US20120295712A1 - Computer and recording medium - Google Patents

Computer and recording medium Download PDF

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Publication number
US20120295712A1
US20120295712A1 US13/576,521 US201113576521A US2012295712A1 US 20120295712 A1 US20120295712 A1 US 20120295712A1 US 201113576521 A US201113576521 A US 201113576521A US 2012295712 A1 US2012295712 A1 US 2012295712A1
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United States
Prior art keywords
unit
association
operation unit
controller
units
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Abandoned
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US13/576,521
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English (en)
Inventor
Daisuke Nonaka
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Capcom Co Ltd
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Capcom Co Ltd
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Assigned to CAPCOM CO., LTD. reassignment CAPCOM CO., LTD. ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: Nonaka, Daisuke
Publication of US20120295712A1 publication Critical patent/US20120295712A1/en
Abandoned legal-status Critical Current

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    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63F—CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • A63F13/00—Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions
    • A63F13/20—Input arrangements for video game devices
    • A63F13/22—Setup operations, e.g. calibration, key configuration or button assignment
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63F—CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • A63F13/00—Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions
    • A63F13/20—Input arrangements for video game devices
    • A63F13/23—Input arrangements for video game devices for interfacing with the game device, e.g. specific interfaces between game controller and console
    • A63F13/235—Input arrangements for video game devices for interfacing with the game device, e.g. specific interfaces between game controller and console using a wireless connection, e.g. infrared or piconet
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63F—CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • A63F13/00—Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions
    • A63F13/40—Processing input control signals of video game devices, e.g. signals generated by the player or derived from the environment
    • A63F13/42—Processing input control signals of video game devices, e.g. signals generated by the player or derived from the environment by mapping the input signals into game commands, e.g. mapping the displacement of a stylus on a touch screen to the steering angle of a virtual vehicle
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F3/00—Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
    • G06F3/01—Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer
    • G06F3/03—Arrangements for converting the position or the displacement of a member into a coded form
    • G06F3/033—Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user, e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor
    • G06F3/0346—Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user, e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F3/00—Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
    • G06F3/01—Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer
    • G06F3/03—Arrangements for converting the position or the displacement of a member into a coded form
    • G06F3/033—Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user, e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor
    • G06F3/038—Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63F—CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • A63F2300/00—Features of games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions, e.g. on a television screen, showing representations related to the game
    • A63F2300/10—Features of games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions, e.g. on a television screen, showing representations related to the game characterized by input arrangements for converting player-generated signals into game device control signals
    • A63F2300/1018—Calibration; Key and button assignment
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63F—CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • A63F2300/00—Features of games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions, e.g. on a television screen, showing representations related to the game
    • A63F2300/10—Features of games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions, e.g. on a television screen, showing representations related to the game characterized by input arrangements for converting player-generated signals into game device control signals
    • A63F2300/1025—Features of games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions, e.g. on a television screen, showing representations related to the game characterized by input arrangements for converting player-generated signals into game device control signals details of the interface with the game device, e.g. USB version detection
    • A63F2300/1031—Features of games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions, e.g. on a television screen, showing representations related to the game characterized by input arrangements for converting player-generated signals into game device control signals details of the interface with the game device, e.g. USB version detection using a wireless connection, e.g. Bluetooth, infrared connections
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F2203/00—Indexing scheme relating to G06F3/00 - G06F3/048
    • G06F2203/038—Indexing scheme relating to G06F3/038
    • G06F2203/0381—Multimodal input, i.e. interface arrangements enabling the user to issue commands by simultaneous use of input devices of different nature, e.g. voice plus gesture on digitizer
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F2203/00—Indexing scheme relating to G06F3/00 - G06F3/048
    • G06F2203/038—Indexing scheme relating to G06F3/038
    • G06F2203/0382—Plural input, i.e. interface arrangements in which a plurality of input device of the same type are in communication with a PC
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F2203/00—Indexing scheme relating to G06F3/00 - G06F3/048
    • G06F2203/038—Indexing scheme relating to G06F3/038
    • G06F2203/0384—Wireless input, i.e. hardware and software details of wireless interface arrangements for pointing devices

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a computer and a recording medium, and, in particular, relates to a method for establishing an association between multiple operation units.
  • controllers serving as operation units, whereby users control specific characters within a game space.
  • characters controlled by users with controllers are referred to as “player characters”.
  • controllers are provided with numerous buttons and joysticks (levers).
  • games and gaming apparatuses that use two types of controllers on a simultaneous basis in order to improve operability.
  • a gaming apparatus capable of conducting a game by using two types of controllers on a simultaneous basis has been described in JP-A-2009-72319.
  • the main controller a controller of one type
  • the sub-controller a controller of another type
  • the sub-controller makes it possible to handle buttons and other input devices provided in the sub-controller in the same manner as the input devices provided in the main controller. Consequently, the sub-controller and main controller can be handled as a controller pair.
  • the attached cables may interfere with operations performed by the user. Since the main controller can accept the motion and attitude of the main controller itself as operation input using built-in acceleration sensors and imaging devices, it is sometimes manipulated by the user by swinging and spinning it around. In such cases, in particular, the user may feel that the attached cables are a nuisance.
  • a method is contemplated, in which a main controller and a sub-controller are connected to a gaming apparatus not through a cable, but through a wireless connection.
  • Patent Document 1 JP-A-2009-72319
  • main controller and the sub-controller have to be associated even when each controller is connected to the gaming apparatus over a wired connection.
  • computers other than gaming apparatuses have multiple operation units connected thereto and sometimes it is necessary to associate one operation unit with another operation unit without establishing a direct connection between the operation units.
  • the present invention is devised with the above-described circumstances in mind and it is an object of the invention to provide a method for associating one operation unit with another operation unit without establishing a direct connection between the operation units in a situation, in which there are multiple operation units intended for operating a computer.
  • a computer provided by a first aspect of the present invention is a computer to which two or more of one or more types of operation units for performing an operation can be connected, the computer including: a reception unit that receives, from each operation unit that is connected, identification information that is information for identifying the operation unit, and operation information that is information output in accordance with an operation performed on the operation unit; an association setting unit that sets an association between connected operation units based on the identification information received from the connected operation units and an association condition that is set in advance; and an execution unit that executes processing on the same processing target based on the operation information received from the associated operation units.
  • connection is a concept that includes not only wired connection by a cable or the like, but also wireless connection by radio communication or the like.
  • an “operation” performed on an operation unit is a concept that includes an operation of pressing a button that the operation unit is provided with, an operation of tilting or pressing a stick (lever), and the like.
  • moving an operation unit and changing the orientation of an operation unit are also included in the concept of an “operation”.
  • an operation of starting up an operation unit such as an operation of pressing (or switching) a power button, is also included in the concept of an “operation”.
