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U.S. Patent No. 8,858,328: Storage medium having game program stored therein, hand-held game apparatus, game system, and game method

posted 7/09/2019 10:00:00 AM by Patent Arcade Staff

U.S. Patent No. 8,858,328: Storage medium having game program stored therein, hand-held game apparatus, game system, and game method

Issued October 14, 2014, to Nintendo Co., Ltd.

Priority Date June 2, 2010

Summary:

U.S. Patent No. 8,858,328 (the '328 Patent) describes a game that uses real pictures as the basis for the puzzle. Using the Nintendo DSi, the player takes a picture that the system converts into the puzzle. The system divides the image into sections assigning each section a number. The numbers corresponded to the sections' original location. Once the system determines the starting points, it shuffles the sections. The player must rearrange the picture sections to their original position to complete the puzzle. Players can adjust the difficulty by increasing the number of sections.

Abstract:

An information processing section of a game apparatus executes a program including: a step of setting a puzzle area to be cut from an image taken by an outer camera; a step of setting the division number representing the number of portions into which the puzzle area is divided in accordance with a stage; a step of generating one-dimensional arrangement data representing a state in which puzzle pieces are positioned at random: a step of executing a game process by updating the one-dimensional arrangement data of the puzzle pieces which are selected based on a tilt of the game apparatus; and a step of switching, in accordance with the one-dimensional arrangement data, texture coordinate data of the puzzle pieces calculated based on a tilt of a virtual camera, and displaying an obtained image.

Illustrative Claim:

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein a game program executed by a computer of a hand-held game apparatus including an imaging device and a display device, the game program causing the computer to perform at least: sequentially acquiring taken-image data representing a plurality of taken-images which are taken by the imaging device; image dividing, into a plurality of small areas, an image of a predetermined area in a taken-image which is one of said plurality of taken-images represented by the acquired taken-image data; positioning, in the predetermined area, the plurality of small areas into which the image of the predetermined area is divided, so as to form an image different from the taken-image which is taken by the imaging device and is one of said plurality of taken-images; retaining a positioning state in which the plurality of small areas are positioned, by using, as an initial value, an obtained positioning state; image changing for sequentially changing, by using the taken-image data having been sequentially acquired, images to be displayed on the plurality of small areas, respectively, of which the positioning state is retained; display control for causing the display device to display images changed by the image changing; changing the positioning state of the plurality of small areas, which is retained, in accordance with an operation performed by a user viewing the images displayed by the display device; determining whether or not the positioning state of the plurality of small areas, which is changed, satisfies a predetermined condition; and a game process for performing a predetermined game process in accordance with a result of a determination of whether or not the positioning state of the plurality of small areas, which is changed, satisfies a predetermined condition.

Researched By: Andrew F. Thomas

U.S. Patent No. 8,882,590: Touch-controlled game character motion providing dynamically-positioned virtual control pad

posted 5/21/2019 10:00:00 AM by Patent Arcade Staff

U.S. Patent No. 8,882,590: Touch-controlled game character motion providing dynamically-positioned virtual control pad

Issue November 11, 2014, to Nintendo Co., Ltd.

Priority Date April 28, 2006

Summary:

U.S. Patent No. 8,882,590 (the '590 Patent) describes a method to control a game through touch controls. The '590 Patent relates to the Nintendo DS and its touch screen. On the DS, a player could move a game character by touching the bottom screen. If the player wanted the character to move to the right, he would first need to touch the screen then move his finger or the stylus to the right. At the first point of contact, the system divides the screen into multiple zones around that point of contact. Each zone indicates a direction, so when the player moves his finger to the right, the system moves the character to the right.

Abstract:
Methods and apparatus for controlling movement of a digital object displayed on a screen provide a virtual dynamic direction control pad based on zone detection and touch stroke direction to control customized animated character motion. A player wishing to move the digital object can use a stylus or other touch to indicate a first point on the screen. When the player first touches the stylus to the screen, the system analyzes the touch and divides the screen into multiple zones around the first point indicated by the player. To move the object, the player moves the stylus to a second point on the screen. Movement of the stylus to a second point within one of these zones causes the digital object to perform a predetermined action. Each zone has a predetermined associated action. Direct control of character motion by the game player is enhanced.

Illustrative Claim:

1. A method of controlling movement of a moveable digital object displayed on a touch screen that is coupled to at least one processor, the method comprising: displaying the moveable digital object on the touch screen; using a touch to the touch screen to select the moveable digital object and indicate a first touch point on the touch screen corresponding to the displayed digital object; automatically dynamically dividing, using the at least one processor, the screen into plural virtual zones that (1) are associated with the first touch point, and (2) emanate from a neighborhood determined in accordance with the selected moveable digital object; detecting a further touch to at least a second touch point on the touch screen different from the first point; determining, using the at least one processor, in which of said automatically divided plural virtual zones said second touch point is disposed within to thereby select one of said plural virtual zones; and controlling, using the at least one processor, the movable digital object to perform an action that moves the movable digital object based at least in part on said which of said determined virtual zones is selected by said second touch point.

Researched By: Andrew F. Thomas

U.S. Patent No. 8,764,563: Video Game superimposing virtual characters on user supplied phot used as game screen background

posted 10/23/2018 10:00:00 AM by Patent Arcade Staff

U.S. Patent No. 8,764,563: Video Game superimposing virtual characters on user supplied phot used as game screen background

Issued July 1, 2014, to Bandai Namco Entertainment, Inc.

