Game system and storage medium storing game program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9901814-B2
Application number	US-98444307-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 16, 2007
Priority date	Nov 17, 2006
Publication date	Feb 27, 2018
Grant date	Feb 27, 2018

Abstract

A housing of a game controller is capable of being held with one hand of a player. A direction instruction section is provided in the housing for performing a direction instruction input. Movement detection means is means for detecting movement of the housing. Movement direction control means of a game apparatus is means for determining a movement direction of an object, which appears in a virtual game world, in accordance with an operation of the direction instruction section. Posture control means is means for determining a posture of the object in the virtual game world in accordance with detection by the movement detection means.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A game system comprising a game controller including a first housing configured to be holdable with one hand of a player, a game apparatus, and a first movement detector for generating data indicative of aspects of movement of the first housing,
the game controller including a direction instruction section, and
the game apparatus including:
a processor; and
a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the game apparatus to perform operations comprising:
receiving, from the game controller, transmissions of operation data, each of one or more of the transmissions of operation data including both direction instruction input data corresponding to a direction instruction input supplied to the direction instruction section of the game controller and first movement detector data generated by the first movement detector;
determining a movement direction of a first object, which appears in a virtual three-dimensional game world, in accordance with the direction instruction input data; and
determining a posture of the first object in the virtual three-dimensional game world in accordance with the first movement detector data, wherein

the game controller further includes a second housing independent of the first housing and configured to be holdable with another hand of the player,
the game system further comprises a second movement detector for generating second movement detector data indicative of aspects of a pointing direction of the second housing, and
each of the one or more of the transmissions of operation data further includes the second movement detector data, and
the processor performs further operations including determining a movement direction of a second object, which appears in the virtual three-dimensional game world and is different from the first object, in accordance with the second movement detector data.

2. The game system according to claim 1 , wherein the first housing is configured to be holdable at a side circumference thereof with the one hand of the player.

3. The game system according to claim 2 , wherein the direction instruction section is disposed so that, when the first housing is held at the side circumference thereof with the one hand of the player, the direction instruction section is operable with a thumb of the one hand.

4. The game system according to claim 1 , wherein an inclination of the first housing is determined based on the first movement detector data, thereby determining inclination of the first object in the virtual three-dimensional game world.

5. The game system according to claim 1 , wherein
rotation of the first housing about a predetermined axis is determined based on the first movement detector data, thereby determining rotation of the first object about a predetermined axis in the virtual three-dimensional game world.

6. The game system according to claim 1 , wherein inclination of the first housing in a predetermined direction and inclination of the first housing in another direction, which is different from the predetermined direction, are determined based on the first movement detector data, thereby determining inclination of the first object in two directions in the virtual three-dimensional game world.

7. The game system according to claim 1 , wherein rotation of the first housing about a predetermined axis and rotation of the first housing about another axis, which is different from the predetermined axis, are determined based on the first movement detector data, thereby determining rotation of the first object about two axes in the virtual three-dimensional game world.

8. The game system according to claim 1 , wherein
the first movement detector data includes acceleration data corresponding to acceleration in three mutually-perpendicular directions relative to the first housing, and
a three-dimensional posture vector, which indicates the posture of the first object in the virtual three-dimensional game world, is determined in accordance with the acceleration data.

9. The game system according to claim 1 , wherein
the first movement detector data includes rotation data corresponding to rotation of the first housing about three mutually-perpendicular axes, and
a three dimensional posture vector, which indicates the posture of the first object in the virtual three-dimensional game world, is determined in accordance with the rotation data.

10. The game system according to claim 1 , wherein
the first movement detector data includes acceleration data corresponding to acceleration generated in three mutually-perpendicular directions relative to the first housing, and
each component of a three-dimensional posture vector, which indicates the posture of the first object in the virtual three-dimensional game world, is respectively determined in accordance with the acceleration data for a corresponding one of the directions.

11. The game system according to claim 1 , wherein
the first movement detector data includes acceleration data corresponding to acceleration generated in two mutually-perpendicular directions relative to the first housing, and
each of two components of a three-dimensional posture vector, which indicates the posture of the first object in the virtual three-dimensional game world, is respectively determined in accordance with the acceleration data for a corresponding one of the directions.

12. The game system according to claim 4 , wherein, with a first direction in the virtual three-dimensional game world as a reference,
the inclination of the first housing is determined based on the first movement detector data, thereby determining the inclination of the first object in a direction relative to the first direction in the virtual three-dimensional game world.

13. The game system according to claim 5 , wherein, with a first direction in the virtual three-dimensional game world as a reference,
the rotation of the first housing is determined based on the first movement detector data, thereby determining rotation of the first object about an axis extending in the first direction in the virtual three-dimensional game world.

14. The game system according to claim 12 , wherein
the direction instruction section includes at least a stick which is inclinable in a forward direction relative to the first housing to provide a direction instruction input for a forward direction,
the first object is moved in the first direction when the stick is inclined to provide a direction instruction input for the forward direction, and
an inclination of the first housing in the forward direction is determined based on the first movement detector data, and the first object is inclined in the first direction when the first movement detector data corresponds to inclination of the first housing in the forward direction.

15. The game system according to claim 12 , wherein
the direction instruction section includes at least a stick which is inclined in a leftward or rightward direction relative to the first housing to provide a direction instruction input for a leftward or rightward direction,
the first object is moved in a leftward or rightward direction relative to the first direction when the stick is inclined to provide a direction instruction input for the leftward or rightward direction, and
an inclination of the first housing in the leftward or rightward direction is determined based on the first movement detector data, and the first object is inclined in the leftward or rightward direction relative to the first direction when the first movement detector data c

Assignees

• Nonaka Toyokazu
• Izuno Toshiharu
• Nishimura Kentaro
• Tanaka Kenta
• Ito Norihito
• Okada Masayuki
• Nintendo Co Ltd

Inventors

• Nonaka Toyokazu
• Izuno Toshiharu
• Nishimura Kentaro
• Tanaka Kenta
• Ito Norihito
• Okada Masayuki

Classifications

• A63F2300/105

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

• A63F13/24 Primary

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

• A63F13/211 Primary

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

• A63F13/06

  Human Necessities · mapped topic