  • an “association condition” is a condition used for setting the association of operation units, and examples of the content include “if a operation unit of a second type is connected to a location having only one operation unit of a first type connected thereto, an association is set between the connected operation unit of the second type and the operation unit of the first type”, and “if a operation unit of a second type is connected to a location having two or more operation units of a first type connected thereto, an association is set between the connected operation unit of the second type and an operation unit of the first type on which a predetermined operation was performed”.
  • the association setting unit sets an association between, among the connected operation units, a first operation unit that was selected based on a selection condition that is set in advance and a second operation unit that can be associated with the first operation unit.
  • the association setting unit sets an association between the first operation unit and, among the two or more second operation units, a second operation unit that transmitted predetermined operation information.
  • the computer is further caused to function as a first presentation control unit that, in a case where two or more second operation units exist, causes a first presentation unit to present information for prompting a user to perform the predetermined operation on an operation unit that is to be associated with the first operation unit.
  • the computer is further caused to function as a second presentation control unit that, in a case where no operation unit that can be associated with a first operation unit is connected, causes a second presentation unit to present information for prompting a user to select an operation unit that is to be associated with the first operation unit.
  • the association setting unit sets an association between, among the connected operation units, only operation units for which an association is not set.
  • the association setting unit in a case where an operation unit for which an association has already been set exists, the association setting unit also designates an operation unit that transmitted second predetermined operation information as an association setting target.
  • the selection condition is being a predetermined type of operation unit from among a plurality of types of operation units.
  • the selection condition is selection of an operation unit among a plurality of connected operation units in order of earliest connection.
  • the two or more operation units include two types of operation units, and the association condition is association of one type of operation unit to the other type of operation unit.
  • the execution unit generates a game space and an object that performs an action in the game space, and executes action processing on the object as the same processing target.
  • connection is connection by wireless communication.
  • a recording medium provided by a second aspect of the present invention is a computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program for causing a computer, to which two or more of one or more types of operation units for performing an operation can be connected, to function as: a reception unit that receives, from each operation unit that is connected, identification information that is information for identifying the operation unit, and operation information that is information output in accordance with an operation performed on the operation unit; an association setting unit that sets an association between connected operation units based on the identification information received from the connected operation units and an association condition that is set in advance; and an execution unit that executes processing on the same processing target based on the operation information received from the associated operation units.
  • the association setting unit sets an association between, among the connected operation units, a first operation unit that was selected based on a selection condition that is set in advance and a second operation unit that can be associated with the first operation unit.
  • the association setting unit sets an association between the first operation unit and, among the two or more second operation units, a second operation unit that transmitted predetermined operation information.
  • the computer is further caused to function as a first presentation control unit that, in a case where two or more second operation units exist, causes a first presentation unit to present information for prompting a user to perform the predetermined operation on an operation unit that is to be associated with the first operation unit.
  • the computer is further caused to function as a second presentation control unit that, in a case where no operation unit that can be associated with a first operation unit is connected, causes a second presentation unit to present information for prompting a user to select an operation unit that is to be associated with the first operation unit.
  • the association setting unit sets an association between, among the connected operation units, only operation units for which an association is not set.
  • the association setting unit in a case where an operation unit for which an association has already been set exists, the association setting unit also designates an operation unit that transmitted second predetermined operation information as an association setting target.
  • the selection condition is being a predetermined type of operation unit from among a plurality of types of operation units.
  • the selection condition is selection of an operation unit among a plurality of connected operation units in order of earliest connection.
  • the two or more operation units include two types of operation units, and the association condition is association of one type of operation unit to the other type of operation unit.
  • the computer is a gaming apparatus
  • the execution unit generates a game space and an object that performs an action in the game space, and executes action processing on the object as the same processing target.
  • connection is connection by wireless communication.
  • FIG. 1A is a diagram for describing a pairing procedure.
  • FIG. 1B is another diagram for describing a pairing procedure.
  • FIG. 1C is another diagram for describing a pairing procedure.
  • FIG. 1D is another diagram for describing a pairing procedure.
  • FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a gaming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 3A is a diagram for describing a controller (main controller).
  • FIG. 3B is a diagram for describing a controller (sub-controller).
  • FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram showing an internal configuration of a controller.
  • FIG. 5 is a diagram for describing an example of a controller assignment table.
  • FIG. 6 is a flowchart for describing pairing processing.
  • FIG. 7 is a diagram for describing a pairing procedure.
  • FIG. 8 is another diagram for describing a pairing procedure.
  • FIG. 9 is another diagram for describing a pairing procedure.
  • FIG. 10 is another diagram for describing a pairing procedure.
  • FIG. 11 is another diagram for describing a pairing procedure.
  • FIG. 12 is another diagram for describing a pairing procedure.
  • FIG. 13 is another diagram for describing a pairing procedure.
  • FIG. 14 is another diagram for describing a pairing procedure.
  • a player character fights enemy characters in a three-dimensional virtual game space, and the game progress as the player character defeats enemy characters.
  • Two types of controllers can be connected to the gaming apparatus using short-range wireless communication that employs Bluetooth (registered trademark) technology.
  • the gaming apparatus is a PlayStation (registered trademark) 3.
  • authentication processing is performed with the main body of the gaming apparatus (since the concept of a “gaming apparatus” also includes controllers, the term “main body of the gaming apparatus” or simply “main body” will be used when referring to the member to which the controllers are connected), and the controllers are authorized as connection partners.
  • controllers After being authorized, authentication processing and the establishment of a connection are automatically performed when the controllers are powered on.
  • up to a total of seven controllers can be connected to the main body of the gaming apparatus.
  • the controllers When transmitting transmission data such as operation signals, the controllers attach identification information (information for identifying the controllers, such as an identification number), controller type information, and the like to the transmission data.
  • the main body of the gaming apparatus Upon receiving transmission data, the main body of the gaming apparatus recognizes which controller transmitted the transmission data based on the attached identification information.
  • the connections between the main body of the gaming apparatus and the controllers are not limited to this, and may be connections by wireless communication using the IrDA communication system that employs infrared light or the like, or may be wired connections using cables or the like.
  • the main body of the gaming apparatus can recognize the data communication partners by the carrier frequency or the connection terminal of the communication line. In other words, it is possible to recognize which controller transmission data was transmitted from.
  • the carrier frequency or which connection terminal a controller is connected to is considered to be the identification information. Accordingly, there is no need for the controllers to attach separate identification information to the transmission data.
  • the user controls the player character using two types of controllers.
  • the user holds and manipulates one of the two controllers with their right hand mainly in order to control weapon manipulation by the player character.
  • This controller is referred to as the “main controller” (sometimes abbreviated as “MC” below).
  • the user holds and manipulates the other controller with their left hand mainly in order to cause the player character to perform movement actions.
  • This controller is referred to as the “sub-controller” (sometimes abbreviated as “SC” below).
  • one sub-controller needs to be associated with one main controller.
  • the association of a main controller with a sub-controller is called “pairing”. The user can control a single player character by using a main controller and a sub-controller associated by pairing.
  • FIGS. 1A to 1D are for describing the procedure of pairing, and illustrate an example in which a user attempts to start a game in a situation in which only the two sub-controllers SC 1 and SC 2 have been activated.
