Systems and method of controlling game operations based on touch input

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11577157-B2
Application number	US-202117358252-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 25, 2021
Priority date	Jul 8, 2020
Publication date	Feb 14, 2023
Grant date	Feb 14, 2023

Abstract

A direction of a first control is determined based on a component in the first axial direction of a difference between a first region reference coordinate point and a coordinate point of a coordinate input performed in the first region. A direction of a second control is determined based on a component in a second axial direction of a difference between a second region reference coordinate point and a coordinate point of the coordinate input performed in the second region. When the coordinate input is started in the second region, and thereafter the coordinate input indicates a coordinate point in the first region, the reference coordinate point is set in the first or the second region, and the direction of the first control is determined based on a component in the first axial direction of a difference between the reference coordinate point and the coordinate point in the first region.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein instructions that, when executed by a computer of an information processing apparatus that controls a game using a coordinate input detected by a touch input device having a touch region, cause the computer to perform operations comprising:
setting a first region and a second region in the touch region, wherein the first and second regions are arranged side by side in a first axial direction without overlapping each other;
based on the coordinate input performed in the first region, setting a first region reference coordinate point as a reference coordinate point in the first region;
based on the coordinate input performed in the second region, setting a second region reference coordinate point as a reference coordinate point in the second region;
determining a direction of a first control of the game based on a component in the first axial direction of a difference between the first region reference coordinate point and a coordinate point of the coordinate input performed in the first region after the setting of the first region reference coordinate point; and
determining a direction of a second control of the game based on a component in a second axial direction of a difference between the second region reference coordinate point and a coordinate point of the coordinate input performed in the second region after the setting of the second region reference coordinate point, the second axial direction being different from the first axial direction,
wherein
when a given input is started in the second region and continues to be performed so that the given input is within the first region:
a) the first region reference coordinate point is set in the first region based on a corresponding coordinate point of a coordinate input of the given input when in the first region, and
b) performing, in connection with the given input, the first control for the game by using the direction of the first control that is determined, wherein the component in the first axial direction of the given input that is in the second region is not used to perform the second control.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
adjusting the first region reference coordinate point or the second region reference coordinate point to approach a coordinate point of the coordinate input detected by the touch input device based on to the distance between the coordinate point of the coordinate input and the first region reference coordinate point or second region reference coordinate point.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein when the given input is started in the second region and continues to be performed so that the given input is within the first region, the first region reference coordinate point is set, to be a coordinate point at which the coordinate input has entered the first region.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein the determination of the direction of the second control does not depend upon the component in the second axial direction of the difference between the first region reference coordinate point and the coordinate point of the coordinate input performed in the first region after the setting of the first region reference coordinate point.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein the determination of the direction of the first control does not depend upon the component in the first axial direction of the difference between the second region reference coordinate point and the coordinate point of the coordinate input performed in the second region after the setting of the second region reference coordinate point.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein while the first control is being performed based on coordinate input being performed in the first region, the second control is also performed based on coordinate input being concurrently performed in the second region.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein the touch input device has a rectangular touch region having a first side and a second side, the first side being longer than the second side.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 7 , wherein the first axial direction is parallel to the first side.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 8 , wherein one half region in the first axial direction of the touch region is set as the first region, and the other half region in the first axial direction of the touch region is set as the second region.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein the first control moves a character object disposed in the virtual space.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1 , wherein the second control triggers or causes another object to move from a character object disposed in the virtual space.

12. An information processing apparatus for controlling a game using a coordinate input detected by a touch input device having a touch region, the apparatus comprising a computer that executes at least:
setting a first region and a second region in the touch region, wherein the first and second regions are arranged side by side in a first axial direction without overlapping each other;
based on the coordinate input performed in the first region, setting a first region reference coordinate point as a reference coordinate point in the first regions;
based on the coordinate input performed in the second region, setting a second region reference coordinate point as a reference coordinate point in the second region;
determining a direction of a first control of the game based on a component in the first axial direction of a difference between the first region reference coordinate point and a coordinate point of the coordinate input performed in the first region after the setting of the first region reference coordinate point; and
determining a direction of a second control of the game based on a component in a second axial direction of a difference between the second region reference coordinate point and a coordinate point of the coordinate input performed in the second region after the setting of the second region reference coordinate point the second axial direction being different from the first axial direction,
wherein
when a given input is started in the second region and continues to be performed so that the given input is within the first region:
a) the first region reference coordinate point is set in the first region based on a corresponding coordinate point of a coordinate input of the given input when in the first region, and
b) performing, in connection with the given input, the first control for the game by using the direction of the first control that is determined, wherein the component in the first axial direction of the given input that is in the second region is not used to perform the second control.

13. An information processing system for controlling a game using a coordinate input detected by a touch input device having a touch region, the system comprising a computer that executes at least:
setting a first region and a second region in the touch region, wherein the first and second regions are arranged side by side in a first axial direction without overlapping each other;
based on the coordinate input performed in the first regio

Assignees

• Nintendo Co Ltd

Inventors

• Konishi Yoshinori

Classifications

• A63F13/211

  using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes · CPC title

• A63F13/2145 Primary

  the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens · CPC title

• A63F13/24

  Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles · CPC title

• A63F13/426

  involving on-screen location information, e.g. screen coordinates of an area at which the player is aiming with a light gun · CPC title

• A63F13/803

  Driving vehicles or craft, e.g. cars, airplanes, ships, robots or tanks · CPC title