ENHANCED GAME CONTROLLER
Enhancing a game controller including: a plurality of sensor modules; a support structure attached to the plurality of sensor modules, structural constraints of the support structure are combined with data from the plurality of sensor modules to map a user's gestures.
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This application claims the benefit of priority of co-pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/978,301, filed Oct. 8, 2007, entitled “Enhanced Game Controller.” The disclosure of the above-referenced provisional application is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to human-computer interfacing, and more specifically to processing multi-channel controller input.
2. Background
Computer entertainment game systems and gaming technology have advanced over the years from the simple games such as Pong® and Tetris® to very complex shooter and sports games that have high speed, high resolution graphics and can be played in a multi-player environment. Along with the increase in game sophistication, game controllers or human input devices have also advanced. Typically a game controller will include joy sticks or buttons on the controller that a user will manipulate to control characters or actions within the game.
More recently controllers have been developed that include motion sensors that can detect the user's movement of the game controller that can also be used as an input to the game action. While game controller technology has evolved it still limits a users input to the game. For example, some movements of the game controller by the user may be so small or subtle that it is difficult for the game controller to detect. Therefore there is a need to improve the responsiveness of game controllers.
SUMMARYIn one aspect, an enhanced game controller is disclosed. The enhanced game controller includes: a plurality of sensor modules; a support structure attached to the plurality of sensor modules, structural constraints of the support structure are combined with data from the plurality of sensor modules to map a user's gestures.
In another aspect, a method of mapping gestures of a user is disclosed. The method includes: receiving information about structural constraints of a support structure; receiving data from sensors attached to the support structure; and combining the data from the sensors with the information about structural constraints of a support structure to map the gestures of a user.
In another aspect, a computer-implemented method of dynamically adjusting game parameters based on performance levels of players in a multi-player game environment is disclosed. The method includes: receiving profiles of players in the multi-player game environment; adjusting game options of the players based upon the respective profiles of the players; monitoring relative performance of the players; determining if the relative performance of the players is within a desired range of performance; and adjusting game parameters of the players if the relative performance of the players is outside the desired range.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art after reviewing the following detailed description and accompanying drawings.
After reading the following description it would become apparent to one skilled in the art how to implement the invention in various alternative embodiments and alternative applications. However, although various embodiments of the present invention will be described herein, it is to be understood that these embodiments are presented by way of example only, and not limitations. As such, this detailed description of various embodiments should not be construed to limit the scope or breadth of the present invention.
Various embodiments of the methods, apparatus, techniques, programs, and systems described herein provide for enhanced game controllers. Methods, apparatus, techniques, programs and systems described herein provide for the enhancement of game controllers to better detect and improve a user's input to the game. In one embodiment, the enhanced game controller can include six axis motion sensing modules. For example, a sensor module such as a game controller can include accelerometers to detect motion in the x, y, and z planes. The sensor module can also include gyro detecting circuitry that can detect rotation about the three axes in pitch yaw and roll. The enhanced game controller or a game console can covert raw sensor data into gesture data input to the game. In this way the user can interact with the game by making gestures with the game controller.
As illustrated in
During operation of the console 102 when the user is playing a game, the user can use the game controllers 110a and 10b to interact with the game. As described further below, the game controllers 10a and 10b may be attached to a framework 108 to derive extra degrees of freedom in an enhanced game controller or peripheral. Although the example illustrated in
In the marching band baton competition example, the player could leverage a pair of game controllers 202 and 204 rigidly connected to the support structure 206, such as a holding harness or stick where each game controller 202 and 204 are attached to opposite ends of the stick (with one controller 202 sitting in parallel with the support structure 206 which is also parallel to the second controller 204 in a lengthwise manner). In the marching band example, game play could consist of a series of competition events where the player acting as a band leader might raise, lower, twirl, or swing the device in response to music and an on-screen character.
In another embodiment, the enhanced game controller 200 can also be fitted with a ring 208. When configured with a ring 208, a player could use the enhanced game controller 110 to simulate a steering wheel or other type of control in the game.
In the examples of
Although the preceding embodiments described have generally been directed to two sensor modules or game controllers, it is also possible that a structure can be coupled to any desired number of sensor modules. The structure connecting the multiple controllers can be used to mimic player's actions. In addition, the structure attaching the multiple controllers can be manipulated by the user and the manipulation can cause movements and vibrations that are sensed by the controllers and converted into game inputs, events or actions.
Using a multi-sensor module controller allows a user's input to map to gestures in the game. For example, a distance between two sensors can be used in a digital signal processor (DSP) along with how the sensor modules move, to improve mapping a user's gesture and to convert that gesture into an input for a game movement. Using multiple sensors in an enhanced game controller provides many advantages. For example, using DSP techniques, the input from the multiple sensors can be combined subtractively, additively, by averaging, or other combination to enhance the signal level as well as better detect the user's gestures. In other words, multiple sensors provide multiple forms of data from the user's gesture, and these multiple forms of data can be combined so as to produce a better signal to mimic the user's gestures.
Use of multiple sensors along with the knowledge of the structural coupling between the sensors can improve gesture mapping of a user's motion. For example, two sensor modules can be coupled using a support structure such that the two sensor modules are at a known off-set distance from one another, and the movement of the sensor modules relative to each other is bound by the constraints of the coupling of the support structure. The input signals from the two sensors and the known constraints of the support structure, for example, a rigid support structure or flexible support structure or resonant support structure, can be used to better detect signals from the sensors and map user's gestures.