  • FIG. 1A illustrates a state in which the sub-controllers SC 1 and SC 2 have been activated, but no main controllers have been activated. It should be noted that if the user attempts to start a game in this state, a message that urges the user to activate the main controller is displayed on the display screen M.
  • FIG. 1B illustrates a state in which the main controller MC 1 has been activated because the user P has pressed the power button of the main controller MC 1 in the state of FIG. 1A . Because at such time the two sub-controllers SC 1 and SC 2 have already been activated, a message prompting the user to select the sub-controller to pair up with the main controller MC 1 is displayed on the display screen M.
  • the screen display that prompts the selection is referred to as the “prompt screen”.
  • a message prompting the pressing of the L button is displayed on the prompt screen because the pressing of the L button of the sub-controller (discussed below) is used to determine pairing.
  • the operation buttons used for such determination may be any other operation button.
  • the pressing of the operation buttons used for such determination can be utilized. For example, an operation involving tilting a joystick (lever) in a predetermined direction may be used.
  • the activation of a sub-controller in a state wherein the sub-controller has been inactive may be used for such determination.
  • FIG. 1C illustrates a state in which the user P, after looking at the prompt screen displayed on the display screen M, has pressed the L button of the sub-controller SC 1 .
  • FIG. 1D illustrates a state in which the pairing of the main controller MC 1 and the sub-controller SC 1 is complete.
  • main controller MC 1 corresponds to the “first operation unit” of the present invention
  • the operation information transmitted by the “pressing of L button” corresponds to the “predetermined operation information” of the present invention and the display of the “prompt screen” corresponds to the presentation performed by the “first presentation unit” of the present invention.
  • the selection of the “main controller MC 1 ”, i.e. “predetermined type of operation unit”, as the “first operation unit” corresponds to the “selection condition” of the present invention.
  • the display of the “prompt screen” corresponds to the presentation performed by the “second presentation unit” of the present invention. It should be noted that in this case as well, the system may be adapted to wait for the pressing of the L button of the sub-controller.
  • this action game can be played simultaneously by two or more users.
  • two main controllers and two sub-controllers will be connected to the gaming apparatus.
  • different sub-controllers need to be paired up with the respective main controllers used by the users. Since a total of seven controllers can be connected to the gaming apparatus in the present embodiment, pairing can be performed in three groups in order for three users to play simultaneously. It should be noted that the number of the controllers connected to the gaming apparatus is not limited to seven and, in addition, pairing is not limited to three groups. Examples of processing performed by the gaming apparatus for pairing purposes (hereinafter referred to as “pairing processing”) are discussed below. In addition, the specific pairing procedures used when pairing processing is carried out in various states are also discussed below.
  • FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of the gaming apparatus of the present embodiment.
  • a gaming apparatus 1 includes a main body 11 and controllers 12 a and 12 b .
  • the controllers 12 a and 12 b are connected to the main body 11 through short-range wireless communication. Note that although FIG. 2 shows a state in which one controller 12 a and one controller 12 b are connected, more than one of each can be connected.
  • a monitor 13 is connected to the main body 11 via a dedicated cable.
  • a disc 14 having a game program and game data recorded thereon can be mounted in the main body 11 .
  • a memory card 15 for storing game data when necessary can be mounted in the main body 11 .
  • the main body 11 includes a control unit 111 , a rendering processing unit 112 , an audio processing unit 113 , a disc drive unit 114 , a memory card connection unit 115 , an I/O interface unit 116 , a communication processing unit 117 , and a signal transmission/reception unit 118 .
  • the rendering processing unit 112 , the audio processing unit 113 , the I/O interface unit 116 , and the communication processing unit 117 are connected to the control unit 111 .
  • the disc drive unit 114 , the memory card connection unit 115 , the signal transmission/reception unit 118 , and the monitor 13 are connected to the I/O interface unit 116 .
  • a disc 14 having the above-described action game software recorded thereon is mounted in the disc drive unit 114 of the gaming apparatus 1 .
  • the game program and game data on the disc 14 are read to a RAM 111 c (described later) in the control unit 111 by the disc drive unit 114 .
  • the user can enjoy the game content as the game program is executed by a CPU 111 a (described later).
  • the user can control the player character and progress through the game by operating the controllers 12 a and 12 b (described later).
  • the game data on the disc 14 includes character data for a player character, an enemy character, and the like, image data for characters, backgrounds, and the like, audio data for sound effects and the like, various types of tables that are referenced as the game progress and when rendering is performed, and the like.
  • the control unit 111 has a microcomputer that performs overall control of the operations of the main body 11 .
  • the microcomputer is constituted from the CPU 111 a , a ROM 111 b , the RAM 111 c , and the like. These constituent elements are connected to each other by a bus line.
  • the CPU 111 a performs overall control of game progression by executing the game program that was read to the RAM 111 c . More specifically, when operation signals corresponding to operations performed by the user are input from the controllers 12 a and 12 b via the signal transmission/reception unit 118 , the CPU 111 a performs predetermined game progression processing on those operation signals in accordance with the game program. Based on the results of that processing, the CPU 111 a displays two-dimensional images (referred to hereinafter as “game images”) that represent a three-dimensional space, for example, on the display screen of the monitor 13 . Based on the processing results, the CPU 111 a also outputs audio such as sound effects to speakers 13 a (described later) of the monitor 13 .
  • game images two-dimensional images
  • the CPU 111 a when the controller 12 a or the controller 12 b is started up for the first time, the CPU 111 a performs authentication processing on the controller and authenticates it as a connection partner. A specific description of this authentication processing will not be given since it is ordinary authentication processing in Bluetooth (registered trademark) technology.
  • the CPU 111 a also performs pairing processing, which is processing for associating the controller 12 a and the controller 12 b with each other. Details of the pairing processing will be discussed later.
  • the ROM 111 b stores a basic program for causing the gaming apparatus 1 to perform basic functions.
  • the basic program includes a program for a disc loading function, which is for reading out the game program and the game data recorded on the disc 14 , for example.
  • the CPU 111 a causes the disc drive unit 114 to operate in accordance with the basic program in the ROM 111 b so as to read the game program and the game data from the disc 14 to the RAM 111 c , and sets the gaming apparatus 1 to the game start state.
  • the RAM 111 c provides an area for the storage of the game program and the game data that are read from the disc 14 , and a work area for the CPU 111 a to execute the game program.
  • the game program is configured by a combination of multiple programs such as a game progression program and a graphic control program.
  • the game progression program is a program for controlling actions performed by the player character PC displayed on the monitor 13 based on operation signals from the controllers 3 and 4 .
  • the graphic control program is a program for controlling game images that are to be displayed on the monitor 13 .
  • the RAM 111 c stores a later-described controller assignment table (see FIG. 5 ).
