Patents Assigned to HAL Laboratory
  • Publication number: 20110304710
    Abstract: A game device 10 displays an image on an upper LCD 22 capable of producing stereoscopic display using two images. Based on two captured images of a predetermined image-capture object captured respectively by two image-capturing devices, the game device 10 calculates a positional relationship between the predetermined image-capture object and each of the image-capturing devices. Then, the game device 10 determines a zero-parallax distance using at least one of the positional relationships so that it is a distance in accordance with a distance from the image-capturing device to the image-capture object, and determines display positions of the two captured images to be displayed on the upper LCD 22 in accordance with the zero-parallax distance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2011
    Publication date: December 15, 2011
    Applicants: HAL Laboratory, Inc., NINTENDO CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuichiro ITO, Yuki NISHIMURA
  • Publication number: 20110304699
    Abstract: First, a stereoscopic vision reference distances is individually determined for each virtual object disposed in a virtual space, based on a depth position of each of the virtual objects. Next, each of the virtual objects is rendered and combined based on one pair of virtual cameras such that a relative position, with respect to the screen of a stereoscopic display device, of a virtual object, viewed by a user through a screen of the stereoscopic display device, matches a relative position of the virtual object with respect to a stereoscopic vision reference surface for the virtual object in the virtual space.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2011
    Publication date: December 15, 2011
    Applicants: HAL Laboratory, NINTENDO CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuichiro Ito, Yuki Nishimura
  • Patent number: 7637813
    Abstract: A moving character and a background image are displayed on a display screen with a touch panel thereon. When the player operates the touch panel to draw a line in an intended path extending between a start point and an end point along which the player wishes to guide the moving character, an operation trace image having the shape of the line drawn is displayed on the display screen. Then, the moving character moves along or in parallel to the operation trace image. The operation trace image is gradually erased after a predetermined amount of time elapses. Thus, it is possible to provide a video game device and a video game program in which the player can influence the moving path or the moving direction of the player (moving) character based on the shape and/or the direction of the line drawn by the player.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2009
    Assignees: Nintendo Co., Ltd., HAL Laboratory Inc.
    Inventors: Motomi Katayama, Teruyuki Gunji, Kouji Mori, Masaaki Fukunaga
  • Publication number: 20090208191
    Abstract: A program information displaying apparatus includes a CPU, and displays a plurality of program information in tabular form. For example, users register accounts as user information in the program information that the user is interested in. A priority and a display manner are set for each of the plurality of accounts, and the program information in which the account is registered is depicted in the display manner on the basis of the priority. When a first depicting method is selected, the program information is depicted in a display manner of the account with the highest priority. When a second depicting method is selected, the program information is depicted such that the display manners are layered in order of the priority.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2009
    Publication date: August 20, 2009
    Applicants: NINTENDO CO., LTD., HAL Laboratory, Inc.
    Inventors: Daiji IMAI, Ryoichiro Atono
  • Publication number: 20090195703
    Abstract: A display control apparatus connected to a display apparatus, which is remotely controllable through wireless communication, generates a first video/audio signal for displaying a first image on the display apparatus, and outputs the first video/audio signal to the display apparatus. Either of a first signal pattern indicative of a command to cause the first image based on the first video/audio signal to be displayed on the display apparatus or a second signal pattern indicative of a command to cause a second image based on a second video/audio signal, which is obtained from a device different from the display control apparatus, to be displayed on the display apparatus is selected, and a wireless signal of the selected signal pattern is outputted to the display apparatus through the wireless communication. Information determined based on the signal pattern of the outputted wireless signal is informed from an apparatus different from the display apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2008
    Publication date: August 6, 2009
    Applicants: Nintendo Co., Ltd.,, HAL Laboratory Inc.,
    Inventors: Daiji IMAI, Masayoshi TANIMURA, Akira OZAWA, Masanobu SAKATA, Tomokazu TSURUOKA
  • Publication number: 20090153564
    Abstract: In accordance with a size of a drawing area and a character size, the number of characters arrangeable in the drawing area is calculated. Based on the calculated number of characters, whether a character string in the obtained character size is arranged in the drawing area or the character string in a character size different from the obtained character size is arranged in the drawing area is selected, and the character string is arranged in the drawing area by using the determined character size. The arranged character string is displayed on the display apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2008
    Publication date: June 18, 2009
    Applicants: Nintendo Co., Ltd., HAL Laboratory Inc.
