Inclination calculation apparatus and inclination calculation program, and game apparatus and game program

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a game program executable by a computer of a game apparatus for computing an inclination of a hand-held game input device operable in terms of a posture thereof and using a computed inclination as an operation input for a game, wherein the input device includes an acceleration sensor for acquiring acceleration information and imaging element for acquiring an image of one or more specific imaging targets, the game program causing the computer to:

• compute first inclination information representing an inclination of the input device from positions of two imaging targets in an image acquired by the imaging element;
• compute second inclination information representing an inclination of the input device based upon an acceleration sensed by the acceleration sensor;
• and
• compute an inclination of the input device using the first inclination information and the second inclination information.

An apparatus for calculating an inclination of a game apparatus hand-held input device operable in terms of a posture thereof and using the calculated inclination as an operation input for a game, wherein the input device includes an acceleration detector for detecting an acceleration and imaging element for acquiring an image of one or more specific imaging targets, the game apparatus comprising:

• an image information processor that computes first inclination information representing an inclination of the input device derived from coordinate position data of two imaging targets in an image acquired by the imaging element;
• an acceleration information processor that computes second inclination information representing an inclination of the input device from an acceleration detected by the acceleration detector;
• and
• a information processor that computes an inclination of the input device using the first inclination information and the second inclination information.

A wireless hand-held user interface device operable in terms of a posture thereof for providing input to a game apparatus, comprising:

• an acceleration sensor for acquiring acceleration data;
• an imaging element for acquiring an image of one or more specific imaging targets;
• an image processing circuit configured to detect high brightness areas within an acquired image as candidates for an imaging target, and to determine whether each detected high brightness area has a size within a predetermined size range which distinguishes an imaging target, and to associate image position coordinates with a high brightness area which falls within the predetermined size range;
• and
• a processor that encodes acceleration data and image coordinate data for wireless communication.

A wireless hand-held entertainment system user interface device operable in terms of a posture thereof, comprising:

• an acceleration sensor for acquiring acceleration data;
• a sensor for acquiring image data regarding one or more prospective imaging targets;
• an image processing circuit that assigns position coordinates, relative to an imaging area of said sensor, to one or more prospective imaging targets identified as an area of image data that meets predetermined characteristics of size, brightness or color;
• and
• a processor that acquires and processes acceleration data from the acceleration sensor and position coordinate data of prospective imaging targets from the image processing circuit, and which controls wireless communication of data.