  • the CPU 111 a Based on operation signals from the controllers 12 a and 12 b , the CPU 111 a reads the game program, image data, and the like from the disc 14 to the RAM 111 c as necessary. The CPU 111 a determines the content of the game images to be displayed on the monitor 13 by performing processing on such data and executing the game program.
  • the rendering processing unit 112 performs various types of computation processing that is necessary for rendering processing.
  • the CPU 111 a outputs a rendering instruction to the rendering processing unit 112 every 1/60 sec, for example.
  • the CPU 111 a determines an image to be displayed on the monitor 13 , reads out image data (polygon data for objects such as characters, and background data) that is necessary for rendering the image, light source data, and the like from the RAM 111 c , and supplies the readout data to the rendering processing unit 112 .
  • the CPU 111 a also supplies the rendering processing unit 112 with position data for each character and operation signals input from the controllers 12 a and 12 b.
  • the rendering processing unit 112 computes data necessary for rendering (data regarding the positional relationship between objects and the background, the coordinates of polygons that configure the objects on the screen of the monitor 13 , textures corresponding to the polygons, reflection characteristics of the polygons, and the like), and creates display screen image data corresponding to one frame in a video RAM (not shown) in the rendering processing unit 112 based on the result of the computation.
  • the display screen image data is displayed by being output to the monitor 13 as a video signal every 1/60 sec, for example.
  • the audio processing unit 113 performs various types of computation processing that is necessary for processing for generating audio such as sound effects.
  • the CPU 111 a determines sound effects or the acoustic content of background music that is to be output from the speakers 13 a of the monitor 13 , and outputs an audio instruction to the audio processing unit 113 .
  • the audio processing unit 113 reads out a sound effect or background music audio data from the RAM 111 c based on the audio instruction.
  • the audio processing unit 113 then subjects the audio data to predetermined manipulation processing and digital/analog conversion processing, and then outputs the resulting data to the speakers 13 a.
  • the disc drive unit 114 Based on a loading instruction (readout instruction designating the game program and game data that are to be loaded) from the CPU 111 a , the disc drive unit 114 reads out the game program and game data that are recorded on the disc 14 .
  • the memory card connection unit 115 is a unit by which information regarding game progression is written to and read out from the memory card 15 .
  • information regarding the game progression that is recorded in the work area of the RAM 111 c (this information includes, for example, information regarding the types of game characters that were set by the user and various types of awards such as acquired points and items) is recorded to the memory card 15 by the CPU 111 a via the memory card connection unit 115 .
  • Information regarding game progression that is recorded in the memory card 15 is also recorded to the RAM 111 c by the CPU 111 a before the game starts.
  • the I/O interface unit 116 transfers, to the control unit 111 , the game program and game data that were read out by the disc drive unit 114 or the memory card connection unit 115 and operation signals from the controllers 3 and 4 that were received by the signal transmission/reception unit 118 .
  • the I/O interface unit 116 also transfers video signals, audio signals, and the like from the control unit 111 , the rendering processing unit 112 , and the audio processing unit 113 to the monitor 13 .
  • the communication processing unit 117 performs control for transmitting and receiving data in the case where the gaming apparatus 1 performs communication with another gaming apparatus 1 via a network line 2 . Specifically, the communication processing unit 117 transmits, to the other gaming apparatus 1 via the network line 2 , operation signals that have been input from the controllers 12 a and 12 b and signals that have been output from the CPU 111 a . The communication processing unit 117 also receives signals transmitted from the other gaming apparatus 1 via the network line 2 , and inputs them to the CPU 111 a.
  • the signal transmission/reception unit 118 receives signals that have been transmitted from the controllers 12 a and 12 b by short-range wireless communication.
  • the signals from the controllers 12 a and 12 b include operation information regarding operation buttons that the controllers 12 a and 12 b are provided with, as well as data detected by various sensors 122 (described later) that the controller 12 a is provided with.
  • the CPU 111 a causes the game to progress using these signals transmitted from the controllers 12 a and 12 b .
  • the signal transmission/reception unit 118 also transmits various types of signals (e.g., a signal for transmitting a controller number (described later)) to the controllers 12 a and 12 b.
  • the monitor 13 is an apparatus for displaying game images that show the state of game progression according to video signals sent from the main body 11 , and outputting audio such as sound effects from the speakers 13 a according to audio signals sent from the main body 11 .
  • the monitor 13 is configured by a television receiver or the like that includes external input terminals for receiving video signals and audio signals.
  • the disc 14 is an optical disc such as a DVD-ROM or a CD-ROM.
  • the game program, various types of data necessary for executing the game program, and image data are recorded on the disc 14 .
  • the memory card 15 is a data-rewritable nonvolatile recording medium such as a flash memory. Information recorded in the work area of the RAM 111 c disappears when the power of the main body 11 of the gaming apparatus is turned off. Accordingly, information regarding game progression that is to be preserved instead of being allowed to disappear is recorded in the memory card 15 by the CPU 111 a.
  • the gaming apparatus 1 can connect to the network line 2 (Internet line or the like) via a network adapter 16 .
  • a game (so-called “online game”) can be played between multiple gaming apparatuses 1 via the network line 2 .
  • online game a game played using only one gaming apparatus is described in the present embodiment, the present invention can also be applied to such online games.
  • the controllers 12 a and 12 b are operated by the user in order to cause the player character to perform actions, and to make various types of game-related settings.
  • operation signals are transferred from the controllers 12 a and 12 b to the control unit 111 , and the player character displayed on the monitor 13 performs predetermined actions.
  • the predetermined actions include movement actions such as running, crouching, and jumping, and attack actions for attacking an opponent using a weapon.
  • the controller 12 a is mainly used for operations for using weapons that the player character has.
  • the controller 12 b is mainly used for operations for moving the player character to another location.
  • the controller 12 a corresponds to the above-described main controller, and the controller 12 b corresponds to the above-described sub-controller.
  • FIGS. 3A and 3B are diagrams for describing the controllers 12 a and 12 b .
  • FIG. 3A shows the controller 12 a (referred to as the “main controller 12 a ” below), and FIG. 3B shows the controller 12 b (referred to as the “sub-controller 12 b ” below).
  • the main controller 12 a includes a power button 12 a 1 , operation buttons 12 a 2 , and a light emitting unit 12 a 3 . Also, although not shown, various sensors are included in the main controller 12 a .
  • the power button 12 a 1 is a button for switching the power of the main controller 12 a between the on state and the off state each time it is pressed, and thus starts and stops the main controller 12 a . In the present embodiment, later-described pairing processing is started when the main controller 12 a is activated by pressing the power button 12 a 1 .
  • the operation buttons 12 a 2 are for displaying a firing sight on the game screen, causing the player character to fire, and opening a menu and a map.
  • the light emitting unit 12 a 3 is a member for emitting light in a predetermined case.
  • the light emitting unit 12 a 3 is used for detecting the position and the like of the main controller 12 a by being captured by a camera (not shown) included in the gaming apparatus 1 .
  • Various sensors detect the rotation and tilt of the main controller 12 a .