In other embodiments of
In the embodiments described above, the sensor modules or controllers can be wired or wireless. In one embodiment, the sensors are wireless and thereby, communicate to the game console without the need of a physical wire connection. Eliminating a physical connection can be beneficial so that the sensors can be moved about without the restriction or encumbrance of having wires attached to the sensors. For example, the input from these sensors can be communicated by radio frequencies using techniques such as Bluetooth, ZigBee, or 802.11x, and the like, or they could use optical techniques and infrared techniques
In one embodiment, the gaming system 1200 is implemented as a computer-implemented program stored in the local storage or a cache 1205 of the processor module 1201. The program may include a computer-implemented method of dynamically adjusting game parameters based on performance levels of players in a multi-player game environment. The method includes: receiving profiles of players in the multi-player game environment; adjusting game options of the players based upon the respective profiles of the players; monitoring relative performance of the players; determining if the relative performance of the players is within a desired range of performance; and adjusting game parameters of the players if the relative performance of the players is outside the desired range. In one implementation, adjusting game parameters comprises limiting game options available to at least one of the players. In another implementation, adjusting game parameters includes enhancing game options available to at least one of the players. In another implementation, monitoring the relative performance of the players includes detecting the players' reaction to audio stimuli. In yet another implementation, monitoring the relative performance of the players includes detecting the players' reaction to visual stimuli.
Various embodiments described may be implemented primarily in hardware, or software, or a combination of hardware and software. For example, a hardware implementation may include using, for example, components such as application specific integrated circuits (“ASICs”), or field programmable gate arrays (“FPGAs”). Implementation of a hardware state machine capable of performing the functions described herein will also be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art.
The term “module” as used herein means, but is not limited to a software or hardware component, such as an FPGA or an ASIC, which performs certain tasks. A module may advantageously be configured to reside on an addressable storage medium and configured to execute on one or more network enabled devices or processors. Thus, a module may include, by way of example, components, processes, functions, attributes, procedures, subroutines, segments of program code, drivers, firmware, microcode, circuitry, data, databases, data structures, tables, arrays, variables, and the like. The functionality provided for in the components and modules may be combined into fewer components and modules or further separated into additional components and modules. Additionally, the components and modules may advantageously be implemented to execute on one or more network enabled devices or computers.
Furthermore, those of skill in the art will appreciate that the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, circuits, and method steps described in connection with the above described figures and the embodiments disclosed herein can often be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or combinations of both. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been described above generally in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system. Skilled persons can implement the described functionality in varying ways for each particular application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing a departure from the scope of the invention. In addition, the grouping of functions within a module, block, circuit or step is for ease of description. Specific functions or steps can be moved from one module, block or circuit to another without departing from the invention.
Moreover, the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, and methods described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented or performed with a general purpose processor, a digital signal processor (“DSP”), an ASIC, FPGA or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor, but in the alternative, the processor can be any processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processor can also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, for example, a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration.
Additionally, the steps of a method or algorithm described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein can be embodied directly in hardware, in a software module executed by a processor, or in a combination of the two. A software module can reside in RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium including a network storage medium. An exemplary storage medium can be coupled to the processor such the processor can read information from, and write information to, the storage medium. In the alternative, the storage medium can be integral to the processor. The processor and the storage medium can also reside in an ASIC.
While the above is a complete description of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to use various alternatives, modifications and equivalents. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should be determined not with reference to the above description but should, instead, be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with their full scope of equivalents. Any feature described herein, whether preferred or not, may be combined with any other feature described herein, whether preferred or not. Thus, the invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiment shown herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principal and novel features disclosed herein.
Claims
1. An enhanced game controller comprising:
- a plurality of sensor modules;
- a support structure attached to the plurality of sensor modules, structural constraints of the support structure are combined with data from the plurality of sensor modules to map a user's gestures.
2. The controller of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensor modules comprise six axis sensors.
3. The controller of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensor modules comprise game controllers.
4. The controller of claim 1, wherein the support structure is rigid.
5. The controller of claim 1, wherein the support structure is flexible.
6. The controller of claim 1, wherein the support structure comprises a resonant structure.
7. A method of mapping gestures of a user, the method comprising:
- receiving information about structural constraints of a support structure;
- receiving data from sensors attached to the support structure; and
- combining the data from the sensors with the information about structural constraints of a support structure to map the gestures of a user.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein the map of the user's gestures is used as an input to a game system.
9. The method of claim 7, wherein receiving data from sensors comprises receiving data from game controllers.
10. The method of claim 7, wherein receiving information about structural constraints of a support structure comprises
- receiving information about flexibility of the support structure.
11. A computer-implemented method of dynamically adjusting game parameters based on performance levels of players in a multi-player game environment, the method comprising:
- receiving profiles of players in the multi-player game environment;
- adjusting game options of the players based upon the respective profiles of the players;
- monitoring relative performance of the players;
- determining if the relative performance of the players is within a desired range of performance; and
- adjusting game parameters of the players if the relative performance of the players is outside the desired range.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein adjusting game parameters comprises limiting game options available to at least one of the players.
13. The method of claim 11, wherein adjusting game parameters comprises enhancing game options available to at least one of the players.
14. The method of claim 11, wherein monitoring the relative performance of the players comprises detecting the players' reaction to audio stimuli.
15. The method of claim 11, wherein monitoring the relative performance of the players comprises detecting the players' reaction to visual stimuli.
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 6, 2008
Publication Date: Apr 9, 2009
Applicant: SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT AMERICA INC. (Foster City, CA)
Inventor: Ken Miyaki (Foster City, CA)
Application Number: 12/246,373
International Classification: A63F 9/24 (20060101);