Patents by Inventor Aaron J. Schmitz

Aaron J. Schmitz has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 10987576
    Abstract: Examples are disclosed that relate to adjusting sensitivity of a control stick. In one example, a method comprises: receiving a dead zone inflection point defining a boundary of a dead zone region and a playspace region within a normalized two-dimensional movement space, receiving a sensitivity inflection point within the playspace region of the normalized two-dimensional movement space, transforming the sensitivity inflection point to a transformed sensitivity inflection point using a sensitivity scaling function that comprises the dead zone inflection point, receiving position data representing a current position of the control stick, and transforming the current position to a transformed position using a mapping function comprising the dead zone inflection point and the transformed sensitivity inflection point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Ross Anthony Nelson, Aaron J. Schmitz, Curtis F. McClive
  • Publication number: 20200030690
    Abstract: Examples are disclosed that relate to adjusting sensitivity of a control stick. In one example, a method comprises: receiving a dead zone inflection point defining a boundary of a dead zone region and a playspace region within a normalized two-dimensional movement space, receiving a sensitivity inflection point within the playspace region of the normalized two-dimensional movement space, transforming the sensitivity inflection point to a transformed sensitivity inflection point using a sensitivity scaling function that comprises the dead zone inflection point, receiving position data representing a current position of the control stick, and transforming the current position to a transformed position using a mapping function comprising the dead zone inflection point and the transformed sensitivity inflection point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2019
    Publication date: January 30, 2020
    Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Ross Anthony NELSON, Aaron J. SCHMITZ, Curtis F. MCCLIVE
  • Patent number: 10521030
    Abstract: Examples are disclosed that relate to computing devices and methods for transforming output of a control stick. In one example, a method comprises: receiving a dead zone inflection point defining a boundary of a dead zone region and a playspace region within a first normalized unit-area movement space of the control stick, mapping the first normalized unit-area movement space to a second normalized unit-area movement space, using a scaling function comprising the dead zone inflection point, scaling each axis of the second normalized unit-area movement space to generate a scaled second normalized unit-area movement space, transforming the scaled second normalized unit-area movement space to a scaled first normalized unit-area movement space, receiving position data representing a current position of the control stick, and transforming the current position to a transformed position in the scaled first normalized unit-area movement space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Miles Franz Kaech, Curtis F. McClive, Ross Anthony Nelson, Aaron J. Schmitz
  • Patent number: 10463954
    Abstract: User input devices, such as gaming controllers, are provided herein. In one example, a user input device includes a control stick mechanism configured to receive user manipulation in one or more axes. The user input device includes control circuitry configured to process movement data representative of the user manipulation to derive a mechanical center of the control stick mechanism from at least a sequence of qualified resting points associated with the control stick mechanism. The control circuitry is configured to at least re-center the movement data according to the mechanical center to establish calibrated movement data, and present the calibrated movement data for use in controlling one or more user interface elements with the control stick mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Curtis F. McClive, Aaron J. Schmitz, Ross A. Nelson, Anthony John Grant
  • Patent number: 10434405
    Abstract: Examples are disclosed that relate to adjusting sensitivity of a control stick. In one example, a method comprises: receiving a dead zone inflection point defining a boundary of a dead zone region and a playspace region within a normalized two-dimensional movement space, receiving a sensitivity inflection point within the playspace region of the normalized two-dimensional movement space, transforming the sensitivity inflection point to a transformed sensitivity inflection point using a sensitivity scaling function that comprises the dead zone inflection point, receiving position data representing a current position of the control stick, and transforming the current position to a transformed position using a mapping function comprising the dead zone inflection point and the transformed sensitivity inflection point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Ross Anthony Nelson, Aaron J. Schmitz, Curtis F. McClive
  • Publication number: 20190212832
    Abstract: Examples are disclosed that relate to computing devices and methods for transforming output of a control stick. In one example, a method comprises: receiving a dead zone inflection point defining a boundary of a dead zone region and a playspace region within a first normalized unit-area movement space of the control stick, mapping the first normalized unit-area movement space to a second normalized unit-area movement space, using a scaling function comprising the dead zone inflection point, scaling each axis of the second normalized unit-area movement space to generate a scaled second normalized unit-area movement space, transforming the scaled second normalized unit-area movement space to a scaled first normalized unit-area movement space, receiving position data representing a current position of the control stick, and transforming the current position to a transformed position in the scaled first normalized unit-area movement space.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2018
    Publication date: July 11, 2019
    Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Miles Franz KAECH, Curtis F. MCCLIVE, Ross Anthony NELSON, Aaron J. SCHMITZ
  • Publication number: 20190126140
    Abstract: Examples are disclosed that relate to adjusting sensitivity of a control stick. In one example, a method comprises: receiving a dead zone inflection point defining a boundary of a dead zone region and a playspace region within a normalized two-dimensional movement space, receiving a sensitivity inflection point within the playspace region of the normalized two-dimensional movement space, transforming the sensitivity inflection point to a transformed sensitivity inflection point using a sensitivity scaling function that comprises the dead zone inflection point, receiving position data representing a current position of the control stick, and transforming the current position to a transformed position using a mapping function comprising the dead zone inflection point and the transformed sensitivity inflection point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2017
    Publication date: May 2, 2019
    Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Ross Anthony NELSON, Aaron J. SCHMITZ, Curtis F. MCCLIVE
  • Patent number: 10108273
    Abstract: User input devices, such as gaming controllers, are provided herein. In one example, a user input device includes a control stick mechanism configured to receive user manipulation in one or more axes. The user input device includes control circuitry configured to process movement data representative of the user manipulation to determine mapped movement data over a normalized movement space according to at least one of a mechanical center associated with the control stick mechanism and cardinality data defining a measured movement space associated with the control stick mechanism. The control circuitry is configured to present the mapped movement data for use in controlling one or more user interface elements with the control stick mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Curtis F. McClive, Aaron J. Schmitz, Ross Anthony Nelson, Anthony John Grant
  • Publication number: 20170252645
    Abstract: User input devices, such as gaming controllers, are provided herein. In one example, a user input device includes a control stick mechanism configured to receive user manipulation in one or more axes. The user input device includes control circuitry configured to process movement data representative of the user manipulation to derive a mechanical center of the control stick mechanism from at least a sequence of qualified resting points associated with the control stick mechanism. The control circuitry is configured to at least re-center the movement data according to the mechanical center to establish calibrated movement data, and present the calibrated movement data for use in controlling one or more user interface elements with the control stick mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2016
    Publication date: September 7, 2017
    Inventors: Curtis F. McClive, Aaron J. Schmitz, Ross A. Nelson, Anthony John Grant
  • Publication number: 20170255279
    Abstract: User input devices, such as gaming controllers, are provided herein. In one example, a user input device includes a control stick mechanism configured to receive user manipulation in one or more axes. The user input device includes control circuitry configured to process movement data representative of the user manipulation to determine mapped movement data over a normalized movement space according to at least one of a mechanical center associated with the control stick mechanism and cardinality data defining a measured movement space associated with the control stick mechanism. The control circuitry is configured to present the mapped movement data for use in controlling one or more user interface elements with the control stick mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2016
    Publication date: September 7, 2017
    Inventors: Curtis F. McClive, Aaron J. Schmitz, Ross A. Nelson, Tony J. Grant