  • This detected information is operation input for identifying the tilt and orientation of the main controller 12 a .
  • the user can move the sight displayed on the game screen by tilting and moving the main controller 12 a.
  • the sub-controller 12 b is provided with a power button 12 b 1 and operation buttons 12 b 2 and the like.
  • the power button 12 b 1 is a button used for switching the sub-controller 12 b between a power-on and a power-off state whenever the button is pressed, thereby activating and deactivating the sub-controller 12 b .
  • pairing may sometimes occur when the power button 12 b 1 is pressed and the sub-controller 12 b is activated.
  • the operation buttons and the like 12 b 2 are used for operations for moving the player character to another location, and the like.
  • the L stick 12 b 3 is included among the operation buttons and the like 12 b 2 .
  • the L stick 12 b 3 is a stick used to control the movement of the player character and the like. By tilting the L stick 12 b 3 , the user can move the player character in the game space in a direction that corresponds to the direction of the tilt. In addition, the L stick 12 b 3 can be pressed, in which case it operates as an operation button. When operated as an operation button, the L stick 12 b 3 is referred to as the “L button” and the action of pressing the L stick 12 b 3 is referred to as “pressing the L button”. In the course of pairing processing in the present embodiment, such pressing of the L button is used for selecting the sub-controller 12 b to be paired.
  • FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of the main controller 12 a .
  • the main controller 12 a includes a control unit 121 , various sensors 122 , an operation unit 123 , and a signal transmission/reception unit 124 .
  • An I/O interface unit 125 is connected to the control unit 121 .
  • the various sensors 122 , the operation unit 123 , and the signal transmission/reception unit 124 are connected to the I/O interface unit 125 .
  • the control unit 121 has a microcomputer that performs overall control of the main controller 12 a .
  • the microcomputer is constituted from a CPU 121 a , a ROM 121 b , a RAM 121 c , and the like. These constituent elements are connected to each other by a bus line.
  • the CPU 121 a controls the main controller 12 a based on a control program stored in the ROM 121 b .
  • the RAM 121 c provides a work area for processing performed by the CPU 121 a .
  • the ROM 121 b stores the control program for controlling the main controller 12 a.
  • the various sensors 122 are for detecting rotation and tilting of the main controller 12 a , and include a gyrosensor, an acceleration sensor, and the like.
  • the operation unit 123 detects operations performed on the operation buttons 12 a 2 as operation signals.
  • the signal transmission/reception unit 124 transmits information detected by the various sensors 122 and operation signals detected by the operation unit 123 to the gaming apparatus 1 by short-range wireless communication.
  • the signal transmission/reception unit 124 also receives various types of signals that are transmitted from the gaming apparatus 1 .
  • controller assignment table for assigning controller numbers serving as identification information to the controllers that are connected to the main body 11 of the gaming apparatus.
  • FIG. 5 is a diagram for describing an example of the controller assignment table.
  • the controller assignment table is stored in the RAM 111 c .
  • the controller assignment table is rewritten when a controller is connected to the main body 11 of the gaming apparatus, when a controller is disconnected from the main body 11 of the gaming apparatus, and when controllers connected to the main body 11 of the gaming apparatus are paired.
  • Controller number indicates the number serving as identification information that is assigned to a controller connected to the main body 11 of the gaming apparatus. The controller number is assigned regardless of the type of controller.
  • Controller type is information indicating the types of the controllers that have been assigned the controller numbers.
  • the description “MC” is used when a controller is a main controller 12 a
  • the description “SC” is used when a controller is a sub-controller 12 b .
  • “Pairing number” indicates a number assigned in the case where controllers having the assigned controller numbers are paired, and the same number is assigned to paired controllers. In FIG. 5 , these numbers are assigned in the order of pairing. Note that in the present embodiment, one main controller 12 a and one sub-controller 12 b are paired with each other. Although not shown in FIG. 5 , information that enables identifying the order of connection is also recorded in the controller assignment table.
  • a controller number in the controller assignment table that has not been assigned to another controller is assigned to the connected controller.
  • the signal transmission/reception unit 118 receives a signal indicating that a controller has been powered on (a signal indicating that the power button was pressed while in the power off state, which is referred to hereinafter as the “connection signal”)
  • the CPU 111 a references the controller assignment table stored in the RAM 111 c and acquires an unused controller number.
  • the CPU 111 a sets the type of the connected controller in the “controller type” field corresponding to that controller number. Note that information indicating the type of controller is included in the connection signal that was received from the controller.
  • the CPU 111 a also transmits the acquired controller number to the connected controller via the signal transmission/reception unit 118 .
  • the CPU 121 a of the controller records the received controller number in the RAM 121 c .
  • the CPU 121 a transmits an operation signal, it attaches the controller number to the transmitted operation signal as identification information.
  • the CPU 121 a can use an identification number that has been assigned to the controller in advance, instead of using the controller number.
  • the CPU 111 a records the correspondence relationship between this identification number and the controller number of the controller assignment table in the RAM 111 c .
  • the CPU 121 a transmits an operation signal, it attaches the identification number to the transmitted operation signal.
  • the main controller 12 a that has been assigned the controller number “0” and the sub-controller 12 b that has been assigned the controller number “4” have been paired and assigned the pairing number “1”
  • the main controller 12 a that has been assigned the controller number “2” and the sub-controller 12 b that has been assigned the controller number “5” have been paired and assigned the pairing number “2”.
  • the sub-controller 12 b that has been assigned the controller number “6” is not paired.
  • the controller numbers “1” and “3” are unused.
  • each player character is associated with a pairing number that has been assigned in the controller assignment table.
  • a player character PC 1 is associated with the pairing number “1”
  • a player character PC 2 is associated with the pairing number “2”.
  • the player character PC 1 is controlled with the main controller 12 a that has been assigned the controller number “0” and the sub-controller 12 b that has been assigned the controller number “4”
  • the player character PC 2 is controlled with the main controller 12 a that has been assigned the controller number “2” and the sub-controller 12 b that has been assigned the controller number “5”.
  • the association between the pairing numbers and the player characters is not limited to this.
  • the CPU 111 a Upon receiving an operation signal from a controller, the CPU 111 a recognizes which player character is to be controlled by the operation signal based on the controller number attached to the operation signal and the controller assignment table. For example, in the case of the above-described example, if the controller number attached to the operation signal is “5”, the CPU 111 a recognizes that the operation signal was input from the sub-controller 12 b in order to control the player character PC 2 . The CPU 111 a can also recognize the connection state and pairing state of each controller by referencing the controller assignment table.
  • FIG. 6 is a flowchart for describing pairing processing performed by the CPU 111 a of the gaming apparatus 1 .
  • the pairing processing is started when the main controller 12 a is connected to the main body 11 and becomes capable of communication therewith. Specifically, the pairing processing is started after the signal transmission/reception unit 118 has received a connection signal transmitted from the signal transmission/reception unit 124 of the main controller 12 a and input the connection signal to the CPU 111 a , and the CPU 111 a has assigned a controller number to that main controller 12 a.