    Inventors: Daiji Imai, Ryoichiro Atono, Fumihiro Narita
  • Patent number: 7466433
    Abstract: In a three-dimensional object image print service system capable of printing out a desired three-dimensional object image, a three-dimensional image display apparatus includes a three-dimensional object image generator for generating a three-dimensional object image, based on instructions from an input device operated by a user and a three-dimensional object image generation program previously provided. The three-dimensional image display device further includes a selector for selecting arbitrary part of the three-dimensional object image generated based on instructions from the user, and a transition information generator for generating transition information of a three-dimensional object image representing the selected arbitrary part of the three-dimensional object image. The three-dimensional object image arbitrarily selected by the user can be reproduced based on the transition information and the three-dimensional object image generation program.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2008
    Assignees: Nintendo Co. Ltd., Hal Laboratory Inc.
    Inventor: Masayoshi Tanimura
  • Publication number: 20070111804
    Abstract: A game apparatus includes an LCD, and on the LCD, a touch panel is set. When a player object encounters an enemy object, a battle screen is displayed on the LCD. A player performs a sliding operation on the touch panel with a stick or the like in such a manner as to surround the enemy object and tries to obtain the enemy object. At this time, when the enemy object (affecting object) already obtained is selected, an ability (effect) equipped with the affecting object can be produced. For example, a flame according to a surrounding line is generated. When the flame hits the enemy object, the enemy object is damaged to decrease its moving speed and stop moving.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2006
    Publication date: May 17, 2007
    Applicants: HAL Laboratory Inc., Creatures Inc., Nintendo Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuki Sekimori
  • Patent number: 7170524
    Abstract: In an original image, an area whose brightness is smaller than a predetermined value is detected as an ink line area, and a neighboring area of the ink line area, which surrounds the ink line area, is detected as a neighboring area. Furthermore, with respect to an area other than the ink line area and the neighboring area in the original image, an outline portion of an image is detected as an outline area. A color is applied to the ink line area and the outline area, and a different color is applied to an area other than the above two types of area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2007
    Assignees: Nintendo Co., Ltd., HAL Laboratory Inc.
    Inventor: Yoshikazu Fujita
  • Publication number: 20060217196
    Abstract: A storage medium having stored thereon a game program executable by a computer 21 of a game apparatus 1 including touch coordinate pair input means for outputting coordinate information based on a predetermined coordinate system in accordance with a touch operation performed by a player. A first object P1 and a second object P2 are displayed on a display screen based on first object position data DC3 and second object position data DC5. While input coordinate pairs are being detected, the first object position data DC3 is updated based on the input coordinate pairs. The second object position data DC5 is updated based on the first object position data DC3.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2006
    Publication date: September 28, 2006
    Applicants: Nintendo Co., Ltd., HAL Laboratory Inc.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Kikkawa, Kazuyuki Nakamura, Katsuhiro Sakoda
  • Publication number: 20060203003
    Abstract: In an original image, an area whose brightness is smaller than a predetermined value is detected as an ink line area, and a neighboring area of the ink line area, which surrounds the ink line area, is detected as a neighboring area. Furthermore, with respect to an area other than the ink line area and the neighboring area in the original image, an outline portion of an image is detected as an outline area. A color is applied to the ink line area and the outline area, and a different color is applied to an area other than the above two types of area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2006
    Publication date: September 14, 2006
    Applicants: Nintendo Co., Ltd., HAL Laboratory Inc.
    Inventor: Yoshikazu Fujita
  • Patent number: 7095417
    Abstract: In an original image, an area whose brightness is smaller than a predetermined value is detected as an ink line area, and a neighboring area of the ink line area, which surrounds the ink line area, is detected as a neighboring area. Furthermore, with respect to an area other than the ink line area and the neighboring area in the original image, an outline portion of an image is detected as an outline area. A color is applied to the ink line area and the outline area, and a different color is applied to an area other than the above two types of area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2006
    Assignees: Nintendo Co., Ltd., HAL Laboratory Inc.