Priority Date: March 24, 2009

Summary:

The Nintendo DSi was the fourth iteration of the Nintendo DS design. Unlike, previous models, the DSi featured two VGA (0.3-megapixel) digital cameras. One camera pointed toward the user while the second camera pointed away. The cameras allowed for augmented reality games to be played on the DSi and U.S. Patent No. 8,764,563 describes one such game.

Players use the DSi's cameras to take photographs of real objects. The picture appears on the bottom screen of the DSi while the game analyzes it for recognizable shapes or openings. If the photograph contained a house, the game would look for windows and doors. Based on the analysis, the game will cause characters to appear from those shapes or openings so that a ghost might appear from a window. The player taps on the characters to gain points.

Abstract:

A feature image area that has a similar feature (e.g., quadrangular outline) is extracted from an original two-dimensional image photographed by a player. When a game has started, the original two-dimensional image is displayed as the background of a game stage, and a target character 4 is caused to appear or disappear from the extracted feature image area at a random appearance frequency and a random appearance speed. When the player has touched the target character 4, points are added to the score of the player.

Illustrative Claim:

1. A method comprising: detecting an image area that satisfies a feature image area condition from a photographed image, the feature image area condition being a condition to detect an image area that has an outline of a given shape and satisfies a proper size condition; displaying the photographed image on a touch panel; selecting character type based on at least one of a color of the image area and a size of the image area; displaying a character of the selected character type on the photographed image in a manner such that the character appears to emerge from the image area; and incrementing a score linked to the character that has appeared from the image area when a user inputs a touch operation on the character, wherein the detecting, the selecting, the displaying the character, and the incrementing are performed by a hardware processor.

U.S. Patent No. 10,004,981: Input method and apparatus

posted 10/02/2018 10:00:00 AM by Patent Arcade Staff

U.S. Patent No. 10,004,981: Input method and apparatus

Issued June 26, 2018 to Nintendo Co. Ltd

Summary:

U.S. Patent No. 10,004,981 (the '981 Patent) describes a method for displaying a digital driving wheel on a touch screen which can control a car in driving games. The '981 Patent specifically relates to the Nintendo DS system and how to optimize the bottom, touch screen for driving games. The DS is a dual-screen handheld console. The top screen is a standard screen while the bottom screen had touch capabilities. Driving games could use the bottom screen to display a driving wheel. A player could choose to control their vehicle using this virtual driving wheel. The virtual driving wheel gave players more control over their car than the traditional D-pad control scheme.

Abstract:

A vehicle simulation such as for example a driving game can be provided by displaying an image of a steering wheel on a touch sensitive screen. Touch inputs are used to control the rotational orientation of displayed steering wheel. The rotational orientation of the displayed steering wheel is used to apply course correction effects to a simulated vehicle. Selective application of driver assist and different scaling of touch inputs may be provided.

Illustrative Claim:

1. A handheld device comprising: a housing shaped and dimensioned for being held by a hand; a touch sensitive screen disposed on the housing; a graphics processor operatively connected to the touch sensitive screen, the graphics processor generating display of a virtual object on the touch sensitive screen; and a processor operatively connected to the touch sensitive screen and to the graphics processor, the processor being responsive to input sensed by the touch sensitive screen to detect movements along a multiplicity of paths on the screen, the processor defining vectors in response to said detected touch movements and causing the orientation of the displayed virtual object to change in response to the defined vectors.

Researched By: Andrew F. Thomas

Nintendo sued by Hybrid Audio regarding MP3 Standards Patent

posted 3/28/2018 03:12:00 PM by Kirk Sigmon

On March 27, 2018, Hybrid Audio, LLC (“Hybrid Audio”) sued Nintendo of America Inc. and Nintendo Co., Ltd. (“Nintendo”) for alleged infringement of RE 40,281, a reissue of U.S. 6,252,909. The allegedly infringing products include the Nintendo Wii and the Nintendo DS. RE 40,281 generally relates to signal processing and is part of technology used for MP3 technology, and Hybrid Audio’s argument is that Nintendo infringes via practicing various parts of the MP3 technical standard (ISO/IEC 11172-3:1993).

As part of Hybrid Audio’s complaint, it notes that Nintendo may enter a Reasonable and Non-Discriminatory (“RAND”) agreement to license RE 40,281 as part of the MP3 Standards. Hybrid Audio also indicates that products supplied by Microsoft Corporation are not part of the allegedly infringing products, suggesting that Microsoft has possibly already entered into such an agreement.

RAND agreements, sometimes called FRAND agreements (for “Fair, Reasonable, and Non-Discriminatory”), are commonly used in patent pools. In industries where standards (e.g., audio standards like MP3 and cellular communications standards like 3G or LTE) are important, patent owners often collectively pool “standards-essential” patents and mutually agree to license those patents on FRAND/RAND terms. For patent owners, this can be a good deal: once their patents become standards-essential, users of the standard must license their patent, albeit on RAND/FRAND terms. For licensees, this can also be a good deal: because all patent owners must license their standards-essential patents on RAND/FRAND terms, they can usually acquire licenses to the standard fairly easily and with reasonable terms.

Strangely, Hybrid Audio's complaint specifically identifies the Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS as infringing products. The Nintendo Wii was launched in 2006, whereas the Nintendo DS was launched in 2004. 35 U.S.C. § 286 limits damages to six years prior to the filing of a complaint, meaning that Hybrid Audio's recovery will be limited to the period from 2012 to 2018. During that period, Nintendo was marketing different a next generation of game consoles (the Wii U and the 3DS), which are not referenced in Hybrid Audio's complaint. Potential damages related to sales of the Wii and DS are likely to be extremely small.

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