  • step S 1 it is determined whether the main controllers (abbreviated as “MC” in the flowchart shown in FIG. 6 and the description of this flowchart) in the powered-on (connected) state include an unpaired MC (step S 1 ).
  • This determination is performed by referencing the controller assignment table (see FIG. 5 ).
  • the CPU 111 a searches the controller assignment table in the order of the controller numbers, and determines whether there is a controller number for which “MC” is described in the corresponding “controller type” field and there is no setting in the “pairing number” field. Note that subsequent determinations are also performed by the CPU 111 a referencing the controller assignment table, and detailed description thereof will not be given.
  • step S 2 the MC that was connected first among the powered-on unpaired MCs is designated as the searching MC.
  • the searching MC is an MC that is searching for a sub-controller (abbreviated as “SC” in the flowchart shown in FIG. 6 and the description of this flowchart) to be associated with in the pairing processing.
  • SC sub-controller
  • the pairing processing is processing for determining an SC that is to be associated with the searching MC. Note that instead of designating the MC that was connected first as the searching MC, the MC that became capable of communication first may be designated as the searching MC, or the MC having the lowest (or highest) controller number may be designated as the searching MC.
  • step S 3 a determination is made as to whether or not there is only one unpaired powered-on SC. If there is only one such SC (step S 3 : YES), that SC is paired with the searching MC (step S 4 ).
  • a pairing number is configured in the “pairing number” field of the controller assignment table that corresponds to the controller number of that SC and the controller number of the searching MC.
  • step S 5 a determination is made as to whether or not the prompt screen has been displayed (step S 5 ). If it has not been displayed (step S 5 : NO), the procedure returns to step S 1 , and if it has been displayed (step S 5 : YES), then, once the display is over (step S 6 ), the procedure returns to step S 1 .
  • step S 3 if there is not only one unpaired powered-on (step S 3 : NO), namely, if there are two or more unpaired powered-on SCs or if there are none, a determination is made as to whether or not there are paired controllers (step S 7 ).
  • the processing of steps S 7 to S 12 is carried out in order to determine which SC is to be paired in the former case and in order to activate the SC that is to be paired in the latter case.
  • step S 7 if there are no paired controllers (step S 7 : NO), the procedure advances to step S 8 .
  • step S 7 : YES a determination is made as to whether or not any of the operation buttons of an unpaired MC have been pressed (step S 11 ). If any of the operation buttons of an unpaired MC have been pressed (step S 11 : YES), that MC is designated as the searching MC (step S 12 ) and the procedure advances to step S 8 . At such time, if there are multiple unpaired MCs, the MC for which any operation button has been pressed is designated as the searching MC. It should be noted that a predetermined operation button may be used instead of any operation button in step S 11 .
  • step S 11 if none of the operation buttons of an unpaired MC have been pressed (step S 11 : NO), the procedure returns to step S 3 . Specifically, steps S 3 , S 7 , and S 11 are repeated until it is determined that there is only one unpaired powered-on SC (step S 3 : YES), that there are no paired controllers (step S 7 : NO), or any of the operation buttons of an unpaired MC have been pressed (step S 11 : YES).
  • a prompt screen is displayed (step S 8 ).
  • the message “Press the L button of the sub-controller you would like to pair with the main controller” is displayed on the screen of the monitor 13 .
  • an image or animation, in which the L button of the sub-controller is pressed can be displayed instead of, or in addition to, the above-described message containing such text.
  • the method used for prompting the user for an operation is not limited to a display on the screen of the monitor 13 .
  • a prompt may be provided by voice through the speakers 13 a of the monitor 13 , or using both a screen display and voice guidance.
  • the screen display may be accompanied by a sound effect in order to attract the attention of the user.
  • the main controller or sub-controller is provided with vibration, light-emitting, or audio output capabilities, they can be utilized to prompt the user for an operation.
  • step S 9 a determination is made as to whether or not there is only one unpaired powered-on SC. If there is only one such SC (step S 9 : YES), the procedure advances to step S 4 and that SC is paired with the searching MC (step S 4 ). On the other hand, if there is not only one such SC (step S 9 : NO), that is to say, if there are two or more unpaired powered-on SCs or if there are none, a determination is made as to whether or not the L button of any of the SCs has been pressed (step S 10 ). If the L button of any of the SCs has been pressed (step S 10 : YES), the procedure advances to step S 4 and that SC is paired with the searching MC (step S 4 ).
  • step S 10 if none of the SCs has had its L button pressed (step S 10 : NO), the procedure returns to step S 9 . Specifically, if there are two or more unpaired powered-on SCs, steps S 9 and S 10 are repeated until the L button of any of the SCs is pressed (step S 10 : YES) or until one or more SCs are powered off and there is only one unpaired powered-on (step S 9 : YES). In addition, if there are no unpaired powered-on SCs, steps S 9 and S 10 are repeated until any of the SCs is turned ON (step S 9 : YES).
  • pairing processing is not limited thereto. It is sufficient to configure processing to be carried out in accordance with pairing conditions.
  • FIG. 7 illustrates an example of a situation in which all of the sub-controllers are in a powered-off state and the main controller MC 1 has been activated.
  • the term “main controller” is abbreviated as “MC 1 ” for example, and in addition, the term “sub-controller” is abbreviated as “SC 1 ”.
  • SC 1 the term “SC 1 ”. It should be noted that if a pattern is provided around the power button 12 a 1 (or 12 b 1 ) as illustrated in FIG. 7 , it shows that the power button 12 a 1 (or 12 b 1 ) has been pressed and that main controller (or sub-controller) has been activated. The same applies to FIGS. 8 to 14 below.
  • step S 1 YES in FIG. 6
  • step S 2 the MC 1 that was activated first is designated as the searching MC
  • step S 3 the MC 1 that was activated first is designated as the searching MC
  • step S 7 the prompt screen is displayed (step S 8 in FIG. 6 ).
  • step S 9 YES in FIG. 6
  • SC 1 unpaired powered-on SC
  • FIG. 7 corresponds to a situation in which none of the sub-controllers have been activated in the previously described FIG. 1A .
  • FIG. 8 illustrates an example of a situation in which the sub-controller SC 1 is in a powered-on state and the main controller MC 1 has been activated.
  • step S 1 When MC 1 is activated, pairing processing is started and MC 1 is designated as the searching MC (steps S 1 : YES and S 2 in FIG. 6 ).
  • step S 3 since there is only one unpaired powered-on SC (SC 1 ) (step S 3 : YES in FIG. 6 ), that SC 1 is paired with MC 1 , which is the searching MC, without displaying the prompt screen (step S 4 in FIG. 6 ).
  • step S 5 NO in FIG. 6
  • step S 1 NO in FIG. 6
  • pairing processing is terminated.
  • FIG. 8 corresponds to a situation in which only the sub-controller SC 1 is activated in the previously described FIG. 1A .
