibrator, wherein
in the first vibration control and the second vibration control, the one or more processors generates and outputs the first vibration signal and the second vibration signal such that a ratio of intensities of vibrating the first vibrator and the second vibrator changes, thus causing a user to perceive movement of data transmitted between the first and the second controller.

2. The vibration generation system according to claim 1 , wherein
the main body apparatus transmits data representing the first vibration signal and the second vibration signal to the first controller and the second controller, respectively, wirelessly.

3. The vibration generation system according to claim 1 , wherein
each of the first and second controllers is a handheld controller.

4. The vibration generation system according to claim 3 , wherein
the first controller is held by the right hand of a user and the second controller is held by the left hand of the user.

5. The vibration generation system according to claim 1 , wherein
at least one of the first vibrator and the second vibrator is a linear vibrator.

6. The vibration generation system according to claim 1 , wherein
in the first vibration control and the second vibration control, the first vibrator and the second vibrator are simultaneously vibrated in conjunction with each other.

7. The vibration generation system according to claim 1 , wherein
in the first vibration control, the first vibration signal is generated such that a vibration to be imparted by the first vibrator is made smaller, and
in the second vibration control, the second vibration signal is generated such that a vibration to be imparted by the second vibrator is made greater.

8. The vibration generation system according to claim 1 , further comprising a sound outputter, wherein
the one or more processors are further configured to, as sound control, generate a sound signal to be output to the sound outputter and output the generated sound signal to the sound outputter, and
in the first vibration control and the second vibration control, the first vibration signal and the second vibration signal are generated so as to impart vibrations corresponding to a sound controlled in the sound control.

9. The vibration generation system according to claim 1 , further comprising a display, wherein
the one or more processors are further configured to, as display control, display an image, corresponding to the first vibration signal and the second vibration signal, on the display.

10. The vibrating generation system according to claim 9 , wherein
the image includes an image representing a movable virtual object.

11. The vibrating generation system according to claim 9 , wherein
the image includes an image representing a virtual object in a virtual space.

12. The vibration generation system according to claim 1 , wherein
the one or more processors are further configured to set between the first controller and the second controller a vibration source position to be perceived as a vibration source by the user, and
in the first vibration control and the second vibration control, a position of the vibration source to be perceived based on the vibrations of the first controller and the second controller is controlled in accordance with the vibration source position.

13. The vibration generation system according to claim 12 , wherein
in the first vibration control and the second vibration control, the first vibrator and the second vibrator are simultaneously vibrated based on distribution of the intensities of the vibrations corresponding to the vibration source position, thereby causing the user to perceive the vibration source of the vibrations of the first vibrator and the second vibrator as being at the vibration source position.

14. The vibration generation system according to claim 12 , wherein
in the first vibration control and the second vibration control, if the vibration source position moves from a position in the first controller to between the first controller and the second controller, and if the vibration source position moves from a position in the second controller to between the first controller and the second controller, the first vibration signal and the second vibration signal are continuously output.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein a vibration generation program executed by a computer included in a vibration generation system including a main body apparatus, a first controller including a first vibrator and a second controller including a second vibrator, the second controller used while physically separated from the first controller, the vibration generation program causing the computer to execute:
generating and outputting a first vibration signal for vibrating the first vibrator; and
generating and outputting a second vibration signal for vibrating the second vibrator, wherein
in the generation and output of the first vibration signal and the second vibration signal, the computer generates and outputs the first vibration signal and the second vibration signal such that a ratio of intensities of vibrating the first vibrator and the second vibrator changes, thus causing a user to perceive movement of data transmitted between the first and the second controller.

16. A vibration generation method performed by a processor or cooperation of a plurality of processors, the processor or the plurality of processors included in a vibration generation system including a main body apparatus, a first controller including a first vibrator and a second controller including a second vibrator, the second controller used while physically separated from the first controller, the vibration generation method comprising:
generating and outputting a first vibration signal for vibrating the first vibrator; and
generating and outputting a second vibration signal for vibrating the second vibrator, wherein
in the generation and output of the first vibration signal and the second vibration signal, the processor or the plurality of processors generates and outputs the first vibration signal and the second vibration signal such that a ratio of intensities of vibrating the first vibrator and the second vibrator changes, thus causing a user to perceive movement of data transmitted between the first and the second controller.

Assignees

• Nintendo Co Ltd

Inventors

• Obana Kazutoshi
• Kawai Kochi
• Miyatake Junichiro
• Masubuchi Shoji
• Aoki Takafumi
• Yamashita Kei
• Inami Masahiko
• Minamizawa Kouta

Classifications

• A63F13/54

  involving acoustic signals, e.g. for simulating revolutions per minute [RPM] dependent engine sounds in a driving game or reverberation against a virtual wall · CPC title

• A63F13/285

  Generating tactile feedback signals via the game input device, e.g. force feedback · CPC title

• A63F2300/204

  the platform being a handheld device · CPC title

• G08B6/00 Primary

  Tactile signalling systems, e.g. tactile personal calling systems · CPC title

• A63F2300/1037

  being specially adapted for converting control signals received from the game device into a haptic signal, e.g. using force feedback · CPC title