Input device, computer-readable storage medium having input processing program stored therein, input processing method, and input processing system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9393494-B2
Application number	US-201113288243-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 3, 2011
Priority date	Sep 9, 2011
Publication date	Jul 19, 2016
Grant date	Jul 19, 2016

Abstract

An exemplary input device detects a first detected attitude thereof based on angular velocity data outputted from an angular velocity sensor. Next, the input device corrects the first detected attitude based on acceleration data outputted from an acceleration sensor. Then, the input device performs predetermined information processing, without using components, in a horizontal direction and a depth direction, of the first detected attitude which has been corrected.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An input device including an angular velocity sensor and an acceleration sensor, the input device comprising at least one processor configured to at least:
calculate a first attitude of the input device, based on angular velocity data outputted from the angular velocity sensor;
compare a first magnitude, corresponding to an acceleration calculated based on acceleration data outputted by the acceleration sensor, to a second magnitude, corresponding to acceleration of gravity;
correct the first attitude in accordance with a difference between the first magnitude and the second magnitude if the difference is smaller than a reference difference amount; and
execute predetermined information processing to move, using a component of the corrected first attitude corresponding to a direction associated with gravity, but not using components of the corrected first attitude corresponding to directions perpendicular to the direction associated with gravity, an object in a virtual space displayed on a display screen associated with the input device.

2. The input device according to claim 1 , wherein an attitude of the input device in a static state is identified as a second attitude based on an acceleration indicated by the acceleration data, and the first attitude is corrected such that the first attitude approximates to the second attitude.

3. The input device according to claim 2 , wherein the second attitude is defined when a direction of the acceleration indicated by the acceleration data is in a vertically-downward direction.

4. The input device according to claim 2 , wherein an approximation of the first attitude to the second attitude is changed based on the difference between the first magnitude and the second magnitude.

5. The input device according to claim 2 , wherein an approximation of the first attitude to the second attitude is set to a predetermined fixed value.

6. The input device according to claim 3 , wherein the first attitude is set approximate to the second attitude such that the closer the first magnitude is to the second magnitude, the closer the first attitude is set to the second attitude.

7. The input device according to claim 1 , further comprising the display screen in an integrated manner.

8. The input device according to claim 1 , wherein an attitude of the input device in a static state is identified as a second attitude based on an acceleration indicated by the acceleration data, and the first attitude is set to the second attitude.

9. The input device according to claim 1 , wherein the object is a player object and the virtual space is a virtual game world.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein an input processing program executed by a computer of an information processing apparatus including an angular velocity sensor and an acceleration sensor, the input processing program, when executed, causing the computer to perform operations comprising:
calculating a first attitude of the input device, based on angular velocity data outputted from the angular velocity sensor;
comparing a first magnitude, corresponding to an acceleration calculated based on acceleration data outputted by the acceleration sensor, to a second magnitude, corresponding to acceleration of gravity;
correcting the first attitude in accordance with a difference between the first magnitude and the second magnitude if the difference is smaller than a reference difference amount;
executing predetermined information processing to move, using a component of the corrected first attitude corresponding to a direction associated with gravity, but not using components of the corrected first attitude corresponding to directions perpendicular to the direction associated with gravity, an object in a virtual space; and
generating images of the virtual space for display on a display coupled to the information processing apparatus.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein an attitude of the input device in a static state is identified as a second attitude, based on an acceleration indicated by the acceleration data, and the first attitude is corrected such that the first attitude approximates to the second attitude.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein an approximation of the first attitude to the second attitude is changed based on the difference between the first magnitude and the second magnitude.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 wherein an approximation of the first attitude to the second attitude is set to a predetermined fixed value.

14. An input processing method used in an information processing apparatus including an angular velocity sensor and an acceleration sensor, the input processing method comprising the steps of:
calculating, using a computer, a first attitude of an input device, based on angular velocity data outputted from the angular velocity sensor;
comparing, using the computer, a first magnitude, corresponding to an acceleration calculated based on acceleration data outputted by the acceleration sensor, to a second magnitude, corresponding to acceleration of gravity;
correcting, using the computer, the first attitude in accordance with a difference between the first magnitude and the second magnitude if the difference is smaller than a reference difference amount; and
executing, using the computer, predetermined information processing to move, using a component of the corrected first attitude corresponding to a direction associated with gravity, but not using components of the corrected first attitude corresponding to directions perpendicular to the direction associated with gravity, an object in a virtual space displayed on a display coupled to the information processing apparatus.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein an attitude of the input device in a static state is identified as a second attitude based on an acceleration indicated by the acceleration data, and the first attitude is set to the second attitude.

16. An input processing system comprising:
an angular velocity sensor for outputting angular velocity data associated with attitude of an input device;
an acceleration sensor for outputting acceleration data; and
at least one processor being configured to at least:
calculate an attitude of the input device based on the angular velocity data outputted from the angular velocity sensor;
compare a first magnitude, corresponding to an acceleration calculated based on the acceleration data, to a second magnitude, corresponding to acceleration of gravity;
correct the calculated attitude in accordance with a difference between the first magnitude and the second magnitude if the difference is smaller than a reference difference amount,
execute predetermined information processing to move, using a component of the corrected attitude corresponding to a direction associated with gravity, but not using components of the corrected attitude corresponding to directions perpendicular to the direction associated with gravity, an object in a virtual space; and

generate images of the virtual space for display on a display coupled to the information processing apparatus.

17. The input processing system according to claim 16 , wherein the object is a player object and the virtual space is a virtual game world.

18. The input processing system according to claim 16 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute an application,

Assignees

• Miyamoto Takeshi
• Suzuki Ichiro
• Nintendo Co Ltd

Inventors

• Miyamoto Takeshi
• Suzuki Ichiro

Classifications

• A63F13/92

  Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing · CPC title

• A63F13/422 Primary

  automatically for the purpose of assisting the player, e.g. automatic braking in a driving game · CPC title

• A63F2300/204

  the platform being a handheld device · CPC title

• A63F2300/646

  for calculating the trajectory of an object · CPC title

• A63F2300/105

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