  • FIG. 9 illustrates an example of a situation in which the sub-controllers SC 1 and SC 2 are in a powered-on state and the main controller MC 1 has been activated. It should be noted that if a pattern is provided around the L button 12 b 3 of the sub-controller as shown in FIG. 9 , this indicates that the L button 12 b 3 has been pressed. The same applies to FIGS. 10 to 14 below.
  • step S 1 When MC 1 is activated, pairing processing is started and MC 1 is designated as the searching MC (steps S 1 : YES and S 2 in FIG. 6 ).
  • step S 3 since there are two unpaired powered-on SCs (SC 1 and SC 2 ) (step S 3 : NO in FIG. 6 ) and there are no paired controllers (step S 7 : NO in FIG. 6 ), the prompt screen is displayed (step S 8 in FIG. 6 ). If the user looking at the prompt screen presses the L button of SC 1 (step S 10 : YES in FIG. 6 ), that SC 1 is paired with MC 1 , which is the searching MC (step S 4 in FIG. 6 ).
  • pairing conditions may be set to ensure pairing of the previously connected sub-controller SC and MC 1 , which is the searching MC.
  • FIG. 10 illustrates an example of a situation in which the main controller MC 1 has been paired with the sub-controller SC 1 and the main controller MC 2 has been activated. It should be noted that if a pattern is provided around the operation buttons 12 a 2 of the main controller as shown in FIG. 10 , this indicates that any one of the operation buttons 12 a 2 has been pressed. The same applies to FIGS. 12 to 14 below.
  • step S 1 When MC 2 is activated, pairing processing is started and MC 2 is designated as the searching MC (steps S 1 : YES and S 2 in FIG. 6 ).
  • step S 3 since there are no unpaired powered-on SCs (step S 3 : NO in FIG. 6 ) and there are paired controllers (MC 1 and SC 1 ) (step S 7 : YES in FIG. 6 ), steps S 3 , S 7 , and S 11 in FIG. 6 are repeated until any of the operation buttons of the unpaired MC (MC 2 ) are pressed.
  • step S 11 If the user presses any of the operation buttons 12 a 2 of MC 2 (step S 11 : YES in FIG. 6 ), MC 2 is designated as the searching MC (step S 12 in FIG. 6 ) and the prompt screen is displayed (step S 8 in FIG. 6 ). In this case, it is conceivable for the user looking at the prompt screen to activate SC 2 again, or to press the L button of the paired SC 1 .
  • step S 9 YES in FIG. 6
  • SC 2 is paired with MC 2 , which is the searching MC
  • step S 4 is the searching MC
  • step S 10 YES in FIG. 6
  • SC 1 is paired with MC 2 , which is the searching MC
  • step S 4 in FIG. 6 the display of the prompt screen is terminated
  • step S 5 YES and S 6 in FIG. 6
  • the pairing of MC 1 with SC 1 is deactivated, and there is a powered-on unpaired MC (MC 1 ) (step S 1 : YES in FIG. 6 ), and therefore MC 1 is designated as a searching MC (step S 2 in FIG. 6 ) and pairing processing continues.
  • MC 1 powered-on unpaired MC
  • processing in a state is carried out in a state in which MC 2 and SC 1 are paired up and MC 1 has been activated (steps S 3 , S 7 , and S 11 in FIG. 6 are repeated).
  • step S 8 the prompt screen is displayed (step S 8 ) in the case of NO in step S 3 .
  • the user if the user is not in possession of SC 2 , it would be impossible to escape the repetition of the prompt screen display and the pressing of the L button of SC 1 unless either MC 1 or MC 2 is turned off.
  • the user did not know that MC 1 or MC 2 was in a powered-on state (for example, if MC 2 was activated without noticing that MC 1 has been paired with SC 1 ), it would be impossible to get out of this repetition in this case as well.
  • the prompt screen is displayed (step S 8 ) on the condition that any of the operation buttons 12 a 2 of an unpaired MC were pressed (steps S 7 : YES and S 11 : YES in FIG. 6 ). It should be noted that a configuration is possible in which the determinations of steps S 7 and S 11 are not provided, and the prompt screen is displayed (step S 8 ) in the case of NO in step S 3 .
  • FIG. 11 illustrates an exemplary situation in which the main controller MC 1 has been paired up with the sub-controller SC 1 , the sub-controller SC 2 is in a powered-on state, and the main controller MC 2 has been activated.
  • step S 1 When MC 2 is activated, pairing processing is started and MC 2 is designated as the searching MC (steps S 1 : YES and S 2 in FIG. 6 ).
  • step S 3 since there is only one unpaired powered-on SC (SC 2 ) (step S 3 : YES in FIG. 6 ), that SC 2 is paired with MC 2 , which is the searching MC, without displaying the prompt screen (step S 4 in FIG. 6 ).
  • step S 5 NO in FIG. 6
  • step S 1 NO in FIG. 6
  • FIG. 12 illustrates an exemplary situation in which the main controller MC 1 has been paired up with the sub-controller SC 1 , the sub-controllers SC 2 and SC 3 are a powered-on state, and the main controller MC 2 has been activated.
  • step S 1 When MC 2 is activated, pairing processing is started and MC 2 is designated as the searching MC (steps S 1 : YES and S 2 in FIG. 6 ).
  • step S 3 since there are two unpaired powered-on SCs (SC 2 and SC 3 ) (step S 3 : NO in FIG. 6 ), and there are paired controllers (MC 1 and SC 1 ) (step S 7 : YES in FIG. 6 ), steps S 3 , S 7 , and S 11 in FIG. 6 are repeated until any of the operation buttons of the unpaired MC (MC 2 ) are pressed. If the user presses any of the operation buttons of MC 2 (step S 11 : YES in FIG. 6 ), MC 2 is designated as the searching MC (step S 12 in FIG.
  • step S 8 the prompt screen is displayed (step S 8 in FIG. 6 ).
  • step S 10 YES in FIG. 6
  • SC 2 is paired with MC 2 , which is the searching MC (step S 4 in FIG. 6 ).
  • step S 5 the display of the prompt screen is terminated, and pairing processing is terminated (step S 5 : YES, step S 6 , step S 1 : NO in FIG. 6 ).
  • FIG. 13 illustrates an exemplary situation in which the main controllers MC 1 and MC 2 and the sub-controllers SC 1 and SC 2 are in a powered-on state.
  • steps S 9 and S 10 continue to be repeated even when MC 2 becomes powered-on. If the user presses the L button of SC 1 (step S 10 : YES in FIG. 6 ), that SC 1 is paired with MC 1 , which is the searching MC (step S 4 in FIG. 6 ), and the display of the prompt screen is terminated (steps S 5 : YES and S 6 in FIG. 6 ). In this case, there is a powered-on unpaired MC (MC 2 ) (step S 1 : YES in FIG.
  • step S 2 MC 2 is designated as the searching MC (step S 2 in FIG. 6 ).