    Inventor: Yoshikazu Fujita
  • Publication number: 20060094502
    Abstract: A moving character and a background image are displayed on a display screen with a touch panel thereon. When the player operates the touch panel to draw a line in an intended path extending between a start point and an end point along which the player wishes to guide the moving character, an operation trace image having the shape of the line drawn is displayed on the display screen. Then, the moving character moves along or in parallel to the operation trace image. The operation trace image is gradually erased after a predetermined amount of time elapses. Thus, it is possible to provide a video game device and a video game program in which the player can influence the moving path or the moving direction of the player (moving) character based on the shape and/or the direction of the line drawn by the player.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2005
    Publication date: May 4, 2006
    Applicants: Nintendo Co., Ltd., HAL Laboratory Inc.
    Inventors: Motomi Katayama, Teruyuki Gunji, Kouji Mori, Masaaki Fukunaga
  • Patent number: 6964373
    Abstract: A coded image on a recording medium (a card) which records desired information as an optically readable coded image (a dot code) contains predetermined record location information indicating a record location at which the image is recorded on the card, as, for example, an element of a physical format of the image. A coded image reading apparatus for reading the coded image from the card has image inputting means (a pickup). The apparatus includes a CPU, which includes and can execute record location determining means (a program) for obtaining record location information from an input image and determining a record location of the image. The card is guided so that the proper read operation can be performed in accordance with this function of determination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2005
    Assignees: Olympus Optical Co., Ltd., HAL Laboratory, Inc., Creatures Inc., Nintendo Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Sasaki, Masayoshi Tanimura, Hirokazu Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20050014543
    Abstract: A game apparatus includes a CPU, and the CPU executes a game process. When a player character encounters an enemy character in a game world, a battle screen is displayed on a monitor. On the battle screen, an instruction image according to an operation timing pattern recorded in correspondence to the enemy character is displayed, and a background music (BGM) according to the pattern is output from a speaker. A player weights an operation timing by the instruction image and a tune of the BGM (drum part). In a case of a degree of coincidence between the operation timing by the player and a timing of the pattern is high, a damage which the player character applies to the enemy character and an experienced value to be obtained by the player character increases.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2004
    Publication date: January 20, 2005
    Applicants: HAL Laboratory, Inc., Nintendo Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigesato Itoi, Shogo Sakai, Nobuyuki Inoue, Masaki Aikyo, Satoru Iwata
  • Publication number: 20040217970
    Abstract: In an original image, an area whose brightness is smaller than a predetermined value is detected as an ink line area, and a neighboring area of the ink line area, which surrounds the ink line area, is detected as a neighboring area. Furthermore, with respect to an area other than the ink line area and the neighboring area in the original image, an outline portion of an image is detected as an outline area. A color is applied to the ink line area and the outline area, and a different color is applied to an area other than the above two types of area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2003
    Publication date: November 4, 2004
    Applicants: Nintendo Co., Ltd., HAL Laboratory Inc.
    Inventor: Yoshikazu Fujita
  • Patent number: 6811084
    Abstract: A code reading apparatus main body optically reads a code from a recording medium, recording it as optically readable code, and stores the outcome of the reading operation and the parameters acquired during the reading operation in the data RAM of an application program storing cartridge. When a program processing apparatus reads the outcome of the reading operation as stored in the data RAM, it provides randomness to the outcome of the reading operation according to the parameters stored in the data RAM.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2004
    Assignees: Olympus Optical Co., Ltd., HAL Laboratory, Inc., Creatures Inc., Nintendo Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seiji Tatsuta, Daikichi Morohashi, Hiroyuki Yamada, Masayoshi Tanimura, Hirokazu Tanaka
  • Patent number: D299140
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 1985
    Date of Patent: December 27, 1988
    Assignee: Hal Laboratory, Inc.
    Inventor: Fumio Nakamura
  • Patent number: D301256
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 1986
    Date of Patent: May 23, 1989
    Assignee: HAL Laboratory Inc.
    Inventor: Satoru Iwata