Playing apparatus, method, and program recording medium

A sound generating method in a playing apparatus, wherein the playing apparatus comprises a holding member operated by a user, an angular rate sensor mounted on the holding member for obtaining angular rates of the holding member respectively in three axial directions, the three axial directions including a longitudinal direction of the holding member and being perpendicular to each other, a storing unit for storing a sound source map including plural areas disposed in a virtual space and sound sources corresponding respectively to the plural areas, the method comprising:

• a presuming step of presuming a direction of a turning axis of the holding member based on the angular rates of the holding member obtained by the angular rate sensor, while the user is operating the holding member;
• a first calculating step of calculating an angular rate of a top of the holding member based on the angular rates of the holding member obtained by the angular rate sensor with the angular rate in the longitudinal direction removed;
• a second calculating step of calculating a position of the holding member in the virtual space after a predetermined time, based on the recent direction of the turning axis of the holding member presumed at the presuming step and the recent angular rate of the top of the holding member calculated at the first calculating step;
• and
• a sound-generation instructing step of providing a sound generation signal to a sound generating unit for instructing a generation of a sound which is assigned to an area corresponding to the position calculated by the second calculating unit in a swinging motion among the plural areas included in the sound source map.

A computer readable non-transitory recording medium mounted on a playing apparatus, wherein the playing apparatus comprises a computer, a holding member operated by a user, an angular rate sensor mounted on the holding member for obtaining angular rates of the holding member respectively in three axial directions, the three axial directions including a longitudinal direction of the holding member and being perpendicular to each other, a storing unit for storing a sound source map including plural areas disposed in a virtual space and sound sources corresponding respectively to the plural areas, the non-transitory recording medium having recorded thereon a computer program when read and executed to make the computer implement a method comprising:

• a presuming step of presuming a direction of a turning axis of the holding member based on the angular rates of the holding member obtained by the angular rate sensor, while the user is operating the holding member;
• a first calculating step of calculating an angular rate of a top of the holding member based on the angular rates of the holding member obtained by the angular rate sensor with the angular rate in the longitudinal direction removed;
• a second calculating step of calculating a position of the holding member in the virtual space after a predetermined time, based on the recent direction of the turning axis of the holding member presumed at the presuming step and the recent angular rate of the top of the holding member calculated at the first calculating step;
• and
• a sound-generation instructing step of providing a sound generation signal to a sound generating unit for instructing a generation of a sound which is assigned to an area corresponding to the position calculated by the second calculating unit in a swinging motion among the plural areas included in the sound source map.