  • step S 3 YES in FIG. 6
  • SC 2 is paired with MC 2 , which is the searching MC, without displaying the prompt screen
  • step S 4 in FIG. 6 the pairing processing is terminated (steps S 5 : NO and S 1 : NO in FIG. 6 ).
  • step S 4 SC 1 and MC 1 are paired up
  • step S 4 SC 1 and MC 1 are paired up
  • MC 2 is designated as the searching MC (step S 2 in FIG. 6 ) and paired with the unpaired SC 2 (steps S 3 : YES and S 4 in FIG. 6 ), and then the pairing processing is terminated.
  • “selection of an operation unit . . . in order of earliest connection” and “being a predetermined type of operation unit” correspond to the “selection condition” of the present invention
  • the “main controller MC 1 ” corresponds to the “operation unit that was connected the earliest” and “predetermined type of operation unit”.
  • FIG. 14 illustrates an exemplary situation in which the main controllers MC 1 and MC 2 and the sub-controllers SC 1 , SC 2 , and SC 3 are in a powered-on state.
  • step S 9 and S 10 continue to be repeated even when MC 2 becomes powered-on. If the user presses the L button of SC 1 (step S 10 : YES in FIG. 6 ), that SC 1 is paired with MC 1 , which is the searching MC (step S 4 in FIG. 6 ), and the display of the prompt screen is terminated (steps S 5 : YES and S 6 in FIG. 6 ). In this case, there is a powered-on unpaired MC (MC 2 ) (step S 1 : YES in FIG.
  • step S 2 MC 2 is designated as the searching MC (step S 2 in FIG. 6 ).
  • step S 3 NO in FIG. 6
  • step S 7 paired controllers
  • steps S 3 , S 7 , and S 11 in FIG. 6 are repeated until any of the operation buttons of the unpaired MC (MC 2 ) are pressed. If the user presses any of the operation buttons of MC 2 (step S 11 : YES in FIG. 6 ), MC 2 is designated as the searching MC (step S 12 in FIG. 6 ), and the prompt screen is displayed (step S 8 in FIG.
  • SC 1 , SC 2 , and SC 3 are not simultaneous (e.g., SC 1 is activated first) while MC 1 and MC 2 are active, there will be only one powered-on unpaired SC (SC 1 ) (step S 9 : YES in FIG. 6 ), and therefore SC 1 and MC 1 are paired up (step S 4 in FIG. 6 ). Subsequently, MC 2 is designated as the searching MC (step S 2 in FIG.
  • step S 3 N 0 , S 7 : YES, S 11 : YES, S 12 , S 8 , S 9 : N 0 , S 10 : YES, and S 4 in FIG. 6
  • step S 5 YES, S 6 , S 1 : NO in FIG. 6
  • a message (prompt screen) is displayed to prompt the user to press the L button of the sub-controller that is to paired with that main controller. If the user looking at the prompt screen presses the L button of a sub-controller, that sub-controller and the main controller are paired up. Accordingly, pairing can be performed as desired by the user without the main controller and the sub-controller being directly connected to each other with a cable or the like.
  • the present invention is applicable when performing with other controllers, as long as they are controllers that are connected to a gaming apparatus.
  • the present invention is also applicable to the case where paired controllers are furthermore paired with another controller (e.g., the case of associating three or more controllers with each other).
  • the controllers that are paired up may be the same type of controller.
  • one sub-controller may be paired with another sub-controller.
  • pairing between one type of main controller and one type of sub-controller is described in the above embodiment, there is no limitation to this. This present invention is also applicable to the case where there are multiple types of main controllers or sub-controller, or both.
  • the target of control is not limited to being one character.
  • the present invention is also applicable to the case of controlling a group made up of multiple characters, and the case where multiple controllers that each control one character are associated with each other, and the user controls multiple characters by operating the associated controllers.
  • pairing processing may be performed when a game is in progress.
  • pairing processing may be performed in the case where a sub-controller is powered-off when a game is in progress (e.g., the case where the user mistakenly pressed the power button, or the case where the battery of a sub-controller has run out).
  • the pairing partner of the main controller MC 1 is the sub-controller on which a predetermined operation (the pressing of the L button) was performed (see FIGS. 1A to 1D ), but there is no limitation to this.
  • the pairing partner of the main controller MC 1 may be whichever of the two sub-controllers SC 1 and SC 2 has the lower (or higher) controller number, or may be a randomly selected one of the two sub-controllers SC 1 and SC 2 .
  • it is not necessarily necessary to display the prompt screen see FIG. 1B ). For example, if the user knows the procedure for performing pairing, there is no need to display the prompt screen since the user is aware of the need to perform a predetermined operation (the pressing of the L button) on the sub-controller that is to be paired.
  • the present invention is also applicable to games in various genres, such as RPGs (role playing games), shooting games, fighting games, and adventure games.
  • RPGs role playing games
  • the present invention is also applicable to games in which a team of characters controlled by multiple users or characters controlled by the CPU cooperate to fight an enemy character, and games in which the enemy character is a character controlled by another user.
  • the present invention is also applicable to the case of pairing operation units other than controllers.
  • the present invention is also applicable to cases where, for example, one computer is operated by multiple users using respective keyboards, or pairing is performed between a keyboard and a mouse used by each user.
  • the computer and recording medium of the present invention are not limited to the embodiments described above.
  • the specific configurations of the computer and recording medium of the present invention can be designed and modified in various ways.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Multimedia (AREA)
  • Human Computer Interaction (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
  • User Interface Of Digital Computer (AREA)
  • Stored Programmes (AREA)
  • Debugging And Monitoring (AREA)
US13/576,521 2010-02-04 2011-02-02 Computer and recording medium Abandoned US20120295712A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

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JP2010022687 2010-02-04
JP2010-022687 2010-02-04
PCT/JP2011/052126 WO2011096423A1 (fr) 2010-02-04 2011-02-02 Ordinateur et support d'enregistrement

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US20120295712A1 true US20120295712A1 (en) 2012-11-22

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US (1) US20120295712A1 (fr)
EP (1) EP2533132A4 (fr)
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WO (1) WO2011096423A1 (fr)

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AU2013333214B2 (en) 2012-10-15 2016-01-07 Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. Control device
JP6633825B2 (ja) * 2014-06-05 2020-01-22 任天堂株式会社 情報処理システム、情報処理装置、情報処理プログラム、および情報処理方法
JP6741266B2 (ja) * 2015-08-24 2020-08-19 長田電機工業株式会社 歯科用治療機器とその操作方法
JP6734761B2 (ja) 2016-11-07 2020-08-05 任天堂株式会社 情報処理システム、情報処理装置、情報処理装置の制御方法および情報処理プログラム
JP2022052961A (ja) 2020-09-24 2022-04-05 カシオ計算機株式会社 投影システム

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WO2011096423A1 (fr) 2011-08-11
JPWO2011096423A1 (ja) 2013-06-10
EP2533132A1 (fr) 2012-12-12
EP2533132A4 (fr) 2013-12-04

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