# US 2016/0250554 A1 · Method and apparatus for using a common pointing input to control 3d viewpoint and object targeting

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- Number: US 2016/0250554 A1
- Document ID: US20160250554A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/148,538
- Filed: 2016-05-06
- Published: 2016-09-01
- Earliest claimed: 2006-09-14
- Assignees: Nintendo Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Nintendo Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Mark HAIGH-HUTCHINSON
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20160250554A1

## CPC

- A63F 13/20: Input arrangements for video game devices
- A63F 13/219: for aiming at specific areas on the display, e.g. light-guns
- A63F 13/211: using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
- A63F 13/426: involving on-screen location information, e.g. screen coordinates of an area at which the player is aiming with a light gun
- A63F 13/5255: according to dedicated instructions from a player, e.g. using a secondary joystick to rotate the camera around a player's character
- A63F 13/5258: by dynamically adapting the position of the virtual camera to keep a game object or game character in its viewing frustum, e.g. for tracking a character or a ball
- A63F 13/5375: for graphically or textually suggesting an action, e.g. by displaying an arrow indicating a turn in a driving game
- A63F 13/837: Shooting of targets
- A63F 2300/105: using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes
- A63F 2300/305: for providing a graphical or textual hint to the player
- A63F 2300/6676: by dedicated player input
- A63F 2300/6684: by dynamically adapting its position to keep a game object in its viewing frustrum, e.g. for tracking a character or a ball
- A63F 2300/8076: Shooting
- A63F: CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

A computer graphics display system such as a video game system provides virtual camera 3-D viewpoint panning control based on a pointer. When the pointer is displayed within a virtual camera panning control region, the system automatically pans the virtual camera toward the pointer. When the pointer is displayed within a different region, panning is deactivated and the user can freely move the cursor (e.g., to control the direction a weapon is pointed) without panning the virtual camera viewpoint. Flexible viewpoint control and other animated features are provided based on a pointing device such as a handheld video game optical pointing control. Useful applications include but are not limited to first person shooter type video games.

## Claims

### Claim at position 1

1-12. (canceled)

### Claim 13

A method of allowing a video game user to both (a) target a location in a three-dimensional (3D) virtual world and (b) pan a view presented from a virtual camera in a desired direction to reveal additional portions of the 3D virtual world with a three-dimensional video game computer graphics display system that includes at least one processor, the method comprising:
displaying, on a display in a display area, an image of the 3D virtual world viewed through the virtual camera that has a viewing orientation;
controlling, based on and in response to user input, a targeting position in the display area, where the targeting position is used to indicate location within the 3D virtual world;
determining whether the controlled targeting position is within a distance threshold;
targeting different locations within the 3D virtual world without panning the virtual camera as a result of the determination that the controlled targeting position is located within the distance threshold; and
panning, via the at least one processor, the virtual camera to a new viewing orientation to reveal additional portions of the 3D virtual world for display on the display area as a result of the determination that the controlled targeting position is located outside of the distance threshold.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising controlling a rate that the virtual camera is panned based on a distance between a center point of the display and the controlled targeting position.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising controlling a rate that the virtual camera is panned based on how long the controlled targeting position remains outside of the distance threshold.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising:
subdividing a region that is outside of the distance threshold into a plurality of control regions; and
controlling a panning rate based at least in part on which of said plurality of control regions the controlled targeting position is within.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising
display a weapon targeting marker in accordance with the controlled targeting position; and
displaying a weapon targeting reticle image, wherein said weapon targeting reticle image is located within the distance threshold and includes the weapon targeting marker.

### Claim 18 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising controlling a direction that the virtual camera is panned based at least in part on the controlled targeting position relative to a reference point.

### Claim 19 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the user input is provided via a touch screen display device.

### Claim 20 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the distance threshold is different for lateral control of the targeting position than vertical control of the targeting position.

### Claim 21 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the distance threshold indicates a boundary between an inner region of the display area and an outer region of the display area.

### Claim 22

A computer system for controlling a view of a three-dimensional (3D) virtual world presented by a virtual camera, the computer system comprising:
a processing system that includes at least one hardware processor, the processing system configured to:
generate images of the 3D virtual world by using a virtual camera that is at a first viewing orientation and output the generated images to a display device that is coupled to the processing system for display within a display area of a display screen;
accept and process user input that is provided to the computer system;
determine, responsive and based on the user input, a targeting position within the display area, where the targeting position is used to indicate a location within the 3D virtual world;
determine whether a distance between the determined targeting position and another position within the display area is outside of a threshold distance;
pan, based on the distance between the determined targeting position and the another position, the virtual camera to a second viewing orientation to thereby reveal additional portions of the 3D virtual world for display within the display area; and
target, when the distance is inside the threshold distance, different locations within the 3D virtual world while also maintaining the first viewing orientation of the virtual camera.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The computer system of claim 22, wherein the another position is at a center of the display area.

### Claim 24 (depends on 22)

The computer system of claim 22, wherein the virtual camera is panned at a rate that is a function of the distance between the another position and determined targeting position.

### Claim 25 (depends on 22)

The computer system of claim 22, wherein the processing system is further configured to output, to the display area, a reticle image at a position that corresponds to the determined targeting position.

### Claim 26

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing computer executable instructions for use with a computer system that includes at least one hardware processor, the stored computer executable instructions comprising instructions that cause the computer system to:
generate images of a three-dimensional (3D) virtual world by using a virtual camera with a first viewing orientation and correspondingly output the generated images to a display device that is coupled to the computer system for display within a display area of the display device;
while the generated images are displayed, accept and process user input that is provided to the computer system;
determine, responsive and based on the user input, a targeting position within the display area, where the targeting position is used to indicate a location within the 3D virtual world;
determine whether a distance between the determined targeting position and another position within the display area is outside of a threshold distance;
adjust, based on determination that the distance between the determined targeting position and the another position is outside of the threshold distance, the virtual camera to a second viewing orientation to thereby reveal additional portions of the 3D virtual world for display within the display area; and
target, when the distance is inside the threshold distance, different locations within the 3D virtual world while also maintaining the first viewing orientation of the virtual camera.

### Claim 27 (depends on 26)

The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 26, wherein the another position is at a center of the display area.

### Claim 28 (depends on 26)

The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 26, wherein the virtual camera is adjusted at a rate that is a function of the distance between the another position and determined targeting position.

### Claim 29 (depends on 26)

The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 26, wherein the stored computer executable instructions comprise further instructions that cause the computer system to:
output, to the display area, a reticle image at a position that corresponds to the determined targeting position.

### Claim 30 (depends on 26)

The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 26, wherein the stored computer executable instructions comprise further instructions that cause the computer system to:
divide a region that is outside of the distance threshold into a plurality of control regions; and
controlling a rate that the virtual camera is adjusted based at least in part on which of the plurality of control regions the determined targeting position is within.

### Claim 31 (depends on 26)

The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 26, wherein the display device is a touchscreen display device and the accepted and processed user input is input provided to the touchscreen in correspondence with where the generated images are displayed.

### Claim 32 (depends on 26)

The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 26, wherein no reticle or cursor that indicates the determined targeting position is displayed in the display area.